Chapter Text
“I’m not on duty this evening, Mathayas,” Columbina Trine said to her landlord as she went ahead and threw back her second shot of ouzo. The licorice-like taste of anise coated her tongue, the aromatic flavor quickly evaporating along with any semblance of peace it had managed to instill in her blood. An hour’s time hadn’t passed since finishing up her last gig and she hadn’t been able to take a single bite of her dinner. With a sigh she pushed the liquor bottle away before a third drink tempted her further. “This island is swimming with marines and pirates who could easily handle this and your bright idea is to contact a sex worker who barely weighs a hundred pounds on her off shift at nine o’clock at night? Gives real credence to my belief that all men are fuck useless, I’ll tell ya what.”
“Oh and here I thought you’d be flattered.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m most assuredly not.” Columbina stepped over to her oven and turned it off, Laynie’s baked cod recipe smothered in garlic and herbs not even sizzling long enough for her to smell it. What was it going to take for her to have a single relaxing evening at home? Away from other people and their hands, and their out of pocket comments and their constant need for her to put on a good show? She let out a sigh, plopping down in a kitchen chair and frowning at the pile of clothes she’d just traded for her pajamas.
“I’m well aware your pay wasn’t that stellar today, Columbina,” Mathayas said, “You haven’t officially joined the lineup at Leticia’s Brothel. And In lieu of being able to find better work you were relying mostly on busking this week weren’t you? What were you even able to scrape by with today? Maybe forty berries in tips at the most? For how many hours of work? I just heard the timer on your oven switched off. How many leftovers is that going to leave you?”
She couldn’t stop the noise of derision that left her. “You peons really know how to hit me where it hurts, huh?” The next thing to come out of Mathayas’ mouth drove that point home.
“And pray tell, what was it that I overheard from that dive owner last week after he’d paid your deposit and then found someone he preferred better?” Mathayas continued, the sneer in his tone audible. “Too muscular? Your skin and hair a little too pale for his tastes? That he’d regretted hiring the new girl for her technique when a pretty pair of tits and ass could’ve been a better draw? You weren’t invited back, were you Columbina?”
Nope. Not even taking your bait. Columbina let the comment go. Nothing of actual relevance to the current situation. “And what is Damien doing about this?”
“He’s had a letter of marque from that kingdom to the south against Arlong for the better part of a decade. Now that it’s high time for him to act on it, Charleston is nowhere to be found.”
“Sounds about right,” Columbina said, disrobing herself from her night clothes. Guess they were doing this. “Not convinced the bastard wants me to even be his bottom bitch. More like his fall girl when there’s a threat his flimsy little crew isn’t able to handle.”
Oh, thank Poseidon and Ran and Tefnut! There was still one left…
After taking her night shirt back off she'd begun fishing around inside a pile of old costuming pieces that were a little worse for wear. They still had the scent of Alabasta clinging to them, saffron and cardamom and…
Cigar smoke from the most expensive tobacco that Sir Crocodile could source for the both of them. A flood of memories came back, tastes, sights, sounds...the soft whimpers that fell from her lips when his fingers expertly sought her out in the middle of the night. How he’d hold her and tell her that only he could provide for her in the way that a Succubus truly needed. And damn the Warlord to Hell and back, but for a time she’d believed the lie.
Against her better judgment Columbina put the cigar to her lips and murmured a command. “Unholy fire.” Indigo flames licked along her fingertips. She used her Devil Fruit powers to light the end of the cigar, taking a deep inhale. The attempt to calm her nerves just tasted like lust and betrayal.
“What was that?” Mathayas asked through the transponder snail.
“Nothing. Just the sound of me cursing. You want me to work with you then you’d best get used to it.”
She flicked off some ashes onto the empty dinner plate on her table. She exhaled, watching the smoke take shape and disappear before her. One more health risk, much like Croc himself. So far there was no sign of him making the attempt to drag her sparkly ass back to the Grand Line, but with her luck things could change at any given moment. Which prompted her next question.
“So, tell me. What exactly is an Arlong?” she asked.
On the other end Mathayas coughed. “I hope the walls of that hovel you rented are air tight,” he said. “For the purpose of your assignment he’s a...tax collector of sorts. Have you really not heard of him?”
