Jin carried Stella all the way back to the 62nd Marine Base.
The soldiers on duty barely reacted when their commanding officer dropped out of the sky with a woman in his arms. At this point, "the boss fell from the clouds again" was just part of the daily routine.
By the time the sun dipped low and training wrapped up for the day, Ain had showered and changed. Toweling her hair, she walked out into the courtyard—
—and arrived just in time to see Jin land, wings folding away, one arm around a beautiful blonde in a sleek dress.
Ain's eye twitched.
"White-bro," she asked, voice calm, "and this is…?"
"Oh. This is Stella," Jin said. "I'll explain in a bit."
"Hello," Stella said quickly, bowing slightly. "My name is Stella. Mr. White rescued me."
"…I see." Ain smiled, eyes narrowing just the tiniest bit.
Jin led them into his office and Ryder out Stella's story: the kidnapping, the auction, the collar, and his decision to buy her out instead of walking away.
By the time he finished, the tightness in Ain's chest had already melted away. She suddenly felt silly for that stab of discomfort from earlier.
Of course he wouldn't just drag a random woman home for no reason…
The two women started talking, and in no time the office was filled with light chatter—clothes, hair, lipstick, the best places in Sabaody to shop if you had a reliable escort.
Jin quietly lost control of the conversation and was pushed to the background like a piece of furniture.
He'd originally intended to have Stella share quarters with Ain, but Stella refused.
"Mr. White saved my life," she said. "I can't fight, but I can cook, clean, do laundry, keep house… I want to do something in return. Please let me handle your residence."
In the end, Jin gave up arguing and had her assigned to the base's family housing area out back. Headquarters had already granted him an officer's home there; he just almost never used it.
They stepped through the door.
Kuro was already waiting in the hallway, sitting next to a big burlap sack. The sack twitched and whimpered.
"Hard day?" Jin asked.
"Nothing special," Kuro said, pushing his glasses up. "But his place had some… interesting inventory."
He lifted a small chest and passed it over.
Jin waved lazily.
"If it's just money, keep it. You did the legwork—you take the cut."
Kuro smirked.
"The cash isn't important. But this…"
Jin opened the chest.
"Something I'd be interested in, huh? Don't tell me—Devil Fruits?"
He nudged the sack with his boot. Inside, a muffled voice squealed.
"Mm—mmph!"
"Huh. Still talkative," Jin said. "Nice lungs."
He untied the rope and yanked the gag out.
"Spare me, sir! Spare me!" The fat manager flopped on his belly like a landed fish, sobbing. "I won't dare ever again! Please, let me live!"
Stella's eyes widened.
"That's him…"
Jin slapped the man's jiggling cheek lightly.
"Honestly, you're too greedy. I walk out the door and you can't even wait a day before sending men to tail me. Planning to rob me, were you?"
"N–no, never, sir! I—I—"
"Save it." Jin straightened. "Anyway. Stella… want to handle this yourself?"
The fat man turned even paler.
"Lady! Beautiful lady, have mercy! I can serve you too—I can be your dog, I can—"
He babbled, sniffing snot, not even noticing how Stella's expression slowly changed.
Her lips curled—not in cruelty, but in a strange, serene smile. The fear that had haunted her eyes since the auction was gone. What was left was… lightness.
Release.
"White," she said softly. "Could you do it for me? If I touch him, I'll just remember things I want to forget. Running into you… is enough."
Jin studied her for a second, then nodded.
"Sure."
Golden fire blossomed in his palm. He pressed it gently against the man's chest.
"Ah—!"
Flames erupted from inside his body, licking out of his mouth, eyes, and pores. His screams went high, then thin, then faded as flesh and fat burned away. In moments, nothing was left but a drifting smear of ash that the air current tugged apart.
Kuro glanced at the air swirling the ash away and said nothing.
Wind and fire. Definitely a mythical beast.
Ain and Stella slipped off to the kitchen, clattering pots and talking about recipes. By the time dinner was ready, the house smelled like a real home for the first time since Jin had been assigned it.
The four of them ate together. Afterward, Kuro headed back to his own quarters, and Ain insisted on staying the night.
"Stella might be scared," she said with a too-bright smile. "I'll stay with her."
Jin had no idea why her gaze on him felt… odd. He yawned, showered, and went back to his room. Within minutes he was sprawled out and snoring softly.
The second-floor guest rooms were not nearly as peaceful.
