My Pirate System

Chapter 9 - Tempest and the Pirate Ship

“Why the fuck am I here again?”

I was unsure Israel, the Captain, was serious about it and thought of it as a joke. Boy, I was wrong. The next thing I knew, I was standing at the bowsprit with my hands tied behind my back and a cutlass sword from Francoise. She tailed me like a shadow. And Francoise was the one pushing me into the ocean.

“Tell me again, why are you doing this to me?” I asked, while glimpsing behind. But the sword’s edge poked my bottom, almost drilling inside my hole.

I had been motionless here for a few minutes now, with the pirates cheering behind me. Some threw their rubbish at my figure, while others hollered, “JUMP! JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!” This might be a regular occurrence for the lasses on the deck. Back in my world, bullying had evolved. But this was just absurd.

Although I knew death awaited me if I fell, I couldn’t take these pirates seriously. The water splashed at the ship’s exterior walls when I darted down at the wooden. The ocean was deep. It was calm. Of course, it was Arata, you dumbass! If I dove into this body of water with this rope wrapped around my hands, I couldn’t swim back to the ship. And even if I could, there was no way for me to climb to the deck. I needed a ladder of some sort, or Captain Israel could provide one for me.

Ah, now that I noticed it, there were shadows of fish gliding underwater. And those weren’t goldfish. Those sea creatures were approximately larger than an adult body from afar, which alarmed every cell inside my body. Even so, maybe this was a joke. I could only hope these pirates were having a laugh, and I was just their toy for pleasure.

But I wasn’t planning on dying just yet. Maybe there was a door leading towards the inside of the ship, and that panel could stop the water from getting in. Or perhaps I could just climb the boat and hope for the best.

One moment, they were interested in me. However, it went the other way around. The next thing I knew, those rascals arranged a plan to hurl me into the ocean. And it was just for fun. I didn’t know how long this entertaining segment would last, considering…

… There were cumulonimbus clouds fast approaching in our direction. And none of those pirates noticed the obsidian cotton hazes—no one except for Israel.

The sky instantly turned and grew as if everything had succumbed to darkness and shadow. Even though this was a new world, Science still prevailed. However, Israel knew what was about to come.

And yet, she never paid attention to it. Israel still forced the happenings while preparing for the storm. By the time I “walked the plank” a few centimetres onward, that was when the rain poured in. But before they knew it, it was already too late. The drizzle became a river, and lightning growled in our ears.

“Avast there, you scurvy pigs! Take heed red sky in the morning mates! Stow the sails! Batten down the hatches! Toss overboard all jetsam! Helm steer smartly - like your life depended on it! Because it does! Make for the leeward side of that area over there! Then every woman for herself! See ya’ in Davey Jones’s locker, you god-forsaken mongrels!”

Ah, she had lost it. Israel had finally lost it as she ordered everyone on board to their stations whilst abandoning me. I turned around with every muscle left down there and observed the scenery. It was still plain water. But this time, the ocean drastically waved and crashed against the ship as if pushing it to a different course. But it wasn’t the body of water moving it. The wind came with the storm, pushing and pulling the sail in multiple directions.

“Uh, you people realise that those barrels are pulling the ship down and making us sink even faster!” I shouted, hoping my words could reach the ears of these pirates.

“Shut your crap; you bilge rat! You have no right to command me crew! Me thinks you should walk the plank for all I care!” the woman wearing the fancy hat clicked her tongue and clamoured.

Captain Israel turned to me and discerned what I had told her. However, it looked like she didn’t care. The Captain disregarded my warnings and continued instructing her fellow pirates to save the ship and their people.

Tossing the barrels and other useless things off the shore was the best bet to lighten a ship. The boat would fall deeper into the water if the vessel was heavy. Although this ocean was vast and not shallow, hitting rocks, harbours, or marine life posed no problems. However, it introduced us to other conflicts. If boats were pushed aside and became uneven, the vessel could plausibly follow the mass, and thanks to inertia, it would tump over. Hence, plunging the ship into the school of fish. And that could happen as well if these idiots still refused to believe me.

