"-ke up!"
"Hey! Wake up!"
I feel hazy, like I am awake but not fully awake.
"Hey!"
Someone is calling me, are they calling? Strange? Why woul-WAIT! SOMEONE?!
"…PeopleSPLASH!
Somehow, cold water is splashed on my face by someone. It is a rude way to wake a person up, but that's okay! There are people! I am alive! I finally found someone!
Opening my eyes and trying to stand up. I fell again mid standing.
"HAhahahaHa!"
Someone is laughing, no, more than one person, a group, but that is not the main point.
The main point is that I feel something holding my hand and feet. I can't move probably.
'What does that mean?'
Looking around, I see that I am on the deck of a ship. An antique-looking ship. Like the one you see in pirates' movies.
On the deck, there are people, all of them are men. The first word that comes to your mind after seeing them is…dirty.
They look dirty, like they haven't taken a shower in years. Their clothes are all worn-out, old-fashioned, mismatched, and of course, again, dirty.
Shirts, vests, and pants of myriad colors, all of them look like they are from three centuries ago.
The looks on their faces are also intriguing. Some had apathetic looks, some had the amused smile of bullies when they are going to bully someone, some had the look a person has when they find money on the street.
And some had a smile that sent a shiver down my spine. The one that some boys have when they see or talk about p*rn. And these looks are directed at me.
The alarms in my head are going wild.
I tried to look at my hands and feet, but I couldn't see them. My hands and feet are tied together behind my back, and tightly at that. From the feeling, it is ropes.
"Hahaha…"
The group of people snickered at my struggle, but I noticed, some of them reached their hands to their waists unconsciously.
It was then that I realized they had weapons.
Some had swords on their waists, some had old flintlock-like pistols, some had both.
At any other moment, I would have thought I was looking at a pirate movie filming set. But my current circumstances told otherwise.
"Where is this?"
SMACK!
Thud!
"Shut up!"
A powerful slap from a very big hand sent me to the ground. It didn't hurt, but it was powerful and surprising.
"You are not the one to ask questions, you will only talk when you are asked! Do you understand me little bitch?"
A person, a giant-like person holds me up by the collar.
He was big, bigger than those bodybuilders, with very wide shoulders and big arms. He also had a clean-shaven but menacing-looking face, he looked much cleaner than the rest of the people here.
What made me panic looking at him was that he had the same shiver-inducing smile some of the now snickering…crew? had.
"Oi! I said do you understand me, little bitch?"
I nod subconsciously at his words, but thinking about it, how can I? he was clearly talking Japanese, even though he is not Japanese.
'Any other situation would have made me praise his language skills, but what the hell is that!'
The joy of being a live is deflating from all of this.
"Fiadh, bring him here!" Someone called out in our direction, grabbing the giant man's attention.
"Yes, Captain." The giant man—Fiadh is his name—responded to the one calling with the title Captain.
'So, is this really a pirate crew?'
But why are they looking like that? Why could they talk in Japanese, and where is-
Giving me no time for my musing, Fiadh, the giant man held me whole by my collar and dragged me to an area on the deck until I was in front of another man.
"Here he is, Captain!" Fiadh put me down in front of the man.
I took a good look at the man, and from all of the men present, he was looking the most decent.
He wore a brown coat, with black pants, and he had a pirate captain's hat on the top of his head.
On his waist, there are two old flintlock-like pistols and a sword, and on his back, there is a big two-edged axe?
'It was a weird weapon to have.'
His facial hair is well-trimmed, and his look is sharp. But currently, he was not looking at me, but he was examining something in his hand.
It was my life vest, that bastard was holding my life vest and examining it with interest.
"This is a very interesting thing you got, kid. Where did you get it?"
When he asked me, I didn't realize he was questioning me, I was more numbed by what was happening around me to realize.
SMACK!
Thud!
"Answer the Captain! You little shit!"
I was slapped again by that Fiadh guy, and again it didn't hurt, yet it was still surprising.
It was clear he was trying to be intimidating, but with how light his slaps are, it loses much of the effect.
'Forget intimidating, it just makes me angry!'
My initial confusion is being overwritten by irritation.
Getting on my knees again, I find the Captain still looking at me like he is still waiting for my answer.
'What does he want to know about this vest? It is just a normal Life Vest, right?'
"It is just a normal Life Vest." I voiced my thoughts honestly.
Immediately to realize that this is the wrong answer.
'Why would he ask about the Life Vest if it was normal?'
"Interesting! But my question is, where did you get it? Not what it is? Kid." The Captain caught on to something, but I can't say what it is for sure.
'And I can't exactly say that I got…it…from…the…Box…'
The Box was right in front of me. Right between me and the captain, and I was looking at it now…
'Was he indirectly asking about the Box?'
