It didn't take long for Jora to return. He carried only a small backpack, probably stuffed with a change of clothes, and two blades tucked at his waist—the same ones he had always used. Their quality didn't look all that great, though.
"You're back pretty fast."
Jora's quick return caught Shirakawa off guard. He had expected some heavy, heartfelt farewell with his master—maybe a few drinks, some shared memories. Instead, it looked like Jora had simply said goodbye and left.
"Hmph. Meanwhile, you've been lying in that chair without moving an inch."
Maybe it was the sting of leaving his master, but Jora's tone came out sharp and prickly. Still, he was right. From the moment Jora left until he came back, Shirakawa hadn't shifted at all, not even his sitting posture.
"Feels good. No reason to move. Sun on your face is nice."
Shirakawa was really enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on his skin right now. It felt cozy. Maybe it was because he had just finished fighting Kuzan, but he kept getting the strange sensation that he was freezing cold.
He could tell Jora was in a bad mood, so he didn't push it. After all, they were going to be crewmates on the same ship from now on. Put bluntly, they were crickets tied to the same rope. There was no point in fighting over little things.
Besides, as captain, Shirakawa had to be the bigger man.
"What about Riddle? Where'd he go? Isn't he back yet?"
"Oh, he went to buy supplies. He's also picking up the pirate flag while he's at it."
Riddle gave a short "Oh" and fell quiet again.
Soon after, they heard a noisy commotion rising from below the ship. The two of them looked down and saw a whole crowd of villagers trailing behind Riddle, all heading straight for their boat.
"What's going on?" Shirakawa asked Riddle. Had the guy done something awful and gotten the whole village coming after him?
"Captain, this isn't my fault! They heard Jora was leaving and all came out to see him off. Every single one of them is carrying gifts. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen!"
Riddle complained to Shirakawa, but he was clearly enjoying the attention. Right now the crowd had him surrounded, unlike the old days when he left a village as a pirate and everyone glared at him with pure anger.
This was the first time in years of being a pirate that he felt like people actually supported him, and he suddenly realized it felt pretty damn good—maybe even better than being hated.
"Hey, these people are here for you. Go handle it."
Even though Jora was in a sour mood, he couldn't just brush off the villagers' genuine warmth.
Jora jumped down from the ship. The moment he did, the crowd that had been clustered around Riddle instantly abandoned him and swarmed toward Jora instead. Riddle stood there, momentarily stunned.
"Stop spacing out. Get on the ship and do what you're supposed to do."
Seeing Riddle frozen at the bottom of the gangplank, Shirakawa called down to him.
"Oh, right." As Riddle climbed aboard, his eyes still held a trace of envy when he looked at Jora.
"What? Jealous?" Shirakawa noticed the look and asked.
"Yeah. When I set sail, I didn't get anything like this. The people in my village couldn't wait for me to leave. I still remember them laughing out loud with relief when I sailed away."
Shirakawa patted his shoulder in comfort. Comparing Riddle's experience with Jora's had clearly hit the guy hard.
"All right, stop dwelling on the sad stuff. Go get to work."
Work could make a person happy, make them tired, and help them forget sorrow. At least, that was how Shirakawa saw it.
"Yes, Captain."
Riddle's task was simple: hang the pirate flag on the ship.
It was an easy job. Shirakawa watched as Riddle climbed the mast step by step, all the way to the top, and attached the flag. From start to finish, Shirakawa never lifted a hand to help. He only watched with approving eyes.
Seeing the pirate flag fluttering proudly in the wind, Shirakawa gave a satisfied nod. A warm smile spread across his face. His pirate crew finally looked like a real crew.
Starting today, the Silver Pirate Crew had officially formed, and the Silver Pirate Ship had officially set sail.
A little while later, Jora came back aboard loaded with bags and packages of all sizes. The gloomy expression he had worn earlier was gone, replaced by something softer.
"Feeling better?"
"Mhm."
"What's all that in your hands?" Shirakawa asked, even though he already knew.
"Gifts from the villagers."
"Looks like they really didn't want you to leave."
"Mhm."
"Maybe you should just stay behind and not go to sea."
At those words, Jora shot Shirakawa a glare, then quietly started organizing the various gifts the villagers had given him—everything from food to little trinkets.
Even though Jora had boarded, the villagers didn't leave the harbor. They stood there watching the pirate ship grow smaller and smaller, seeing it off into the distance.
Orr stood at the edge of the cliff as well, eyes fixed on the receding ship. His heart felt heavy with reluctance. From now on, he would be alone again. He wondered if he would live long enough to see his two disciples return one day.
"Go out there and make your mark, boys. The future of the seas belongs to you."
Orr whispered the blessing in his heart, unsure whether Jora could hear it.
"Maybe it's time I moved into the village."
Orr slowly walked down the cliff, already imagining a pleasant future. After all, there were several women in the village who had been thinking about him. Perhaps he should finally give them a chance.
"We've finally set sail."
Shirakawa sat cross-legged at the bow of the ship, staring out at the endless ocean. An boundless surge of ambition burned in his chest.
"From today onward, the seas will have a legend that belongs to me."
Shirakawa shouted toward the waves in full chuuni mode.
"I will surpass my senior brother. I will surpass Master. I will become the greatest swordsman in the world."
That was what Jora declared, voice full of fighting spirit.
"I will follow the captain forever and be his loyal little brother."
The moment they heard Riddle's dream, the powerful aura Shirakawa and Jora had built up instantly collapsed.
"Hey, can you show a little ambition? What do you mean be my little brother? You planning to stick behind my ass forever?"
Shirakawa scolded Riddle.
Even though Riddle had only been on board a short time, he no longer harbored any thoughts of rebellion. Strength simply didn't allow it. He had already witnessed Shirakawa's true power and knew he would never have a chance to surpass him.
Shirakawa had been good to him these past days, but Riddle could also sense the captain's ruthlessness. If he ever betrayed them, death would be the only thing waiting for him.
"Hehe, after seeing the captain's heroic strength, I've completely surrendered to your charm."
"Haha, good answer."
/-\
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