Several days later, a crisp dawn breeze carried the scent of blossoms through the sun-lit air.
Genzo hummed a tuneless ditty, hands clasped behind his head as he strolled on his daily patrol.
The unbroken peace of Cocoyasi Village had been his pride for decades.
Nearing the gate, he meant to check the docks for the fishermen's catch—until he saw the harbour kids scrambling toward him in blind panic.
Tears streaked their faces; terror had erased every trace of their usual mischief.
"What's wrong—why the rush?"
His heart lurched as he hurried to meet them.
"Uncle Genzo—something awful!"
The leader sobbed, barely able to breathe,
"Pirates! A pirate ship—huge, really huge!"
"Pirates!"
The word detonated in his mind; Genzo froze.
He grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Are you sure? Which flag?"
"Black flag… and the prow… a long, pointy nose…"
The child shivered too hard to finish.
Colour drained from Genzo's face. Forcing calm, he roared, "Run! Tell everyone—hide! Go!"
The children bolted, their screams shredding the morning quiet.
When their wails faded, Genzo turned, trembling, toward the harbour.
He clenched his teeth, dread icing his veins, feet too heavy to move.
At the same moment, on the bluff behind the village,
Lorne had just finished morning drills, savouring the sea wind.
He felt every surge of strength, his mana ever more attuned to the world's laws.
Then his relaxed look sharpened.
In his mage-sight, powerful, bestial malice raced across the waves.
Greed, cruelty, naked contempt for the weak—nothing hidden.
His gaze snapped to the port.
A colossal pirate ship rammed the little harbour, its unmistakable jagged prow a serrated nose.
Saw-Shark Spab.
"Finally."
Lorne's grin curved in welcome; after three months the greedy shark had delivered his starter funds.
A flicker of light—he vanished from the cliff.
CRASH!
The Saw-Shark Spab ignored the pier, ploughing straight through it.
Splintering wood shrieked, then shattered into drifting chips.
Gangplanks slammed down; dozens of hulking figures leapt onto Cocoyasi soil.
Scales, fins, razor teeth—every one of them obviously non-human.
The Fish-Men looked around and burst into raucous laughter.
"Shahahaha! Nice village, chomp!"
Chu the kisser glanced about, tagging his tic to every sentence,
"Let's collect some protection money, chomp!"
"Scout first."
Kuroobi of the Arlong Pirates kept his cool, sharp eyes scanning the road.
"Why bother!"
A finned Fish-Man shoved a comrade aside. "These lowly humans only know how to hand over treasure—let's grab it all!"
Arlong pointed at the village, grinning. "Move—strip every coin! Let them taste the terror of the superior Fish-Men!"
"Yeah! Show these humans the might of the noble Fish-Man race!"
"Money! Women! Ours!"
Howling, the crew advanced, certain this hamlet was just another hunting ground.
They hadn't gone far before every stride froze.
Up ahead, a youth stood hands-in-pockets, relaxed—as if out for a stroll, yet clearly waiting.
Slight against their towering bulk, he wore a faint smile.
The Fish-Men blinked, then roared even louder.
"Oi, look—a fearless little human!"
"Tsk, all alone? Here to welcome the great Arlong Pirates?"
"Hahaha! Planning to stop us single-handed?"
Racial slurs and jeers flooded the harbour.
They stared at the lone figure like he'd jumped into a hunter's jaws.
Lorne ignored the noise, gaze sweeping the crew and settling on Arlong, smile unreadable.
Officers present, dozens of solid grunts—good haul.
"Excellent."
He murmured the word, still smiling.
The cryptic comment cut their laughter short; they exchanged baffled looks, then burst out again twice as hard.
"Must've snapped—scared stupid, chomp!"
Chu pointed, doubling over,
"Talking nonsense!"
"Humans—cowards to the core!"
A hulking grey-skinned Fish-Man cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.
"Arlong's waiting for good news—no time for trash."
He bared serrated teeth. "I'll toss this pest into the sea like garbage!"
The ground fractured beneath his charge; a grey blur shot at Lorne, fist like a boulder smashing for his face.
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