Sora and his crew were blissfully unaware of the Navy's deliberations, nor did they need to be.
They stood on the Freedom's deck, eyes gleaming with excitement at a distant island. It was their fourth day since leaving the Golem Islands.
The clash with the Mad Bull Pirates had been a fleeting diversion, but the past three days of unchanging sea had left them like dreamless salted fish—utterly bored.
No wonder they were thrilled to spot land. After days at sea, anyone but a born loner craved bustle. It's why pirate crews loved throwing feasts.
Kuina, map in hand, studied the coastline. "According to the map, this is Prosius Island, an ordinary island with a Navy branch."
She wasn't bored on the ship—as long as Sora was around, anywhere felt the same to her.
"Navy base?" Ahua flinched instinctively.
Now that they were a pirate crew, the Navy was a natural concern. Not that they feared fighting Marines—it was the thief's gut reaction to spotting a cop.
Then, as if realizing something, Ahua's face relaxed. Puffing out his hefty belly, he blustered, "Who cares if there's a Navy base? We're not wanted. What's to fear?"
"Exactly! The Navy can't boss us around," Ata chimed in.
Kuina glanced at them coolly. "Just be careful. It's been days—chances are the Navy's issued bounties by now. Sora and I can handle it, but you three might end up in a cell."
"Hey, Kuina, don't underestimate us like that!" Alo protested, striding up.
"Oh?" Kuina's gaze flicked to him. "Got a problem?"
"Nope, nope, nope!" Alo backpedaled, waving his hands furiously.
Damn, almost got carried away, he thought.
Ahua and Ata edged away from Alo, staring ahead with exaggerated focus, pretending they weren't involved.
Sora, tearing his eyes from Prosius, grinned at Kuina. "If there's a bounty, it'll just be you and me. Ahua and the others aren't involved, so no worries."
Ahua, Alo, and Ata weren't sure whether to be relieved or insulted. Did Sora just mock us again?
"I know," Kuina replied, her lips curving into a smile. With a teasing edge, she added, "Those three? They couldn't get a bounty if they tried."
Ahua, Alo, and Ata fumed silently, trembling with indignation but too scared to retort.
When will we ever stand tall? they lamented.
---
The Freedom soon glided into Prosius Island's port, docking among fishing boats. They furled the sails, dropped anchor, and disembarked.
"Wow!" Ahua hopped onto the dock, bouncing with excitement. "Nothing beats solid ground!"
"Huh, where is everyone?" Alo asked, cigarette dangling, scanning the quiet port.
They'd expected a lively island, not this ghost town.
"Probably in the town," Sora said, glancing at the streets ahead.
His eyes flicked to a Navy lookout post on the right. Pausing briefly, he turned to Ahua, Alo, and Ata as if nothing happened. "Kuina and I are hitting the tavern to gather intel—and maybe find some decent wine."
He shook his empty wine gourd, which rattled hollowly. The fine liquor from Baratie was long gone.
Despite his short time at sea, Sora's tolerance had spiked recently. He wasn't a full-blown drunkard yet, but he was well on his way to being a lightweight lush.
The ship's standard rum tasted like weak beer to him now, and he disliked its flavor. So, he'd picked up a new hobby: hunting for local brews wherever they landed.
"Don't worry, Sora," Ahua said. "We've got our own errands. You and Kuina do your thing."
"Cool, we're off then."
As Sora and Kuina's figures faded into the town, Ahua, Alo, and Ata split up to tackle their tasks. Ahua sought fresh ingredients, fruits, and water for the ship.
Ata hunted for ship-repair tools and nautical supplies.
Alo, recently taken with firearms, wanted a better gun.
His current one, scavenged from Krieg's crew, was a mediocre hand-me-down. He'd griped to Sora about not snagging one of Krieg's finer weapons, leaving him without a standout piece.
As the crew dispersed into the town, a Marine in the lookout post exhaled in relief. Sora's fleeting glance had nearly stopped his heart.
Facing a pirate with a 70-million-Belly bounty wasn't for the faint of courage—and Sora was the highest-bounty pirate he'd ever seen in person.
Navy bounties were faxed to branches first, then distributed worldwide via the World News Agency's news birds, tucked into the latest papers.
Thus, Sora and Kuina's wanted posters hit Navy branches before anywhere else, with other regions lagging by days—remote areas even longer.
This Marine had noticed the Freedom's arrival but didn't immediately recognize the windmill flag, mistaking it for a merchant ship's.
He'd shrugged it off until Sora stepped ashore, his silver hair a dead giveaway. Heart racing, he fumbled for the wanted poster issued two days ago, confirming Sora's face.
The warm sunlight couldn't thaw his chilled heart. He stole another cautious glance at Sora, then quickly looked away, terrified of being spotted. "It's really him."
The poster's glaring "7" followed by a string of zeros sent a shiver from his soles to his scalp. Frozen in the lookout post, he finally bolted for the Navy base.
This was way above his pay grade. Big pirates were for big shots to handle. He knew Prosius's tiny branch had no one to match Sora, but that was the higher-ups' problem—not his, a lowly sentry's.
"Plan B: find someone taller to take the fall," he muttered, sprinting off.
(End of Chapter)