A small wooden boat drifted on the vast sea, trailing six makeshift rafts crafted from logs.
On the rafts stood or sat a pack of vicious pirates, eyes sharp, bodies tense, hardened by wind and salt.
On the boat, only four figures.
Sage sat cross-legged at the center of the vessel, boredom painted across his face as he stared blankly at the endless blue.
Lili stood beside him, glancing now at the sky, now at the water, her gaze always in search of something.
Ajin, ever ready for a fight, stood at the bow in a battle stance—fists clenched, feet planted, just waiting for a target.
At the stern, Paru rowed with puffing breaths, the oars creaking under the strain as he towed the rafts behind them.
They had no sail.
The only propulsion came from the muscle of the pirates on the rafts, and Paru's dogged effort. Without it, maneuvering the flotilla was nearly impossible.
"The wind's steady. Weather's clear. No clouds, no sign of cumulonimbus. No storms on the horizon," Lili announced after her observations. "Sage, we can stop here for a bit."
Sage gave a slight nod. "Ajin, you sure there's a ship in this sector?"
Earlier, when they set off, they'd brimmed with ambition. Now, that enthusiasm had drained into silence and sighs.
No ships.
Ajin had been certain this was a high-traffic coastal route—close to land, close to islands. Ships were supposed to pass here constantly.
This was his first mission since joining Sage's pirate crew. Their first outing. Their first heist.
He'd wanted to make it glorious.
This was supposed to be a resounding debut for their fledgling pirate band. Victory, laughter, stories carved into memory.
But now—Not a single damn ship.
Bright weather, clear skies, midday sun—where were all the ships?
Ajin turned to Sage, head bowed, guilt thick in his voice. "I'm sorry, Captain Sage. I misjudged. No ship in sight. I failed you."
"Things don't always go your way," Sage said with a casual wave. "No ship, no big deal. As long as you know the route, we're good."
He wasn't being kind.He was just used to bad luck.
Punishment? Sure—if it were a serious screw-up.But this? Just a delay.
After all, his dream was to be a rich man with land and power. He'd need a ship for that.
"Captain Sage…" Ajin's eyes shimmered. "You're not blaming me? You're really too generous!"
Unlike Krieg… who punished every misstep.Sage—this man was the real deal.
Lili watched the emotional Ajin silently, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Sage scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Keep trying. I believe in you."
Truth be told, he'd just become numb to disappointment.
"Paru, take a break if you're tired! Men, rest up. No catch today? No problem!" Sage called over his shoulder.
The pirates had tried to fish too. No luck. With Sage around, fish avoided them like plague.
Paru, exhausted, had just let go of the oars when—
"Wait!" Lili suddenly pointed. "Sage, I see a ship!"
"Where?!"
Sage leapt to his feet, eyes locking onto the horizon where Lili pointed.
There—a sliver. A bump on the sea's edge. A mast? A sail?
It grew clearer by the second.
A ship.
"Paru! Row!" Sage roared.
Paru jolted upright, gripping the oars again. The pirates snapped to attention, their oars plunging into the sea with ferocious rhythm.
The waves parted in a frenzy as they surged toward the distant vessel.
They were fast.Within moments, the ship came into view.
Two-tiered deck. A tall mast at the front. Sails billowing with the wind.
A standard single-mast sailing ship.
"Captain Sage, let me be the first to—" Ajin started, drawing his crutch weapon from his back.
But before he could finish—
"Geppō!"
Sage kicked off the edge of the boat and launched into the sky, his feet stepping through air like invisible stairs.
Eyes widened.He was flying.
Like an airborne predator, Sage zeroed in on the ship.
A real ship!
No way was he letting this one slip past.
He didn't trust his luck. So he used Geppō to close the gap instantly.
But just as the thought crossed his mind—
BOOM!
The sea near the ship exploded into a geyser of foam.
A hulking sea beast—bull-headed, massive as the ship itself—erupted from the water with a shriek and charged.
Panic consumed the crew on deck.
If that thing hit, the ship was done for.
"Rankyaku: Barrage!"
Sage's feet blurred, releasing a flurry of blue crescent blades like a rainstorm of death.
Shhhk!The slashes tore into the beast mid-charge. It roared, blood spraying as half its body was shredded.
The monster collapsed back into the sea with a thunderous splash.
Sage sneered. "Trying to steal my ship? You gotta be kidding me!"
He was done being unlucky.He needed this.
Another failure and he'd have to become some hermit freak on a deserted island.
He landed hard on the deck, scanning the people onboard.
Civilians. No signs of weapons.
But—The ship was a mess.
Patchwork repairs covered the hull. Planks nailed across gaping wounds. One entire section burned and blackened.
This wasn't a pristine vessel.
It had already been looted.
"Um…"
One of the trembling civilians stepped forward. "Thank you… for saving us."
"Don't thank me yet."
Sage drew his flintlock, aimed skyward, and bang!—fired a shot into the air.
Then he grinned.
"I'm a pirate. This is a robbery!"
So what if it was already ransacked?It still floated, didn't it?
He was a pirate—not a romantic.
This was business. And today, business had to start.
"...This is it?"
Sage raised a brow at the meager pile on the deck: clothes, some tattered sacks, and one precious barrel of fresh water.
"That's all, Captain…" Paru mumbled. The rest of the crew stayed silent.
They hadn't seen how Sage crushed Krieg, but they'd all seen what he did to that sea beast.
Its corpse still floated nearby, a gaping wound spilling blood into the waves.
Nobody wanted to risk his temper.
"C-Captain!"
One of the civilians nearly collapsed. "Please don't take the water! Without it, even if we keep the ship, we'll die out here!"
On the open sea, hunger was one thing—But no water meant death.
They were desperate. On their knees.
Sage snorted. "Dream on. The ship's mine too."
Then he turned, barking: "Paru, take some men—cut up that sea beast!"
Food was no longer a problem.
Even damaged, the ship had a kitchen. Even a fridge.
Paru and the others jumped onto the beast's carcass, blades cutting into its thick hide, carving out huge chunks of meat.
Some of the crew knew how to cook. Barely.
But right now, even poorly fried meat with a pinch of salt was divine.
Starved for a day, the pirates didn't wait—they grabbed meat with their bare hands and tore in.
"Here."
Lili approached with a sizzling cut of bone-in meat.
Sage bit down—
His eyes watered.
Not because of the taste.
Because it was hot food.
He hadn't eaten anything warm since landing in the Oykot Kingdom.
The meat was rich—beefy, with a touch of seafood tang. Even with minimal seasoning, it was delicious.
As the pirates feasted, the civilians watched, eyes wide, stomachs growling audibly.
Grrrgle…
Sage's ear twitched. He turned to the poor souls huddled together and sighed.
"Fine. Eat. You'll die if you starve."
One of them blinked in disbelief. "Y-You're not robbing us?"
"I said I'm robbing you. But I don't rob the poor. Eat. I'm a pirate, not a monster."
The civilians scrambled forward, hands snatching meat like it was treasure.
Sage gnawed the last of his cut, licked his fingers, grabbed another.
"So," he asked casually, "who the hell hit you guys? What happened to this ship?"