"Makotoooo! Get down here before your breakfast gets cold!"

"Yeah, I'm coming!" I call down. I wait a moment before letting out a sigh. I look into the mirror at the clothes I put on. A pale green shirt and a worn pair of shorts, with some boots bought from down the street—nothing special. But that's okay. It's not the clothes that are special. It's the day.

Today is the day I'm leaving home.

I take a deep breath. The smell of the salty ocean drifts in from my open window. If I strain to listen, I can make out the screeching seagulls and even the waves crashing. Even in the outskirts of Speswynn, the presence of the sea can be felt. I used to go down to the beach a lot with my sister when we were younger. We'd splash in the sea and play in the sand until the sun started to drop below the horizon. I still do that occasionally. The sunset is too beautiful to let a sight like it go to waste.

It makes me remember the port just next to the beach and the fateful trip I made two weeks ago. Ships fill every possible space in the harbor, with sailors and townsfolk delivering goods to the various shops around town. On the other hand, there are always people rushing around to make sure their ships are full of vital supplies and in good condition for the long journeys home.

To be honest… I kind of envy their freedom. Barring a few occasions, Speswynn is the only place I know. That's why I was down there that day. To look for any ships that needed an extra pair of hands. I wasn't bothered about how much they paid me, I just want to see what's out there beyond the island.

And what I found was the Sea Star—a merchant ship that frequently delivers a variety of goods to Speswynn. Although… It wasn't the most traditional of recruitments. I met the second-in-command after I caused an incredibly embarrassing accident that involved him, seven kegs of alcohol, and a crate of fresh tuna. He told me my honesty in owning up and dedication to cleaning up my mess impressed him—and my bad luck was rather amusing. I ended up mentioning the fact I was looking for work and he said he'd talk to his captain, who I didn't get a chance to meet.

And now the time has come for the Sea Star to set sail once more.

I fiddle with the hem of my shirt. Two weeks… sure have gone by fast. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact I'm actually leaving home on a ship. It's a little overwhelming. Sure, as a young man of seventeen, I'm pretty independent, but there's a difference between a thirty minute walk to the butchers and a three month voyage.

"Makoto!" I jump as I hear my sister's voice ring across the house again. "Mom says you're going to be late! Hurry up!"

"All right, all right! I'm coming!" I shout. There's no more delaying the inevitable, I suppose. I turn to my bed where my bag of essentials was sitting. Everything was already packed, so I just need to grab it and go. But something makes me pause before I leave. I rest my hand hesitantly on the door and turn to take in the sight of my room. Memories begin to flood through my mind. The time I spent growing up in here, inviting Sayaka over for games and sneaking her pastries from the kitchen, sharing the bedroom with Komaru until she grew old enough to 'declare her independence' and demand her own room…

It feels like I'm saying goodbye.

I shake my head to rid myself of the bizarre thought. What am I thinking? Sure, it's goodbye and I'm not going to see this for a while, but the journey is three months. It's not forever. I'll be back before long. I slip out of the room and the door shuts with finality.

I trot down the stairs, bag bouncing against my back with each step. The smell of baked goods in the front room wafts through the kitchen but the scent of my own breakfast is a little stronger. Mmm, that smells good… Makes my mouth water. My eyes wander over to the table—and I freeze in horror.

"Komaru!" My younger sister gives me a smug look. She wags her eyebrows and picks up the egg-on-toast breakfast that's definitely meant for me because Mom's already washing all the other plates in the sink.

"It's not my fault you took so long coming down."

I give her a disbelieving look. "That was five minutes ago!"

Our mother stops scrubbing at a stubborn spot on a plate to glance at us. "Play nice, you two."

Komaru lowers her hands and twists her torso around. "Mom, I warned him his food was getting cold! I couldn't just let it go to wa—Hey!"

She lets out a cry of outrage as I use the moment of distraction to snatch the toast from her. Komaru's hands slam down on the table, causing the plate between to clatter slightly.

"You weren't eating it, so I couldn't let it go to waste, could I?" I ask innocently. The toast crunches beneath my teeth as I bite into it, trying not to drop the single fried egg balanced on top. Komaru is right—the toast had cooled to a lukewarm temperature. More time had passed in my room than I'd thought. It's still delicious, though, so I eat without complaint.

"Use a plate, dear," Mom reminds me without even looking over. In response, I plop down into one of the unused chairs and pull Komaru's plate towards me.

Dad pokes his head around the doorway leading to the bakery's kitchen. His hands leave a dusty white mark against the wood frame. "Did I hear something fall?"

"Komaru slammed the table."

"Because Makoto stole my food!"

"It's my food! You already had yours!"

"You weren't eating it!"

"Because I was upstairs! Packing!"

"Please, you packed last night!"

"Relax, you two. It's not even noon and you're already at it," he says, attempting to diffuse the situation. Komaru lets out a huff in response. It doesn't look like she'll try to steal it again, but her eyes still linger on me and my food with a look of jealousy. I roll my eyes and tear off a bit of the toast. She takes it eagerly with a wide smile.

Dad enters the kitchen and rubs my spiky hair affectionately. "You need to work on that bad habit of sleeping in, kiddo. They'll be expecting you to work on the Sea Star rather than nap—and I don't think they'd be as lenient as we are."

"Dad!" His hand moves away as I furiously wave my own at the top of my head. I wish he'd pay attention a bit more to what he's doing. Whether by accident or on purpose, his hands have turned my hair less brown and more beige.

He lets out a chuckle at my actions. Komaru sighs and rests her head on her folded arms. "I can't believe you're going to be gone for a whole three months. You're leaving me all alone!"

"Alone?" I echo. "But Sayaka's still here, you know. And your friend Chieko, right? And Mom and Dad and—"

"I get it, I get it, our town has people," an exasperated Komaru interrupts. She stares at me with a bit of longing. "But it'll be weird without you here. You'll be off sailing around the islands and I'm here baking bread rolls."

"I thought you liked baking bread rolls."

"Makoto, that may be true, but it doesn't change the fact you're not going to be there."

I give her a small smile. "The trip's not just for fun, you know. I'll still be working the whole time. In fact, as the new kid, they'll probably make me do all the jobs the veteran sailors don't want to do. There's going to be lots of people in a small space and I can't be picky with my food."

"Yeah, but I've never even left Speswynn!"

"Because you're younger, Komaru," I reply simply.

She frowns at me. "But you got to go to Erimead when you were younger!"

Dad walks over to her and places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Times are different now," he reminds her. "Pirates are much more active than they used to be. They raided Norbush four month ago and Ostden was burned not long afterward. And that's not mentioning any other towns in the archipelago that have been raided."

Mom pauses in her task at the change of subject. A sorrowful shadow falls over her. "Nor is it mentioning all the attacks that could happen out at sea…" She turns to me with concern in her eyes. "Makoto, are you sure you want to go? What if something happens to you out there?"

