Yumiko stood across from Naeve, gazing at her with a calm yet grave look, "People refer to you as the Moon Knightess? I didn't know people were so foolish to see a pirate as their heroine. And you keep putting blame on the Black Shock pirate Muro when you're no different. A pirate with good or bad intentions, none should coexist with the world." Naeve complained, showing displeasure and disgust.
"When pirates first appeared 42 decades ago, their piracy over the Melimont Waters, also referred to as the Vast Expanse, was less problematic than it is today. Our forebears did not experience hardship, yet today, piracy emerged as a major source of income. It was not necessary for the globe to have officers from all the countries in the Vast Expanse, but it is now crucial to have a world system.
"Don't you realize how many pirates there are at sea? It was because the previous pirate leader, Raymond "Smooth" Gresham, who lived 50 years prior, filled young people with the treasure he had left behind. The world wouldn't be in such disarray without Raymond, and your friend most likely wouldn't have to suffer the repercussions. And if we continue letting pirates such as you run amok the world, more and more innocent people will become an enemy of the world. All we can do is search for new employees, but not many desire warfare. One day the world government will fall. I hope you understand. The only thing you deserve for opposing the WPDA and the global government is a priceless death."
Yumiko seemed intrigued about the history and raised her gaze. "Raymond "Smooth" Gresham? Sorry, but I don't remember asking anything about the past. But, since you're all so willy-nilly, then go ahead and make my day and let's hear your "good-for-nothing" reason to despise pirates such as us, who hadn't done anything to oppose the World Government until today."
"Raymond was the first pirate who traveled on the Vast Expanse with the intention to insert knowledge and his dubious goal of piracy to millions of people. Because of his wish to enlarge the world with pirates, he decided to hunt down a special treasure which he then left at an unknown location. He didn't share it with the world but left it behind instead after he perished. But his true intention, he never revealed. Not the world government or the pirates. It's because of him... so many people became addicted to becoming pirates, only to find that one piece of riches."
The introduction Naeve shared seemed illogical, but there wasn't a reason for Yumiko to deny the possibility. "Okay... that has nothing to do with Chiaki's current condition. It doesn't change our view just because one of the pirates from the past decided to share a riddle of an unknown location. None of us are here to locate one treasure. We only want to sail the sea and-!"
Naeve interrupted with a more serious tone, "Sail the sea? You must be blind, Moon Knightess. Your reason isn't just to travel across the Vast Expanse to help people. And even if you claim the opposite, there's no proper reason for you to deal with this irrelevant irony. Tell me the truth, swordswoman. What is it that your crew's searching for, hm? Is it balance, freedom and kindness? Because none of those would make sense." She appeared agitated.
"You're a group that has no real intentions but to help the people in need. But I don't believe everyone on the crew has the same reason, correct? I wouldn't understand if one person started creating a crew for that purpose."
Yumiko stuttered for a moment and found herself in silence. "Lost the will to talk? Is it because you know I'm right?" Naeve wondered, sighing in desperate tenacity. "All of us have a different dream or wish. Mine, for example, is to show the world that even a woman can be the best swordmaster, not just men. And I'll achieve that dream upon taking you down." Yumiko argued and swung her blade to the side.
"And you're hoping to "achieve" that dream with a hopeless crew under the leadership of the white-haired pirate Timothy? You must be folded in half to think that is possible. Sooner or later, you'll understand. You'll see that your entire crew will falter one day or another. And when that day comes, you'll regret every choice you made." Naeve claimed and enchanted her broadsword.
"Don't ever look down on Tim. You'll see. No matter our dreams, he'll overcome the world government and achieve what we longed for, and he'll do that with my and everyone's help."
Naeve laughed out loud and clocked her head to the side. "What an idiotic answer. You'll see that you're nothing to the world government!" Naeve stepped forward, pointing her broadsword's tip in Yumiko's direction, and waited for an incoming attack. "All right. Then try and stop us!" Yumiko extended her swords behind her and sprinted forward, enchanting her blades.
To make their blades contact, Yumiko and Naeve dashed up against one another and slashed them diagonally. They curved behind one another as Naeve spun around, pulling her broadsword from the floor to the ceiling.
She shot a red energy crescent that sped toward Yumiko's exposed back. Yumiko side-stepped and circled her weight around to slice the right-handed sword horizontally, cutting through the energy and pushing it to the side for them to blast past her hips.
Yumiko followed with another attack by enveloping the same sword with blue energy and slashing it back in front. She released a blue moon-like slice.
In her off-hand, Naeve formed a shield, which she utilized to protect herself from being sliced or hurt. Yumiko was momentarily surprised but immediately recovered and became brave as she watched Naeve's shield break apart. "What's the problem, Moon Knightess? Surprised about my abilities? Believe me. I can make any weapon I want while you're stuck with two different colored and simple swords."
Yumiko clenched her teeth but smiled as some sweat trickled down her face. "I think I call that a golden opportunity. A perfect way to study other weapons people use in the world. It's honestly the best course of action, and you're probably the best opponent I could've run across."
Yumiko's answer irritated Naeve, persuading her to attack. "We'll see if this "golden opportunity" will come in handy." The two warriors began exchanging blows from every direction.
They rushed around the room in a circular motion, diving on each other and dodging, slashing, and blocking at each other until Naeve dashed back and extended her right arm forward.
"Ray Devil!" Yumiko stopped running toward the onslaught as Naeve yelled and conjured a portal behind her right shoulder.
A massive mechanical raygun appeared, peering through the portal as it built tremendous energy.
Yumiko crossed both of her blades in front of her upper body in a moment of shock. The raygun fired a beam that tore through the floor and scooted at Yumiko like a laser.
She met the laser head-on and attempted to deflect it with her swords, but it didn't appear to work. She couldn't defend the beam's power and velocity. And before she could even attempt to reflect it, she was sucked into it and swiftly propelled through the walls behind her.
-
After squatting and debating opinions with Parth, Ralphie stood up.
The side wall soon imploded after the two of them suddenly felt a strong force approaching them. Yumiko got thrown inside their room, rolling behind Ralphie, and crashed against the already-destroyed wall.
"Yumiko-cupcake?" Ralphie called, surprised and worried. "What the hell's going on?" Parth questioned, looking to the side, and saw Naeve stepping through the destroyed wall. "Don't mind me. Just had some trash to deal with," Naeve called, facing Yumiko and Ralphie.
To be continued...