Te snorted from the front. "Practically unsinkable? That's comforting."
Ronin laughed as he scanned the massive ship. "If this thing goes down, I'm grabbing the first plank and calling it my ship."
Koby just rolled his eyes. "Keep joking. You'll be thanking me when this beauty saves our skins in the middle of a storm."
Lila smirked, leaning on her spear. "Well then, Captain Koby, let's see if your unsinkable ship can handle the chaos we're about to throw at it."
"He's not the captain," Te quipped from behind.
"Am too," Koby shot back.
"Am not."
"Am too."
"Am not."
"Am too!"
"Am not!"
"AM TOO!"
"AM NOT!"
Lila groaned. "Enough! We've been on the seas for like two minutes, and you two are already bickering. Just be co-captains. There's nothing wrong with sharing."
"Am not."
"Am too."
"Am not."
"Am too."
Both brothers completely ignored her, still stuck in their ridiculous back-and-forth.
"Let's settle this with a friendly competition," Te suggested, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Koby raised a brow. "What kind of competition?"
"We'll wager on a 1v1 between Lila and Ronin. They're pretty evenly matched, and they've never gone all out against each other."
Koby's grin grew wider. "Alright, I like it. Whoever picks the winner clearly has better instincts."
In unison, both brothers pointed at Lila. "I WANT LILA!" they shouted at the same time.
Lila's eyes widened, crossing her arms. "Whoa, whoa, we are not participating in your childish games."
"Please," they both begged, eyes wide with fake innocence.
"No," Lila said firmly, trying to stay resolute.
Ronin, who was lounging on a deck chair, chimed in lazily, "Sounds to me like you're scared, Lila. Scared to find out I'm actually the second-in-command around here."
Lila's expression darkened instantly. "What did you just say?"
Ronin casually raised an eyebrow, smirking. "I'm just saying, when it comes down to it, I'm obviously the second hand. No offense, Lila."
"Am not," Lila hissed.
"Am too."
"Am not!"
"Am too."
"Am not!"
"Am too!"
Lila snapped, pulling her spear from her back and spinning it into her combat stance. "Draw your weapon and face me like a man."
Ronin stood up and unsheathed his sword, the edge gleaming in the sunlight. It was a blade Koby had crafted, nearly at Supreme Grade, just waiting for Ronin to turn it into a black blade.
Koby quickly jumped between them, waving his arms frantically. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! You two are not fighting on my masterpiece! I've spent the last ten years building this thing!"
Lila and Ronin exchanged glances, their competitive fire momentarily dimmed by Koby's panic.
Te snickered. "This is going well."
Koby shot him a glare. "Not. A. Word."
Lila sighed, lowering her spear but not her pride. "Fine, I'll wait till we're on land to prove that I'm second-in-command."
Ronin shrugged, sheathing his sword with a smirk. "That's what I thought. You're scared."
Lila gritted her teeth, but Koby quickly ushered them apart before another round could start.
"Alright, next island the two of you will duel, winner, becoming second mate after Koby and myself." Te declared.
" We still have to choose between the two of them and we both can't pick Lila."
"That's fine I choose Ronin I have complete faith in him."
Lila narrowed her eyes at Te, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, complete faith, huh? We'll see about that."
Ronin smirked triumphantly, giving Te a nod. "Finally, someone recognizes greatness."
Te clapped Ronin on the shoulder. "Don't let me down, Ronin."
Koby scratched the back of his head, shaking it slowly. "We've got enough chaos on this ship already, and now you want to throw a duel into the mix?"
"Of course," Te said with a grin. "It's only right. We can't have the second mate position just handed over without a fight."
Lila rolled her eyes. "Fine. But don't get too comfortable, Ronin. I'm taking you down."
Ronin leaned back with a smug grin. "I'll make sure to go easy on you."
"Easy?" Lila growled, gripping her spear tighter. "You better bring your A-game, or you'll be sleeping with that smug smile on the floor."
Koby sighed, stepping between them again. "Alright, alright, save it for the island. Let's just hope this ship survives the journey before you all break it or each other."
Te chuckled, walking toward the helm as he threw a glance at the crew. "We'll be fine. This ship is as solid as Koby says, right?"
Koby shot a smug look, crossing his arms. "Just don't crash it on your first turn."
