Yipsiv's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing as her words cut through the haze of his obsession. For a moment, he paused, the weight of her revelation sinking in. "An SFA agent on your ship?" His voice dropped, tinged with disbelief and a simmering rage. "Ain't no way I'm buying that. The marines wiped them out, every last one of them. And I'll be damned if I let that stand. I'm ready to kill every last one of 'em to bring our people back."
Yumiko's voice was steady, a beacon of hope in the storm of Yipsiv's doubt. "Chiaki. Do you know her? She managed to escape the SFA before she was killed, along with her brother, Blythe. Please, you have to trust me on this. Nathaniel mentioned you were different once, before all of this. Try to remember who you were and put an end to this madness."
Yipsiv's face twisted into a scowl, his impatience bubbling to the surface. He began tapping the ground with his boot, each thud sounding louder in the tense silence. "The children of the SFA leaders, you say?" His voice dripped with disbelief as he walked in a restless circle, eyes flashing with irritation. "Ain't no way their bloodline still runs. It's impossible, a damn lie, a foolish hope. I won't be swayed by your words, not when every second proves how wrong you are."
Yumiko's determination shone through, an unyielding light that slowly began to chip away at Yipsiv's hardened resolve. Though his mind still clung to the belief that the past was lost, her words were beginning to plant seeds of doubt, however tiny.
With his back turned to them, Yipsiv leaned heavily against the cold, stone wall, the weight of his dreams pressing down on him like a storm cloud. A deep, worn-out sigh left his lips, the sound jagged and full of a yearning that never ceased. "Say I believe you, which ain't easy for me... that still don't change the damn truth—the rest of the SFA's gone, wiped off the map like dust in a windstorm."
Yumiko stepped forward, her movements weary but steadfast. The remnants of her battle against the poisonous mist clung to her, her skin still bearing the ghost of its touch, but her eyes were fierce and unwavering. "Listen to me, Yipsiv. One of them is still alive. She's out there, heading to Geyser Island. We're here because of Joker's wish," she said, the sincerity in her voice as sharp as a blade. She watched as Yipsiv's body tightened, his eyes shutting as he took in her words like a man on the brink of drowning, clinging to a thread of hope.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Yipsiv muttered, voice rough as gravel. "But for now, I'm done with the dreaming. Ain't no way the Blooming Tree can keep drawing power from people's souls. You won this round. If you're telling the truth about an SFA Agent being in your ranks... then I need to know more. I need answers."
Yipsiv turned, the pain in his eyes hidden beneath the brim of his hat, but not so much that Nathaniel couldn't catch it. The flicker of hope, like a candle struggling against a gust of wind.
"The sisters fell, and none of you had to be the ones to send them to the dirt. For that, I'm grateful. But don't think this changes everything," he said, his voice dropping, a trace of vulnerability seeping in. The silence that followed held an unspoken truth: Yipsiv was on the brink of something more than just obsession. He was on the edge of redemption or damnation.
Nathaniel, who had watched the exchange like a silent guardian, stepped forward, his eyes catching the sharp glint of sincerity in Yipsiv's voice. "Whoever your captain is, if you tellin' the truth, tell 'em I'm grateful for letting an SFA Agent walk aboard your ship. I doubt you'll forgive me for the blood I've spilled and the damage I've brought down, but I'm ready to face whatever comes next. If it means turning myself over to the marine officials... then so be it."
The room seemed to hold its breath, the storm that had been brewing within Yipsiv now a whisper of wind against the edge of silence.
Yumiko kept her voice even, refusing to let any trace of emotion crack her steady tone. "Turning yourself into the marines would be pointless. We're pirates—free souls who follow our own path, not the iron chains of society. We take what we want, do what we believe is right. You, just like us, got good reason to hate the marines. They wiped out the agency you tried to save, tried to shove Chiaki into the Forbidden Chain. We don't forgive them, and if all your gambles only drained people's energy without killing them, then maybe it isn't all bad."
Yipsiv's jaw tightened, a low grunt rumbling from his throat. The girl's words hit his ears but didn't pierce that hard-edged part of his heart. "I still sent a few to their graves. Not many, but it happened. Had to, with that cursed contract. If I hadn't… all my effort would've gone up in smoke." His voice grew gravelly, like an old trail worn smooth by too many steps.
"The contract's already spent, ain't no use holdin' on to it. But I need to dig deeper, find someone who might have the answers. Name's Aurelio…" The name hit the air like a gunshot, and both Nathaniel and Yumiko exchanged glances that said they never heard of the man, as if the name belonged to a ghost.
Yipsiv pushed past them, striding for the door with the confidence of a man headed straight into the storm. "I'm bound for Casinova Island, lookin' for him. If you aim to follow, do it knowin' it won't be no Sunday stroll. Head south from the docks, and hold onto your hats, 'cause this journey's gonna test more than your resolve." His voice cut through the air, but there was a hint of gratitude buried beneath the hard edge.
As he reached the door, the hinges creaked and Yipsiv's silhouette framed itself in the dim light. He turned his head just enough to look back, eyes shadowed with something hard to name.
"Appreciate ya lettin' me off the hook with the marines. Don't reckon I'll forget that. We'll cross paths again, one way or another." With that, he stepped out into the night, the sound of his boots echoing down the hallway, leaving Yumiko and Nathaniel in the quiet with the weight of their decisions.
To be continued..