"Mom, I've told you for the past two weeks, I made my decision already." My voice is gentle but leaves no room for persuasion. "I understand why you keep asking me, but I want to go. Besides, I'm practically an adult now! I get that the world's a pretty dangerous place, but I'm going to have to get out there one day. Komaru's right in saying I've been to other towns in Corfallow, but I haven't seen any of the other islands. Working on a merchant ship will give me that opportunity! I want to see as much of the world as I can… and I can't do that if I'm stuck in a bakery."

She looks as though she wants to argue more, but lets out a quiet breath of resignation. "Of course. I know you're responsible enough to make your own decisions, but…" Mom stares down at her hands, half-submerged in the water. "Mothers will worry."

A small feeling of guilt begins to well up inside. "Mom…"

"You better get me a souvenir, got it?"

I bite back a laugh at my sister's bitter yet pleading tone. Leave it to Komaru to lift the atmosphere of the room. I try to put on a stern face but the hints of a smile creep through. "Seriously, Komaru?"

She throws her hands up in the air defensively. "I mean, you're going to be spending several days at the ports, right? It's more than enough time!" She huffs and mumbles, "Geez, sorry for asking!"

A chuckle escapes me. She could've been a bit more tactful, but she's still young, so I don't blame her for leaving the dark stuff to the adults. Besides, she's my little sister. Who am I to deny her demands? "You even need to ask? I'll bring back all sorts of things, I promise!"

Because I am coming back. No need to worry about me, Mom. I swear.

"You can only do that if you get there." I look back towards Dad at his cryptic comment. He merely points towards the doorway. "Shouldn't you be going?"

I blink in confusion. What is he…? I glance towards the window, taking in the view of the sun rising and its position against the horizon—

I almost choke on the last bit of toast in my mouth as it finally occurs to me. I'm going to be late!

"Bye mom bye dad bye Komaru I love you!" The words leave my mouth in a blur and I move towards the door even faster. I dodge past my dad's workspace and the pastry displays as I reach the bakery entrance.

"Be careful, Makoto!"

"Remember, don't be a stranger! And try to get along with the crew!"

"Makoto, you better have lots of interesting stories to tell me about when you come back, you hear?!"

A gasp escapes my throat as I trip over a loose bit of cobble on the road. Then their encouraging words register in my head and a grin begins to overtake my face. This is a new chapter in my life. A whole new adventure awaits.

Time to take that first step.

"There you are! What took ya so long?"

"I-I'm sorry, I just got caught up and—"

"I'm messing with ya! You're perfectly fine, lad. Just get on board, all right?"

I struggle to catch my breath after the absolute sprint over to the port. For a moment there, I thought I wouldn't be able to find the ship amongst the many docked here. When I arrive, however, it's clear I'm worrying over nothing. It's the large ship to the left with people ferrying crate after crate on board. Plus, it has the words Sea Star emblazoned on the hull of the ship. That tends to be a good indicator.

I nod gratefully to the familiar man—Ietsuna Jukodo, he introduces himself as—and climb up the gangplank. The main deck buzzes with activity. Old-time crew members race around and bark out orders to the other sailors on where to move this and where to put that and 'for god's sake, don't drop the rum'.

"Hey, deckhand! New guy! You, with the funny bit of hair that sticks up!" I turn around in surprise at the last part. Never heard that one before, but it doesn't take much brainwork to work out who they're referring to.

A girl stands behind me, dressed in somewhat plain clothes—a white shirt with a red sleeveless jacket over the top and navy blue shorts. A simple tie holds her brown hair up in a ponytail, swirled and sticking upwards. Her tan arms wrap around a heavy-looking crate.

She jerks the crate a little in an attempt to gesture to it. "Mind helping a girl out?"

"Y-Yeah, sure." I move forward and secure my fingers around the edges of the box. She lets go and I almost crumple to the ground from the weight she's dropped in my arms. Holy crud, what the heck's in this?! It weighs a ton! Just as I contemplate giving it back, I look up to see she's already got another identical box in her arms. The protest dies in my throat.

"Let's go!" I guess this is what I get for being helpful. Not a problem, though. Good first impressions matter. With the mysterious girl leading the way, we both descend into the depths of the ship. The layout isn't too complicated, so it doesn't take long to reach the cargo hold. I practically collapse to my knees by the time I place the crate on the floor. The girl is already sat on top of one of the other crates and swinging her legs back and forth.

"Surprised to see a girl on board?" she asks out of the blue.

"A little," I admit. It takes me a second to realize what I've blurted out. I flush in embarrassment and study my shoes. "I-I mean, um…"

She lets out an amused laugh. "It's all right. Merchant ships don't tend to have too many female sailors, am I right?"

"Maybe…?" I reply, my voice a little unsure. I let out a sigh. At least she isn't mad. "But I'm new to the Sea Star, so I can't say I know for sure. I think I'm more surprised to find someone my age."

"Well, I already knew that, but that makes two of us." She jumps off of the crate and holds a hand out to me. "I'm Aoi, but you can just call me Hina."

"Hi, Hina," I greet properly. "My name's Makoto. It's a pleasure to meet you." I give her hand a firm shake and then pause as I finally register her words completely. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

She wags a finger at me with a smile. "I'm new to the Sea Star as well. I have been on a ship before though, so I could tell you were new—although these circumstances are a bit different. Besides, you were kinda standing there and gawking like a gull waiting for a fish to jump in its mouth." She giggles at her own joke.

I cough and my face burns redder. So much for good first impression. I attempt to move on from her observation and change the subject slightly. "W-Well, this is a completely new experience for me. I've never left Corfallow before. I guess I'm lucky to be here. The job kinda got offered to me a few days ago."

"What?!" I flinch back from her loud tone in surprise. Her mouth hangs open from shock. "You were offered? Argh, this bites!" She kicks at an empty box that ends up clattering across the floorboards. "I had to hassle that old fart Kirigiri for like two days straight before he finally gave up and let me come!"

"Kirigiri?" I repeat curiously.

She gives me a pointed look of disbelief. "You're telling me you don't actually know your own captain?"

I avert my gaze and scratch my cheek sheepishly. "Actually, I've only met Mister Jukodo… A-Anyway, why were you so desperate? To come, I mean."

She leans against one of the crates and sticks her hands behind her head. "I've always loved the ocean. The sound, the smell… Nothing excited me more in the afternoon than heading down to the beach for a swim. So I thought it'd be fun to spend some time on a ship."

"And why the Sea Star? It sounds like you were pretty determined to get on this specific ship."

"Mmm…" She draws out her hum for a long time, eyes searching around the cargo hold. Her gaze settles on me and her eyelids slide close with a cheeky grin. "Cause I like starfish?"

"Seriously?" I ask. That seems like a really bizarre reason. Plus, the way her voice raised in pitch makes it sound a lot more like a questioning excuse than anything else.

"Kinda," she smiles. "Maybe it's also cause he was just so stubborn about it. I do love a good challenge."

The conversation lulls to a halt after that. It's only then that I realize we've been down here longer than we probably should. "It's been a while… Think we should head back up?"

