Mocktown was a city of chaos. Screams, gunfire, and the sound of broken glass could be heard in the streets. From time to time, the rumble of an overturned cart or the angry screams of a drunken pirate were added to this. Despite all the cacophony, the locals seemed completely unperturbed. It was just another day for them. This chaos was created by pirates, and it was heading towards pirates. They tried not to touch the townspeople — this city was too valuable. The only place where they were served freely and without unnecessary questions. In addition, the lack of a marine patrol forced the pirates themselves to maintain a kind of shaky order, although they could not call it "peace."
I watched the city from the ship at the pier. There was something special about the sagging buildings, rickety wooden walkways, and piles of trash-an atmosphere of freedom, albeit tinged with anarchy. Looking from the streets to the drawing in my hands, I thought about it.
The diagram showed a ship similar to ours, but with one significant modification. There were wind wings on the sides of the hull, an unusual combination of wings and masts. According to the blueprint, these structures were supposed to open like giant fans when the ship rose into the air.
The wind wings were supposed to be made of the thinnest plates, incredibly durable but lightweight. The masts are made of hollow metal reinforced with internal ribs. The fabric for the wings should be stretched with slings, creating a kind of net for extra strength.
Rex did not explain where he got it from, but the prediction made it clear that he inherited the drawing. And the captain himself turned out to be a descendant of one of the crew members of Mont Blanc Noland. This detail explained a lot, including his obsession with legends and his desire to lift our ship into the skies.
At first, I supported this idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I doubted it. My abilities were clearly not enough to fight against Enel or other unknown threats that could await us on the heavenly islands. The thought of leaving the team did not leave me. However, I didn't want to look for a new ship. This command, despite its simplicity, seemed acceptable to me.
Today was the perfect day to decide whether I would stay on board or leave.
Status
Current name: Kuro Miyago
Paths: Fool(6%, Faceless (0%))
Ritual: Move forward to the singing of the mermaids.
The goal: To swim to the island of One Piece, before the main character. ( There are 252 days left before the start of the canonical events ) Reward: 1 meta point
Work on the ship was in full swing, accompanied by the sound of hammers, creaking wood, and the shouts of workers giving commands. Under the scorching sun that sparkled over the bay of Mock Town, a team of artisans and shipwrights worked non-stop. The smell of fresh resin, wood shavings and metal mixed with the salty aroma of the sea.
Rex stood nearby, leaning on a massive steering wheel, watching the process. His tall silhouette stood out like a statue against the background of the running workers. The captain's eyes watched with cold determination as the metal frames of the future windfoils were fixed, and his hands gripped the edge of the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
I walked past longshoremen dragging wooden panels on their backs, and a group of shipbuilders bent over diagrams. Their low-key discussions were punctuated by shouts giving orders. Skirting the pile of fallen cables, I approached the captain, my footsteps almost lost in the general noise.
"Captain, we need to talk," I said over the hum.
He didn't even turn around, continuing to study every movement of the workers, but nodded without taking his eyes off what was happening.:
"Wait for me in my cabin." We'll talk there.
Nodding, I turned around and headed for the cabin.
I sat on a chair near the door and listened to the sounds outside. The noise of work on deck seemed muffled, as if the ship itself was trying to give me some peace before talking. The wait dragged on, but I didn't rush it. After all, he had to keep an image, fuss and haste would obviously go against his image.
After a while, the door creaked and I heard heavy footsteps. Rex came in, his face still as frowning as before. He walked silently to the table, sat down at his place, folded his hands in front of him, and finally spoke.:
"So, Kuro, what did you want to talk about?"
- About the idea, Captain... I drawled. - I think it's a bad idea. And not even the lifting mechanism itself or the layout of the ship. I'm confused about our chances of survival, if the island exists, we don't know what to expect from it.
- I see. - he said, clearly upset by my skepticism. - And what do you suggest?
"Nothing alternative, Captain," I replied, already slightly hesitating myself. - I suggest you just forget about your idea, otherwise let me leave the team.
There was silence after these words. His face was unreadable. I didn't understand the reason for his hesitation, but it seemed to me that he wouldn't give up on his dream, which meant he would just let me go. I wasn't afraid of him, and for that reason I just lazily waited for his decision.
- OK.. Go, it's been a pleasure working with you.
Smiling at his decision, I turned and walked to the door.
The dagger swiftly stabbed into my chest, but my body instantly shrank, turning into a ball of paper. In that instant, even before the sound of metal echoed hollowly, I had already acted. An air bullet flew from his fingers, tearing through the air with a whoosh and smashing into Rex's jaw. His head jerked back, but as if he didn't feel the pain, he instantly stepped towards me, drawing his saber.
With a sharp swing, the steel sliced through the air an inch from my neck. I easily dodged, but Rex turned out to be faster than I expected: the saber, describing an arc, went to my side. I shifted my weight to my left leg, bending so that the saber only glanced across the fabric. One more move and he pulled out his gun, but I snapped my fingers, firing a second air bullet that knocked the weapon off his arm.
The captain, however, wasted no time. With a huge leap, he closed the distance, trying to reach me with his saber. I left a spark of fire behind me, disappearing into it before the blade touched me. As I appeared in the other corner of the room, I felt hot air flash behind me—his saber almost grazed my shoulder.
Without giving him a break, I threw a paper card forward, which transformed into a sharp spear in the air. Rex knocked her down with his saber in one swift movement, but I was already on my feet. A deft pirouette allowed me to bypass his guard, and an air bullet crashed into his knee. Rex staggered, but his imposing figure immediately regained its balance.
The saber shot up, deflecting another card that had been transformed into a blade. I saw his gaze: cold, calculating, he was carefully watching my every move, anticipating the next attack. But that was my plan.
While he was concentrating on my throws, I directed the flame at his feet. The fire broke out instantly, forcing him to retreat, but instead of panicking, Rex abruptly rushed forward, as if not noticing the flames, and threw out his saber, aiming it at my chest.
It was over in a second. I switched places with the paper statue again, and when his saber pierced through the void, the card hidden behind my back crashed into his forehead. Rex staggered, his huge frame slowly dropping to his knees before collapsing to the floor.
Silence, broken only by the crackle of the dying flames, enveloped the cabin. I looked at his motionless body, catching my breath easily. Everything turned out exactly as I expected: the captain was strong, but my abilities and training made the fight too predictable.
—Oh, he shouldn't have done that," I muttered, looking around.
I didn't want to kill him. There were many reasons, starting with the fact that this was the only time he went against me, and ending with his physical size, which was clearly not suitable for normal imitation.
After some thought, I searched his body. A few coins, a pistol, a saber—nothing particularly valuable. After throwing the corpse out the window, I concentrated on taking on its appearance.
The transformation was successful, but the result left much to be desired: I looked like a severely emaciated version of Rex. There was clearly not enough mass. After a bit of thought, I artificially "inflated" the muscles, adding the necessary volume to myself. Although these muscles did not have real strength, they visually created the desired effect. I felt more like a balloon.
Well, no one was supposed to touch me anyway. Now, though temporarily, I will have to become Rex— the captain of the Tiger Pirates.