Arya heard the sound of wood splintering again, followed by the panicked cries of the sailors. Peering through a narrow crack, she saw torches swaying on the deck. Several fierce-looking men, clad in tattered leather armor and wielding scimitars, had already boarded the ship.
The captain was trying to negotiate with them, but was promptly kicked to the floor. A pirate grabbed the captain by his hair and demanded harshly, "Is there anyone else? What are you carrying? Where are the valuables kept?"
With a blade held to his throat, the captain was trembling so violently he couldn't speak.
Another pirate had already pried open the hatch cover and was shining a torch down into the hold.
At that moment, Arya heard the sound of boots on the stairs; someone was coming down.
The cabin doors were kicked open one by one. She held her breath and hid behind a pile of barrels. Soon, her own door was kicked open, and the light of a torch flooded in.
"It smells like damn filth in here," a man with a dirty bandana wrapped around his head spat, idly poking at the clutter on the floor with his sword.
Arya was incredibly nervous, her heart racing, but she bit her lip hard and didn't make a sound. Another pirate began rummaging through for valuables, kicking over barrels filled with salted fish.
The man in the bandana seemed to lose interest in the cargo and turned to leave, grumbling. But just then, his companion approached the pile of barrels where Arya was hiding.
"Hmm?" The man looked suspiciously at a corner of a bundle that was sticking out.
Arya knew she could no longer hide. The moment the man leaned down to investigate, she burst out from behind the barrels and bolted toward the cabin door.
"Hey, we've got a little rat pup!" The bandana-wearing man spotted her and shouted excitedly, reaching out to grab her.
Arya nimbly ducked to avoid him, but was tripped by his companion's foot and fell heavily to the floor. The bundle tumbled from her arms, and several silver stags and Gold Dragons spilled out with a clatter.
"There's more loot!" The two pirates' eyes lit up as they closed in on her together.
Arya's hand found a wooden stick, and without thinking, she swung it at the nearest man's shin. The bandana-wearing man cried out in pain and, growing even more enraged, grabbed her by her clothes and hoisted her up.
"A fierce little wildcat, aren't you?" He grinned savagely, intending to teach her a lesson—or rather, to silence her so he could pocket the money for himself.
However, his companion stopped him. "Boss Salador might have a use for her. Look at these Gold Dragons; they aren't something just anyone possesses. Her status definitely isn't ordinary."
The bandana-wearing man nodded, finally paying attention to his companion; he had just been blinded by the sight of so much money.
Though he wanted to pocket the wealth, Boss Salador was not someone easily fooled. Moreover, they now received a fixed military salary every month and were rewarded for every haul they captured; there was no need to risk his life for this money.
"You're right, let's get upstairs and report back." With that, he carried Arya away. She struggled with all her might, but it was useless; she was too small.
The deck was now a scene of total chaos.
Some of the original sailors had been killed for resisting, while the rest were tied to the railings. Arya also saw the cook among the crowd; there were several dark handprints on the front of her clothes.
Dozens of pirates in mismatched clothing and carrying various weapons were cheerfully hauling the looted supplies.
A man wearing an excessively flamboyant coat stood by the gunwale, smugly inventorying the spoils. Three daggers were tucked into his belt, and several gemstone rings adorned his fingers.
"Boss, look what I found below." The bandana-wearing man pushed Arya forward as if claiming credit, recounted what had happened below, and handed over the coin purse.
Salladhor Saan, although he had now submitted to Viserys and was officially granted the title of "Commander of the Imperial Naval Rapid Response Force," and had been promised a future knighthood and the rule of the Stepstones, was still a treasure-loving pirate at heart.
This time, because he had nothing else to do, His Majesty Viserys had given him a new mission: intercept any ships transporting supplies to Westeros.
He was well-versed in this work and handled it with ease, perhaps even with too much enthusiasm; he had expanded his previous raiding range slightly, which was how he happened to encounter Arya's ship.
Originally, seeing that they were heading from Westeros toward Essos, he hadn't intended to raid them. But since this was the first ship they had encountered in these waters, he decided to see if there was anything worth taking.
Salador scrutinized the girl's somewhat messy but undeniably stubborn face, and his eyes lit up. "Truly a young lady of a noble house."
He noted Arya's clothing and demeanor; though she was in a sorry state, the fabric and her expression were not those of a commoner. Better yet, he had just learned that this ship had come from King's Landing.
News of the upheaval in King's Landing had already spread via merchant ships: Eddard Stark had been killed, and his younger daughter was missing. This girl's age, the fact she was traveling alone, and those Gold Dragons were all too suspicious. Gold Dragons were a currency used only by nobles and great merchants; commoners could never possess them.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Arya said stubbornly, though her voice trembled slightly.
"It's alright, it's alright. You don't need to say anything."
Salador straightened up and gestured to his men. "Take this ship and everyone on it. Especially this young lady—look after her separately. And remember, be polite to her. She might be a grand gift for His Majesty."
"And you two, I'll remember your contribution. If her identity is confirmed, there will be even more rewards for you," Salador said, looking at the two men who had caught Arya.
"Yes, thank you, Boss!"
The pirates stopped moving the supplies and simply took the people and the ship together. Arya was taken onto a larger pirate ship and locked in a relatively clean small cabin, with someone guarding the door at all times. She sat in the corner with her knees hugged to her chest, listening to the pirates' crude jokes and the sound of them humming tunes outside.
Her father was dead, Sansa was trapped, and now she had fallen into the hands of pirates, destined to see some "Majesty" she knew nothing about. Was he a pirate king?
Everything was terrible. But Arya Stark did not cry. She gritted her teeth and silently recited those names in her heart, only adding a few more: the two pirates who caught her, Salador, and that unseen "Pirate King."
She had to stay alive. Only by staying alive would she have a chance at revenge.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn luffy1898