"Mmm… Nah," she shrugs and pushes off of the crate to look over it almost indifferently. "I'm sure you can manage with whatever they need you to do. You enjoy yourself swabbing the deck."

"Ah…" I'd actually really like her help, but I'm a complete greenhorn while she's apparently got some sort of experience under her belt. I don't think I'm in a position to be telling her what to do. "All right, then," I relent with a defeated tone.

I walk towards the hold's entrance before hesitating. "So I'll see you la—"

I pause. In the brief time that I had my back turned, the girl—Hina—had managed to completely vanish from sight.

"—ter…" I finish awkwardly. I send one last cursory look among the storage space, but she's disappeared without a trace. Heaving a sigh, I trudge back up the stairs and into the light of the deck.

Being a sailor is actually a lot tougher than I had envisioned. Or at least, being me on a ship is.

Over the next few days of sailing, I still haven't seen hide nor hair of that girl. I try looking around the cargo hold anytime I find myself down there, but she's nowhere to be found. Asking the other sailors gives me conflicting and inconclusive directions. Knowing where she is would be nice since her disappearance means that I have all the exhausting jobs shoved onto me.

As the new kid, I'm delegated with all the menial tasks that no one else wanted to do, like cleaning the cannons, fetching people some rum and—as Hina had so gleefully suggested—swabbing the deck. I'm not surprised, of course. No previous experience aboard a ship and all. I think I'd find it worse if they tried to get me to do more complicated tasks. But it doesn't really make it more fun to do those jobs.

It's been quite the learning experience so far, though. For example, leaving alcohol spills for long is not a good idea. It's best to mop it immediately with the salt water collected from the ocean. That way, the deck stays clean and doesn't smell as badly of rum. Definitely don't use any fresh water, because that's for drinking. Everyone mixes it with alcohol to keep it good, but I managed to convince Jukodo to keep the amount of alcohol in my drinking rations to a minimum. I've seen several sailors too drunk for their own good, and I'm supposed to be bringing Komaru great stories about the places I've been, not about how I was too intoxicated to—

"PIRATES!"

I freeze in my tracks.

A chill runs down my spine and I shiver violently.

What…?

The whole deck goes silent. The sailor watching from the crow's nest continues, "Port side, southwest and approaching fast!"

"Prepare for battle!" the captain orders as soon as he sees them. "They're not taking us down without a fight!"

I hardly register the merchant crew exploding into action, shouting and running around. I stumble across the deck. The sun sinks beyond the horizon, silhouetting the large ship and its menacing flag as it moves towards us. Pirates… are coming? They're… attacking us right now?! What am I supposed to do? How can I prepare for battle? I just about manage with slicing pastries—how does a bakery boy fight off a gang of pirates with swords?!

This… I promised I'd be safe…

It all feels like a bad dream.

Someone crashes into me hard and the impact snaps me from my daze. I look straight up into the beady eyes of the sailor—Ietsuna Jukodo, the man who'd recommended coming aboard a fortnight ago.

"What are ya doing, lad?! You're standing around like a rat caught in the grain store! Get below deck, now!" he snaps. "Find a place to hide, and for god's sake, stay away from those pirates!"

"A-A-Aye!" I only respond out of habit and sprint off faster than I've ever done before. My heart pounds against my chest. My blood races around my body at an alarming rate. Another shiver creeps through me when I think of what might be starting above deck. The surroundings go by in a blur. At first, I'm just skipping every other step, but soon I'm practically leaping to the lower levels of the ship.

I could die. It terrifies me, but I could die here, out in the open waters, alone. I'd never see Komaru again, or Mom and Dad, or Sayaka. They'd all be heartbroken when they found out. How long would that be, though? For how many days, or weeks, or months, would they go about their daily lives without a care in the world, waiting for me to come home, unaware that it just wouldn't happen?

I block it out and focus my mind on something else.

Run and hide. Run and hide. Don't let the pirates find you. Don't let the—

I crash full-speed into someone. It tears me violently from my thoughts as we both fall to the ground. My chest heaves as I struggle to get air back into my lungs and the person beneath me shoves me back onto my butt.

"Makoto!"

It's her. I don't believe this. I don't even know where she's come from, but that girl from my first day is the one in front of me. She calls my name again, volume raised to a shout to be heard over the chaos of people surrounding us.

I don't respond immediately. I can't. I'm still recovering from the collision and my mind is only working so fast. She grabs onto my shoulders tight and forces me to meet her eyes. "Makoto, what's going on?"

"P-Pirates…" I manage to choke out. Fear makes my voice and body tremble. "T-There are pirates coming… We gotta hide… G-Gotta get away… I… I don't want to die…"

My vision refocuses, and in my daze, I faintly wonder if she's swapped places with someone else. It's like she's changed into a completely different person. She looks more serious than I'd ever seen her before and it's so strange I completely miss what she's saying.

"Makoto, I need you to focus," she says. She gives me a shake to try and grab my attention. "Listen to me, okay? Did you see the flag on the pirate ship? Was it half black, half white?"

"W-What does that—?"

"Please, Makoto. It's important," she insists.

I bite my lip. O-Okay. Important. Let's try and focus. I attempt to rein in my frazzled mind to sift through my memories. Do I remember the flag? Any hints that could answer her question? We sit there for what feels like hours, waiting for my memory to get working and get the information we want. She shifts in place, antsy to get moving and all too aware of the danger above us, but she needs the answer so badly she doesn't—

I got it.

It's only a flicker, but it's enough to confirm the description she gave. I give her a shaky but sharp nod, much easier for my current state of mind than to use words to detail its appearance.

Her eyes darken in response and she lets loose a few curses under her breath. "That's just what I need," I hear her mutter softly. Before I get the chance to ask her about it or even realize what she's doing, she grabs my arm and pulls me towards the stairs.

The stairs leading up.

Oh no. No no no nonono bad idea bad idea—

"W-Why are we going above deck?!" I shout as she pulls and pulls without slowing down. "That's where… That's where they are! We n-need to get away and, a-and—"

"What else are we going to do, hide in the cargo hold?" she snaps back. I stay silent. That was what Jukodo had commanded me to do, but… My gut's trying to tell me something. Right now, this girl seems like the person to trust in this situation. Hina's reaction to the crisis makes me think… Not quite that she expected this to happen, but more like… she's experienced something similar before. "No, they're going to aim for the gunpowder and blow this ship apart."

"They wouldn't!" I protest immediately. "Then they'd also—"

"They don't care!" she retorts. We're almost to the deck now. I can't help but hope that she knows what she's doing. Otherwise, she's crazy and about to get us both killed. "Getting off this ship now is the only way we're going to stay alive."

We race up the stairs and encounter what could only be described as utter pandemonium.

The two crews are already locked in fierce combat underneath the twilight sky, either dueling with short swords or just using their fists. The colorful outfits of the pirates immediately draw my attention. They're out of place, disrupting the familiar scene in my mind of the main deck filled with Sea Star sailors. Even more out of place are the splashes of dark red staining every surface and every piece of clothing in sight.