“I have not. You forget that I haven’t been in the East Blue for a decent amount of time, just yet. Forgive me if I’m none too familiar with the names of the big bad men that roam these waters, and better yet, Mathayas? Get it memorized that I don’t rightly care.” She took a draw from the cigar, letting the ashes carelessly fall to the carpet this time. A cinder hit her foot and Columbina made no move to wipe it away. The pain would jolt her back awake. “And he’s paid this island a visit specifically for…?”
“Didn’t get all the details. Apparently it was just some clown that couldn’t pay up. Now he’s going on a right rampage through The Corridor.”
“Poor bastard,” Columbina said, “But nevermind that. Can’t imagine he’ll be much of my concern. It’s late at night. I’m cranky. I’m spent. And before you ask, yes I’m hornier than all Hell right now and I could use some fine dining. Before I say yes and go take care of your Arlong for you, how much tribute is this going to net me?”
“Your start date at Leticia’s is…”
“Middle of next month.”
“And you’re behind on last month’s rent as it is.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Columbina put the embers on the cigar out. Nope, she was going to try to save the rest for later. Next lesson learned: never waste good tobacco on the intimidation tactics of a slumlord.
“You misunderstand, my dear. You kick Arlong’s ass back to the Conomi Islands? I’ll pull the necessary strings, and poof! I’ll forget your owe me anything! I’ll even fix that leaky faucet in the bathroom for fre—”
“You owe this guy berry too, don’t you Mathayas?”
Columbina watched as the transponder snail’s complexion completely blanched. The silence was the answer she needed. She spoke. “If I can get your Arlong to get all nice and wet for me then you cover my rent, fix the sink, and let’s say...fifty percent of what you’ll be forced to lay out for him if I manage to stop him from crashing this way through here?”
The snail had already begun to fume, it's little gastropod face flustered and crimson. She could have sworn spittle was about to fly from its mouth.
“I’m offering you more than a fair trade you Devil Fruit-eating slut,” Mathayas began. At that Columbina hooted with laughter. “I will rip you from your domicile and find the nearest bacteria-ridden body of water and—”
“Hey Mathayas, did I ever tell you that my ex-boyfriend is one of the Seven Warlords? And that last I heard he’s still madly in love with me? And that love can, um, well…” she let the threat go unspoken for just a moment longer. “Well,” she repeated, thinking about her last few interactions with Sir Crocodile, “Love can make people do ten different kinds of crazy shit?”
Hollow promise, Bina, she told herself. More hollow than the dried out corpses the both of you left in your wake. Croc isn’t coming for you. That’s a fucking pipe dream. Not with Robin replacing you, anyway. Both the sting of abandonment and the rush of relief settled strangely inside of her. Then, the silence was broken.
“Forty percent, Lady Trine.”
Oh hey look, your bullshit worked. “Sounds good,” she quipped. She put out the cigar, not willing to waste any more of it for now. “I’m headed down there now. Anything else I should know before I leave?”
“He’s a Fishman. Hates humans. Loves plunder and killing just as much as the next pirate. Keeps a human girl as his slave from what I hear.”
“See, now you’ve got me motivated,” Columbina did a once over of herself in the mirror, the dress she’d donned skimpy and easy to take off. Most of her makeup had stayed in place during her last set and she hadn’t bothered to remove it yet. She applied one last coat of lipstick, finger-brushing her hair back into place. Maybe she’d get a decent meal out of this. And if not...
“On second thought, Mathayas. Let’s bring that back up to fifty.”
“But—”
“But, nothing. I’m a Succubus. I decide how big the tip is.”
He didn’t have much of an answer to that statement.
“Welcome back to Havenblight, lassie. Ka-lick.”
The transponder snail hadn’t even hung up before she’d already exited the door.
****
The Corridor was silent that evening. Not a great sign and certainly not normal for this time of the night. This portion of the island was typically what sailors and pirates encountered first upon entry. Sex workers, many of them women from surrounding islands would ply their trade during the busy summer season by engaging in so-called window prostitution. The Rio Placer, a miles-long river that cut through the center of Havenblight on a diagonal provided an entry-way for all vessels coming and leaving. The whores could set up shop by docking houseboats along the river’s banks. A rental fee was required for the activity, with either the whore providing it themselves or a pimp doing it for them.
Columbina expected to see a line of dolled-up, tired and bored faces waiting for a John to choose them. Instead, the few boats that were left on the river’s rim had their lights turned off, either abandoned or their renters hunkering down in fear somewhere inside. The street was littered with debris, the damage she saw making her suspect that this Arlong and his friends most certainly hadn’t come here to sight-see.
