The ship looked a lot bigger now. Chaeyoung isn’t used to this much space. It felt odd. Empty. For such a long time he was accustomed to a noisy deck— the boots tapping on the wooden flooring of their ship mixed with the shouts and chatters of his busy crew. His mates walking to and fro doing their own duties. They may seem like a mess, but they were an organized mess. They were a team that work coordinately to stay afloat in an ocean full of monsters. Now that they’re gone, it’s as if everything was down into a whirlpool, leaving only a few of them behind.

Chaeyoung chugged the beer from his mug and slammed it on the table. It was already his sixth for that hour. His vision blurred more everytime he blinked and it brought throbbing pain to his head. He stared into the ceiling as he began losing grip on reality.

The scene reappeared like a vivid dream.

“Run!”

The tavern was burning down behind him, black smoke making its way into the cool air above. Yeji was right there before his eyes. He was there, just a few steps away. He could have saved him. He could have pulled him out. They could have escaped with him. But he was too dumbfounded at everything crumbling in front of him.

The captain grabbed his chest instinctively. There was this distinct feeling building up inside him, knowing he could have done something. It burns. Scorching like flame. No, it wasn’t the beer. It’s something else. It makes him want to load his rifle and fire it on Jackson’s head.

Chaeyoung blinked once more, and he’s back in his ship. He has decided. He will put the flame to use.

~

“There’s nothing but dust here!”

Dahyun was searching the pantry for any food to eat. His stomach has been grumbling for hours now, but it turns out they have run out of supplies. There was nothing else in the cabinets and cupboards aside from webs and spiders. He was already certain they’ll starve in the middle of the ocean, not until he stumbled across a bag of potatoes lying on the floor.

He crouched over the bag and peeked inside. “I’m not sure what I’ll make out of you, but it’s better than none.”

Tzuyu’s eyes shifted back and forth from Dahyun and the potatoes served on the plate. There aren’t any ingredients left in the pantry, so all that the chef-wannabe can do is boil them. Across him, the quartermaster also had a doubtful look on his face. The potatoes looked mushy, as if it was soaked underwater for a month. The poor tubers could not even hold itself together. Every second that passes, each of them crumbles down slowly on to the dish. Chaeyoung who sat at the end of the table glanced over at Dahyun and raised his eyebrow.

“What did I tell you about going in the kitchen?” he asked sternly.

The latter put on a sheepish smile and scratched his head. “Uhm, Cap. I was already starving to death… and I thought all of you too… that’s the only thing left there… so I had no choice,” Dahyun replied.

The captain stared at him for a moment. It made Dahyun more nervous than he already is. The last time he entered the kitchen was over a year ago. He only wanted to grill the salmon he caught but ended up burning a hole in the wall. Good thing the fire was put out immediately, or the ship will be devoured by flames while sinking in the middle of the sea. Since then, there had been an unspoken rule that he would not be allowed in the kitchen again.

Dahyun thought the captain would whoop his for what he did, but instead, he reached for his fork and poked it in a potato. As expected, the potato only crumbled more. Chaeyoung only sighed. Everybody silently watched him take the plate of potatoes and scoop two of those. As he placed it back again, he scooped the food with his spoon and took a bite.

“This can pass off as mashed potato, Dahyun.”

The captain didn’t seem mad or disgusted of the abomination she just cooked.  But the look on his face made it obvious that he only didn’t have any choice since it’s all that they have left.

Mina took one and studied the crumbled food. She gave it a try and as she chewed on it, the juices were squeezed out of the potato. It doesn’t take long to notice that the potato absorbed too much water, saturating it to the point of becoming mushy.

“I think you over-boiled it,” she muttered.

Dahyun suddenly turned her head and leaned forwards. Her voice was too soft that nobody understood what she said. “You were saying something?”

Mina rolled her eyes at him and cleared . “The potato was boiled too much,” she said again, almost shouting.

Jeongyeon stifled a laugh upon seeing her try hard to speak louder. The lady only side-eyed the giggling quartermaster.

“Oh, is that so? I’ll take note of that, thanks,” Dahyun replied.

“Maybe you should try shouting more so we’ll hear you,” The captain teased.

Mina glared at Chaeyoung from the other end of the table. It’s as if her eyes were knives aimed towards him, piercing his body and soul. But the captain isn’t shaken at all. He only touched his chin and watched her amusingly. This woman is something else, he thought. It’s no wonder to him why Suho would not let her go anywhere else. Too bad for Mina though, to be married to someone like him.

“Say, Madame Mina,” Chaeyoung said in between bites. “Where do you plan to go? Besides, our ship has no definite destination.”

The lady finally broke her stare. She dug the spoon into her food and munched on it. “I’m thinking the atoll.”