As much as I don't want to admit it, the general difference in skill is easy to see. The Sea Star is just a merchant ship, but the pirates steal and fight for a living—I can tell which side would be more likely to win, even if I despise the outcome.

The girl at my side seems to have come to the same conclusion. Hina tugs at my arm and whispers, "Stay quiet. Follow me."

I don't have a reason to argue, so I nod as she guides me around the outskirts of the battle. The pirates are outnumbered but skilled enough that it requires several crew members to face off against just one. That does nothing to slow the rate at which Sea Star members are dropping dead to the floor. Both warring sides are too preoccupied to notice a couple of kids sneaking around.

Soon it becomes obvious where Hina is headed for. There are several smaller boats stored below deck for any journeys that the larger Sea Star can't manage itself, but two longboats are set up on each side of the deck for emergency purposes. The one Hina is aiming for is the one hanging alongside the starboard—the opposite to where the pirate ship is.

I don't like this. Hina's plan could only be to get to the longboat and leave with just the two of us. She's not even making any attempt to help the crew members or let them know where we're going. I want to protest, to argue that we need to help them, but I glance over at the ferocious battles beside us and the growing carpet of blood and death. The words die before they can even leave my mouth.

She looks back briefly as if to check on me—and then her eyes widen in alarm. "Duck!"

I drop to the wooden floor without even a questioning look. Her feet move forward, coming to a halt right in front of my face. My brain finally catches up and processes everything and I flip over onto my side to look behind me. A man—one of the pirates, as I don't recognize him or his uniform at all—stumbles away from us. He reaches up with his hand to wipe the blood trickling from a slice along his nose. Hina's standing above me, a glare on her face and a dagger in her hand, a sliver of blood running across its edge.

Hell if I know where she got it from, but I'm glad one of us is armed.

The man recovers and raises his sword, but she's ready for him. She steps in front of me and lashes out with the fist clutching the knife. It crashes into his hand and causes the sword to veer down into the floor. She doesn't stop there. Using the momentum, she spins on one foot and lifts her other leg, kicking the guy straight in the nose with a hard, heeled boot.

He crumples to the ground instantly. When he doesn't move after a few moments, Hina shoves the knife into her boot and grabs me roughly by the forearm. "Okay, screw the stealth! Let's go!"

She pulls me through the battlefield with renewed vigor, faster than my feet can keep up with. She ducks and dodges around the combatants who get in her way. A few times she comes to a sudden halt when someone blocks her path and I have to put the brakes on to prevent from crashing into her back. I barely avoid falling flat on my face when she abruptly pulls me again.

"Hina!" I shout in warning. I knew we couldn't go long without someone noticing us. She turns just in time to see the pirate raise his sword, ready and eager to do some damage to our fleshy limbs. She reacts swiftly, crouching down to grab her knife from her boot, but someone gets there first.

We watch in surprise as a second sword strikes the pirate's with a sharp sound, belonging to none other than the captain of the Sea Star. It's caught the pirate off-guard too, as he can't avoid the following punch that cracks against his temple. The captain doesn't waste the opportunity and drives his sword toward the pirate's unprotected neck. I squeeze my eyes shut and try my best to block out the chilling sounds of death. When I look again, I keep my gaze on the captain as he turns and examines both of us.

Hina tightens her grip on her knife. When I look at her face, she looks almost apprehensive to come face-to-face with the man—something I don't have much time to wonder about.

"We're getting off this ship right now," she says firmly. Her hand still in a death grip around my forearm, she pulls on me so that I'm standing behind her. Is she… protecting me from the captain? But why? Why's she acting so odd around him?

He observes us for a moment longer before nodding in agreement. "Yes, you kids need to get off. Let's go. I'll cover you."

She still looks nervous but nods and tugs on my arm again. My hand twitches in an attempt to get some blood flowing back to it. I wince at the pins and needles running across my arm, but I don't even think of complaining about Hina's tight hold. If she lets go of me, god knows what could happen.

I can't tell if we're moving any faster with the captain leading us. He handles the pirates with startling efficiency, but it's the fact he constantly stops to help his crew that slows us down. Hina gets this strange look on her face every time he does so. It almost looks like annoyance at the constant delays. She still has her knife in her hand, clearly not eager to be caught unaware again.

"I don't think we've been acquainted, young man," the captain suddenly says as we move again. "Jin Kirigiri, captain of this ship."

There's an attack waging on his ship, his crew is dying around him, and he thinks now is the time for introductions? "I-Is this really a good time?!"

Kirigiri lets out an amused chuckle. "I suppose not," he admits. "But in a time of crisis, there's no use in panicking. This is how I keep myself level-headed."

He stops once again. He steps forward and his sword flashes as he swings at a pirate who was sneaking up on a Sea Star sailor already engaged in battle. I look away as the man's body drops to the ground.

"I've heard about you from Ietsuna," Kirigiri continues. "Says he admired your hardworking nature and your honesty."

My face heats up from embarrassment. As if I needed a reminder about that. "Not one of my finer moments…"

"Huh. If you were anyone else, I would expect no acknowledgment of that incident."

"I guess it's because things like that happen to me a lot. It's gotten to the point that it doesn't surprise me when unlucky things happen. I thought coming here was my first sign of good luck in a while, but…" I trail off. Yeah, this trip is going really well.

"Well, don't you sound pessimistic…" Hina mumbles dryly. She seems irritated that we're talking in the middle of a battle, but it looks like she can't hold back her smart comment.

"Actually, I'd say my one redeeming quality is my optimism," I argue weakly, giving a small, lopsided smile. "After all, even with all my bad luck, I'm still here, right? Whatever happens, I'm sure I can bounce back from it eventually."

She glances back at me and rolls her eyes, but I see a hint of amusement on her face. "I take that back, then."

"Here." We suddenly come to a stop. We made it. We somehow managed to make it all the way to the rowboat without dying. Kirigiri takes a defensive stance as Hina shoves me into the boat. I almost lose my footing as it rocks beneath me but I manage to regain my balance. Of course, then she hops in herself and sends the boat jerking again.

Hina begins messing around with something on the bottom of the boat, tugging some long bits of wood free from under the planks that function as seats. I don't know how I can help and it seems like she can handle herself, so I just try to stay out of her way. While I watch her, Kirigiri leans in close to me.

"Do me a favor, young man…" He digs his hand into his pocket and pulls out a small object dangling from a simple string. His hand blocks my view of the object, but his expression softens as he stares at it. His face grows stern again as he places it in my palm, curling my fingers around it. "Keep this safe for me, please."

I blink in confusion at him. I want to open my fist and look at what he's giving me, but his larger hands remain wrapped around mine. I look up at him and nod, tucking the small object into my pocket without so much as a glance. "Aye, sir."

His face twitches into a warm smile, but it disappears when a shout of, "Jin!" rings out from behind him. He turns and I look over at—oh, god. Jukodo is standing there and he looks so much worse than the last time I saw him. His clothes are slashed and stained with blood. His left eye is swollen shut and the streams of red dripping down his face only add to his panicked expression. "The pirates! They broke through the crew below deck! They're heading for the gunpowder stores!"

The captain's face grows ashen as the realization hits him. He turns back to us in the boat and yells, "Hang on, we're sending you off!"

"What?!" I cry as Jukodo heads to the other end of the boat, pulling out his sword. "B-But, what about—?!"

"No time!" Kirigiri snaps. "Most of the crew is dead anyway. There's no point in trying to gather the live ones."

"But, you could—!"

The look on his face makes me stop in my tracks. His eyes… there is fear. His eyes are full of fear. And yet, he manages a determined smile. "A captain stays with his crew."

I want to argue. I want him to live. I want to be able to give him back his possession. But… he has accepted his fate. He will go down fighting.

There is nothing I can say to that kind of resolve.

"Now grab on tight," he says, raising his sword. "This could get bumpy. Ready?!"

"Aye!"

"GO!" In perfect sync, the two sailors of the Sea Star swing their swords. The ropes holding up both ends of the boat are cleanly sliced through. My stomach leaps up into my throat as the rowboat shoots down towards the surface of the sea.

The last I saw of Kirigiri's face, illuminated by the light of the lanterns and the fading sun, was an expression of fear. Determination. Regret. But what that regret was, I'll never be able to know for certain.

We crash into the sea and the impact tosses me into a tangled heap at the bottom of the boat. "Aaahghh!" I shout in surprise, disoriented and in pain from the landing. Before I can recover myself, something yanks the back of my shirt and plops me onto one of the seat planks. I let out a short wheeze as something is thrust into my chest.

"Row! We need to turn it around!" Hina snaps, already frantically paddling with an oar. I glance down at the object she shoved into my arms. Another oar. Oh, I get it now. Reacting to her frantic tone, I jab the oar into the water at my end and move it so the boat will hopefully swivel around. Slowly but surely, we begin to spin.

Once the boat turns to a direction away from the ship, she yells at me to change my paddling to drive the boat forward. We begin moving at a snail's pace, but we're moving away from the Sea Star regardless.

Hina's not impressed.

"We've gotta get farther away than this! Pick up the pace, Makoto!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to make us go faster!"

"Okay, okay, how about this?" She places the tip of her oar back in the water. "When I say row, you row."

"Gotcha!"

"Row! Row! Row—A little more power!—Row! Row! Good, keep it steady! Row!"

Row… Row… Row… The rhythm of her calls gets stuck in my mind, repeating and fueling my motions. She stops shouting occasionally to yell at me about my rowing, but we make some good progress.

She turns back after a while, half-facing my direction but not quite looking at me. More like behind me. "A bit further…" she mumbles to herself. "That'll be f—"

The night scenery around us brightens in a flash. In that split moment, I can see her face alight with orange and fear. She moves quick, jumping towards me. "Ge—!"

Her words aren't cut off as she crashes into me. Rather, they're drowned out by the deafening boom that engulfs the world.

An invisible force shoves the boat hard. It sends it skipping across the ocean like a pebble and almost tips it over in the process. There's no rest as large waves form and throw the boat into turmoil, rocking and twirling and swaying violently. The flash and bang leave my senses overwhelmed. The heat washing over me is unbearable. Pressure forms on my chest where Hina's body presses up tightly against mine, sandwiching me between the wooden seat and herself.

An eternity passes before she finally untangles herself from me. She helps me sit upright again and I blink rapidly to try and adjust my eyes to the level of light. She opens her mouth to say something—but I can't hear anything. I rub the side of my head in confusion. Nope, still nothing, except for a ringing echoing around in my head. A look of understanding flashes across Hina's face and she talks again. Her lips are making muffled sounds this time, but they aren't making any words in my head.

Wait. Something's not right. There's no way my sight could have fixed itself that quickly. It's night out, pitch black under the stars, but somehow it's bright enough for me to see her lips move? It all clicks and I whirl to look behind me where—

The Sea Star. It's sitting there—a brilliant bonfire that lights up the surrounding sea. It's in pieces, burning debris floating in the water nearby, stubbornly blazing and refusing to be doused. The pirate ship beside it is also alight with fire, another explosion sending out shockwaves and flames and bits of the ship. All those people… They… All of them, they're all—! They're—!

My stomach gurgles and brings up everything I've eaten the past few days. Something shoves my head towards the side of the boat and the contents splatter into the ocean instead of all over the boat. I continue to heave and cough as the hand keeps my head down and another rubs my back comfortingly.

Eventually—and thankfully—my gut runs out of ammo and I finally get the chance to breathe properly. I try to get my breathing back to a steady rhythm while getting as much air as I need. The hand finally relinquishes its push on my head and I sit up.

"Hey," Hina murmured. Her voice is soft and concerned as she strokes my back again. "You okay…?"

I don't respond immediately. A silent and motionless minute goes by before I finally give a slow shake of my head. A sob that has been building up in my throat finally escapes. The floodgate opens and tears stream down my face.

"They're… They're all… dead…" I choke out. Everything happened too fast. One minute everything was fine and the Sea Star was full of people with lives and dreams and families and now—

Now it's all gone, taken in an instant.

I cry and bawl and sob, unable to keep control of my emotions. It takes me a long time before I realize that she's pulled me in close, my face resting in the crook of her neck. I hold her tight as her fingers run through my tangled hair and she whispers something into my ear—murmurs of assurance that I don't think are even words, just a string of sounds meant to soothe and calm me.

It takes a few minutes, but I'm able to move on from an inconsolable wreck to someone with the capacity to form complete sentences. I pull back, and she does so too. "Better?" she asks.

"Hardly…"

She lets out a sigh. Not an irritated one, but one of… pity, perhaps? Sympathy? "Well, you're better enough to give a response like that, so I suppose that'll do." She passes me one of the oars and moves back to her end of the boat. "I know you probably need some more time, but we should really be moving. There's not…" She hesitates. "There's not really any reason to stick around here."

I glance back to the wreckages. "But… What if—?"

"Makoto, I need you to think about this," she interrupts. My gaze shoots back. Her expression is the same one from when I told her of the impending attack—completely and utterly serious. She's so different I can hardly believe she's the same girl I met that first day… "We don't have any supplies. We're not gonna last long by floating around in the middle of the ocean. If we're going to go anywhere, we need to go. Now."

"I—"

No, Hina's right. Now's the most important time for me to focus. This is our survival we're talking about—we've got to go, even if it's the last thing my heart is screaming for me to do. I give her a firm nod. "Okay."

She returns it with her own nod and swings her legs so she's facing forward. She grips onto the oar and plunges it into the water. I tighten my hands around the stick, but… that's as far as I get. Something's still weighing heavy on my mind. Hina notices after a few seconds of not moving anywhere and looks back at me. "Problem?"

"I…" I let out a heavy sigh, dithering over how to put my thoughts into words. "Why… Why are pirates… bad?"

"Bad?" she parrots. Her eyes widen in astonishment at my question.

I nod, feeling a little surer in my words. "Why do they… do bad things? All they do is… is fight, and steal, and kill… T-They kill innocent people for no reason! Innocent people with lives and families and friends that they'll never get to see again!" Once again, my emotions rage in an uncontrollable torrent, giving my thoughts verbal form. I recall the past days aboard the Sea Star. I recall my mother's concern over losing me. I recall the fear as I ran and ran through the boat… Everything clashes and mixes to fuel my growing anger.

"And they just do it, over and over again! Don't they feel remorse?! Don't they know how many lives they're ruining?! How can they call themselves people?!"

My volume suddenly drops, but the intensity in my voice doesn't. "They're… They're not people. They're just cold, selfish murderers."

A chilly breeze rushes past. The waves knock into the side of the boat. My heart thuds in my ears. Besides that, the boat is deadly silent.

After a minute, Hina slowly turns back to face the front of the boat. "…We're going."

I blink, the intense emotions inside me subsiding with my rant. Her tone of voice… It's really flat. Did I do something wrong? Did I bring up bad memories? "Huh?"

"I said we're going, so row!" she snaps suddenly. Taken by surprise, I jump and put the oar into the ocean. She stays quiet so I'm forced to watch her movements to paddle in time with her. It's harder than before as her strokes are more powerful and frequent than I can make mine.

A feeling of guilt wells up inside me. It's obvious I said something that upset Hina in some way… I want to apologize, but judging by the way she's stabbing the water with that oar, I should probably leave it for a while.

And so, we row on in silence.

The wreckage of the Sea Star has long since disappeared by the time my arms finally give up. I just can't keep up with the speed she's going at. She did say something about being on a ship before, and that experience is serving her well. She's still going at the same pace she set nearly an hour ago.

"Hina…!" I stop to let out a cough. My voice is practically silent from lack of use. "Hina, can we stop and rest for a bit? I can't keep rowing…"

She sends an annoyed glance my way—is she still upset?—but relents. "All right, but only for a little while."

I let out a sigh of relief, resting the oar against the side of the small boat and giving my aching arms the break they deserve. Even as I do, concern for my boat mate leaks to the front of my mind. I watch her back as she leaves her oar across her lap and looks up at the stars. She mutters something inaudible under her breath and occasionally raises a finger halfheartedly as if pointing out something to herself.

I swallow thickly. "W-Where are we headed to?" I word my sentence as politely as I can, though my voice still wavers as I interrupt her strange actions.

She doesn't turn around or anything. Thankfully, she does tell me, "Elfport—nearest place I know of. It's got a port for trading ships, so you should be able to find a ride back home no problem. Two days away, though, so don't go starving on me."

I make a noise of acknowledgment. I know she won't see any sort of nod from me. I think about her words again, picking over each one in my mind… until I discover the deeper meaning behind them. "W-Wait, do you mean—Are we splitting up?"

She does turn at that question, which gives me a lovely view of her exasperated expression. "Yeah," she answers flatly, swiveling back around. "Obviously."

Obviously? C-Crap, I really hit a nerve earlier, didn't I…? "Look, Hina…" I begin nervously. "If what I said earlier upset you or anything, I—"

I'm interrupted by a sharp laugh. "'Upset me'?" she repeats incredulously, facing me again. A snarl warps her features as she slams her hand on one of the two unused seats between us. "Maybe you should think a little before you go off on insensitive rants like that!"

"I-I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories or anything," I defend myself, waving my hands in front of my face, "but it's not like I said anything wrong, right? Pirates are savage killers."

"You can't just stereotype like that!"

"Well, you can't argue that they're not all criminals," I fire back. "That's pretty much the definition of a pirate!"

"You still can't just group them all together," she argues. "Have you even met a pirate?"

"I have, in case you've forgotten," I remind her, gesturing wildly to the direction we came from. "They kinda just blew up our ship! And for no reason—they just blew themselves up too!"

"You're using them to stereotype pirates?! That's like saying all apples taste bad because you once had a week-old moldy one!"

"What on earth do apples have to do with pirates?!"

"I'm saying that there's such a thing as a pirate who's good! One who feels bad about having to do pirate things like steal and kill!"

"If they felt bad about it, they'd stop doing it! And it doesn't change the fact that they're murderers!"

"Stop calling me a murderer!"

I freeze. The sudden scream leaves my mind a complete blank. Her words echo around my skull, repeating over and over. My mouth hangs open, completely stupefied. "Wha…? Y… You're a…?"

Hina's eyes widen. She realizes her mistake, but she quickly adopts a furious expression again, angry tears building in her eyes. "Yeah, you heard me!" she shouts again. "I know my way around a ship because I live on a pirate ship! I love the ocean because I've spent my whole life out here! I can fight because that's what I was taught to do! I'm a pirate, sure, but that doesn't make me any less of a person! I saved you, didn't I?! I didn't have to, but I did because you're kind, and sweet, a-and because you're m-my…"

Her voice wavers and catches in her throat, causing her words to become disjointed. After a brief swallow, she keeps going on in a quieter voice. "And… because that's what you do… That's what you do as a decent human being…"

She falls silent. Her hand retracts to cradle the other in her lap. I watch her for a moment before averting my gaze to my feet.

Her words make me doubt myself. There's no room for debate when it comes to the pirates that attacked the Sea Star. They're evil, plain and simple. They killed for the fun of it. They didn't even have any regard for their own lives. They're pirates.

But then there's Hina. The girl sitting in front of me, eyes downcast and shrunken in on herself. She feels pain and hurts like a normal person. She smiles and laughs like anybody else. She was concerned for me and comforted me when I cried. She saved my life. And she's a pirate.

Pirates used to be such a simple term for me. They were the people who burned and raided villages and towns, who laid siege to military ships and merchant ships alike, who did what they pleased with hardly a thought to anyone else. The attack tonight only solidified that definition in my mind.

And still… That term also applies to Hina. She admitted it herself. She's not like that, though, not from what I've seen of her. She's a pirate but she doesn't act anything like the homicidal brutes in the stories.

So… How can Hina be the same as the Sea Star's attackers and yet so different?

I realize suddenly that there is an extreme need for a subject change. Like, right now. I clear my throat to grab her attention. "…What are you planning to do after we split up?"

She doesn't answer. For a moment I think she hasn't heard me until she takes a deep breath and wipes her bare arm across her face.

"No harm in telling you now, I guess…" Her voice is quiet as she starts and then it rises in volume to a comfortable speaking level. "Once I leave you, I'll join back up with my crew. That was the plan, after I'd spent a bit of time on the Sea Star, but… well…" There's a heavy pause. "To say I'm going back much earlier than we planned would be an understatement."

"Join back up?" I echo. "Where are they now?"

