……………………Bonus Story. (3) Backstory_______________I returned from the store and prepared myself for another shift when the manager suddenly appeared. It seemed that he had finally caught wind of the situation, judging from his narrowed eyes and bulging veins. Kawasaki stomped his feet as he trundled towards my figure.“Where the hell is Ichiro?” Kawasaki asked.I didn’t know why the owner of this story wanted to find me. From my recollection, I never did anything to piss off anyone. In fact, I was here trying to make a favour out of the exasperated man.I answered, “Is it because of his job? If it is, then.”“I don’t give a fuck about his job!” yelled the man wearing a wrinkled long befitting for a businessman. “The two of you stole my money! The morning shift showed me a camera sent by someone anonymously!”“If this unnamed person didn’t send the footage as evidence, I will most likely not know about this. And you two are doing this behind my back when I’m the one who benevolently
Back to the present._______________My goal for today was to create a dish made from the mackerel fish these pirates caught and cook enough meals for the rest of the week. I placed aside the meat and other unused ingredients for later. They were useless to me. And besides, beans and fish were a delightful combination for pirates and their famished abdomens.Without wasting another second, I picked up the pace and went to my stations. These five pirates then followed me. Surprisingly, they were cooperative. Well, after what Francoise had told them and what these pirates had introduced themselves to me, they didn’t have an option besides following my lead.“Sally, heat the oil in a medium-large saucepan. Put some garlic and rosemary and rustle them up!”“Yes, chef!”“You, Rudy, and Maxie, while you’re at it, make sure you add those tomatoes up and cook them! Pour some seasoning in there because it looks FUCKING RAW! Chop chop!”“Aye, aye, boss!”“Barbara and Odette. You two. Come with
“Captain Israel taught and showed me a lot of things. I wasn’t exceptional like Azure or had any talents like Francoise. But I work hard. And I will do whatever it takes just to prove myself useful. My only dream is to see the day where Captain Israel or another leader from her reign liberates us to freedom and creates a world a better place… just like what my mother had promised me,” Sally added.I was lost for words after hearing such a devastating narrative. There was no way for me to tell if whatever Sally had spouted was real, so it was up to me to believe such a narrative. And I had fate with it. After everything I had witnessed, this young girl had been trying her best, despite getting tossed around. And Captain Israel was by no means messing with her. Sally was in charge inside the kitchen, where her mother usually took her.All I knew from the five was that they were all slaves from different experiences. And it was true. These pirates, at least, were decent human beings, exp
It didn’t take long enough before the pirates asked for seconds. They all carolled about how tasty the food was and why we didn’t prepare any seconds. Those choruses turned into curses as they learned I was behind on the insufficient stock of meals for them. And Captain Israel was no exception. When she placed the spoon’s contents inside her mouth, euphoria entered her mind. She couldn’t think of anything besides enjoying her meal and devouring it like a hyena. I already anticipated it, considering these ladies were ravenous like sharks swarming around a poor soul stranded in the ocean. And that poor individual was me. After finishing our meals, Captain Israel requested another pack of Mackerel garlic dishes, which I bluntly refused. But the moment I shook my head, Captain Israel pointed her sabre at me and laughed like a queen belittling her knight.Captain Israel knew that killing me would activate the contract and take her life afterward. But the alcohol from her hand had taken awa
Captain Israel chugged the last content of her tankard and replied, “Sally, Rudy, Maxie, Barbara, and Odette? It seems to me you five became great comrades for just a short time.”My eyes expanded like a bombshell when I discovered Captain Israel remembered the names of these five pirates who stayed inside the galley for who knows how long. It just meant the Captain cared about everyone. Or Captain Israel was just one lucky bastard. Regardless, she knew their names, and I bet Sally and the rest of them would wag their tails the moment they could hear it.“You placed me in the galley. Of course, the six of us will talk. We talked about a lot of things, but most things… I never told them anything about.”“About how your friend lost touch with you? Or how you cared about your sister more than anything in this world?”From that moment onward, it didn’t take me long to realise that Captain Blackbeard was listening to our conversation. But I never noticed her. I had a system that announced
For the rest of the days - not a week -, Azure was the one who handed out my tasks. Captain Israel didn’t send me back to the galley. She said that I was too good for my own, and the resources they stacked were used exponentially. So it was better if the usual food was served, and the meal I could cook was for special occasions. “In that way, these pirates will look forward to tomorrow! You’re pretty useful, Arata! In the meantime, just, you know, have fun doing the chores of the ship! You’ll get help from the five pirates gals, since you’re already friends with them! MWAHAHA!” “And that’s what she said,” Azure explained, and mimicked almost perfectly Captain Israel’s voice and demeanour. I thought that bastard of a Captain was beside me for a second. Similar to what Captain Israel mentioned, Azure was the one who handed out the instructions and gave me the mop. We had to clean the deck’s restroom. And pirates… knew nothing about hygiene. It wasn’t because they were girls - gender wa