'If he did, why is he holding the vest, not the B-'
SMACK!
"Why did you suddenly become a mute?! Didn't I tell you to answer the Captain, you little bitch?!"
Again, another smack hit me. This time, it made me fly several meters to the side.
It was the irritating guy called Faidh again, it also didn't hurt, but my attention wasn't on him right now, but on the Box.
My attention was on the Box that appeared right next to me as always.
I get up on my knees again and look at the big guy, Faidh, and that brown dressed Captain.
'They are both looking at me, not the Box…!'
My eyes alternate between the Box, the two of them. But their eyes were still on me, not the Box.
'Could it be…?'
A hypothesis came to my mind that I am going to test.
Half crawling, I position myself in front of the captain of the ship again, and the Box teleported in front of me as always.
Then I looked at the eyes of the two people, they were still looking at me.
It was as if the appearing and disappearing Box didn't exist at all!
'They can't see the Box!'
My dead fish eyes are now hawking the Box, remembering just how bizarre its existence is.
'What the hell is going on?!'
'Why can't they see the damn thing?!'
'Where the f*ck did this freaking thing came from?!'
"Oi! Why are you looking around like an idiot-"
"Sorry about that, my head is buzzing from the sudden beating you are giving me. Could you please stop that? I am trying to talk to the captain here."
Before that stupid guy continued rambling and beating me again, I cut him off using the captain as an excuse.
While I am thankful for him interrupting my panicking, no need to be grateful for this imprudent shithead.
"What did YOU SAY TO ME YOU CO*K SUCKING TWAT?!"
Of course, the vulgar one-brain-cell organism got furious. He moved towards me with bloodshot eyes, intending to shred me to pieces.
"Fiadh, calm down. Let this smartass kid answer first."
When the captain said those words, the big brute Fiadh looked like he had swallowed something rotten.
"Aye, Captain."
Faidh bit down on his teeth and swallowed his rage.
Although he stood silently on the side, his eyes clearly had murder in them.
"Now talk." The Captain ordered like he had done me a favor and wanted the payment now.
Taking a deep breath and organizing my thoughts, I decided to go with half lies.
"I found this Life Vest on the island I was on, among other things there."
'Since they can't see the Box, no need to talk about it either.'
"Among other things? Like what?" Captain—I don't know his name— asked again, a hint of greed in his tone.
'Was he thinking there would be something important or valuable there? There is information that I am lacking here.'
"Like canned food, clothes, and a small boat, they were washed to the shore. It was a very small island."
This part was the lie. And judging from the look on his face, he didn't believe it either.
"And why were you on that island?"
Now time for the 'truth' part.
"I was kidnapped."
"By who?"
"I don't know, I have no idea who they are?"
"Then, how do they look?"
"I don't know, I was blinded and half unconscious when they did."
He still didn't believe me, but…
'Strange, why is he asking about my kidnappers? Does he have an idea who they could be?'
"…You expect me to believe that?" The Captain asked incredulously.
"It is what happened."
Scratch that, he knows nothing. And I now have no control over this conversation at all.
'Then, what does he want to know? Just what the hell is going on?'
"Then how did you escape from them, kid?" With a question like he was finally piecing a puzzle, the captain asked again.
"I didn't, I suddenly woke up on the island. And with the things I had, I sailed to the sea." With half-truths and half lies, I replied to him.
At my words, the Captain contemplated for a bit, then his eyes flashed with a look like he had understood something.
"Okay, which island did they kidnap you from?"
"From Tokyo." I ignored the hint of guilt at saying Tokyo instead of my beloved Chiba, but Tokyo is a more famous landmark, so it should be more recognizable.
"Tokyo? Where is that?" the Captain asked back, completely natural as if he really didn't recognize it.
'…Excuse me?'
He doesn't know Tokyo? Is he pranking me? Is that what all of this is? A prank?
"…Tokyo is…the Capital of Japan…"
"And where is that, you shitty kid?"
"…Japan is…the country of the language you are speaking…"
"Heh…What?"
"Aren't you all currently speaking Japanese?"
"Pfft! Puhahahahahaha!"
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Laughs echoed around me, and everyone who heard my question was now laughing.
'W-What the hell?'
"Where did that country pumpkin come from? Hahaha!"
"Did he hit his head or something? Hahahahah!"
"Hahahaha!Everyone is speaking the same language dumb ass!"
"This is a good joke! Haha!"
"Haha! I should use this one sometime!"
'…What? W-Why the hell are they laughing? Everyone is speaking the same language? What in the world…?'
'…No!'
'This is not true!'
'They are trolling me!'
"Those idiot human traffickers kidnaped him because he was a moron. But they are stupid enough to pass through the Stormy Region, and they died like the idiots they are. And this kid was lucky enough to survive them."