"They're… um…" She bites her lip, looks towards me, and then glances away. "Uh… They've been trailing us ever since we left Speswynn," she confesses quickly in a single breath.

"They—Wha—Really?!"

"Not like directly behind us or anything!" she yells. "That'd be asking for trouble! No, I just gave them a copy of the route—not exactly following it themselves, but close enough." She shivers a little and pulls her sleeveless jacket tighter around her torso. It's a cold night in our small, dark boat. I'm starting to feel the chill due to my short sleeves and short pants. "They'll definitely see the Sea Star's wreckage."

"Will they know you've gone to Elfport?" I ask.

Hina glances out to sea. In the limited moonlight, I can just see her expression darken. "Well… no," she admits quietly. "I'll… just have to hope I can meet up with them."

Oh.

Oh.

The realization crashes into me hard.

Hina's been putting my needs before her own this whole time. She could have left me below deck but she dragged me with her. She could have made a break for the rowboat at any time but she protected me. She could have ignored my sorrows but she comforted me.

Before I said anything about pirates, she was determined to get me to Elfport so I could get home—and even after my outburst, her decision never changed. When her pirate ship comes across the remains of the Sea Star, they could assume any number of events. They might think she escaped or died, but the likelihood they'd work out she went to Elfport would be low. Hina would be stuck there, a criminal pirate hiding from the kingdom, unable to work and unable to feed herself. Alone, separated from the people she knows, constantly fighting against odds just to survive.

She'd still do it for a stranger like me.

All I did was unknowingly call her a murderer.

"How much longer will it take to get there?"

"I already said, but judging by the pace we're going at, with breaks and hoping the weather stays decent… I'd say another day. Maybe two."

"There's nowhere closer?"

"Not unless you fancy being stranded on a desert island."

"What about your ship?"

Her eyes shoot up to meet mine, surprise clearly shining in them. "What?"

"Your ship. Would it be closer to travel to?" I clarify. The beginning of an idea is brewing in my mind, but my mouth is working faster than my brain. I haven't given it much thought, admittedly, but that won't slow me down.

"Uh, well…" She hums, looking up at the night sky and scanning the surroundings. "If they've stayed on course and we head there now…" She gives herself a little affirmative nod. "Yeah… We'd probably come within visual distance in about two hours."

"Let's go, then."

Hina blinks rapidly at me. She opens her mouth, stops, and then closes it again. Then she blinks some more. "Wait, what?"

I let out a little, amused huff and smile. "Let's go. To your ship."

Silence reigns over our rowboat once more.

It's disturbed by an unexpected outburst of laughter from Hina. "Ha! Haha ha! Oh, Makoto, you're a riot!" She pauses to breathe between broken giggles. "As if you'd actually choose to go and board a pirate ship, especially after your rant, and be willing to mix with a real-life pirate crew and oh god you're serious, aren't you?" she asks, not even missing a beat when she sees my face.

"It makes sense to go somewhere closer, right?" I reason.

"Y-You're crazy!" she shouts at me. "You went on and on earlier about how you think pirates are dirty, selfish, awful monsters! A-And besides, you're just an average kid! The Sea Star was your first time at sea! You're barely even a sailor! I can't bring you to a pirate ship!"

"What about the people you care for? I can't ask you to leave that for my sake."

"W-What about the people you care for?!" she heatedly retorts. "Sure, my crew will probably worry about me, but I can handle myself, and you're… well, you're you! Your family'll be expecting you back home at some point, and when they hear about how the Sea Star never made it to port they'll think you're dead!"

I look away to hide my pained expression. "I… I know that. Even so…" I lift my head and smile softly. "You're the one who needs to be with family to survive."

She opens her mouth—but no more rebuttals come out. Instead, Hina hesitantly asks, "You'd really… do that for me…?"

I nod without any reluctance. "Of course. That's what…" I stop and look down at my feet to think of exactly what I want to say. "That's what friends do for each other."

Hina brings her arm up against her face and rubs it as she sniffles. Even when she pulls it away I can still see her eyes glistening. "Are you sure you're sure about this, though?" she questions. "I mean… They might let you stay on the ship, but I'm not sure if I could convince them to drop you back at Speswynn, or even anywhere near it—"

"That's fine," I immediately assure her. "I don't want to be a bother or anything. If they let me stay, that's good enough for me."

Hina lets her breath out slowly, grabbing her oar and bringing it close. She eyes me, looking me up and down. "You're really really sure…?"

A laugh bubbles up from my chest. A genuine laugh that leaves me grinning. It feels… really refreshing after the long and tiring day. Like… there's still a chance that things will go right.

"Hina, it's not negotiable. I don't have many options anyway. No matter how many times you ask me, I'm not going to let you sacrifice things like that just so I can get home."

Mom, Dad, Komaru… Please forgive me. I can't let her do that for me. Just wait for me and… and have hope.

Hina hums in thought for a while before giving her own giggle. "Okay then!" She stands up abruptly and knocks the wide end of her oar against the boat's floor. I yelp in surprise as her sudden movement causes the boat to rock and tip. I scramble to the back of the boat to try and balance it out again.

"Hina!"

"Makoto, for the next two hours, we're the crew of this ship of ours!" she declares enthusiastically. "I hereby christen it—Uhh… Ah! The Lucky Donut!"

"The Lucky… what?!" I echo in utter bafflement.

"The 'lucky' part is yours," she explains matter-of-factly. "You said you've been really unlucky before but you still hold onto the hope that you'll get through it and things'll start looking up for you! Besides, it rolls off the tongue better than the Hopeful Donut or the Optimistic Donut."

"But…" I mutter, confused beyond belief. "Why 'donut'?"

What even is a donut?

"Because donuts are delicious and amazing and heaven on earth!" she laughs. "Look, just trust me when I say this and don't ask any more questions. And, by the way, I'm the captain now so you will address me as such!"

"Wha—Why do you get to be the captain?" I protest.

"Shh! Let me have my moment, okay?!" She huffs and folds her arms, finally sitting back down on her seat. "It's not every day I get a chance to be captain."

That catches me by surprise. "You're not the captain of your pirate ship?"

"Of course not!" She bursts into a fit of giggles again. I can't help but smile. This is better. She's more like the Hina I first met, cheerful and easygoing. "All that strategizing and planning and organizing and… Well, my style is more train, eat, sleep, fight, and repeat!"

Hina puts a finger to her chin. "Oh, but I guess when my captain's busy, I get left with a few responsibilities."

"What's your crew like?" I ask with interest. After all, if I'm going to be bunking with them for a while, it'd be good to have a head's up on what they'll be like.

"Oh, don't worry about it at all, Makoto!" she says, eager to dispel my doubts. "They're all really nice, I promise! A bit odd at times, and a little bothersome, but you can always count on them in a pinch."

The smile fades my face. "Uh, that doesn't tell me much." If anything, it makes me more worried that she has to assure me like that.

Hina shrugs at me. "Well, what do you want me to say? Just wait until you meet them and you'll see what they're like for yourself."

