Left Hand or Right Hand

Amira looked at the devastated Rukia, her voice calm but carrying a hint of warmth.

"Looks like your home is gone. Come back with me, Rukia."

Rukia could no longer hold herself together. She rushed forward and hugged Amira tightly. Amira reached out and pulled her securely into her arms.

Rukia buried her face against Amira's shoulder, unable to suppress her quiet sobs as she murmured over and over.

"How could this happen... How could this happen? I thought..."

The drunkard beneath the tree was irritated by the crying. He twisted restlessly and grumbled impatiently.

"Ugh, who's making all that noise? How annoying."

Rukia suddenly broke free from Amira's embrace, hurried over to the drunkard, and snatched the wine jar from his hands.

The drunkard was half-conscious. He lowered his head and felt around for his missing drink, mumbling in confusion.

"Huh? Where's my wine? Where did it go?"

Rukia swung her arm and smashed the wine jar hard against the ground.

"Bang—!"

The ceramic jar shattered, sending fragments flying in all directions. The ear-piercing crash echoed through the silent village.

The tremendous noise sobered the drunkard somewhat. He raised his head dazedly and looked at the girl before him.

"Ah... Rukia? Ah, I must still be dreaming."

Rukia glared at her father and shoved him hard.

"Why? Why did you treat me like this?"

The drunkard was knocked backward. Fear suddenly surfaced in his eyes as he curled up beneath the tree roots and cried out in terror.

"C-could you be a vengeful ghost come to claim my life?!"

He hurriedly shrank backward, trembling all over as he hastily defended himself.

"Rukia, don't blame your father! It—it was the kingdom's order. I—I had no choice!"

Rukia clenched her teeth and balled her fists so tightly that her fingertips turned white. She stared coldly at the drunkard before her.

"What do you mean, the kingdom's order?"

The drunkard swallowed hard. His body trembled uncontrollably as he spoke timidly.

"It was an order from Earl Ain. Every village in the territory had to hand over one child. I—I truly had no choice. There's only you and your little brother in our family. I—I couldn't send your three-year-old brother away, could I?"

Rukia stared blankly at him, her voice so calm that it sent chills through the heart.

"So you sacrificed me?"

The drunkard hurriedly defended himself, his tone frantic yet filled with a sense of entitlement.

"Your brother is only three years old! He's so little!"

Rukia slowly nodded. The last trace of warmth in her eyes went out completely.

"Fine. I understand."

Hearing this, the drunkard's tense body suddenly relaxed, and he secretly let out a sigh of relief.

At that moment, Rukia raised her eyes again. Her gaze was ice-cold as she stared straight at him.

"Then what did you mean when you called me a money-losing burden just now?"

The drunkard's face instantly turned deathly pale. He frantically waved his hands and tried to explain.

"Rukia, you heard wrong. That's not what I meant by a money-losing burden. I—I said... I said..."

Before he could finish explaining, a childish voice drifted over from the village path.

"Dad, I'm so hungry. Didn't you say we'd have money once we sold that money-losing burden?"

A tiny child ran out of the house. He was Rukia's three-year-old little brother.

The moment the drunkard saw the child, he rushed forward and pulled him tightly into his arms. Then he turned and glared viciously at Rukia, his earlier timidity vanishing without a trace.

"That's right, I meant you! So what if you're a money-losing burden? What use are you?"

Held in his father's arms, the child still didn't understand what was happening. He merely rubbed his stomach and continued complaining that he was hungry.

Rukia stood where she was, her whole body trembling faintly as the light in her eyes went out completely.

The drunkard stared at Rukia, then looked at Amira behind her before setting the child down.

"Sweetheart, go back inside. We'll have money soon."

Amira stared fixedly at the drunkard, an ominous feeling rising in her heart.

Without warning, the drunkard charged forward, grabbed Rukia by the throat, and slammed her violently to the ground.

"Since you're back, we might as well trade you for money one more time."

"What?"

Amira immediately rushed forward to rescue her.

The drunkard reached back and grabbed Amira by the collar. Using the momentum, he slammed her to the ground as well.

He looked down at the two of them, his eyes filled with nothing but greed and malice.

"They make a pair. We should get quite a bit of money for them."

"Why are you treating me like this?"

Rukia desperately clutched the drunkard's large hand around her neck. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she forced the words out of her throat with difficulty.

Beside her, Amira raised her right leg. Armament Haki surged around it as she kicked the drunkard hard.

On the luxurious ship, Amina walked over with both hands behind her back and looked at Charlos.

"Charlos, take a guess. Do I have gold coins in my left hand or my right?"

Charlos looked at Amina, closed his eyes, and quietly spread his Observation Haki.

Amina noticed what he was doing and immediately activated her own Observation Haki, disrupting Charlos's perception.

"Hm?"

"Don't waste your effort, Charlos. Just guess."

Charlos opened his eyes and had no choice but to give up.

"Left hand."

Amina brought her left hand out from behind her back.

"Are you sure? What will you do if you lose?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"If I lose, you can't close your door to me anymore."

Charlos sucked in a sharp breath.

"Then what if I win?"

"If you win? You can do whatever you want to me."

Charlos looked at Amina.

"So no matter what happens, you're the one who benefits? If I win, you're not allowed to show up in my room tonight."

"Sure. No problem."

Seeing Amina's confident expression, Charlos reached out.

Charlos grabbed Amina's left hand.

"This one definitely doesn't have anything. I choose the other one."

"Oh, I thought you were going to choose the left hand."

Amina extended her right hand.

"I've decided. I'm not changing it."

"Wait, wait."

Charlos stared intently into Amina's eyes.

"Amina, how about we each take a step back? I'll take one step back, and you take one too. How does that sound?"

"No, no. Hurry up and guess."

Charlos extended his other hand and took hold of Amina's right hand.

"Could it be this one? Shall I open it?"

"Ah, no, no, don't open it yet."

Charlos's gaze shifted back to her left hand.

Outside the quiet village, a squad of Marines marched in formation as they slowly followed Colonel Doka.

Doka was visibly impatient as he muttered under his breath.

"Seriously, what are those Celestial Dragons thinking? They actually came all the way to a place like the West Blue. Instead of staying in the Holy Land to play with women and slaves, what are they doing out here?"

A Marine hurried forward and saluted as he reported.

"Report! There seems to be something happening in that village!"

Doka's expression turned serious.

"Let's go take a look."

The drunkard crashed hard into the tree trunk, then fell to his knees and began vomiting uncontrollably.

He raised a hand and pointed at Amira, his voice frantic and bewildered.

"You... who are you?"

"My name is Amira. Remember it. Rukia belongs to me now."

The drunkard stared blankly and spoke.

"Amira... Could you be a noble of the kingdom?"

"No."

"Then you..."

"You talk too much crap."

Just then, a squad of Marines came rushing over.

Doka gazed at Amira's figure and muttered under his breath.

"She looks somewhat familiar."

The Marine beside him immediately stepped forward to report.

"Report! That drunkard is a resident of this village. It looks like that little girl injured him. Should we arrest her?"

Doka glanced at him, his tone impatient.

"Arrest a child? What are you thinking?"