Stella lay on the bed in a simple nightdress, still not quite used to the feel of clean sheets and safety. Ain sat on the edge, towel over her shoulders, hair still damp.
"Stella-sis," Ain said, eyes shining, "your figure is amazing."
"E-eh?" Stella caught Ain's wandering hands, cheeks burning. "Don't… mess around."
Ain grinned and slipped free, fingertips sliding down Stella's thigh through the blanket.
"Look at this—so white and long. No wonder White-bro couldn't just walk past you."
"Y-you—!" Stella squeaked.
In the end, both women wound up flushed and breathless from wrestling and laughter, the tension eased.
After a while, Stella spoke, voice quiet.
"Ain… what kind of person is White, usually?"
Ain thought for a moment, leaning back against the headboard.
"How to put it… White-bro is… lazy," she said honestly. "All the boring work, he throws at us. He admits it, too. Says, 'If my subordinates are capable, why should I bother?'"
Stella giggled despite herself.
"Usually he's either training or zoning out," Ain continued. "He doesn't talk much, but when he does it's always something shocking. As for his strength… rumor is he's already at Admiral level."
"So strong…?" Stella gasped.
She'd known he was powerful—that killing intent alone was unforgettable—but an Admiral-level Marine? That was the highest fighting force in the entire Marine.
Ain nodded.
"Yeah. I haven't seen him cut loose often, but sometimes his aura alone makes it hard to breathe. Vice Admiral Garp says he's annoying. Admiral Sakazuki glared at him for an hour once. And Kuzan—Admiral Aokiji—said fighting him would be a pain."
She grinned.
"Garp-senpai also said that before White-bro ate his Devil Fruit, he could barely beat him. After he ate it? Even worse."
Stella listened quietly, then suddenly asked:
"Ain… you like him too, don't you?"
"Wha—?!" Ain exploded, her whole face turning bright red. Steam practically rose from her head.
"H-hey! What kind of question is that, all of a sudden?!"
Stella just smiled, eyes gentle.
She'd watched Jin argue with a Celestial Dragon, threaten him without a flicker of fear. Watched him burn a slaver to ash without blinking, but buy a broken singer for thirty million berries just so she could have a future.
She knew what she was.
A slave he'd bought and then freed. Someone he'd decided to protect on a whim—or maybe because he couldn't stand the way she looked at the world with dead eyes.
He'd given her her life back.
That didn't mean she could demand the rest of his.
"There are many girls who like him, right?" she asked softly.
Ain scrunched the blanket in her hands.
"I heard a few stories, yeah…" she muttered. "When I first got assigned to his unit, I asked around."
She took a breath and began counting on her fingers.
"In the East Blue there's a swordsman girl whose blade he once saved—Guina. There's a little thief girl he pulled out of hell—Nami. And in Loguetown there's a mafia heiress, Dezaia, whose whole family practically throws themselves at his feet to curry favor."
Stella's heart clenched, then slowly settled.
Of course there are others. Someone like him…
"And that's not counting the ones at Headquarters," Ain went on, almost grumbling now. "Admiral candidate Gion—'Momousagi'—the officials call her the 'Flower of the Marines'. She's known White-bro since they were kids, and everyone says she likes him. But…"
"But?"
"White-bro told Kuro once that he and Gion weren't walking the same road. That's why he keeps dodging her," Ain said. "He can tell who fits him and who doesn't. He's… not careless with that kind of thing."
Stella relaxed.
He wasn't some womanizing pirate who collected girls like trophies. He wasn't chasing anyone. If anything, he was running.
And she… she had no intention of chaining him down.
I was bought, she thought. Rescued, yes. But not to monopolize him. As long as I can make his life a little easier… that's enough.
"As for the East Blue girls," Ain added quickly, "White-bro really does treat Guina and Nami like little sisters. And that Dezaia girl… Jango says her family's just trying to climb up by clinging to him."
Stella nodded.
"I understand," she said quietly. "As long as he's happy… I'll be happy too."
"Y-you're really calm about this, huh," Ain muttered.
Stella smiled and reached out, poking Ain's cheek.
"And you?" she asked again. "You like him, don't you?"
"Stop iiiit!" Ain wailed, diving under the blanket. "You're so annoying, Stella-sis!"
Their muffled laughter and mock struggle rolled on late into the night.
In the room across the hall, Jin lay on his back, one arm thrown over his eyes, a faint smile on his lips as he drifted to sleep.
Outside, the 62nd Base sat quiet under the stars.
For now, at least, it was a peaceful night.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios