I'm heading out to sea. Please take care of me.
…Wait, that sounded weird. Whatever.
Shaking those stray thoughts out of his head, Kyle went below deck and began rummaging through the ship.
The pirates' taste in clothing was absolutely atrocious. Most of it reeked of sweat and dried blood. After a long search, he finally found a relatively clean black shirt and a pair of loose trousers in one of the chests. The fabric was rough and the fit oversized, but it was still far better than his old outfit made of leaves and animal hide.
After changing, Kyle picked up a piece of polished copper to use as a mirror.
The boy staring back at him had black hair and golden eyes. Years of sun had given him a healthy bronze tone, and though there was still a trace of childishness in his face, his features were sharp and well-defined. His eyes, in particular, gleamed strangely even in the dim cabin.
"Heh. Never thought I'd get by on my looks in this life."
He brushed his bangs back smugly.
"If this were my old world, I'd totally be a campus heartthrob. Maybe even an influencer."
Satisfied with his self-admiration, Kyle returned to the deck. Mimicking the pirates from memory, he adjusted the sails and grabbed the helm.
"Alright—set sail!"
And then…
Nothing happened.
One hour later, the ship was still spinning in circles.
Two hours later, he was drenched in sweat—and somehow closer to the island than before.
"How the hell do you drive this thing?!"
Kyle clawed at his hair, face burning with embarrassment.
In his old life he had barely passed swimming class, let alone learned how to sail a ship. Theory was one thing—practice was a nightmare.
Out of desperation, he tried using shockwaves to push the ship.
BOOM!
A massive splash soaked him. The ship rocked, then drifted backward.
"…Great."
In the end, he gave up and let the current decide his fate.
Days passed. Food and water dwindled. He trained, waited, and prayed.
"Am I really going to become the first pirate in history to starve because he can't sail?"
Just as despair was setting in, a dark shape appeared on the horizon.
"Land!"
By pure luck, the current carried him to a bustling port town.
He crashed into the dock in spectacular fashion, scattering workers and smashing small boats.
With a final thud, the ship wedged itself into a pier.
Kyle leapt onto solid ground.
He grabbed a passerby. "Where is this?"
"Dog Town's outer port."
"Dog Town…?"
Before he could ask more, an explosion rocked the harbor.
"Pirates! The Black Shark Pirates!"
Kyle's golden eyes lit up.
"…Guess dinner just came to me."