"I really want you to stay on the ship!"
Whitebeard said to Kaizen warmly.
Kaizen pushed the boat into the sea, turning back to smile at Whitebeard.
"We'll meet again. This sea is vast, yet sometimes it feels small."
"Gulalalalalalalala! See you soon, brother."
Whitebeard waved to Kaizen.
Kaizen waved to Whitebeard, the villagers, and his once ordinary life.
Saying goodbye to everything, but he was sure he would return.
Kaizen firmly believed this.
"Kaizen-san, when can I see you again?"
Suddenly, a figure pushed through the crowd, shouting to Kaizen.
It was Xiao Ai, the tavern waitress. He smiled and replied warmly.
"I'll hide for a while. When the world forgets me, I'll return! Keep the tavern running, I want to taste your brew again!"
His words were a heartfelt message to Xiao Ai, who nodded, too excited to speak.
This charming girl may have fallen for someone she shouldn't.
Next time, I should really fall in love with her, Kaizen thought, paddling away until he vanished from sight.
"Dad, do you really want to let him go? He might become a strong enemy."
Teach, smaller but imposing, said to Whitebeard.
"A strong rival? That's what I want, Gulalalalalalalala!"
Whitebeard laughed heartily.
A few days later…
The sun was dazzling, and the sea calm.
Seagulls flew by without a care.
Kaizen hadn't eaten for three days and had given up aimless sailing.
Just lying in the boat, letting it drift.
Maybe I'll drift all the way to hell, he thought.
Suddenly, rain interrupted his thoughts.
The sky changed from sunny to stormy in no time.
Kaizen sat cross-legged, bewildered.
It felt like being teased by someone unknown.
He didn't know when the rain would stop, like a woman's changing mind.
The boat seemed on the verge of breaking apart.
Misfortunes never come singly.
A thunderbolt illuminated a ship not far ahead.
"That was a ship!" Kaizen saw it during the flash.
He mustered his last strength to row towards it.
Soon, a large hull appeared.
"Hey! Is anyone there?"
Kaizen called out, but the rain and thunder drowned his voice.
"Damn it!" Kaizen climbed aboard the deck.
Exhausted, he lay there, waiting for someone to come.
The rain blurred his vision.
After some time, he sensed a figure approaching.
"Kung pao chicken, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and two portions of rice."
Kaizen muttered nonsense from hunger, forgetting he was in the pirate world.
A blow awaited him instead.
A thunderbolt revealed a pirate flag atop the ship.
"Captain, what should we do with this guy?" A young man asked two fierce-looking men.
"Throw him to the sea, feed him to the fish!" said one, a young man with dead eyes.
"Hey! Don't answer, the captain should decide!"
The other replied indifferently.
"This is my ship, I'm the captain!" the young man insisted.
"Do you want to fight?" the other retorted.
The argument woke Kaizen.
"Where am I?" Kaizen asked, realizing he was tied up.
"Captain, this kid is awake!" a young man shouted.
Everyone turned to Kaizen with fierce looks.
Kaizen knew he was in a den of pirates.
"Is there anything to eat? I haven't eaten in days." Kaizen asked calmly.
Everyone was taken aback.
"Captain, shouldn't he be begging for mercy?"
A young man looked confused.
"Don't you know who we are?" a cold-faced man asked Kaizen.
"I have a guess."
"Tell me."
"You're all scruffy, fierce-looking, and smell like scum. Pirates, right?"
Kaizen joked, hiding his hunger.
"Captain, he insulted us!" the youth turned around seriously.
"No, he's right. Aren't we scum?" the young captain replied calmly.
"We are scum, and being called that is a compliment!"
Another captain added.
"Captain, what should we do with him?" the youth asked.
"Untie him and feed him."
"Captain, isn't it against our dignity to feed a stowaway?"
The minion hesitated.
"His eyes are clear, and his words sincere. Even if he isn't a pirate, he's one at heart. Don't worry, I can judge people well."
"Hey! I'm the captain!" the other insisted.
The young man untied Kaizen and handed him food.
Kaizen devoured it quickly, savoring the meat.
"This guy eats like an old pirate," someone remarked.
Kaizen finally saw the people around him clearly.
Among them were the young faces of Crocodile and Gecko Moria.