"Seriously…? Not even a little forewarning? A heads-up on whose bad side not to get on?"

"No time!" she exclaims and hefts her oar over the edge of the boat. "We gotta go or we might miss them! And with your poor paddling, I gotta keep you in time with me or we'll never make it."

I stifle the growing urge to sigh and place my own oar in the water. "Okay, okay."

"Come on, have a little more enthusiasm!" Hina pumps her fist straight up into the air. "All right, First Mate Makoto, full speed ahead!"

I shake my head momentarily, pushing down any gloomy feelings still lingering. I beam at her and throw my own fist upwards. "Aye aye, Captain Hina!"

That makes Hina turn back to me and give me the widest grin I've ever seen. She then faces the front again and starts up her rowing mantra with more enthusiasm than I thought possible. With all the energy, though, we're able to get the boat—I mean, the Lucky Donut—traveling at a decent pace.

It doesn't take long for Hina to grow tired of repeating the same word over and over. I don't blame her. If I was in her place, not only would the word start to sound like something else completely, but my mouth would probably be dry. It doesn't do anything to damage our rhythm, though. With things between us settled for the moment, it's easy to keep rowing in time with her. Our synchronized efforts are steady but with enough force to propel us at a decent pace.

Which means my arms get even more of a workout than they're used to. Geez, it's like they're about to fall out from my sockets. I sigh internally and take a breath to ask for yet another break when—

"There it is!"

Hina shoots up to her feet following her ecstatic cry—which, predictably, sends the boat swaying and lurching. What is it with this girl and wanting to capsize the boat?! Though I'll admit, she must've done this countless times in the past because her balance is amazing.

Once I make sure we don't take an unplanned swim, I glance around to try and spot what Hina's seen. I eventually make it out far in the distance, a blob of golden light just on the horizon. How on earth she could tell that was her pirate ship from that distance is beyond me. Then again, if it is, that means no more rowing, so you don't really see me complaining.

Meanwhile, she brings both of her hands to her lips and sticks two fingers from each into her mouth. Taking a deep breath, she then lets it out as a whistle—a surprisingly loud, sharp one that leaves me covering my ears. She whistles continuously until her lungs inevitably run out of air. She's done a good job, though. The sound echoes around the ocean for a long time. She pauses for a few seconds to regain her breath and then whistles again.

Her weight shifts, and with it, the boat. I move around again to stabilize it before I realize the easiest solution to the problem. "Hina, can you please sit down?!" I request, slightly exasperated. The number of times she's almost caused us to go overboard…

She rolls her eyes and huffs but obliges, thankfully. She decides to send me a cheeky grin, and now I can't tell whether she's standing up whenever she can just to irritate me. We start rowing again to get closer to the ship, which takes less time than I would've thought. It's because the ship has heard Hina's whistles and changed course in response.

Soon it pulls up close to us and I get a good luck at Hina's ship. First impression, it's impressively massive—well, actually, it's quite a bit smaller than the Sea Star, but it's huge in comparison to our dinky lump of wood. The deck is quite a few meters above our heads, but it looks well lit with lanterns, peacefully quiet on top. I guess it's really late at night. Or early in the morning. Some ungodly hour to be awake at, basically. Right at the top of the crow's nest, I can just make out the fluttering shape of a flag. The lanterns barely light it, so all I can make out is that it's a rather dark, cool color, like navy or indigo.

Next to me, Hina grins and cups her hands around her mouth. "Ahoy up there! Mind throwing us the ropes?"

I look over to where she's looking up to—at the railing above us, on the ship's port side—and I just catch a glimpse of a large silhouette before they disappear from sight. Soon, some ropes are dangling from the side of the ship. As we maneuver ourselves so we can reach them, Hina instructs me to connect two clips on the ship's rope to the rope attached to the Lucky Donut. Once we're done with that, Hina gives the okay and we're slowly raised from the ocean surface.

Hina turns to me, positively beaming and announces, "Welcome to Hope's Peak!"

What am I doing what am I doing this is a terrible terrible idea.

For newcomers to my stuff, hey there, I'm TriMaplenut, my friends call me Maple, and I'm obsessed with Dangan Ronpa. Obviously. And to my old readers… yeah sorry for no FTUH. I had a bout of storyplanning but it was for this rather than FTUH so I decided "Let's try and get this written and post it."

This is still a terrible idea though cause now I've got two stories with only vague plot plans. Huzzah!

The ending of DR3 got me pumped for writing though so I wanted to get this done quickly but I'm still annoyed at myself for not posting this on the 19th (which, for the uninformed, is Talk like a Pirate Day).

So anyway, yay, Pirate AU. Funfact, this was written before I even started FTUH, so it's even older! By like five months or something. Anyway, as this is an AU, it won't exactly spoil the game/anime, but it will reference/reflect events. Such as the fact we've already met Jin Kirigiri (rip in peace old dude).

Warning everyone now, I am terrible when it comes to updates, and I'm not even as prepared as I was with FTUH. This is the only chapter I've fully written. The others just have like a half or a third written. Plus, this is basically my own plot, whereas FTUH follows the plot of Fairy Tail. That said, I get a bit more freedom with this story while a lot of FTUH is copying from the episodes (whoops) so we'll see where this goes. I'll try to split updating time between the two, but tbh it'll be whichever I feel more motivated to write at the time. My tumblr, trimaplenut, will have a page where I give a percentage guess of how finished the chapters for my stories are, so SS of Despair will join FTUH there soon.

So please, let me know what you think of this opening chapter! I love reading what you guys think, and I'll respond to replies in the following chapter's AN. Also, apologizing in advance if anything didn't get enough explanation in the chapter—a friend proofread the basic plot of the chapter, but some sections have changed since then and it hasn't been proofread since. There may be some mistakes. And writing in first-person present is a new experience for me, but I liked it better for this story than the style of FTUH.

I figure I'll clarify in advance too—Speswynn is Makoto's hometown, and Corfallow is the island that houses Speswynn (as well as Norbush and Ostden and Erimead that were mentioned).

Also the struggles I went through to try and see if three months was an accurate time frame for the journey (because I'm that sort of person). I had been starting a small map of the islands to get an idea of how big they were so I finished doodling that, and then I had to decide how big the island Speswynn resides on was, then use that as a sense of scale, then decide how far away the other islands the Sea Star would be travelling to would be from Speswynn, then convert it into nautical miles (from km) then research about the general speed of ships from this sort of time, aND THEN I FINALLY FOUND THE TIME SO IT'S SORTA ACCURATE.

Who said maths wasn't relevant for life? Speed distance time, bitches.

BUT UGH I NEED TO VENT FOR A MOMENT. I use Grammarly for spellcheck because the Word one is kinda shit, but someone who uses Grammarly, please tell me why it doesn't like the words 'oar' or 'row' because I swear to god it kept flagging them up for no reason and I just, argh.

My apologies, I ramble in ANs.

But anyway yeah, hope you enjoyed, see you either next chapter here or over on FTUH!