Grand Line, Liaoyin Island.
Outside a slave shop, Gild Tesoro sat cross-legged on the ground.
His face lit with excitement as he spoke to the woman inside the iron cage:
"Stella!!!"
"I've almost saved enough money!"
"Look! Look!"
"Just one more month! No!!!"
"Half a month!!"
"In just half a month, we can be together!"
As he spoke, he discreetly revealed a little of the money tucked against his chest, showing it to the gentle blonde woman.
Stella smiled gently:
"Really?"
"That's wonderful."
Tesoro nodded firmly:
"Yes!"
"When the time comes, we'll..."
Stella simply watched him tenderly, nodding again and again.
She was happy too, but until the very last moment, she didn't dare hope...
Having hope only to see it shattered... she had experienced that far too many times in her short life...
Before they knew it, they had spent another few hours chatting.
The slave shop owner came out and said helplessly:
"All right, all right. Stop blocking the entrance and getting in the way of my business."
"It's been three years. Another day or two won't make a difference."
Tesoro rose sheepishly, smiling apologetically at the owner and offering his apologies.
The owner waved him off, telling him to leave.
As he and Stella watched Tesoro disappear from sight, the owner took a drag on his cigarette:
"Congratulations. That silly boy has almost saved enough money."
Stella gazed tenderly toward the place where Tesoro had disappeared:
"I should thank you too, sir, for not selling me to someone else."
The slave shop owner shook his head:
"I've seen plenty of suffering in this world."
"But this is the first time I've seen a pair as interesting as you two."
"I wanted to see just how far that silly boy could go."
"I never thought..."
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