Ronin stretched lazily, smirking at Lila. "You can glare at me all you want, but I'm still winning that duel."
Lila gripped her spear, her eyes narrowing. "Enjoy the feeling while you can. It'll be gone the second we step on land."
"Let's hope we all survive that long," Koby muttered, rolling his eyes as he took the wheel. "Now, can we focus on actually sailing this thing instead of trying to kill each other?"
Lila and Ronin exchanged one last tense glance before reluctantly backing down, though neither seemed ready to let the rivalry rest. With a quick pull of the sails, the ship lurched forward, carrying them away from the shore.
Te leaned against the rail, a grin on his face. "Now this… this feels like freedom."
Koby stood proudly at the helm of the ship, eager to give the crew a proper tour of his masterpiece. He cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Alright, crew! Time to show you what 10 years of hard work looks like," Koby said with a grin, waving them over. "Follow me, and try not to be too amazed."
Te, Lila, and Ronin gathered around, looking excited as Koby led them into the interior of the ship.
"This," Koby announced as they stepped into a spacious room, "is the kitchen. It's fully equipped with everything we'll need—state-of-the-art appliances, enough food storage to last us months, and… an automated cooking system." He smirked. "For when none of us feel like cooking."
Te raised an eyebrow. "Let's hope it can make something edible. I've seen you burn water before."
Lila laughed, inspecting the polished countertops and the huge oven. "I might take over here. This kitchen's too fancy for you boys."
Next, Koby led them down a hallway and opened the door to a large room filled with all kinds of exercise equipment. "And here's the training room. We've got weights, punching bags, even a gravity machine like the one in the lab—though this one's a bit more portable."
Ronin's eyes lit up as he took in the sight. "I'll be in here a lot. Gotta stay sharp for when I beat Lila in that duel."
Lila shot him a look. "Keep dreaming, sword boy."
They continued on to the next room. When Koby opened the door, the smell of fresh plants hit them. "This," he said, gesturing to the lush greenery inside, "is the garden room. We've got herbs, fruits, vegetables—everything we'll need to stay healthy. It's all self-sustaining, too."
Te smiled proudly. "This'll keep us stocked with fresh produce no matter where we go."
Lila ran her fingers over some basil leaves, her eyes wide. "I never thought I'd see something like this on a ship."
Koby continued on, opening the next door with a flourish. Inside were several cylindrical pods lined up against the wall, glowing softly. "And here we have the recovery pod room. You guys already know what these do—heal us up, fast."
Te nodded, tapping one of the pods. "They've been a lifesaver more times than I can count."
Ronin whistled. "With these, we'll be back on our feet in no time, no matter what kind of fights we get into."
Next, Koby opened the door to the lab, which looked almost identical to the one in the underground base back home. "And here's the lab. Fully equipped for all our experiments, whether it's crafting weapons, working on serums, or… whatever crazy ideas we come up with."
Te's eyes gleamed as he looked around. "This place is perfect. I've already got a few new projects in mind."
Lila backed away from the various gadgets. "As long as none of those projects blow up, I'm fine with it."
Koby led them to a smaller room filled with maps, charts, and navigational tools. "And this," he said, "is the navigation room. I've installed a top-of-the-line Den Den Mushi communications system, plus an advanced mapping interface so we can track our position and find new islands."
Lila inspected the large map pinned to the wall. "We'll never get lost with all this."
Te grinned. "Not unless Koby's terrible sense of direction kicks in."
Koby shot him a look. "Hey, that was one time."
Finally, they arrived at the storage room. Koby swung the door open to reveal shelves packed with supplies, weapons, and various items for their journey. "This is where we keep everything—spare parts, food, gear, you name it. It's all organized by category, so don't go messing it up."
Ronin immediately eyed a rack of weapons, grabbing a sword to inspect it. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"
Koby grinned. "Of course. I don't do things halfway."
Koby finished the tour by showing them to their rooms—small, but comfortable spaces equipped with beds and storage. "These are your living quarters. Each room is soundproofed, so if anyone snores… we're covered."
Lila sighed happily, looking around at her space. "This ship really has everything."
Te leaned back against the wall, looking pleased. "I gotta hand it to you, Koby. You really outdid yourself."
Koby smiled, clearly proud. "Glad you all approve. I'll head back to manning the ship. You all enjoy the commodities."