"Cabin boy!"
"CABIN BOY!"
Voices boomed across the deck.
Mk scrambled toward the latest shout, only to be greeted with a splash of water to the face. He gasped, the salty sting burning his eyes.
"I told you I wanted salted water, boy! Huh? Huh!?"
"No… no, no," Mk stammered, shivering from the wetness.
"Then don't you bring me this garbage," the pirate spat, throwing the rest of the water at him before chucking the cup at Mk's feet.
"Now go fetch me an apple. And it better not be a tomato, you stupid brat."
Laughter erupted around him.
"Oi! Make sure it's fresh!"
"And don't you dare drop it, boy!"
"Maybe if you were born with a brain, you wouldn't be so damn useless!"
Mk turned away quickly, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from breaking. His vision blurred, but he forced himself forward.
He wouldn't cry.
Not here. Not in front of them.
He hurried to the kitchen, searching the crates for apples. Nothing. His stomach sank. That meant he had to go to the storage, where the more protected food was kept.
His throat burned hotter with every step toward the storage door. When he reached it, he plunged the door open and shut it quickly behind him.
But instead of searching for apples, his legs gave out.
He slid down against the door, curled up his knees, and let the tears come.
"Ewk."
Mk stiffened at the familiar sound.
It was Gego.
His monkey companion—no, his brother—was perched atop a barrel, looking down at him.
"Yes… another session of mock the cabin boy, Gego," Mk muttered, voice shaking from his tears.
Gego hopped down and handed him a scrap of cloth.
Mk took it without looking up, sniffing hard to keep his face hidden.
The monkey tilted his head, watching him closely.
"Lucky for you, they don't care much about you," Mk continued bitterly. His hands curled into fists against his head. "Every day. Every stupid day is the same. It's all my fault. Maybe that's why I was born alone… maybe I shouldn't have looked for a family…"
His fingers dug into his scalp, scratching again and again in frustration.
"OI! My APPLE!"
The pirate's voice snapped Mk out of his thoughts.
He shot to his feet, wiping his face. Gego leaped back up to the ceiling rafters just in time.
"You better bring it quick, boy!"
Mk rushed to the barrels, pried one open—only to find it empty.
His breath hitched.
Slowly, he looked up at Gego.
The monkey met his gaze, then raised his hands in innocence.
"Ewk," he chirped. Not me.
Then who—?
Before Mk could think further, Gego suddenly jumped higher, perching himself in the shadows.
Then, Mk heard it.
The doorknob squeaked.
His blood ran cold.
He swallowed hard, bracing for the beating of a lifetime.
But when the door cracked open, the figure standing there was not the pirate he expected.
Mk and the stranger both froze.
The door hung halfway open, and they simply stared at each other. Neither speaking.
Then—
"This boy! You better not be eating my apple, boy!"
The voice outside was growing louder.
The stranger swiftly stepped in and shut the door behind him.
Mk took a step back. He could see him more clearly now—young, tall, dressed in a loose tank top and baggy leather pants. A metal staff was strapped to his back. And on his face—
Crumbs.
Realization hit Mk like a wave.
He's the thief!
Before Mk could open his mouth, the stranger held up a finger, signaling him to stay quiet. Then, he pointed toward the door.
The pirate's footsteps were closing in.
The storage door shook as a fist pounded against it.
"Show yourself at once, boy! I'm not like the captain! If you don't show, you best believe you'll never be shown again!"
Mk felt his knees tremble.
The stranger glanced at him again, saw his fear, and sighed.
Then, to Mk's absolute horror, he shouted—
"I'm here!"
Mk's soul left his body.
His breath caught in his throat so fast he nearly choked on it.
"What!? No! I'm not here!" he blurted out in a panic.
Then immediately regretted it.
Stupid!
Gego let out a quiet chattering sound from above, the monkey equivalent of laughter.
Silence fell outside the door.
Then, the pirate exhaled deeply, sounding absolutely done with the situation.
