The Woodhearts ship's survivors were cleaning the blood off the deck, their faces pale. Out of three hundred, only half survived, and Ash was one of them. The enemy side had a loss of around fifty hunters in comparison.
The hardened pirates refused to show their fear or sadness, but their hands were still shaking as they dumped buckets of seawater on the deck, washing away the evidence of the slaughter.
What more, the severed head of their captain stared at them from the railing, where it was resting beside the masked hunter.
The Glory was taking advantage of the Pirates' code that said first come, first served, and were making it seem like the Glory was the one who got defeated. Two Glory's hunters tied their Vice (Lord A's) hands and feet, and hung him from the mast, upside down.
"This is inhumane! I'm a Lord! How can you treat me like this─?!" his mouth was stuffed with a rag.
"You should focus your bronze stage on your brain, Vice Ashtor. I can tell it's not as developed as your other muscles," The masked man said good-naturedly, a soft-spoken voice that contrasted with his mask's appearance.
He didn't join the others in their clean up, and instead shared some of his snacks with Penn's severed head, placing a piece of bread in front of the dead man's mouth, and a block of cheese by its side.
The sight of it made Ash's anger explode, but he didn't act on it. He continued to wipe the floor around the masked man. His gold rank would not be enough to win in a one-on-one fight, but it could give him a chance to take the bastard with him to hell.
As if sensing his bad intentions, three hunters quickly moved to block his path. They grabbed his arms and shoulders before he could get any closer, making him drop his mop.
"Who is he to you? Your father?" The masked man asked curiously, as if it was a serious question, not a taunt, "Your reactions tell me he was more than a captain to you."
Ash didn't know he was being observed the whole time, which made him question his own ability to notice when he was being watched.
"He was my benefactor, the man who saved my life...and the man you just killed," Ash held back a curse, knowing it would bear no fruit. That's how pirates were; they killed and got killed, the end.
The masked man nodded, his head tilting to the side, "Then you are the perfect successor to lead the Woodheart pirates."
The absurdity of the statement made Ash's brain stutter, "What?"
A southern hunter grabbed Ash's head from behind and pushed him against the railing next to the captain's head, pressing him against the cold wood.
"You can continue his legacy," the masked man said, taking the bread and offering it to Ash's mouth. "Eat in his stead, fight in his name, and carry on his dream of becoming one of the underworld's kingpins."
The masked man slowly turned Penn's head toward him, and Ash almost threw up when he felt the bread crumble against his lips.
The masked man chuckled as he watched Ash, the sound distorted by the mask. "Or would you rather eat him instead?" he suggested, as if it were a valid option. "It would be the best way to carry him with you to the end─"
"STOP IT." Ash's voice trembled, not wanting to go through whatever torture the sick man had in mind, "Just kill me and get it over with."
"But I already said I want you to take over. You can't tell me you would rather have him," the masked man pointed at the dangling noble bastard, "as your captain? Let him command your fleet and pretend your captain never existed?"
One of the hunters brought back the mop to the masked man, the same one that Ash was using to wipe the floors, and the masked man took it, "Look, I'm even helping you. A new Woodheart member, doing my part to earn my place in the crew."
Ash couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing. How could this man be so casual about killing his captain and then offer to work under him?
A wet splash came from the man's mop as he dipped it in the bucket, urging Ash to decide as the hunters let go of him.
"Veteran pirates don't sweep the deck," Ash decided to risk it by provoking the man with the new role of the Captain that he was bestowed, to see what kind of a leader he would be. A mad one, or a cunning one. Though Ash had a feeling he already knew the answer, "They make the newbies do it. If you want to become one of us, learn your place."
"Aye, Captain." There was no hesitation from the man as he raised his mop. It was enough to have all the hunters snatch the cleaning supplies from the Woodheart pirates and begin sweeping, swabbing, and polishing the ship.
Ash watched how the Glory's men tried to adapt to the pirate's life as newbies. It was like they were playing a game of pretense, and he was the only one who wasn't in on the joke.