The salty sea breeze and the smell of fresh fish under a scorching midday sun, and the mouth parched by the sea salt, these were all the sensations people felt in this environment. The island's port was completely crowded; fishermen were hauling tons of fish from the nets of boats that were clearly in poor condition, with barnacles all over the hull and the wooden planks rotting from lack of maintenance.
— Stop dawdling and pull that in! Finally got a good catch in three weeks! — A man shouted to the others who were struggling to remove the net from the deck and onto the pier.
— What's the point? They'll take everything anyway... — A young fisherman muttered to himself.
While all these fishermen worked hard to get their daily Berries to survive, a person emerged from the ship's cargo hold, observing the surroundings to make sure they would not be seen.
— Perfect! — Exclaimed the young intruder. — And they said hitching a ride on a fishing boat wouldn't work... Amateurs — The girl flashed a smile as she finished eating a piece of bread.
After confirming that no one was watching her, she left her hiding place, blending in with the crowd of civilians walking along the island's pier, heading towards the city. The young woman had attractive and expressive facial features, exuding an air of confidence and energy. Long blond hair that faded to orange at the ends. Her hairstyle included a short fringe that covered her forehead, also having a center parting, allowing the strands to fall naturally on both sides of her face.
Her eyes were an intensely vibrant violet, which contrasted with her blond hair.
She wore a short-sleeved yellow top with a heart-shaped neckline, a black jacket with a Jolly Roger printed on it, and black pants, complemented by boots with yellow details.
— This wasn't quite what I expected...
The small village in the center of the island exuded a melancholy that permeated every street and corner. Lonely people wandered the deserted streets, their footsteps echoing the emptiness that surrounded them. In these forgotten streets, abandoned establishments that had certainly witnessed better times. Their locked doors and broken windows, letting in only the sad wind that whispered between the faded walls.
Some balconies were only resting places for the homeless, no matter where you looked, you saw the misery and suffering of the people there, many in their last moments of life, it was a feeling of pity and anguish at the same time.
— I was expecting a fishing town, not a ghost town remnant... — The girl walked slowly through the dirt roads until a sound coming from herself interrupted her — Oh come on! Again? — She put her hands on her stomach that didn't seem to have been satiated with the bread from a few minutes ago.
She started rummaging through her pockets looking for even a single coin so she could get food.
— A hundred Berries? That's all?! — The sound of her hungry stomach grew louder. — I hope it's worth something.
All she had in her possession was a hundred Berry note, definitely not much, but perhaps enough for a meal. The girl continued to wander the streets, trying to find the establishment with the lowest prices. Completely unsuccessful, there was nothing open, a restaurant, a bar... Just the carcasses of what were once businesses.
— What do I do now...? — She wondered as she looked at something in her hand — There's no stall where I can buy an apple in this place?! — A lightbulb went off in her head moments after her speech — Wait a minute, this place has to have a forest and where there are trees... THERE ARE FRUITS!
Despite still being on the same island, just getting away from the urban area, the feeling of freedom was more visible, without the noise of people arguing over money, without that hustle and bustle of fighting to survive or getting enough just to hold out until tomorrow... The forest breeze was not salty like the seaside, it was sweet, with the smell of leaves and wood, wet earth like that of a recent rain, the ambient sound was relaxing and welcoming, the singing of birds, the rustling of leaves drifting in the wind.
— That's it! A fresh apple!
With a single jump, she was able to pluck the fruit from the branch, immediately preparing to bite into it. The moment she was about to do so, a stray bullet destroyed her small snack while superficially cutting her cheek.
— Ouch! — She quickly put her hand over the cut... — Who did that?!
Following the direction the bullet came from, the girl soon came across a glade in the center of the woods, there were three marines there, with their weapons pointed at another individual. This one, was lying on the roots of a large tree that was in the center of the place.
— For the last time, surrender and receive a just punishment, or suffer your execution here and now!
— Look, buddy, you really need to practice those threatening speeches of yours.
The young man with a tired appearance and his hand raised over his shoulder sketched a sarcastic expression on his opponents, a reddish liquid dripping between his fingers.
— You know, when you threaten someone and all the options are crap, there's no reason for that person to... Cooperate! — Upon uttering the last word, the young man kicked the knee of the marine closest to him, throwing him against the other two.
When they got up, those three no longer had their target in sight, it had all been a distraction for the execution of the escape. What to say to their superiors? What to say to... No, there was no need to ask such questions, the sound of breaking branches echoed quickly through the place, being heard by the three officers, who quickly turned with their weapons loaded, ready to fire.
— We gave you the chance to just be arrested, but we've lost our patience, you... Wait, who are you? — And what a surprise the marines had when they saw a girl among the trees watching them.
— Hey, everything okay there, guys? — Upon being seen, she came out of her hiding place with her hands up, it would not be wise to start a fight with three enemies at once.
— Turn around immediately, hands behind your head! — One of the three took the lead, pointed his gun at the suspect and cocked it, ready to fire if she did not cooperate.
— Hey, calm down there. I was just looking for some fruit to eat, I didn't mean to interrupt... Whatever this is.
— Engage the target! — The other two marines quickly readied their weapons to fire.
— Okay, okay, I'll turn around, relax dude.
She turned slowly, putting her hands behind her head as requested. The trio considered lowering their guard and conducting a standard search, but one thing changed their minds. The large skull printed on the back of her jacket scared them momentarily, but they quickly regained their posture and readied themselves to fire.
— Pirate! Open fire!
— Oh crap...