....
"I want to be a Grande Pirate!" ....
Henry was utterly surprised at Noname's declaration, and his facial expression only voiced out his emotions as his eyes immediately opened wide in disbelief.
"A Grande Pirate?!... " Henry exclaimed. " ...Did I actually hear you say a 'Grande Pirate'?!" He then took a step towards Noname and asked— "Tell me, what brand of wine was it?".
"You clearly know I don't drink. " Noname said as he properly stood up from the floor, but before he could properly stand on his feet, Henry used the hilt of his sword to knock down the top of Noname's head, sending him back to the ground. This time, Noname landed on his palms and knees.
"Drain off some craziness and get some sleep!" Henry said as he attempted to put an end to the conversation, but Noname rather gave an immediate and fierce response...
"I'm not crazy!" he shouted.
"Then do what 'not crazy' people would do!" Henry replied in the same manner.
"Which is?"
"Not risking your life for things that don't matter!"
"Things that don't matter?!...
... Things that don't matter?!!...
... No Henry, you're the one who fails to understand; you're the one who can't see what's truly important!"
"Don't try to deceive me with your words Noname, because I can vividly see what exactly is going on here. Your greed has clearly taken hold of your life and is steering you down a path of recklessness; you're not the same person you used to be Noname!
Ever since you managed to subconsciously scratch a soon-to-be Grande Pirate, nothing else has mattered to you, your priorities have been altered, and it's clear that your desire for more fame and wealth has become the driving force behind your actions. You no longer take anything seriously, not even the risk of losing your own life! ... "
***
Henry Louis's words, even though spoken by Noname's own mentor and caretaker, were partially not true. It was indeed true that since Noname's encounter with Captain Black Jack, he had developed an overly carefree and reckless attitude. Many believed that this was a result of Captain Noname having nothing to fight for, nothing to lose, and therefore, no reason to take life seriously. However, what the world didn't know was that beneath his nonchalant self, Noname had a deep commitment to something he so cherished.....
....Family!.
This rendered Henry's statement almost entirely invalid, because despite Noname's nonchalant attitude towards life, he would in fact sacrifice everything for the sake of the only family he had left...
***
As Henry turned to leave, he spoke up in a calm but audible manner— " ...Remember what I told you about a pirate's greed, son!"
"Greed..." Noname replied in a low tone after a few seconds of silence. "...is the fire of a pirate; a loyal servant capable of fuelling his ambitions, yet a ruthless master capable of consuming the pirate himself..." As he spoke, Noname slowly rose to his feet. "...But just because the majority of pirates are motivated by greed doesn't mean you have to generalise it! You're wrong to assume that every pirate is driven solely by greed. You don't understand Henry, because you've never been open to new ideas; You're always trying to be right, never letting anyone's perspective matter! You won't understand Henry, because you don't know how much this means to me; you see me as a nobody! ! ! "
The last six words that escaped the Captain's mouth struck a nerve within Henry.....
***
.... Henry had always seen Noname as more than just an accomplice – he had considered him as his own son! Ever since he had found him on that deserted island, he had taken Noname as his own, taught him the ways of the sea, and mentored him in the art of piracy... And yet, Noname had the boldness to say such...!
***
Immediately Noname's words were uttered, Henry halted, turned back, and blasted emotionally enraged at Noname.
"I see you as my own son Noname!"
"And I see you as my own father Henry! ...but why? ...Tell me Henry, why did you never listen to my pleas? Why did you refuse to take me back to that island where you found me?"
"It was for your own good Noname; I wanted a better future for you."
"A better future? How can you be so sure what's best for me when you know nothing about my past?"
"Don't be foolish, boy, I've known you for twelve years; before I found you on that island, you wer... . . . ."
Immediately, Henry's statement was cut short by his own silence, and it was evident that.....
.... he knew nothing!
***
The truth was that Henry had never asked Noname for details about his life before their fateful encounter on the island; he had assumed that the past was best left forgotten and that their present and future were all that mattered, but now, he realised that his ignorance had just suddenly started creating a barrier between them even after all the years of being together.
"What? ... What was that? ... I was what?" Noname asked sarcastically. "... Of course, you can't tell, can you? Because despite claiming to be a father figure, you never showed any genuine interest in my past. For an entire year after you found me, Henry, I begged you to return me to that island, but you dismissed me with one excuse after another, never once asking for my reason... Why?"
Henry knew that at this point he was at the loser's end, so he had no choice but to gently give in to Noname's questions.
" *SIGH* The... map that led me to the island... was no ordinary map. It was a special treasure map that could only be used once...
... to find one's most valuable treasure...
...After that...it ... it self-destructed, leaving no trail of it, whatsoever."
"And why, Henry, did you never ask for my reason? Why did you never care to know what drove me to want to return to that island so desperately?" Noname pressed on with another question.
"Because, you see, the exact location marked on the map where the treasure was supposed to be...
.... was precisely where I found you!
....Your mission, or so I thought, was to find a way back home, but somehow... I just couldn't bring myself to let you go."
" So it was greed all along, aye?! ...Greed was what drove you to find me, and now you've taken me as your treasure? You've kept me by your side all this while, claiming to be a father figure, but it's clear that your true motives were far from selfless! ..... "
As the truth dawned on Noname, Henry could not help but feel a sense of shame come over him as Noname's swords continued to cut deep into him.
" .... You can't understand my ambition Henry, because you know nothing about my past. You may know who I am, but you have no idea who I was before we met. You've never taken the time to learn about my life before the island, about what drives me, about what I've lost!"
...And for the first time, Henry felt regret and knew that he had to make amends.
"Noname I ... I...I'm sorry... " he tried apologising in a low regretful tone...
"No! I'm the one who should be apologising... " Noname said with a soft smile. "....I'm sorry for not being clear from the start and for not making my intentions known. I'm sorry for arousing your anger.
Henry, you've been like a father to me, and I respect that. If I'm being honest, I'm grateful for the day you found me on that island... Who knows what would have become of me if you hadn't?"
.
.
.
The whole truth was that Noname had masterfully employed the concept of mutual fight using words as his weapon, unlike Henry, who used swords!
Noname had chosen to engage in a battle using his words to attack and defend. His intention had never been to provoke Henry's anger or show disrespect; rather, he knew that Henry was a hard man to get at, and that a symmetrical action was needed to tackle him. Noname had achieved his goal of extracting information from Henry without resorting to violence, and at that moment, Henry suddenly realised the fact that Noname had used his own technique against him, but in a different form – a new version that needed not the blades, and he felt proud like a father would be to his beloved son.
"You're welcome, son! ..." Henry said. "... *Sigh* I'm all ears now, I'm ready to listen! Please tell me, who were you before we met? Share your story with me and let me understand the motivations behind your actions from your own perspective."
In that moment, Henry's attitude changed; his facial expression showed kindness and understanding, and his body language also showed that he was ever eager to hear Noname share his story and to let go of the secrets he had kept for so long.
After a deep breath, and a quick moment of silence, Captain Noname started...
"This is a deep, personal, and private chapter in my life, one that I have never shared with anyone before. It is a secret I have kept hidden, and it's possible that no one else will ever hear of it after this moment! ... Judge me by what you hear and tell me if my ambition is worth the criticism! ....
... My father was an incredibly Wealthy and Powerful man with a vast army under his command, a huge Palace, and a Crown crafted from the finest Gold! .
Yes! He was without a doubt... A Mighty King, revered and feared by all who knew him, and being born into his esteemed royal family with my pitch-black hair automatically made me....
... A NOBODY!"