"Yumi!" Tim's voice resounded throughout the area. He rushed closer to her with Ayuka and quickly reached for her shoulder. "She's been struck in the neck by something heavy, which was enough to knock her out."
Tim's mouth shook from anger. "What the hell happened here?!" he asked and waited for Yumiko to regain consciousness. "Urgh..." Yumiko noised out. Both of them became relieved as they gently supported Yumiko to sit up.
"Yumiko. You're awake. Do you need a doctor?" Yumiko reached for her forehead and declined. "N-No, I'm fine. But, Tomomi..., she's been taken captive by the world government." She explained, quickly astonishing Tim.
"What? Why? What did she do?" Yumiko stood up, thanks to Ayuka, holding her head. "I'm sorry, Tim. I tried to help her, but that man was much more dangerous than I had anticipated. I don't even know a clear reason why they took her captive. They mentioned some things about her that just didn't make sense to me."
She explained, her voice soft. "Damn it!" Tim furiously punched the floor with his fist causing his knuckles to bleed from the rough territory. "First, they harm you, take Tomomi hostage, and finally sneak away like cowards! Damn them all!"
Yumiko hinted at Ayuka that she was fine and looked down at Tim, astonished. His anger reminded her of the own torment she suffered back in her homeland. "Tim, I know how you feel, but they might not harm her. It depends on the Fleet Admiral's decision."
Tim took a deep breath, listening to Yumiko's calm statements, and asked. "Do you know where they took her, at least?" she nodded. "They took her to the world government's headquarters. That's what they told me."
Tim sighed and then stood back up. "That's our next destination, no doubt. But for now, we need to help Ralphie and his friend. I hope nothing bad happens to her while we're not with her."
Yumiko nodded. "I'm not sure how long it'll take for them to execute Tomomi if the fleet admiral chooses so, but I'm certain it should have a planned time. Then again, we might not even worry about execution."
Tim's arms shook. He couldn't feel less scared than he had, knowing that Tomomi could be executed at any moment. "I can't believe this. It wasn't long since she was on the verge of death, and now you're telling me she's on a possible time limit that guarantees her death if I'm not there? It's so frustrating!"
Tim finally calmed down and then looked at the two girls seriously. "We need to hurry up. We don't have much time to spare. We need to find Niklas before things go south on Tomomi's end."
Yumiko turned her face down at the ground and then tightened her shoulder. "Tim, I shouldn't be allowed to say this since I don't know Tomomi too well, but based on the agent's description, I don't think that Tomomi's just a human. I think she's someone that even you don't know." Tim looked at Yumiko, upsettingly.
"Yeah, you're right, you don't have permission to say something like that, but I can't judge your thoughts until we find out for ourselves. Thank you, Yumiko. I'm thankful you tried to help her out, but right now, we have other things to worry about. Tomomi's strong, I know she'll survive and wait for us to rescue her besides, it was our fault we left her on the ship alone.
"But while we're here, there's no way we can forget about Ralphie's request. I'll take down Niklas and then make sure to find her. I've promised Ralphie to help his friend, and I'll make sure."
Ayuka and Yumiko quickly agreed with Tim's statements. "We're here to help you already know that, Tim." Claimed Ayuka, while Tim nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I know. Then, let's make sure to take down Niklas and then rescue Tomomi."
Their mission to clear was set to unfold. "I don't know where Niklas is hiding, but I tend to find out," Tim spoke and gazed at the hill. The town was constructed around it, looping to the top where a mansion sat.
Inside that mansion, a man resided. Blonde hair, curling in front of his left eye, staring through the window with purple eyes, stretching his legs on the table, arms crossed behind his neck, he sat and waited.
Dressed in dim clothes, wearing a black coat, they were tied together with golden buttons. "Niklas, the swords you've ordered are waiting for you in the city hall. They're available to pick whenever you want."
Niklas listened to the woman in front and exhaled a cold breath. "It appears that Leandre did not let me down. He is skilled at selecting the best candidate for the job. However, I assume that the arrival has been the subject of further information?"
The woman nodded. "Somewhat, yes, but not yet final. Have you heard of the 'White-Haired' Pirate, Tim?" Niklas confirmed. "Yeah, I heard of 'em. A brand-new pirate captain sailing the "Vast Expanse" who had already defeated the Black Shock Pirate, Muro, as well as one of the Sea Nobles. He has established a solid reputation.
"Let me venture a guess. He will seek to stop me after learning about me in some way. I say that pirates like him are very predictable." Niklas sighed and grabbed his forehead. "And just when I create this island for people to work freely? Guess I should've expected that this day would come."
He stood up and walked toward the door, followed by the woman as he soon came into the hallway where three people stood; two men and a woman.
"Bruno, Luca, Kira." He said, they all looked at him and waited. "Gah! Lord Niklas! It's so good to see you! Have you finally come to ask me out on a date?" Kira screamed, overall excited to see Niklas.
She wore a brown jacket that partially hid her black shorts and had very long fluffy blonde hair. She had a ribbon around her neck and was wearing a yellow undershirt that showed some of her upper chest areas. She had a grey thread wrapped around her left calf and was dressed in long, orange stockings that reached her knees, beneath the brown boots.
Bruno had brown hair that waved and brilliant orange eyes. He wore heavier leather clothing, a jacket that was unbuttoned to display his black undershirt, and a silver necklace around his neck. He had a belt around his hip that held a short sword and a knife on the other side. He wore leather boots.
Luca at last. He had golden eyes and a short, spikey hairstyle. On each of his arms, he wore black armor plates. He was dressed in a black, sleeveless uniform that extended into a kimono-like cloak and had an attached katana as a weapon on his back. He was also wearing a black scarf around his neck that he might have used as a bandana to conceal his face.
"I need you to go pick up the swords that were brought to the city hall because I'm attempting to maintain my reputation. Be vigilant since unpleasant pirates have been seen in the city; if you come across any, make careful to kill them. I'd rather not see you fail, so be useful and perform your job." Niklas explained, while Kira immediately shone in sparkles.
"Lord Niklas wants me to take down pirates?! Absolutely fantastic! I can't wait to punch them! I'll punch them, like *pam* *puff* *pound* and *bam*. Then I'll take them back as a cushion for lord Niklas to pummel on them like a bag!" She laughed out loud, extremely excited, while Niklas felt uncomfortable around her.
"Um, Kira, please don't do that." Kira immediately puffed her cheeks and became red. "Why not? You want me to punch them, right?"
Kira stood right in front of Niklas with fists ready to be used in an exciting battle. "Yeah, but only if you find them. I also don't want them inside my mansion, okay?"
Kira looked to the side and puffed out a cloud. "Hmph, fine..."
"Thank you. Now, is everything clear, you three?" Luca, Bruno, and Kira confirmed and were ready to take on the mission. "Yes, we understand, Lord Niklas." Concluded Bruno.
"Good, then go on."
The three of them left, leaving Niklas and the woman behind.
To be continued...