Zhao WuTian stared blankly into space. Now that he thought about it, his situation was quite troublesome. He tsk'ed in slight annoyance, his head being jerked once again. 'This Idiot' he thought with a bit of irritation. 'Is he trying to pull out my hair!?'
"The cap'n asked ye a question."
'Riiight,' he mentally rolled his eyes. How could he quickly forget? Right now he was in a bit of a predicament.
But what of it? He wasn't in a situation that he himself, couldn't solve.
Recalling the name the captain mentioned earlier Zhao WuTian began to recollect his thoughts. As far as Zhao WuTian could remember, Bonny Daniels had a knack and a keen eye for the prettier things in life. Along with a bad habit in spending his Daddy's money, to visited local Taverns for gambling and playing around in brothels to flirt with beautiful women. At such a young age he had developed a bunch of nasty habits befitting of an old aged man, in his late 40s. The only good thing about his habit of gambling was that he was undoubtedly good at it. A bit too good.
Just getting paid his allowance Bonny did not waste anytime in visiting a nearby Tavern to gamble. Quickly coming across five men who were dressed like normal commoners, but we're actually pirates. They offered Bonny to join them in a game of poker. And with having zero self restraint, Bonny agreed.
Game after Game Bonny continued to win. The first round everyone thought of it as beginners luck. The second time a coincidence. The third, he was really lucky. The fourth, too damn lucky. Fifth, cheating. It didn't take long before things got out of hand. And being the arrogant person Bonny Daniels was, he used his noble title to belittle and threaten the angry men.
And as we all know, never threaten a pirate. Less known threatening five of them at once. Feeling a bit petty, one of the men from the group decided to kidnapped Bonny. Claimed he stole 100,000 silver from him and made Bonny become a prisoner on the ship.
To simply put, Bonny Daniels was just unlucky. But Zhao WuTian be damned if he too became just, as, unlucky!
Whatever was going to happen to him now, he couldn't let death be an option. He just got through dying not to long ago. And it wasn't an all out pleasant feeling.
Right now he didn't understand the reason to his transmigration. So if he died again he wasn't sure if he would go back to his world, reincarnate into another novel, or die permanently. He had no knowledge of what would happen and that made him a bit more cautious. He wasn't going to take any risks that involved his life.
"This must be a misunderstanding. I didn't steal from you." Zhao WuTian said.
"Oh?" The captain gazed behind Zhao WuTian and the grip on his hair disappeared. 'Finally.' He sighed in relief. The pain from his scalp being pulled was very unpleasant. "But my info say's you did."
"I wouldn't dare steal from the famous Captain Woods."
"It appear my reputation proceeds me."
Zhao WuTian lied. "Who doesn't know you, it's impossible."
"If you know me. Then you know I have no qualms with killing you." He pretended to give it some thought. "Using you as fishbait for the sharks wouldn't be so bad, they'd dine at the taste of a noble."
Zhao WuTian was straightforward. "That's a bad idea." He had to stop the Captain from killing him. So he had to be bold but not cocky. "It's too risky to kill me, even for a man like you."
The captain gave a small smile of amusement. "A side from me, yourself and my crew, no one else would know that I killed you. But if they did somehow find out that it was me, your skeleton would already be at the bottom of the ocean. Where dead men tell no tales. So why would it be risky?"
Zhao WuTian bluffed. But his expression didn't falter in the slightest. "Because though dead men tell no tales. Live ones do." He narrowed his gaze coldly to appear convincing. "Your men kidnapped me. Do you really think no one saw what happened. They didn't kidnap just anyone. They kidnapped a person of noble blood in broad daylight. Now I'm no expert but wouldn't that be bringing trouble to your ship." It would but if he wasn't miles out into the ocean in the middle of nowhere. What could anyone really do if the ship was far out from land.
Though Zhao WuTian had knowledge of Bonny being kidnapped, he wasn't certain that anyone had witnessed his kidnapping. The bar argument? Yes. But his sudden disappearing act? He wasn't quite so sure. It was just mostly speculation on his part. With Bonny's reputation days of going MIA wasn't so unheard of. But he was hoping that the man across from him didn't know that. Which would make his bluff the actual truth. Only if it appeared believable to these two pirates
A tiny light flickered through the Captain's gaze as he stared down at Zhao WuTian. "Indeed it would bring trouble." Woods casually leaned against the front of his desk, folding his arms across his chest. "But who said I couldn't handle a little bit of trouble."
"No one." Zhao WuTian figured he wouldn't buy everything. He'd be a fool if he laid all his cards on the table. "With your prestige little o'l me could be quickly solved but wouldn't that be boring. You pirates love to loot so why pass out on a free money opportunity. You know I'm an noble, which means I'm loaded."
The light in Captain Woods eyes started to slowly shine for reasons far unknown as his gaze seemed to want to penetrate straight through the other. But Zhao WuTian didn't take much heed to it as he continued his art of persuasion. "You could use me as ransom, or return me in the name of being my savor from those who kidnapped me, or you could just let me go sense you are already in possession of the money I gambled with at the Tavern."