“What were these dumb fucks doing? Why won’t they throw off the useless barrels on the shore to survive? It was not like those alcohols inside the barrels were worth more than a human life!” I yelped afterward, yet these pirates turned a blind eye as if they heard nothing but a squeak.

I attempted to move near the docks as fast as possible. But thanks to the swaying movements of the ship, it became arduous for me to teeter myself on the thin platform. However, I didn’t give up. Not like this. I didn’t plan on dying from a useless death! If somehow I died right now, I wanted to make sure to give Kirameki a decent life. It was my only wish as her brother.

Those pirates did everything they could to preserve the ship. Some even mounted the ratlines and held the sail and whatnot from the boat. Even though this boat was made with nails and wood compared to the ones my modern world had, it still stood its ground… Or should I say, it still floated… Anyway, everyone did their job. The pirates tried everything they could to patch the vessel without letting it sink. In spite of the boat swerving back and forth, Captain Israel commanded her comrades with haste and precision, saving all of us from drowning in the ocean.

I wanted to be with my sister inside the brig. However, the lasso swathed around my body and glued me to the plank. Even so, I tried getting out of here as fast as possible. But my efforts weren’t rewarded.

“Shit,” I cursed, and clicked my tongue. I blamed Captain Israel for it.

Soon, the ship surfed with the tidal waves. It disrupted my balance and eventually kicked me out of the boat. I tried flinging the rope to the vessel’s rails, hoping it could click and pull me upward. However, the wire didn’t latch. The next thing I knew, I plummeted towards the ocean. And the splashing sound below the boat was the last thing the pirates heard of me.

As soon as I crashed against the vast ocean, my body sank, and bubbles rose from my mouth. My hands struggled to flap their way above the water, wishing I could somehow float. But I couldn’t. The rope was too tight, hindering me from moving or swimming underwater. But alas, there was nothing I could do but paddle like a dog.

“I NEED TO LIVE!!! I NEED TO SEE KIRAMEKI! I need to…. Kira…. I’m… coming for you.” The more I wrestled at the deep-sea, the more I lost air inside my lungs. Shortly, my consciousness drifted away. And the only thing I could do now was to hold my breath as long as possible. For Kirameki… For my sister.

“Eh? Are those the sharks I saw earlier? Why do they look so… big? IS THAT A FUCKING MEGALODON? A BABY FUCKING MEGALODON TO BOOT?!

[Monster Name]: {Baby Megalodon}

[Title(s)]: {None}

[Species]: {Fish}

[Level: 1,000]

[Age]: {?????}

[Class]: None

[STR]- 1699 [VIT]- 2626 [MEN]- 1573

[DEX]- 4986 [INT]- 2155

HOLY SHIT! WHO THE FUCK CREATED THIS THING?! THIS MEGALODON SHARK WAS JUST A BABY, BUT IT ALREADY HAD THE SIZE OF A FUCKING TRUCK, WHICH SHOULD BE AROUND TWENTY FEET. FUCK! FUCKING ME IN THE ASS! THERE WAS NO FUCKING WAY I COULD DEFEAT SUCH A CREATURE, ESPECIALLY A SHARK IN ANOTHER WORLD!

Anyway, I should be dead in no time. But, until then, I tried everything just to survive. And fortunately, the fish was stupid enough to pass by me. However, it wouldn’t be too long before this monster could sense what was happening in front of me, which was a man floating underwater, armed with nothing but his bare fist. I was that unlucky man…

Fortunately, not all hope was lost. One pirate noticed my figure, and quickly shouted, “MAN OVERBOARD!” Anon, Captain Israel sent out two pirates - more like forcing them to swim in the ocean -, but she didn’t think it through. Just before those pirates ram against the tides, those pirates howled at the top of their lungs in unison. “WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO SWIM!” That’s when I knew we were screwed.