Further down the river she caught sight of a pirate ship high-tailing itself away from the island. In the darkness it was difficult to tell but the figurehead of the ship looked like it was in the shape of an elephant? Gaudy fellow, Columbina thought. She had the distinct feeling that the ship was much more colorful in the daylight. Something big and red made up the center of the jolly roger, but Columbina couldn’t quite see the design. The mizzen sail on the ship had been torn asunder, some kind of writing being blasted away, no longer legible.
She took a seat on a bench that was still bolted to the concrete, watching for a moment as the ship retreated. From the letters on the back sail Columbina could make out the word “-UG” and little else.
My good friend UG, or should I call you UGS? Sounds kind of like the word “UGH”...her thoughts turned briefly toward her unfortunate predecessor. Is “UG”, or rather “UGH” the key word here? Don’t know who you are Mr. UGS, but I do hope your bad luck isn’t my bad omen. Fuck, I just wanted a quiet evening at home and here I am cleaning up whatever mess you’ve left in my wake. Thanks for the incompetence there, buddy! Poseidon’s wrinkly nutsa--
“Not a single berry to his name, but we did manage to wrestle away part of a treasure map from him. Should’ve seen how weak he was, Chew! That clown fought Arlong for his life until he realized that’s all we we’re going to leave him with.”
“Truly pathetic, but more than I think Arlong expected of him.”
Treasure map?
Columbina turned her attention away from the fleeing vessel at the sound of the voices and footsteps over her shoulder. She angled her head towards the two fishmen she saw walking down The Corridor. Her eyes pretended to focus on the architecture of the tavern they were walking towards. Aside from the rustle of her clothes, the air had gone quiet. They took no notice of her. A right scuffle had clearly taken place outside, the tavern door off its hinge, patio furniture upturned and destroyed, several pieces littered halfway down the road.
Everyone and anyone had been scared off, save for her. Joy.
She waited until they closed what was left of the door behind them, their laughter and shit-talk dying as they walked away. Making eye contact and distracting them before she had the chance to properly present herself to The Big Fish wouldn’t do. And she wasn’t interested in appetizers. She was going to go do her thing, collect her berry and go home.
She let out a sigh, her nerves only slightly on fire. How bad was this going to actually be? All right, Bina. Time to go pay up.
She stood, her nightly hunt commencing.
****
“Well, boss, is today the day we bring this place under your control?”
“Remains to be seen,” Arlong replied to Chew as the terrified barkeep behind the counter poured him another drink. He took a sip. Then he stood and threw the glass. It shattered against the wall on the other end of the tavern. “Next one I aim at your skull,” he snarled as he grabbed the human behind the counter, snapping his teeth at the man, “If swill is the only offering you have for me.”
“Honey, if top shelf was your aim, you made a poor choice coming here of all places.”
Arlong, Chew and Kuroobi swiveled their heads towards the voice. A woman entered through the door, the first thing Arlong noticing about her was that she was short and dressed in black.
“Leave him be,” the woman said as she made her way inside, her tone that of a mother addressing a child. She took off her coat, an expensive-looking piece that was lined with sable-colored fur. She hung it on the coat rack in the corner; somehow it hadn’t managed to get knocked over. She tossed a cascade of meticulous pink curls over her shoulder, the hair falling down to the lushest ass that Arlong had ever seen on a woman. He watched as she ran a manicured hand over that ass, smoothing out the dark fabric of her dress so she could sit opposite end of the bar from him. She leaned her elbows on the table, a slight arch to her back. She lifted a finger towards the bottles of liquor, her gaze considering the different choices she had before her. “If you’re unable to appreciate what’s been given to you freely, then allow me. Sir, I’ll take whatever you were going to pour him next.”
Fishman laughter, arrogant and cruel rang throughout the establishment. Arlong let the man go. He turned towards the woman, no doubt just another piece of human whore filth who roamed the island. And Arlong had no use for humans. He began to walk toward her, both Chew and Kuroobi hovering alongside him.
“And your name, Princess?” he demanded calmly. “I take it you’re unaware of whom you speak to so blithely.” He pulled an overturned stool from the floor, taking a deliberate seat close to her. “Or perhaps not whom but what.”A low snarl vibrated through his teeth. The woman’s hair rustled as his breath hit her. It mingled with a sweet musk that emanated from her skin, a scent that reminded him of dessert. His mouth watered suddenly like he hadn’t had a meal in days. “Care to introduce yourself first?”
