107 Freedom/Punishment

Freedom is a big thing that is mentoned many times within One Piece.

Everyone has the right to choose their own destiny and follow the path in life that best suits them, if they have no choice in the matter there will be someone to lead the way or save them, or at least those lucky enough to run into the protagonist.

Not everyone may be saved and there are often those that have strayed down a dark path leading to a conflict with the protagonist resulting in that change being beaten into them.

Putting your own life on the line against your opponents, those with the stronger skills, strength and will often come out as the winners but sometimes it also requires some luck.

Now faced with others who had pursued those very ideals, they were prepared to trample on the dreams of others just to allow their own dreams to be achieved but Alyssia had to make a choice not based on that ideal of freedom but instead on her own set rules she had made so that an example is set for the others.

Just before leaving the island, she was faced with the small group of people who had betrayed her who had received minor treatment to their bodies and had been restrained. "Some of you have come on my ship on your own free will, others have been brought because they had no choice after being bought as slaves. Among the people that chose to follow, I left some simple rules to give you all your own freedom but also keep us all together and working as a group without conflicts. The slaves still have their collars on but they also have the option to work to regain their freedom so I have not been unfair to you at all. In fact, I have been welcoming…"

She cleared her throat and continued. "If you have your dreams to fulfil, pursue it wholeheartedly but those that use their own crew or friends and trample all over them in order to achieve their own dreams are not welcome on my ship. Your crimes are the following…"

She raised one finger. "Number one, betraying your crew and trying to seize that does not belong to you."

Alyssia then raised another finger. "When the status of the captain was unknown, instead of confirming the truth, you attempted to leave me behind and caused unrest and conflict within the crew."

After raising the third finger she spoke. "Trying to inflict injury to and even attempting to kill your fellow crew members."

The leader among the group raised his head in defiance. "Ha! What a joke! We just wanted to ease everyone's hearts and put someone in the position as leader so that we could organise the ship and deal with the losses after your death! Many others also believed you died, not just me!"

Alyssia continued to raise another finger. "To achieve your own purpose, you had no hesitation towards harming those around you. I cannot leave you on my ship because who knows when you may stab an ally in the back or push someone into the path of a blade just to save yourself."

She looked into his eyes with a look of mockery. "I know everything, it must have seemed like a huge chance to seize all of my power and possessions when everyone was uncertain about my life and death. Even if I was alive, you worked fast enough to seize power while I was away so you could leave me, Nica and little Li behind on a dangerous island. You were prepared to use force if your persuasions did not work, I am sure that you were prepared to throw others from the ship to survive for themselves and even kill many others just to set an example for the others."

He was not willing to give up and still displayed no guilt whatsoever. "So what? Aren't the seas like that? They have always been! The strong survive and the weak must follow if they wish to continue living!"

Alyssia frowned. "You are funny… you are weaker than me! By your viewpoint! You must follow me! If you have a belief then stick to it wholeheartedly and live by it! Do not merely use it to suit yourself when it suits you! What a moron. Seriously why did I even bother letting a person like you on my ship. If you truly believed in those words, you would not have betrayed and stuck to me completely until you knew for certain that I had really died. However you are nothing more than someone who had long had the idea to seize power and wealth from my hands, you had just been waiting for the first chance that presented itself."

The leader looked back defiantly but his eyes had become red from glaring at her while he was full of rage after being insulted. "Then what about your so called rule about harming fellow crew members?!"

She turned to looked towards her crew members. "They have not broken the rules. They were defending themselves from a group of traitors who lead a mutiny, accidents can always happen between two sides fighting a life and battle. It is lucky that you are still even alive so this should be your punishment from those you have betrayed. I doubt you will be able to fight or move like you used to after your recovery so you are no longer a danger to us. However my punishment has not been given yet."

She looked at the bound people. "I prefer the eye for an eye method to deal out punishments. You wished to steal, I take your all. You wished to inflict harm, you will be harmed. You wished to abandon others in a dangerous place, fine then! It is decided… although with your physical conditions I doubt you will be able to survive."

