I can't trust them just as they can't trust me. It's a fucking riddle, ya' see. I have two answers, A. Kill them and steal their boat. B. GIve them my weapons and hope for the best.
I swam towards them and threw my pistol towards them. They still didn't let their guard down.
"Alright fellers, I'mma board your boat now," I told them.
"What about that mighty big shotgun you have on your back, what about the rifle?" One of them asked me.
"Come on, gentlemen, let's have some trust," I told them but then... Haruto The fisherman NPC, pointed the pistol at me.
"I don't trust ya, look at ya', you're dirty as a pig as if you just escaped the goddamn prison." He said.
"I'm sorry feller, but are you forgetting that the pistols are not loaded?" I told them, a smug expression clinging to my face. "Anyway, I hope this could be a seamless interaction between us with no harm done." I'm lying to his face, the gun is fully loaded with lead. I need to kill these poor idiots or knock them out at least. Why should I show them mercy?
Within a blink of an eye, I took my revolver and shot his hand. With the pistol out of his hand, I shot the other guy in the leg. "AHH! MY LEG! YOU BASTARD!!" He shouted in pain. You gotta live some way or the other. I still had a problem with the other guy... so I shot his leg too. "AHH SHIT! IT FUCKING HURTS, YOU HEARTLESS PIECE OF SHIT!" With bullets in their leg, I reckon that they can't do shit about me stealing their boat.
"Sorry, fellers. Ooh! You got yourselves some fine bumboo, didn't ya'?" I asked them, delighted at the stock of bumboo that they had stored on the boat. [Fun fact: The Pirates Of The Caribbean used to drink bumboo which was a drink made of rum, water, sugar and nutmeg.]
"Oh fuck off! Don't drink my damn supply, dammit!" The NPC shouted. I smiled at them as I unplugged the cork. I began chugging the bumboo which resulted in a scowl.
"I ain't gonna kill ya', I'll take you to the nearest dock, maybe you can get yourself treated. If you tell about me, I'll kill you then, ya' hear?" I warned them both. "Go on, tell me the goddamn directions or would you rather die out here? I tell you something, dead men tell no goddamn tales so speak up!"
"Go south." He said.
With the bumboo warming my throat and my stolen boat now under my control, I tilted my head at the two men squirming on the deck. Haruto, the louder of the two, gritted his teeth, glaring daggers at me. His partner whimpered quietly, clutching his thigh where the bullet had grazed him.
"South, huh? That's mighty kind of you," I said, spinning the wheel to adjust the boat's course. "But I don't mistake kindness for weakness, gentlemen. The moment I think you're playing me, well, you've already felt what I can do."
Haruto scowled, "We didn't even do nothin' to you, mate! Why'd ya have to shoot us?"
"Call it preemptive self-defence. You did have a gun ya' know. Now, Haruto, how far is this dock of yours?" I asked. Oh shit, I didn't take the pistol, I quickly left the wheel and retrieved the pistol. "It was loaded," I told them. "What the fuck?" They simultaneously said. "Anyway, how long?
"Couple hours if you don't dawdle," he spat. "But don't think for a second we're done. The moment we reach land—"
I cut him off, pointing my revolver at his head, "You won't do shit unless you fancy a bullet in your skull."
The man flinched, his bravado crumbling. "Fine. South it is. Just... just don't hurt us no more, alright?"
"That depends on you, friend," I said. It was almost peaceful, except for the groans of my unwilling passengers.
Hours passed, and a silhouette of land appeared on the horizon. "That the place?" I asked, jabbing my thumb toward it. "What's its name?" I asked. "Loguetown." They replied.
"Yeah," Haruto mumbled. "Just dock there and let us go."
I laughed, "Let you go? Oh no, fellers, you're my insurance. I'll drop you off somewhere safe, sure, but not without a little guarantee that you won't rat me out."
We finally reached Loguetown, I read the board 'Town Of Beginnings'. Fancy title, I'd say. "Come on, fellers, be lively, we're at the Town Of Beginning, aren't you excited?" I asked them. "We live here!" They shouted. "Come on, let's go to the doctor."
"You shot our damn legs!" They shouted again.
"Shut the fuck up, will ya'?" They were quite annoying, granted they had the right but when you are at risk of gettin' killed, you should refrain from doin' stuff that, you know, will get ya' killed probably.
I sighed, "Wait here, I'll call them guys here." I told them and left. Wait a minute, I can't trust those fellas right there, they have the option to snitch on me and I look like I'm a freaking pirate, with the guns and all. The safest option was to take a rest for a few hours and leave. I'm on the run, I can't stay at a place too long. I pity them but what should I do now? Take the chance of gettin' snitched on?
I needed to think fast. If I left Haruto and his buddy unattended, they'd snitch the moment I turned my back. Staying in Loguetown wasn't an option.
I made my way back to the boat, stepping over Haruto's partner, who groaned weakly as I nudged him aside. "Alright, gentlemen, change of plans. I can't just leave you here to blab, now can I?"
Haruto glared at me. "The hell are you gonna do? Kill us here in broad daylight? Good luck with that, mate. People are watching."
I smiled. "Who said anything about killing you? I'm a man of my word— most of the time. But I can't have you running to the Marines either. So here's the deal. You're coming with me. Just for a while."
His partner groaned, "You got to be kidding me. We're bleeding out here, and you want to play hostage-taker?"
"Bleeding out?" I raised an eyebrow. "Tis' but some scratches, that's all. But fine, I'll patch you up." I rummaged through the boat and found a crude first-aid kit. After half-heartedly wrapping their wounds, I grabbed a rope and tied them both securely to the mast. "I ain't gonna remove the bullets from your legs, too much violence for me to see. So that's on you both."
Haruto cursed under his breath. "You're dead the moment we hit land, pirate."
"Yeah, see, that's the thing," I replied, leaning in close. "By the time we hit land, it'll be a place of my choosing, not yours. And if you do some fucking around, you'll find out just how good a bullet in your head feels like."
The boat screeched as I set us off again. I didn't have a destination in mind—just somewhere quiet, far enough from civilization.
After an hour or so, I spotted a small, deserted island in the distance. Perfect. No Marines, no witnesses, and no way for them to signal for help. I brought the boat to shore and dragged the two men onto the sand.
"Welcome to your new temporary home, boys," I said, spreading my arms. "You'll be safe here while I figure out my next plan. Food and water? Good Luck! But hey, look on the bright side—you're alive. You're breathing the same air as you used to. Cheer up."
"You're insane," Haruto spat, his voice trembling. "You can't just leave us here!"
I laughed, stepping back toward the boat. "Oh, I'm not leaving you. Not yet. I'll stick around long enough to make sure you don't try anything witty. But once I'm gone... I'll leave that to you both gentlemen."
"Don't you have any humanity?" they questioned me. I chuckled in amusement.
"I have some humanity, which is why I chose to leave you alive," I replied.