“Columbina,” the smile that curved her lips was saccharine. He took note that her lips were also nicely shaped, the bottom one full and plush. “But Bina is fine, too,” she said. She tilted her head in acknowledgment of him, but her eyes chose not to meet his.
Audacious little harlot. No fear that I can smell. Let’s see about changing that.
“Go ahead, pour the girl my next drink,” Arlong commanded the barkeep. “Whatever she desires.” He leaned closer to her. “Choose wisely. You’re far from the only human woman I’ve encountered today simply begging to get her mouth tested.”
“Mmm, let me see,” the woman exhaled. She bit her lip, her square human teeth a stark white against the swath of rouge coating her mouth. Arlong could never decide if he liked red lipstick on a woman or not. He watched as Columbina nonchalantly brushed her hair to one side, the artery in her pale neck exposed and inches away from his bite. Was the act intentional? Was the girl unthinking or daring him to do it? No. Her red lipstick was perfect. Inviting. Reminding him of the color of blood. He felt his cock twitch inside of his pants.
“Go on,” Kuroobi said, “Arlong doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” He stood behind her, Chew leering at her and sitting to her left, the three of them effectively caging her in.
“I came here seeking pleasure,” The woman laughed, the sound beautiful. “Which is something one should take the time to savor, yes?”
Beautiful. Arlong despised himself for his mind producing the word. Humans were not “beautiful”. Little more than inferior vermin that refused to know their place in the world. And the wench had made the mistake of invading his.
“Ouzo on the rocks, please. My drink with dinner was interrupted. I’d very much like to try to finish this one.”
“W—W--We’re all out, ma’am. It’s n—not a spirit we usually c—carry here anyway.”
“Bummer. My luck really is halfway down the river this evening. Hmm, okay,” her eyes finally met Arlong’s. They were grey, the color of storm clouds ready to tear apart a pirate ship on the ocean. And filled with a chaotic aura he hadn’t recognized until she’d looked at him. He could’ve sworn he’d seen flecks of indigo in her irises, but maybe not. Maybe a trick of the light. “Surprise me,” she said, finally, giving a wave of her hand for the man to carry on.
“Well, do what the lady says,” Arlong said.
“Y-yes! Right away!” The poor barkeep, Columbina said to herself. Bet he didn’t plan for trading his life over a badly mixed drink this evening. Off to the side, the one named Chew had begun to play with a strand of her hair, twirling it between his fingers, pulling at the curl and watching it bounce a few times. Wrong move. He was touching poison and was none too clued in. She didn’t stop Arlong when he picked a strand himself, clasping it in his webbed hand, the slight tug on her scalp a warning.
“Columbina,” he enunciated the syllables in her name, the sound a near growl as it rolled through his sharpened teeth. “Never heard of you. You been a working girl here for long, Columbina?”
“It’s my second round back here. I got called away to the North Blue last time. I travel where my services are most appreciated.”
“Is that so? Can’t say I’ve ever heard of you,” he moved his hand away from her pink ringlets, the hue like the sun against the sky as it disappeared over the horizon. He stroked the side of her neck with his knuckles, the feel of her skin far too soft. She was going to be so very easy to break. “I don’t believe I’ve ever collected tribute from you, Princess.”
“I believe you’re correct. Oh hey, thank you!” she took the drink from the barkeep, the liquid miraculously not spilling over his shaking fingers. Columbina’s hand stayed firm. She swirled the drink around in its glass, amber-colored liquid with a slice of orange and a cherry on the side. A large single ice-cube sat in the middle. He’d made her an old-fashioned. Columbina hated whiskey. She looked from the cocktail to the saw-shark Fishman. “So, Arlong,” she asked, bits of gold now reflected in her eyes from the alcohol. “Who goes first?”
He grasped her chin in his hand before she could take a sip of the alcohol, turning her to face him as she dared to look away again. “To answer your first query about what I do and do not appreciate,” he said as he stroked that delicate bottom lip with his thumb, watching as the lacquer coated him like he’d already opened up a wound in her, “Is when humanity chooses to not be direct with me. Your kind hide behind so many deceptions, half-truths, lies.”