Woods loftily raised his left eyebrow in slight bemusement. "What makes you think I'm in possession of that money. If I was, do you think you'd be here kneeling down in front of me?"
"I left the Tavern and within twenty steps I was taken against my will. And I highly doubt if the pouch of money had fell out my coat during the scuffle, that no one out of the five would have not notice. It's basically impossible to do so." Zhao WuTian smirked provokingly. "That bag of money is the very reason why I'm kneeling down in front of you."
A cold silence filled the space before the room erupted into luscious laughter. Bonny Daniels, Captain Woods inwardly clapped. Had officially amused him. Did this lad think he had no knowledge of Razia the capital of Razha Empire, land to the King, Ronen Woodmen and Queen Ersa? No doubt he was a pirate but he wasn't an ordinary one. He was Captain Dorian Woods, privateer to the Razha Empire. He worked with his country not against it. He knew exactly who his prisoner was.
Bonny Lucia Daniels, the youngest son of the well known merchant duke, Eric Daniels. A man who was very powerful within the capital. But so what!
To Woods he was just one, of many, rich powerful men within the Radiant Country. And his son was also just one, of many, spoiled brats within the country.
But as far as Woods could see. The rumors may have been a bit over exaggerated. The young lad had long, messy strands, of dark violet hair in a tousled mess, his clothes were in a dismay tainted with a bit of dirt from sitting in the dungeon. At a glance, one would assume he was a drunken man.
Yet his sun kissed, golden eyes said otherwise.
A lukewarm, frosty gaze that seemed both nonchalant and lazy, yet firm and sharp. The temperament of the youth earlier during their conversation was calm, challenging, cautious, and perceptive. All characteristic traits unbefitting of a scallywag reputation.
But then again rumors didn't exist for nothing. They had to stem from somewhere or something.
Well, where ever they stemmed from he didn't know and that is what made Bonny suddenly so interesting to him. Bearing an aura that contradicted the rumors. It was indeed quiet interesting.
If Zhao WuTian knew that he had unknowingly caught the attention of the notorious pirate, Captain Woods. He'd honestly roll his eyes in bitter annoyance. Though for the most part he didn't care. As long as he could live to see another day from now. He could care less about anything else.
"If I decided to cut you free and let you go. What would you say to that?"
Zhao WuTian bluntly answered, "I'd say thank you and never show up in front of you again. It's a win win."
"So I won't see you again?"
"Nope."
Woods tone was filled with amusement mixed with a bit of melancholy that couldn't be deciphered. "Are you sure?"
Straightforward and cold he said, "Yes."
Captain Woods said nothing, flipping out a knife from his boot pocket, while taking two steps toward Zhao WuTian. He crunched down a bit, bending forward over him to reach a pair of pale slender hands. Bringing a bit of force down he cut the tied rope with ease.
Lifting up straight he stepped back, lightly twirling the knife through his long, honey brown fingers. "Your free."
Zhao WuTian wiggled his hands to ease the pain from the red ring around his risk. An aftereffect from the rope. He rubbed his bruise as he stood up. Then looked behind him towards the man with a purple bandana his gaze slightly darkening. He then glanced at the Captain. Speaking lightly. "I don't suppose you could turn the ship around and let me go home."
"Such a massive request." Woods pointed the edge of his knife at Zhao WuTian. "Yet you have nothing to give me for it."
Zhao WuTian inwardly sneered. He wanted to get off this ship, badly. But he wanted to live even more. And he did just barely accomplish that. So what were a few days on sea. Besides pirates were crazy, fickled human beings. Whose behavior could be a bit barbaric. Though he was a bit mad about the whole thing it was actually his bodies past soul's fault. For being an idiot who didn't think twice before acting.
The thought of all the past actions of the body he was now inhabiting made him exasperate.
Noticing Zhao WuTian displeasure, Woods couldn't help the small smile that danced across his lips. "What will you give me in return?"
If the money pouch he won was gone, then the money he used to win the poker game was also gone as well. He had nothing left on him so Zhao WuTian answered truthfully. "Nothing. I can't give you anything at the moment."
Captain Woods put his hands up and shrugged. "The money you won from gambling is indeed in my possession which makes you moneyless." He took out a gold coin and tossed it.
Zhao WuTian caught it glancing at the coin then throwing a questioning look towards the captain.
"Now toss it back."
He did exactly as he was told, quickly tossing the coin back.
Captain Woods nodded. "Good. You've now paid half the fee of your massive request." He put the coin back in his pants pocket. "Now for the other half. The next time I see you, which I will. You're going to give me a tour of the capital."
Zhao WuTian answered without hesitation. "Sure." That was, if they ever saw each other again. Something he highly doubted and wish would never happen again.
"Okay." He signaled towards the third man in the room. "Tell Kyle to turn the ship around. We're heading back to Razha Empire."