“You mean the atoll? As in Jolly Atoll?”

The captain put down his spoon and pushed the plate away. He had always thought of that Marketplace as an extremely dangerous place for his crew, so he is quite surprised that a lady like Mina would want to go there alone.

“Questionable, isn’t it?” Mina already spoke what’s on his mind. “He won’t dare to follow me there.”

Chaeyoung stood up from his seat and walked out of the dining room. His brows remained knitted together as he headed for the upper deck. It’s a ridiculous suggestion. He would never want to sail towards a minefield like Jolly Atoll. That is how he always reacted whenever it’s brought up. But this time, he did not immediately dismiss the idea.

He had been there once, when he was a young pirate. He was a powder monkey in Taiji’s crew, who became a father figure to an eighteen year-old Chaeyoung. Their ship was not as large as his Black Urial today, but they were respected across the four seas of the south. Captain Seo was not like the treasure-hungry pirates that exploited towns in small islands. He was different. He was the protector of the weak. He was the one who took down the crew of the feared Captain Hyunsuk, and freed the Gushin tribes from his cruel hands.

Captain Seo went as far as challenging the kingdom of Weselton for human trafficking. Chaeyoung witnessed how women and children were sold off as laborers or slaves. The Jolly Atoll became the place of their transaction, where their monkey business were unseen from the mainland. But it wasn’t as easy as they thought. They realized they were going against not just one, but many other nations involved in this clandestine action. Their numbers can easily destroy their boat, and that is exactly what happened when they reached the atoll.

It is the reason why he never set foot on Jolly Atoll since then. Jeongyeon doesn’t know about any of those (Chaeyoung didn’t tell him). Hopefully, the quartermaster would not ask why he kept avoiding that place.

Chaeyoung was snapped out of his reverie when he heard a voice call him from below. He did not have to look to know that it was their timid surgeon. He walked towards him carrying a scroll he guessed was a map.

“What’d you got there Tzu?”

“At this rate, we can reach the atoll in a couple days.” Tzuyu unrolled the scroll and looked around. “There’s a small island nearby. There’s a small town with a few stores so maybe we can restock our inventory there.”

The captain took a quick look at the point on the map he was referring to. He looked back into the horizon and noticed a green spot on their right side. That must be the island he was talking about.

Chaeyoung suddenly realized he never mentioned he’s already agreed to dropping Mina off at the atoll. He glanced at Tzuyu with a questioning look, and the latter returning the confusion. The captain smiled and shook his head. Wanting to break the doctor’s silence, he came up with something to say.

“The girl in the inn likes you.”

This confused Tzuyu a lot more. His brows met together, probably thinking the captain was picking on him again.

“Sana, you mean?”

“Ooh... I don’t even remember her name but you do.” Chaeyoung hummed. Tzuyu didn’t understand what he was saying, or he was pretending to.

The latter rolled the map back again and returned it to its wooden case. “We barely even talked. How can you say so?”

Chaeyoung reached for the pipe in his pocket. He also took out a tiny container of tobacco and pinch a bit to stuff in the bowl.

“Do you have a-” before he can even ask, Tzuyu was already striking a match. He helped him char the top of the pipe.

“How did you know?” The surgeon asked once more. Chaeyoung eyed him with a jeering smirk. Surely his boy is interested in the town girl.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. She stares at you a lot. Like a lot a lot. Boy, I didn’t realize you are that dense.”

Tzuyu turned to the distant island that was becoming larger every minute. He was silent. He always is, but this time, he seemed to be contemplating what the captain just told him. Chaeyoung only watched him suddenly put on a serious face, stifling a chuckle that would ruin the mood.

“She’s pretty,” Tzuyu muttered under his breath. He placed his elbows on the railing, still staring out into the vast sea.

“Why didn’t you tell her that?”

Tzuyu’s eyes suddenly widened upon hearing the captain’s reply, as if he was caught red-handed. Chaeyoung figured he was thinking out loud, because he’s not the type to say those kind of things. He kept himself from teasing Tzuyu, although he badly wanted to now that he knows that their feelings are mutual.

Tzuyu facepalmed and shook his head. The captain can surely see through everyone. He realized there’s no point in denying when he’s already given too much.

“You could’ve told me! Or anyone in the crew, we could’ve helped you finally get a girlfriend!” Chaeyoung exclaimed. He was holding the pipe in his hand, gesturing to himself.

“I found a stash of opium blocks under their staircase. The band of guys we saw were actually soldiers arresting her grandmother.”

Chaeyoung looked over at Tzuyu. He would not take off his eyes from the waters. Chaeyoung assumed that the doctor also wanted to try, but for some reason he couldn’t. For a long moment, none of them spoke a word. Tzuyu was actually glad that the captain wouldn’t probe further.

