A dark and stormy night, the kind that makes lesser men tremble. Heavy rain pounded the deck, and huge waves rose menacingly, threatening to swallow the Obsidian Serpent whole. But my ship, with its imposing black dragon figurehead, plowed through the tempest like a beast possessed. The crew scurried about, eyes wide with terror, knowing better than to incur my wrath. They'd all heard the stories of my short temper and how I dealt with those who failed me.
A month into the Grand Line, we'd encountered a crazed captain who forced us into this raging storm. Three days now, we'd battled the relentless assault of waves, rain, and thunder, each roll of the ship a reminder of our precarious situation. The newer crew members looked ready to give up hope entirely. But then, miraculously, the ship broke free of the storm's grip, emerging into the blinding light of the sun.
The crew squinted, shielding their eyes from the sudden brightness. Relief washed over them, but their moment of respite was shattered by the sound of my heavy footsteps.
"What are you bastards doing slacking off?" I bellowed, my voice cutting through the air like a blade.
The entire crew froze, shivers running down their spines. But then, a gentle chuckle broke the tension. Lyla, my first mate, and the crew's saving grace, stepped forward.
"Let them catch their breath," she said softly. "They're exhausted. They'll collapse if they don't rest."
I glanced down at her. She was barely half my size, but her words carried weight. My fierce expression softened to one of indifference, and the crew let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Speaking of the crew," Lyla continued, "the quartermaster informed me that our supplies are low. The Marines attacked before we could fully restock."
I grimaced. "Does Dante know how long our current supplies will last?"
"He said we should barely make it to the next island, as long as we don't do anything extreme," Lyla replied, pity in her eyes.
"Tell Finn to keep a lookout for any ships," I ordered. "If he spots one, he needs to inform Ren immediately so we can secure more supplies."
Lyla nodded and walked away. I sighed, cursing the Marines for the trouble they'd caused. If I ever saw that Marine captain again, I'd ignore Lyla's caution and slaughter them all. Injuries and casualties be damned; it would be worth it to rid the sea of their presence.
The Obsidian Serpent, despite her massive size, glided smoothly across the now-calm ocean. I was about to sit back in my custom-made chair when Taro, the shipwright, appeared.
"Excuse me, Captain," he said, his voice tinged with fear.
I looked at him with pure displeasure. "This better be important."
"The waves did more damage to the ship than we thought. We need to find a place to dock so I can make proper repairs," Taro said, trying to steady his voice.
Frustration boiled within me, but I dropped into my chair and glared at him. "Is that all?"
"Asha asked me to pass a message," Taro continued hesitantly. "She said Dante is complaining about her request for more medical supplies on the next island."
I laughed, the sound unsettling those around me, then glared at Taro. "Isn't Lyla the one who usually handles such disagreements?"
"Normally," Taro admitted, fidgeting. "But Asha insisted that you could resolve it better given the importance of her supplies."
I took a long swig from my gourd of alcohol, letting out a sigh. "Since you like delivering messages, tell Dante it's his job to keep supplies stocked. If he fails, he'll find himself in the same fate as those who perish in the unforgiving depths of the sea."
Taro turned and ran, the fear evident in his eyes. He quickly found Dante, ensuring the quartermaster understood his duties. Despite not being close friends, they were still crewmates, and no one wanted to face my wrath.
Time slowly slipped by as I relaxed in my chair, the crew working diligently, albeit not as frantically as before. I took the occasional swig of alcohol, watching the gentle waves and clouds pass by without a care in the world. The fatigue from being on constant alert during our harrowing journey through the storm finally caught up with me. My eyes grew heavier and heavier until I dozed off.
A few hours later, Finn's loud voice jolted me awake, screaming about something on the starboard side. I stretched in my chair, yawning, as I heard the multitude of cannons below deck fire in unison, followed by the sounds of impact and splashes. Realizing a fight was imminent, I grabbed my trusty odachi and stood up, a smile creeping across my face when I saw it was the Marines.
I let out a crazed laugh, laced with malice. The way the light reflected off my red eyes and the twisted grin on my face must have been a terrifying sight.
"Leave no survivors!" I shouted, my voice booming as the ship began to slowly turn, closing the distance to the navy vessel.
The Marines retaliated with cannon fire, some shots tearing through the rail and denting the hull. But the mighty Obsidian Serpent shrugged off the damage. As the gap closed, Lyla and I, along with a few of the grunts, leaped onto the Marine ship. From his vantage point in the crow's nest, Finn provided cover with his bow.
The clash of blades and the cries of the wounded filled the air. Lyla danced through the Marines with her dual scimitars, slashing and slicing, sending blood splashing around. Some of the newer crew members, whose names weren't important enough to remember, struggled against their foes. I gripped my odachi and performed my signature 'Darkrend Slash,' bisecting multiple Marines and tearing into the cabin wall.
Having quickly dispatched the Marines around me, I didn't rush to help the others. I trusted Lyla's combat abilities, and as for the grunts, their survival was their own concern. That was the pirate life, after all.
Lyla finished at a decent pace and moved to assist the grunts, some of whom were worse for wear from their lack of combat experience. They'd have to visit Asha and follow her orders to recover. Hopefully, they'd learn from this battle and apply those lessons to their training.
"Crew!" I bellowed. "Call Dante and have him go through the supplies here quickly and transport them to our ship!"
A few of the grunts nodded, and one quickly returned to our ship while the rest explored the Marine vessel. With everyone else gone, only Lyla and I remained on deck, the cool breeze gently swaying the loose parts of our clothing. After a moment, we decided to search the captain's quarters for anything useful or valuable.
As we walked towards the captain's quarters, we saw Dante rushing below deck with another pirate to the cargo hold. With a quick glance, we ignored him and entered the room to begin our search. Despite my efforts, all I found were useless papers, a couple of eternal poses, and some odds and ends that might fetch a little profit.
I sat down on the desk with a disappointed sigh, causing Lyla to glance at me.
"Find nothing useful?" she asked curiously.
"Just a stack of useless papers, a couple of eternal poses, and some odds and ends," I replied, glancing at her. "How about you?"
"I found a paper about a prisoner they're supposed to pick up from a nearby island," she said, pausing to think of how best to explain when I interrupted.
"Oh, are we going to rescue him so we can extort him for treasure?" I asked, a glisten in my eyes and a wicked smile on my face.
"As I was about to say before you interrupted," she shot me a glare, "it doesn't mention anything about a crew or where he's from, just the island's name."
My expression shifted from gleeful joy at the thought of treasure to blatant disdain and disappointment.
"That's why you shouldn't interrupt someone," Lyla said, reprimanding.
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "So let's go to this island." I tossed an eternal pose to Lyla, who caught it and glanced at it.
"Frostbloom Isle," she read, an uncertain tone in her voice.
"From the placement and the notes, it should be the closest island to us," I answered her unspoken question.
Understanding my reasoning, she quickly saw it was the best choice given our current supplies. Why risk a longer trip to an unknown island with no guarantee of resupply when we had a closer, more promising option?