The options available to her was to either keep them on board and transport them to another island leaving them behind, make them walk the plank and swim to safety or leave them on the island.

The first option was the kinder option but there were always people who sought revenge for the slightest grievance so leaving such people behind who have information about her was dangerous.

The second option was essentially a death sentence considering their bodies state.

The third option was also a death sentence but those with enough of a will to survive and luck on their side may somehow be able to maintain their lives even if they are heavily injured and no longer could use their limbs as they used to.

She looked down at the panic in the eyes of the group and knew that they had begun to lose hope. "I sentence you all to be removed from my ship and left behind to fend for yourselves on the Boin Archipelago."

She thought to herself. 'If they do somehow manage to survive they will have to learn to work as a team to keep surviving many trials on the island together. If they die early then that also solves any leaks of information from happening.'

Since they all were prepared to leave her behind on the island not knowing her condition after the island tried to swallow her, they would have to suffer the same fate of being left behind even with their injured bodies or disabilities gained from the battle on the ship.

The odds of them surviving was close to zero but if they worked together they may be able to find a way to survive.

The chances of escaping the island was even lower for them so she had no worries about them coming to seek revenge on her.

Two women among the group got themselves in a begging posture. "Please! I will do anything! We only followed because we were intimidated by him, we will do anything!"

Some others among them tried to beg in order to save their lives after but Alyssia coldly look at them. "You are no longer 'my people' so I no longer feel any responsibility towards you. This is the only path left for you… or…"

Some of their eyes lit up upon seeing a way to survive.

However Alyssia's voice became colder. "From now on, you have no rights, no freedom and no matter what is done to you.. you have no right to protest. Just as you wished to take everything of mine, I will take from you as much as I possibly can. I will never look at you as a human being again but instead.. a tool. Nothing more. If you wish to take this path, always remember that it was you who chose this yourself to survive and I did not force this upon you."

She turned to Alfred. "I need a written document ready so come with me to prepare it. This concerns their future if they are prepared to completely give up on their freedom for the sake of survival. They all need to be fully aware of the consequences and the true meaning of what they have chosen."

In her view, she had treated the slaves quite well giving them the chance to improve their lives and regain their freedom but towards the traitors, if they wished to remain then they would be even less than that of a slave and they would have no more hope of escaping unless they had died.

Many would probably rebuke her for her actions and decision made today but this was the only option left for these people to be spared from a death sentence.

Perhaps some may even wish to die but couldn't do so because she would not allow it because they had given up that right after they had signed the document.

Not long afterwards each of them were given a document to read, some of them had to get the help of others to read it because they could not completely understand it or were illiterate.

The document was an agreement which stated party A would be giving up all rights to party B, the right to use their bodies as she pleases and if they ever try to resist or rebel then it will result in further restraints, punishment and even death.

This included examples stating their bodies may be used for scientific purposes like body modification, gene research and being used as an expendable soldier in cases where the crews safety may be threatened.

Although she was not the type of completely ruthless person to use sacrificing others as a tactic for survival and the probability of it happening would be low, Alyssia still put it down to let them know how she now viewed them.

Her crew continue to receive her guidance and protection but traitors no longer receive such kindness and must either take their punishment, face death or be prepared to give their everything to her completely.

There was no room for forgiveness or a soft heart at this time because this concerned the safety of her crew and this was a key moment where she must make her stand as the captain and show the others that she will not show weakness during an important time to make a decision.

Within the small group, very few of them were willing to agree to such terms so many of them took their chances on the island.

One man who had almost lost his legs and was left unable to walk along with the two woman who had spoken up before had left a finger print stamped onto the documents and afterwards were fitted with a shock collar, restraints and a mouth guard to prevent them from biting their own tongues.

Alyssia appeared before them who were kept underneath the deck of the ship and spoke. "It is to late to regret now, so let us begin! Maybe it would have been better for you on the island. Since you volunteered yourselves, I will not reject your contribution."

She began collecting many samples from them while inspecting the state of their bodies and began to take notes while also writing down an experimental and body maintenance plan based on her findings.

Right afterwards she locked herself up in her research room to gain further understanding of her scientific skills that she had been working on.