You’re not wrong, Columbina thought. Her prey this evening obviously bore no love for humans, and having seen the absolute worst in her own kind she wasn’t about to contradict him. In some ways at least, she was pretty bad herself…
“Your species is sediment,” Arlong continued, “Beneath other creatures in all ways. Do you get my meaning, girl?”
“With crystal clarity.”
“You didn’t just happen to find yourself in the midst of a Fishman’s killing field,” he said, “Columbina. I know your name. Now would you care to tell me the name of the one who sent you?”
She took a sip of her drink. He watched as she licked the remnants away with her tongue. Despite his words he felt himself respond physically to the small action. Off to the side Chew had pushed one of the straps off of her dress away from her shoulder, his hand testing out the softness of the woman’s skin for himself. So his brother was interested...She was making no move to stop him.
“My curiosity sent me. I was just out for an evening stroll. And I can do direct just fine,” she sat her drink down, her attention now completely on him. She stood. And instead of making the attempt to free herself the human woman pushed the other strap of her dress down and in one fluid motion the garment fell away from her body like water.
Arlong, Kuroobi and Chew’s eyes went wide. “What. Are. You. Doing?” Arlong growled down at her.
“Paying my tribute. Will you accept?” She was small, submissive even as the three of them towered over her. He couldn’t help but feast upon the sight of her, curves ample and tempting with breasts that sat high on her chest, the swell of her ass enough to tempt any man and probably a good number of women, too. If he had to hazard a guess this woman hadn’t spent her adult life with a dearth of lovers.
“You seem like you hate humans so very much. Why not take out your frustrations on one?” She peered up at him through fluttering eyelashes, something Faustian in her demeanor. She brushed her hair away, letting it fall to the other side of her neck. No. She was deliberately exposing her pulse to him. To their back he heard Kuroobi hoisting the terrified barkeep from the establishment. Perfect. One less thing to get in his way.
“Arlong, she’s sexy as all hell,” Chew had placed a hand on her hip, bidding her to turn toward him. “If you don’t want a bite of her, I’ll take one.” Arlong put his hand on Columbina’s shoulder, helping her to turn in a circle. Kuroobi had returned, the three of them examining her and all she had to offer. A potential toy that was asking to be played with.
When she had completely turned to face Chew Arlong lifted her hair away from her shoulder blades, the markings that ran from the back of her neck down to her hipbones catching his attention. They were distinct, brandings that looked almost like the ones that human slavers gave their unfortunate victims far away from these waters. He himself had supplied plenty of those same tattoos himself.
“This ink. Where did you get it?”
“Oh, this?” She looked over her shoulder, “Just a birthday present from an old beau. Didn’t work out in the end,” She turned back to him. “He paid quite the price for it, too.”
“Hmm. And what happened between the two of you?” It was rhetorical, more of a question he was asking himself. He let go of her hair, the tresses smelling of whipped cream and strawberries.
“Long story. Wouldn’t want to bore you with all the details,” Columbina said. Her undergarments were black, tied at the hips in bows with lacy strings. She’d been twiddling with one, slowly pulling the string lose to gauge his reaction. Arlong grabbed her wrist, his grip strong but not enough to bruise. Not yet. Columbina stared at him coyly.
Arlong’s gaze briefly met Chew’s then Kuroobi’s in silent exchange. Get her ready. He then unclasped the string from her fingers, undoing the knot for her.
Columbina gasped as a pair of hands snaked their way around her front, squeezing her breasts, her flesh fondled through the thin fabric of her bra. Chew’s thumbs found her nipples, pressing down on the sensitive nubs, rubbing them into hardened peaks. Arlong watched as lust colored the human woman’s gaze, and maybe a tinge of fear. The fear was exactly what he craved. Time to see how afraid he could make her.
“Dispense with it,” he ordered Chew. The bra was subsequently ripped from her body, the tattered pieces falling to the floor. Her breasts were round and small, her nipples a dusty shade of pink against the paleness of her skin.
“Okay, so we’re starting out rough. Got it—Oh...Ohhhh…” Good, good girl. There’s the fear. He’d undid the tie on the other side, slowly crouching before her. His fangs were ever present, ready to sink into her if she resisted. He dragged her underwear away from her hips, the feel of her skin against the roughness of his hands positively luscious. Arlong slipped his fingers in between her folds, the smell of her arousal hitting him insantly.
“Open your legs for me, Princess.”