The sun was glaring down at them, but the cool air was relieving the heat by blowing gently on their skin. The two only stayed frozen in their positions. Chaeyoung wanted to say something, but he chose to keep it to himself.

“What do you think of Ms. Myoui?” Tzuyu finally asked.

Chaeyoung was taken aback by the question. “No, Tzuyu. She’s a married woman.”

“It’s not a yes-no question, Cap. I only want to know your opinion on her.”

Now it’s Tzuyu’s turn to give him the sly grin. The captain only rolled his eyes and laughed. He loosened his grip on the helm. He puffed on his pipe and held it in his hand. He peeked inside and saw none of the tobacco left. He didn’t care to stuff it with more. He sighed and placed it back in his pocket.

“I think she’s a fine lady. She’s got the intellect and beauty.”

“Ooh… you only spoke good things about her. You think she’s perfect!” Tzuyu mocked Chaeyoung’s tone earlier which earned a nudge from him. But Chaeyoung was not done yet.

“Yeah, she’s perfect. Even in kissing.”

Tzuyu’s hand flew to his mouth as he abruptly turned to him. Nobody can really make the captain uncomfortable, it’s always him who does it to others. Chaeyoung wore a mock satisfied look as he kept still at the wheel, although he regrets saying that unnecessarily. He forced his eyes shut and laughed at himself embarrassingly, but the surgeon didn’t even notice the shame the other was getting.

As Chaeyoung opened his eyes, he noticed a boat at the far left of the island. At first he wasn’t certain if it’s moving away or heading to their direction, but then he noticed it slowly growing closer. Even from far, he could recognize the color of their sail. Tzuyu saw it as well. He didn’t have to order him to get Jeongyeon and Dahyun outside. He’s once again impressed of their quick-witted doctor. But now is not the time for compliments.

“Foreign ship incoming.”

Tzuyu announced it in a calm manner, but the rest understood the sense of urgency in his demeanor – even Mina. Jeongyeon led the way to the armory along with Dahyun, Tzuyu and Mina. The lady would want to ask what’s happening, but by the looks of it, they would be dealing with something dangerous.

Jeongyeon pushed the door open, revealing their most precious wealth: their weapons. Mina was quite overwhelmed at the sight of rifles lined up on the left and different swords on its side.

“Do you know how to use a rifle? You just pull the trigger and that’s it.” The quartermaster had no time to explain to Mina. He just handed her a musket without letting her object. “Take a belt with you. For ammo and sword.”

Mina was tossed a belt out of nowhere. She studied the leather strip for a moment, then wore it around her torso, so that the scabbard hung on her back. She took a rapier and slipped it the sheath, and proceeded to take a handful of bullets to load in her belt pocket. She looked at the others, and saw that Tzuyu wore the belt the same way she did, while Dahyun and Jeongyeon wore it on their waists. The pirates collectively figured that this woman is not new to combat.

Dahyun smiled at her and cheerfully said, “Let’s go!"

The captain fished a spyglass from his pocket. He extended the device and put it over his eye. He identified the green sail as those of the Machine’s – a ship that carried a bunch of young ambitious sailors, hoping to be as great as Black Beard. Nonetheless, Chaeyoung doesn’t think they’d even reach their level. He remembered setting their small ship on fire once, but that was three years ago. The Machine’s crew seemed to have grew larger in number, while theirs, lost most.

After a few minutes, his remaining boys, along with Mina, emerged from the lower deck. All of them were armed with rifles and swords, ready to face the opponent coming their way. Jeongyeon headed over to the helm to hand Chaeyoung his own weapons.

“Do you think they’d really attack us? They don’t know what happened to the rest,” the quartermaster asked.

Chaeyoung strut his gear without letting go of the wheel. “I’m not so sure. But it’s not impossible.”

Dahyun raised his hand so he could be noticed from behind Tzuyu and Mina who were much taller than him. “The cannons are ready to fire at your signal, Captain.”

Chaeyoung nodded at him once and turned to Mina. She was watching the other ship generate a number of men she couldn’t count on one hand. The captain could sense that she’s becoming apprehensive of the situation that’s about to unfold. He understood her, though. When you’re used to being locked inside the doors of a mansion with nothing else to do but household chores, events like this will definitely frighten you to the core.

“You see how many they are? We’re going to die,” she told him.

“We won’t. Not unless you don’t do anything to stay alive,” The captain replied nonchalantly. He gestured his hand towards the ocean and said, “If you don’t want to fight them, you’re free to swim back to your husband.”

Mina let out a defeated sigh. That leaves her no choice but to join them clash against a crew that obviously outnumbered them.