And just like what I had envisioned, our vessel arrived at the designated time. After all, we had been through, doing chores and attending to the needs of the ship and stuff, we could finally relax even for a little. Captain Israel put together a banquet filled with classy and preserved wine, paired with meals I had not eaten for a while. Much to my surprise, Captain Israel was the one who cooked it. I never thought she had a spatula touch. And when I fucking ate the fish she had marinated and grilled, it was the best. Still, it was no match for my Mackerel garlic dish. I didn’t want to question Captain Israel about her odd ways of expressing her thoughts. It was subtle, but those who knew kept their mouths shut. We let the rest of the pirates party like animals, while the others who were cursed with knowledge were left speechless and unable to interact with the entertainment. But there was nothing we could do about it. My system notified me we were reaching the Hundred Island Sand T
When Kirameki appeared, my body jerked, and I hopelessly tried snatching her before anything else. But I was too late. The moment I stepped too close to my sister, a tentacle popped up out of nowhere and destroyed the ship like it was nothing but paper. And as soon as the monster’s limb made an entrance, Captain Israel shouted at the top of her lungs, warning everyone present on the deck. “KRAKEN!” Every pirate who heard Captain Israel’s shout dashed everywhere, trying to find their weapons and cannons, and woke up other resting personnel. Even so, our numbers were futile. The tentacle remained firm no matter how hard the pirates slammed their kitchen knives and shovels. It cannot be destroyed that easily. The moment Captain Israel yelled those words, every hair follicle from my skin went upward. And every cell inside my body told me I needed to run away. But I couldn’t. There was no way for me to leave this place without grabbing Kirameki with me. And if I had the chance to do so,
Arata wasn’t the type of person who could present a speech, nevertheless in front of the crowd. Owari, on the other hand, was a scientist. He had always showcased his research to everyone, and the entire world would be watching him. But the thing was… Arata had learned something valuable. And that was, he knew that these people would listen to him and cheer for his name. It wasn’t because he was willing to control the town, but he wanted to lead the place into a brighter future. Much so with Owari.That was why Arata had to be the first to do this. He was the one who paved the path.“Citizens of the Honeywood town!” Arata shouted. “My name is Captain Arata, leader of the pirates! As you may know, the pirates and the soldiers, at least, for this village of Honeywood, have decided to unite with one another! Although I have yet to live a long life, I know, for a fact, that my mentor, Captain Israel, the former Captain of the pirates, had wished this kind of thing to happen. And it happe
“Pirates… and soldiers working together for this global war.” Arata pondered to himself for a while before handing Owari his answer. “Don’t you think the Kingdom will be the one who gets to decide the last? If you’re asking me, I’ll… notify the pirates back from the Abandoned Barnacle ship and ask them about this. But knowing them, they will definitely agree to it too.”And that's what they did. As soon as the meeting ended, Owari and Arata got out of the town hall and told everyone they had to gather around the plaza. An announcement would occur in a few moments, and that was enough to attract the people’s attention, including Arata’s pirates.While that was happening, a messenger appeared before Owari and Arata, the two leaders of the Honeywood town and the pirates respectively. When Owari noticed this was the same messenger, Luke Formis, he greeted the mailman of this world and asked what was the matter.“We’re about to send a message to the King about the situation. You're just in
“Who’s going to go first?” Arata asked the most important thing of them all. “I suggest it has to be you, mister cowboy. “Stop calling me cowboy, Arata.”“Alright, cowboy.”Arata never gave Owari a chance to explain this sudden attitude. The man just saw Owari as a cowboy because of his cold demeanour with a gun in his hand. Nothing more, nothing less. Eventually, Arata stopped calling Owari names such as the recent “Cowboy” attempt and continued on with the meeting.Owari let whatever Arata wanted to call him slide and be the first one to elucidate what he had found out.“I got the chance to meet Sebastian.”“You did?” Arata couldn’t help but react. When he saw Owari’s eyes throwing daggers in his direction, Arata nodded to himself and muttered, “Yeah. I thought so. Sorry.”After a faint cough, Owari resumed his story. “I met Sebastian’s holographic image…” Owari paused for a second and studied Arata’s confused look on his face. “In your world, I assume you also have some kind of ho
