Creak... creak..." Accompanied by the rhythmic sound of waves slapping against the ship's hull, Lily slowly opened her eyes.
"You're awake," Kaido said.
"Where are we?" Lily asked.
"On a Navy ship. I didn't wake up much earlier than you." Kaido lifted his arm, and the clinking of heavy chains echoed in the cell.
They were in the brig at the bottom of the ship. To prevent any chance of escape, the Navy had shackled their arms with heavy iron cuffs, chained securely to the wall.
Clang! The iron door opened.
"You're up? Here—your dinner," a Navy soldier entered holding two trays, setting them in front of the two prisoners. Without another word, he turned to leave.
"Hey! Wait a second!" Lily rasped, her voice still hoarse.
"Huh? What now?" the soldier replied impatiently, scratching his ear.
"Where are we being taken?"
"The Navy Headquarters. Where else?" he said with a dismissive wave, clearly uninterested in a longer conversation.
Creak... As the ship continued to sway, Kaido and Lily exchanged a glance.
"We need to escape," Lily spoke first.
"Damn right. No way I'm becoming the World Government's lapdog," Kaido growled, taking a ferocious bite of the bread on his tray.
"Those disgusting nobles," Lily cursed. She had always known from her adoptive father how vile the nobles could be, but experiencing it firsthand was different. Before, she had little love for them—now, she loathed them. Willing to betray and sacrifice loyal warriors for their own gain? Such people shouldn't exist.
"Kaido, what's your dream?" Lily asked, taking a bite of her own bread.
"Me? Never thought much about it. But if I had to say… I want to crush all those repulsive nobles!" Kaido dumped the rest of the food into his mouth and chewed with determination.
"What a coincidence. I feel the same." Lily chuckled, then offered a fist to Kaido. "Hey Kaido, if we escape… how about we take them down together?"
"Wurorororo—yeah, let's drag those pompous bastards off their thrones!" Kaido let out his signature laugh in response.
"We'll destroy the nobles and build a world where everyone's free to choose their own future… a world without nobles," Lily said as she stared through the iron bars, already envisioning a better future in her mind.
"But first, we have to get out of here," Kaido said.
"Of course. Do you still have the thing?" Lily grinned.
"Wurororo, of course." Kaido carefully slipped off his shoe and pulled a thin iron pick from the heel—a trick he'd learned back when he was just a street thug.
"I'll keep watch. Hurry," Lily whispered.
"No problem. This kind of lock isn't hard." As he spoke, Kaido popped open the first shackle. He immediately started on the second.
Meanwhile, outside the brig, two Navy soldiers were chatting idly.
"You hear something?" Soldier A looked around.
"Waves, probably. Looks like a storm's coming," Soldier B yawned. "Still, I don't get why Rear Admiral Poff hasn't upgraded ships yet. He made it to HQ—should've ditched this old branch ship by now."
"Maybe he's sentimental. Don't forget, we got assigned to HQ thanks to that sentimentality. Otherwise, we'd still be stuck at a branch," Soldier A replied.
"Maybe. Still, too many rules at HQ. I miss the freedom of the branch." Soldier B stretched lazily.
"True, but the HQ allowance is better—wait, no, seriously. There's a sound. Listen." Soldier A pressed his ear against the brig door.
"Somebody! Bring water! Kaido's choking! Is anyone there?" A faint voice called from inside.
"Shit! Hurry!" Soldier A quickly unlocked the door. Looking through the bars, he saw Kaido clutching his throat, face turning purple, while Lily pounded on his back.
"I've got water! Open the gate, quick!" Soldier A pulled out his canteen. The Rear Admiral had explicitly told them nothing must happen to the prisoners—if one of them died on their watch, they were finished.
What they didn't notice was that the prisoners' shackles were already loosened. And the moment the gate opened—
Swish!
Kaido and Lily rushed forward, each landing a powerful punch to the soldiers' stomachs. The sudden diaphragm pain knocked the wind from them—literally. Without giving them a chance to react, both were struck again at the back of the head. For at least the next 24 hours, these soldiers would remain blissfully unaware of the world outside.
Kaido and Lily carefully stepped out of the brig and crept down the corridor. It was night now; everything was silent, with only the flickering light of old kerosene lamps illuminating the path.
"We can't take the whole ship. First, we need supplies. A ship this size must have lifeboats. If we can lower one, we're out of here," Lily reasoned, rubbing her temples.
"Agreed. Let's find the storeroom first." Kaido nodded.
Guided by the quiet night, the two felt their way upward through the ship. Since the brig was in the lowest deck, the higher they climbed, the more the ship rocked.
"Looks like a storm's coming," Kaido sniffed. Years of naval battles had given them a keen sense for weather changes.
"It's a problem—but also an opportunity. Sure, it'll be dangerous out at sea, but our chances of escaping go way up," Lily said as she started forward—only to be pulled back by Kaido.
"There." He pointed at a side door. On it, in bold letters: STORAGE.
"Nice work." Lily gave him a thumbs-up. They quietly pushed the door open. It was pitch dark inside. Confirming there was no one around, they slipped in.
"There's rum here," Kaido said, sniffing the contents of a barrel. On the sea, where fresh water is scarce, rum is an essential item.
"I found jerky, biscuits, a few packs of hardtack—and some spices, though we won't need those," Lily reported. "Don't forget to look for clothes. They'll help us carry this stuff—and keep warm."
"I know, but most of these are too small—huh? What's this?" Kaido found a large bundle, unexpectedly heavy. Curious, he opened it.
"The Eightfold Rings!" Kaido exclaimed under his breath.
"What is it?" Lily came over. Inside the bundle lay her sword, Kaido's Eightfold Rings, and both of their original clothes. Even some signature bread and spirits from the Kingdom of Vodka had been included.
"There's a letter," Kaido said, pulling an envelope from the clothing and handing it to Lily.
On the envelope was written:
To Kaido and Lily — from Anderst Dorro.
(End of Chapter)
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