“Alright, boys and a girl!” The captain called out and clapped his hands. “Get in your positions! Stay alert and wait for my signal!”

The Machine is now about a hundred yards away from them. The closer it gets, the more nervous their crew becomes. They could all see the other captain walk down from the upper deck towards the forecastle. He looks like he’s excited to meet Chaeyoung again. It made him wonder where this kid found the guts to face the same ship that sunk their boat.

Chaeyoung slowly made his way to the main deck to match the confidence of the other crew. He held his rifle as if it was his walking stick, pushing it to the floor with one hand with every step he made. When he reached the front of the ship, the captain of the Machine waved him ahoy.

“Captain Son! It’s nice coming across you here.”

“It’s been a while, Taeyong. How was your boat?” Chaeyoung would never refer to him as a captain. It was his way of reminding the kid that he’s nowhere close to his level.

“You see,” Taeyong tapped the railing of his ship. “I got a new one. It’s made of jungle ironwood.”

Chaeyoung looked down on the ship he boasted. Ironwood has a metal in its name, but it is still nothing compared to his pear wood ship. “It’s so nice of your father to sponsor you a ship.” He wore a smile he intended to look faked.

Taeyong was nothing but insulted. He returned the smile and leaned on the railings before him. He placed his chin on his intertwined fingers and gave him an intimidating look.

“I heard about your boys getting killed in Corona. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Chaeyoung fixed the collar of his shirt. He wanted to wipe away the feigned sympathy on Taeyong’s face, but he’s more worried that he knew about the Corona mishap.

“By the way, the duke also wants to extend his condolences. He actually wants to meet you.”

Now we’re fugitives. How nice. Chaeyoung thought to himself.

“The duke’s got a huge bounty for your head y’know? Fifteen million.”

Now Taeyong stood straight and drew a sword from his side. “No hard feelings.”

Right after he finished his sentence, his men began swinging on the rigs to land on Chaeyoung’s ship. His crew were quick to move. They welcomed the intruders with bullets before they can even reach the deck. Some fell in the water, while most were able to set foot on their territory.

Jeongyeon, Dahyun and Tzuyu greeted the visitors with their cutlasses. Meanwhile, Mina was nowhere to be found. Chaeyoung reckoned she’s hiding somewhere. Without a second thought, he climbed up the rope ladder and found a rig to swing over to the Machine. He ripped their main sail with his rapier as he passed by and landed on his foot. Realizing he left his musket on his ship, he pulled out his volley gun instead. He fired all of his bullets in one click, hitting almost every pirate on the deck. Chaeyoung won’t want to reload anymore. He drew his slim sword again. He moved like a gust of wind, slashing every pirate that came across his away. He threw barrels to them and attacked while they’re distracted. The rigs were of good use too, as he swung around to avoid their attacks. But his stamina isn’t as tough anymore. He could feel his legs wearing out with every dodge that he makes.

On the other hand, the three musketeers had already cleared the deck off of any more enemies. Dahyun noticed their struggling captain fighting alone on the enemy deck. There were like a dozen pirates onto him, yet he’s agile enough to fight them alone. He called the attention of Tzuyu and Jeongyeon to help Chaeyoung on the Machine. But the latter would say otherwise.

“No, he won’t want us to,” the quartermaster said. It’s not like it’s the first time they’ve seen Chaeyoung in that situation. He already made a fuss in a soldier’s barracks few weeks earlier, Jeongyeon thinks he can handle that for sure.

After leaving all of them on the floor, he ran up to the quarter deck where Taeyong was waiting for him, cutlass up and ready to attack. Chaeyoung dropped his arm and tried to catch his breath. He ed his waistcoat and threw it off the side. He also took his heavy leather belt off and dropped it behind him.

“Ditch the sword,” Chaeyoung said. “Let’s see you fight in melee.”

Taeyong seemed to like the proposition. “You’re gonna regret this, old salt.”

They both tossed their swords away. Chaeyoung fished the dagger from his sash and so did his opponent. He stared at him for a moment, holding his gaze. He pulled his puffy sleeves to his elbow. It’s to swing his arm easier. He was taking deep breaths, making up for the energy he lost from fighting ten-ish men solo. Chaeyoung starts to jog on his feet. It’s his way of building up the momentum. Taeyong mirrored his movements. He’s also ready to attack anytime. His opponent’s neck is wide open. He’s going to take the opportunity. Chaeyoung inhaled one last time, and dashed forwards. One stab and it’s all over.

BANG!

Chaeyoung’s legs suddenly froze. The sound of the gunshot rang in his ears. He could not hear anything else. His mind blanked out. There was blood… and surging pain.