Columbina obeyed him. A small, sexy gasp left her as the Fishman slid one finger inside of her, then two. He took his time dragging himself in and out of her, seeing how far he could penetrate her. Columbina's sheath took no time coating his fingers.
A smile curled his lips. Human women were pure, utter filth, begging for their holes to be filled. So easy they were. To break. To kill. To fuck.
He slipped a third finger into her and Columbina hissed in pain. In Chew’s arms she squirmed. “Gods and goddesses. Arlong, I—I’m not ready yet!”
“Surely that’s not too much,” he whispered darkly in the dim light of the tavern, “Did you know what you were getting yourself into, girl? Have you ever been taken by a Fishman before? Have you ever been speared on one of our cocks?”
“Fishmen all over the Four Blues are some of my most prominent clients. Ah—Ah!” He watched as she struggled to get the words out, his fingers switching their angle, experimenting.
“How many?” he asked. “And don’t lie to me.” The pressure he was applying was no longer soft nor languid. He picked up his pace, his fingers fucking her hard and fast. Her cunt was nice and tight, was going to look gorgeous when it took him inside of her. “How many of my brethren have you fucked, Columbina?”
“I—hnnn--I don’t know, Arlong. I forget,” She stared at him in challenge, her words a bluff against his onslaught. Chew’s hands had worked her nipples into hardened peaks. They looked like pieces of candy, just ready to be nibbled on. The other fishman had sat down, Columbina seated on his lap. Above her Arlong brought his free hand to her throat, applying just the right amount of pressure to restrict the flow of air.
"Gods, yes! Yes!"
He pumped his fingers even faster, a sense of wonderment overcoming him at what a slut this woman was.
Perhaps he’d found something much more valuable than a treasure map. They’d see.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck—oh fuck don’t stop. I’m going to come!”
“No.” Arlong withdrew himself from her. His figure loomed over her. Chew sat up, Columbina coming with him. As she went to stand, Arlong pulled her to him. Before she could ask a question he crushed her naked body to his, the feel of her against him reminding him that he hadn’t let himself enjoy a woman in an age. He angled her face to the side so that his lips found hers, the force of his kiss bruising. His hands roamed the human woman’s flesh, possessive and demanding. “My tribute, my pleasure,” he growled at her. “Nothing a human deserves. What made you think I was going to let a human get hers?”
“You’ve got to be joking!” Columbina breathed. She wasn’t fighting him, but a look of incredulity had settled onto her visage.
“No, Princess,” Arlong grasped her by the chin and tilted it so her eyes couldn’t leave his. “If you wanted jokes you should have fucked a clown instead of a Fishman.” He kissed her again, plunging his tongue inside of her mouth. The alcohol on her lips tasted sweeter than anything he’d ever imbibed in. So she’d chosen well, after all. But that had been a moment ago. Her current predicament maybe not so much.
He allowed her to come up for air once more. The lipstick was a mess on her face. She stared up at him with contempt. Oh how the human contempt made his blood sing.
“No, of course not,” Columbina said, her breath leaving her in small gasps for air. Her eyes held no trace of fear as they bore into his. Her voice lowered as she spat her words at him. “Can’t expect much from someone not willing to be a man.”
Arlong’s hand flew to her throat once more. Columbina’s hands shot up to clench around his arm as he steered her towards the back of the bar, her feet nearly coming off the floor as he pushed her against the wall. He relished the whimper of pain that left her as her head bounced off the wall. The helplessness displayed before him only made his cock twitch in excitement.
“I am no man, girl.”
“No,” Columbina coughed. “So, are you going to show me how much better a monster is?”
“Only one monster? You said earlier that you can’t remember how many of my kind you’ve whored yourself to. Let’s keep your memory sharp this time around, Princess. Why settle for one when three will do you just fine?”
Arlong whirled her around, his right hand now firmly on the back of her neck. With his left he held her arms behind her back, cutting off any means of escape. He steered her through the back door that led into the tavern’s stores room. Chew and Kuroobi followed after him with Kuroobi locking the door.
Once inside, he shoved Columbina to the floor. Her hands flew to the ground, her wrists catching her just in time, bracing against the impact. Arlong didn’t see the flash of indigo in her eyes before his hands were on her once more, nor the smirk that played along her lips.
She was not a victim. She was a Succubus, and they were about to see how that squared up against Arlong The Saw.