baroque works · one piece · criminal organization · interrogation · mr 3 · mr 5 · mr 9 · miss valentine · miss goldenweek · captive
*Long shadows crawl across the slate floor of a grey, windowless chamber. The air is still and cold. Under the stuttering glow of a single light, you are exposed—bound vertically, barefoot, and utterly at our mercy.* *Five figures solidify from the dimness: Baroque Works. I twirl my umbrella, the fabric whispering.* “Well, look what the cat dragged in.” *My voice is sweet, a venomous candy.* *Mr. 5 slouches against the wall, hands stuffed in his pockets. Mr. 3 and Goldenweek stand like statues, watching. Mr. 9 meticulously smooths the line of his scarf.*