After days of sailing, a dark silhouette finally broke the endless horizon.
An island.
Reon's eyes widened as he leaned over the ship's railing. "LAND!!!" he shouted, his voice booming across the deck. He turned to the crew, grinning ear to ear. "Hell yeah! First thing I'm doing is hitting the pub and drinking 'til I pass out!"
Bepo, still holding onto the wheel, sighed. "You're going to get lost before you even get a drink…"
Kisame, standing beside him, smirked. "If he gets lost, let's just leave him behind."
Reon spun around and pointed at Kisame. "Shut your fishy mouth, Kisame! You're just mad because I'm gonna drink more than you!"
Kisame cracked his knuckles. "Oh? Wanna bet?"
Yuji chuckled, watching their usual banter. "Enough. Let's dock first before you two destroy the ship over some dumb drinking contest."
Bepo, following Yuji's words, adjusted their course. With Kisame handling the sails, the Leviathan smoothly pulled into the harbor.
As soon as the anchor was dropped, the crew stepped off the ship only to be met with an eerie silence.
The town before them wasn't lively or welcoming. Instead, it was dead silent.
Buildings stood tall yet worn down, their wooden structures creaking from the cold breeze. The people who walked the streets were hunched over, their faces blank, almost lifeless.
Even the air itself felt heavy.
Bepo shivered. "Eh, Captain… this island… there's something weird about it…" He instinctively hid behind Yuji.
Law's sharp eyes scanned their surroundings. "This place has bad energy…"
Kisame frowned. "Tch. No one's even looking at us. Usually, people either fear us or welcome us. But this… this feels off."
But Reon being Reon ignored all of this and sprinted straight into town.
"WHERE'S THE PUB?!" he yelled, shoving past the gloomy townsfolk.
Yuji sighed. "I should've expected that."
Reon kicked open the doors, expecting the usual rowdy, drunken mess of pirates, mercenaries, and barmaids.
Instead, he was met with… silence.
Men sat slumped over their drinks, staring blankly at the wooden tables. A bartender wiped the counter, moving so slowly it was as if he had no motivation left.
Reon's nose twitched. "What the hell is this?"
He walked up to the counter, slamming a hand down. "Oi, bartender! Give me your strongest—"
The bartender lazily turned his head, his sunken eyes staring right through him.
Reon frowned. "The hell is up with these guys?"
Even the alcohol on the shelves looked untouched.
For once in his life, Reon wasn't excited to drink.
"Something's really wrong here…"
Meanwhile, Yuji and the others had started asking around. The first few people refused to talk, shaking their heads and walking away.
Eventually, an old man, sitting on the steps of a broken house, finally answered.
"The island's doomed," he muttered.
Law crouched beside him. "Doomed how?"
The old man's lips trembled. "A war is coming. The kingdom's soldiers have locked us in… no one can leave."
Bepo's ears twitched. "Locked in…?"
The old man nodded. "Anyone who tries to flee… they kill them at the docks. We're trapped here."
Hancock crossed her arms. "So that's why the people are like this. They've lost all hope."
Yuji's expression darkened. "Who's leading the army?"
"The king's royal forces," the old man whispered. "They're preparing for battle, and they don't want civilians escaping. They need bodies to rebuild after the war… whether we like it or not."
Kisame scoffed. "What a bunch of bastards."
Law rubbed his chin. "A kingdom that prevents its own people from escaping… this isn't just some small conflict. There's something bigger at play here."
Yuji turned to his crew. "What do you think?"
Kisame smirked. "If we get caught in the war, we fight."
Bepo gulped. "I'd rather not, but I'll follow your orders, Captain!"
Hancock huffed. "I don't care about some pathetic kingdom. As long as no one bothers me, I'll ignore them."
Law leaned against a wall. "I doubt we'll be able to avoid getting involved. But I'm curious to see how this unfolds."
Yuji crossed his arms, his flames subtly flickering.
"Then we do what we always do," he said. "We enjoy the island as much as possible… and if they drag us into this war..."
A sharp grin spread across his face.
"then we fight."
To be continued…