Owari sat parallel with Arata as the two exchanged what they had learned from the Empire and from Captain Blackbeard.It was already late at night, so the two had sent their family members to sleep. Kirameki insisted she should join the meeting, but Owari was the one who had advised her to have a complete bed rest. “If you want your brother to not worry about you, listen to what I’m saying. I’m a doctor, so...”With that Kirameki had no fighting chance against Owari as she returned to her room and went to the dream world for as long as she had remembered.Rex was drowsy to begin with, so there weren’t extra steps between Owari and Arata to be done besides reminding him about the time.Hence, Arata and Owari were the only ones inside the office of the Honeywood town. It was also the municipal hall, where there was a giant crater above their heads.Before the assembly would start, Arata had to suggest that they should bring more individuals in this room. Although the place was a bit cr
Third Person Point of ViewArata's and Owari's perspective………….As soon as Owari heard the Empire had someone who was aiming to kill him and the Kingdom, he immediately returned to the municipal hall. He also found out there was a sudden blast and smoke emitting near the plaza. "It could only be the townhall," thought Owari, as he raced towards the place. The man even met with the soldiers who wished to escort him. But Owari was too speedy. Since the townspeople already knew their Mayor's prowess, they didn't mind being tossed aside, since it was for the best interest of the town.While that happened, Arata had also ended his conversation with the strongest pirate, Captain Blackbeard. The moment Ahmya had bid Arata farewell, Arata looked at Kirameki and called for Rex. Just like what Ahmya had promised, the two children were unharmed. But a gigantic hole was left from the ceiling, marking Captain Blackbeard's breach from the office.Fortunately, during that time, Kirameki had woken u
Ahmya answered, “It’s because my people are dying. Unfortunately as it is, I cannot run the community with no money in my hands. We still have to purchase or hunt food that is not raw or collect edible monster meat. It’s disastrous.”“But… I know you. You’re planning on turning your back against Sebastian too… You’re the type of person that will ditch others as long as you find them useless or… they do not benefit you.”“Hardly so… But it depends. Right now, I do not see any advantage to relieving my ties from Sebastian. And answering that is not of your concern.”“On to the third topic - Sebastian. Sebastian Serra is, like I’ve mentioned, an isekaid person and the trump card of the Empire. He has mastered the art of creating weapons, much like from Owari. But better.Arata had a million questions in his mind. Samples of these were: Why, out of all people, Captain Blackbeard, the person who tried killing all male pirates, including Arata, to be invited to this catastrophic party with
Arata’s PerspectiveThird Person Point of View_______________________Owari had advised Arata to stay indoors and protect the people they cared about, especially Rex and Kirameki. And so he did. At first, Arata was sceptical about this plan. But the moment he remembered they were up against Captain Blackbeard, the Kingdom, and the Empire, having someone to look out for Rex and Kirameki was the best decision they could have.Kirameki was still unconscious, and Rex tried his best to stay awake. But he was just a child. His weariness got the best of him, so he slept on the extra mattress, right next to Kirameki. Arata and the two children were inside the same room, and all the guards were standing their posts outside the room, waiting to inform Arata and Owari of any intruders within the area. But the thing was… the trespasser had already breached themselves inside the town hall. And it didn’t take long before Arata could meet that person.Arata promptly sensed someone’s presence in his
And his son, Rex, was on the line.“I have heard… from my trusty information breaker that you have a son and a wife. It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t kill your wife before she could… But I leave my regards to Ahmya. And… And. You still have your son with you, right? I’d bet the world would press against you if you see your son, Rex, cripple and fall in front of your eyes… Now, wouldn’t that be a sight to behold, Owari Ryutarou?”“Also, I suspect that there is also another person who has been reincarnated just like us. Sebastian added, as he stood there, returning Owari’s gaze.Ahmya… Ahmya Shirahama was the name of Captain Blackbeard, the one who had murdered Owari’s life, Elizabeth. She was the one Owari had been looking for. But right now, the person in front of him, Sebastian, knew exactly where Captain Blackbeard was hiding.“You… You made a deal with the devil? You know Captain Blackbeard? What is your relationship with her…? TELL ME!”Captain Blackbeard was known to be a fraud
Owari’s Perspective Third Person Point of View ____________________________________ It didn’t take a genius to know that the Empire had acquired a new fellow that had the same intelligence as Owari, even greater! Owari was a scientist and a doctor, not an engineer or an inventor. He only had the blueprints of these firearms and mimicked what they could and couldn’t do in the process. But against a person who had studied far more books about machines and weapons would be the victor of this match. Not to mention, this supposedly reincarnated person was backed up with the Empire’s funds, making him or her the most powerful individual next to Captain Blackbeard. “I should tell Arata about this.” But the moment Owari tried retreating, his arcane detected something unusual in his surroundings. And when he checked for the anomaly’s origin, he had found a strange figure of a man appearing from the shadows. The odd part about it was that… this individual didn’t have any mana within him. I