"Fiadh, put this moron kid in the cell." The Captain ordered the big guy like he had lost interest in me.
"Hahaha! Aye Captain! Also, can I have fun with him for a bit?"
'EH? Fun?'
"You can, but don't break him. Maybe we can fetch a good prize for him from the brokers." The Captain responded with an obvious lack of interest.
"Heh, don't worry Captain, I will be as gentle as possible, so much that it will fix his mind and attitude," Fiadh responded, but his eyes were focused on me, making the hairs on my back stand in horror.
The alarms in my head are going haywire!
The large Fiadh was holding me to his side, going to the cabins on the ship.
'Holy Fuck!'
As he was ascending the stairs, I knew I had to get away from here as soon as possible. I can't let him take me anywhere with what I knew he was going to do.
Struggling, the rope was holding my hands and legs tightly. It was tied well, as if the one who did practiced it many times.
"Relax, it is going to be fun! Hehehe!" Fiadh said in a reassuring/mocking tone.
And hearing those words made me struggle even harder.
I have to get away.
I have to run!
But first, I have to untie this rope.
What should I do?
'Right, I should try using the Hamon.'
Breathing through the now familiar rhythm, the ripples were produced, and I used them to try and control the rope.
'Damn!'
Unfortunately, the rope is tied in a complicated way, maybe if I weren't in a hurry or was calmer, I would be able to do it, but not in this situation.
'Damn!'
He finished ascending the stairs, and we are now going to what looks like a corridor.
'No! can't I do something?!'
As I struggled, I remembered something.
The Hamon users were able to control their body parts to some extent, making them longer or thinner.
Maybe I can use that to get away.
Taking a breath, I use the ripple to make my hand thinner.
And my palm, like it had been dislocated, but I don't feel any pain.
Because the Hamon is keeping the hand intact and even healing it, the pain is suppressed, and I don't feel anything.
But that is not the best part, the best part is that my hands are now more malleable. And with an easy move, my hands slipped from the rope.
The moment my hands are free, I make a fist and they are back to normal, like they were always like that.
"Wha…!"
Fiadh became alarmed at me being free, and I instinctively used my hands to push myself away from his grasp.
"You little shit!"
Falling and rolling on the ground, I crouch on my feet and try to set them free so I can run away.
With my arms free, the rope became loose, I was able to free my legs easily.
The rope was totally off me, all that is left now is to run!
"Get back Here!"
But unfortunately, Fiadh was upon me.
He quickly took hold of my arms again to stop me from running away!
"Get off me!" I scream at him, struggling to break free from his grasp.
'Damn…Eh?'
It was then that I realized something.
'This huge guy is…weak?'
He was way larger than me, and he was holding my smaller arms in with his huge hands, but he was the one who was struggling.
'Why is he this weak? Or I am the stron-Wait, the Hamon!'
The Hamon is making me strong.
Even stronger than this huge guy.
And it looks like I was not the only one who realized this.
Fiadh also realized this, and he's no longer looking at me as weak prey to capture, but a strong opponent to take down.
I saw it clearly in his eyes.
The big guy didn't hesitate. He let go of one of my arms, then swung a punch at me.
Pang!
His fist landed square on my face!
The inertia from the punch threw me back a bit, but Fiadh was still holding my arm.
'It hurts…not?'
It didn't hurt, I didn't feel a thing. Just like when he smacked me earlier.
And he didn't stop at one punch, he pulled me towards him while swinging another punch!
This time, I dodged.
The fist that was almost as big as my head flew past my face.
On the reflex, I swung my fist at him too!
But because the guy was large, my punch landed on his stomach.
"GaaH!"
Fiadh gasped painfully and staggered back a bit, his hand was going to where I had hit him.
He had a vicious look on his face.
His eyes were giving off pain, fury, and hatred, anyone who looked at him would realize that.
But strangely, I was able to read his thoughts perfectly.
'He will use his sword. He saw that he was clearly at a disadvantage in power, so he was aiming to use his sword and kill me in one hit!'
'I can't let him, I have to take him down fast!'
With my breathing still in the rhythm, my fist swung at him, almost shining because of the Hamon.
The moment his hand was on his sword, my fist landed on the same spot I hit before, but this time, I wasn't just punching, I was going to use the Crushing Overdrive.
My punch landed, and the ripple spread through the big guy's body.
Instantly, Fiadh puffed blood, his eyes became unfocused, and he flew back from the hit, falling next to the corridor.
Bang!
"OI! What was that noise!"
…
A/N: A heavy and dark Chapter.
I had to rewrite this Chapter many times to get the tone right. (still feeling like I missed the mark)
Anyway, thank you all for reading! Hope you liked the Chapter!
And if you are interested, you also can check my Patre0n for extra Chapters!
patre0n /ColdColt
There are +10 Chapters there.