One Piece: The Avengers

"You little brat, are you courting death?" A furious pirate swung his whip relentlessly at Shanter, who was bound to a wooden cross.

Shanter was in a truly miserable state. Exhaustion from his previous fight with Trevister had left him unconscious and unable to escape from the twenty or so underlings that remained. If he had even a fraction of his usual strength left, he would have easily dealt with these lackeys. However, his fierce and evenly matched battle with Trevister had drained him completely. Now, he was like a tiger fallen into a pit, mocked and tormented by dogs.

The pirates didn't hold back. After all, half of their crew had been annihilated, and even their captain was killed. What kind of pirates would they be if they didn't make this kid suffer?

Shanter's chest and abdomen were covered with countless wounds. His lower body, already crippled from Trevister breaking his spine, was almost immobile. But the most severe injury was his left arm. The limb had been heavily damaged early on and repeatedly strained during combat, worsening the condition. The pirates, noticing this weak point, focused their "attention" on it. The flesh of his forearm was stripped away, revealing stark white bones.

If that wasn't enough, a row of nails soaked in saltwater was hammered directly into his exposed arm bones.

Shanter's face hadn't been spared either. A vicious wound from a spiral blade stretched across his entire face, leaving a grotesque scar and a shattered nose. His once-handsome features were utterly ruined.

Yet, Shanter seemed indifferent to the pain. After all, it was this agony that had jolted him awake in the first place, numbing him to further torment. More importantly, the deep-seated hatred that had festered in his heart for years had finally been avenged. That profound sense of satisfaction outweighed this "trivial" pain.

After all, before setting out on this mission, Shanter had been prepared to die.

If anything still troubled him, it was Robin. That "silly girl" weighed heavily on his mind.

Robin was clever.

Robin was capable.

Robin could take care of herself.

But Shanter just couldn't stop worrying.

"Robin, I'm sorry," Shanter thought to himself. "I promised to help you find the Poneglyphs, but it looks like I'm breaking that promise now."

The whipping went on for eight hours until the pirates administering the punishment finally grew tired. Wanting to continue tormenting Shanter later, they had used specially crafted whips that left marks on the skin without causing deeper injuries. However, the pain was in no way diminished.

"Phew…" Shanter finally had a moment to catch his breath and assess his dire situation. Although he mentally dismissed the whipping as insignificant, the pain still hindered his ability to think clearly.

This wasn't the first time Shanter had been captured. Back in Ohara, he'd been detained by Aokiji, and during his three-year search for Robin, he had been caught multiple times by bounty hunters and Marines. But each time, he managed to escape or turn the tables at the last moment.

This time, though, was different.

He was gravely injured, utterly exhausted, and starving. Even the lowliest pirates, who wouldn't have dared to approach him before, now posed an insurmountable obstacle.

"Sigh, there doesn't seem to be a way out this time," Shanter thought. "Fine, I'll wait for an opportunity. As long as I'm not dead, there's still hope for a comeback."

"Creak—" The wooden door opened.

"No way… Already? They're so eager to torment me again?" Shanter muttered under his breath.

"Shh!" A hand covered his mouth. "Brother, don't make a sound. It's me."

"Robin?" Shanter whispered in shock.

"Yes, it's me. Let's get out of here." Robin quickly untied the ropes binding Shanter and hoisted him onto her back. Only then did she notice his horrifying condition.

"Brother, what… what happened to you?" Robin's voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Stop talking. Let's get out of here first!" Shanter, lying weakly on her back, urged her with determination. Despite the brutal torture he had endured, his mind remained sharp.

"Robin, steal their lifeboat and head out to sea. We'll be discovered soon. If we head for the shore, we'll definitely be caught!" Shanter instructed.

"That's exactly what I planned!" Robin responded with a bittersweet smile, her eyes filled with pain and worry. "Brother, you've taken care of me all this time. Now it's my turn to take care of you."

"Alright, then I'll rest and leave everything to you," Shanter murmured, finally allowing himself to lean against her completely.

"I've already prepared a small boat with all the supplies we'll need. Once we're aboard, I'll treat your injuries," Robin explained softly as she carried him, moving as silently as possible.

"Then I'll leave it to you," Shanter replied, sticking out his tongue playfully, which made Robin want to laugh and cry at the same time.

"Brother, we're here." Robin gently placed Shanter onto the boat and, using her Devil Fruit abilities, summoned eight arms to row.

"Robin, why did you come to save me?" Shanter asked, his gaze fixed on her as soon as he lay down.

"Brother, I won't do what I did that day ever again," Robin said firmly, meeting his eyes. "I won't abandon you, even if it means dying with you."

"Ever since you said that one thing to me, Nico Robin decided to trust you as much as I trust myself," she declared resolutely.

"I'm sorry," Shanter murmured.

When they had reunited a year ago, Robin had once fled, and although Shanter had forgiven her, he hadn't truly let go of the grudge. In his heart, he still saw her as a burden—a child he needed to protect. Her actions tonight, however, dissolved all of his lingering doubts, forcing him to reevaluate her.

"She's grown up," Shanter thought.

Robin flashed a charming smile, unfazed by Shanter's doubts, and began bandaging his wounds.

"Brother," she asked softly, her expression filled with sorrow as she tended to him, "how did you end up like this?"

"It's nothing," Shanter replied, trying to reach out and pat her head, only to find he couldn't lift his arm.

"Robin, I'm going to sleep now," he whispered. Exhausted beyond measure, he drifted into unconsciousness, leaving the rest in Robin's hands.

---

Enjoying the story? Want to read ahead?

Get early access to 60+ Chapters and faster updates by

joining the Pirate King Membership tier for just $5! You can choose to support me on :

P@treon : https://[email protected]/KZ478

Your support helps keep this story alive, and I deeply appreciate every contribution

Thank you for reading and supporting my work.