"Boy… are you mocking me?" His voice was low, dangerous. "Do you want to die today?"
The door flung open.
The pirate stomped in, fists clenched, ready to thrash Mk—
But he wasn't expecting the stranger standing before him.
For a split second, the pirate hesitated. His bloodshot eyes narrowed.
"You…" he muttered, as if trying to place the face.
He never got the chance.
The stranger reached forward, his hand meeting the pirate's chest.
A sharp crackle split the air.
Lightning surged through the pirate's body.
His limbs convulsed violently, his mouth opening in a silent scream as electricity danced over his skin. His pale flesh turned dark and ashen in seconds.
His body convulsed—then the stranger let go.
The pirate collapsed, twitching as smoke rose from his scorched skin.
Mk stood frozen.
His mind refused to process what had just happened.
Gego dropped from the ceiling and landed on Mk's shoulder. He studied the fallen pirate, then flicked his tail in amusement.
"Ewk," the monkey chirped.
The stranger sighed, brushing off his hand.
"Yeah, yeah. Overkill."
Mk finally found his voice.
"Who… who the hell are you?"
Mk's hands were still shaking. His mind still spinning.
This man had just fried a pirate like it was nothing. He had watched electricity course through the pirate's body, had smelled the faintest scent of burning flesh, and now… now this stranger was standing there like it was just another day.
The man glanced at him, then chuckled.
"Huh. Right. You're not used to this, are you?"
Mk's voice was dry when he spoke.
"Stranger frying a pirate? Never in my life."
The stranger grinned. "Well, there's a first time for everything."
With that, he grabbed the still-twitching pirate by the collar and dragged him fully inside the storage room. He peeked outside, checking both ways, then shut the door with a quiet click.
Then, to Mk's disbelief, he sat down on the unconscious pirate's back, crossing his legs like he was settling in for a casual chat.
Mk just… stared.
Gego, from his spot on Mk's shoulder, let out a small ewk, tilting his head in curiosity.
The man turned to Mk again and reached out a hand.
Mk flinched.
The man laughed.
"Oh, I love those reactions," he said, retracting his hand. "Don't worry—I only shock threats."
Mk bit his lip, glancing down at the unconscious body. "He's not… dead, is he?"
The man waved a hand dismissively. "Nah. Just a little crispy."
Mk exhaled, but that didn't exactly make him feel better.
Then something clicked. His empty hands.
"The apples!" he blurted out. "I was supposed to bring him an apple—oh no, he's gonna kill me when he wakes up—"
The man scratched his cheek. "Oh. Yeah, about that…"
He turned his head and wiped some crumbs off his face.
Mk froze.
His stomach dropped.
"… You ate them."
The stranger grinned sheepishly. "I was starving, to be fair."
Mk's eye twitched. "I'm done for...."
"I hadn't eaten in days, kid. You don't understand how good those apples tasted."
Gego made a loud ewk, looking personally offended at the idea of stealing food.
The man pointed at the monkey. "See? He gets it."
"No, I think he's mad at you."
"Oh."
Mk groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "I'm dead. They're gonna throw me overboard for this."
The man rested his chin in his palm. "Nah, I doubt it."
"You doubt it?" Mk said, voice cracking. "I don't think you get it—these guys don't need a reason to beat me! This is just giving them one gift-wrapped!"
The man tapped his fingers against his knee.
"… So you're the ship's punching bag, huh?"
Mk frowned. "yes....."
The man smirked, standing up and dusting off his pants. "Then why not leave?"
Mk blinked.
"… What?"
The man stretched, cracking his neck. "I said, why not leave? This ain't your crew, right?"
Mk looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "I can't just leave."
"Why not?"
"This is a pirate ship! We're in the middle of the ocean!"
The man hummed, rubbing his chin. "Yeah… that is a little inconvenient."
Mk threw his hands up. "A little!?"
The man grinned again. "Well, I Guess we'll have to figure something out, huh?"