Witte fit perfectly into the daily life of Rhett's crew. Her presence was both natural and unobtrusive, as if she had always been a member of the ship. There was a lot to rebuild on the moon, so Rhett's crew temporarily stayed there.
In the morning, when the first rays of sunlight fell on the deck, Witte had already brewed tea.
Rhett was about to reach for the snacks on the table.
"Captain, tea." She gently placed the teacup next to Rhett's hand.
Rhett glanced at it but didn't take it. He said coldly, "I don't remember saying I liked this."
To be honest, Rhett's wariness toward Witte far outweighed any other feeling. He really hated this feeling of being out of control. So much so that some of that feeling had transferred to her. He didn't have a very good attitude toward her.
Witte smiled. "But your body needs it." She pointed at the blood mist unconsciously churning around his fingertips. "It's too restless. You'll get wrinkles."
"...Thank you." Rhett narrowed his eyes. But he still picked up the cup.
......
Witte began to integrate into every crew member's life.
On the moon's open ground, Perona floated in the air, directing her ghost plushies to attack. "Sister Witte, watch your left!"
Witte gracefully sidestepped. A thin silver sword had somehow appeared in her hand. The blade cut through the air, leaving an ice-blue arc and a faint scent of roses.
"Wow! Amazing!" Perona's eyes sparkled. "Have you practiced swordsmanship before?"
"A little." Witte sheathed her sword, her smile gentle. "A friend taught me a long time ago."
Rhett heard this from a distance. His brow furrowed slightly.
......
At lunchtime, the atmosphere on the ship was always lively.
Laboon slapped the deck with its fin, wanting to eat Witte's special "Moon Style Grilled Fish." She had made it with spices from the ancient city's storeroom. It was surprisingly popular.
"Here. Eat slowly." Witte cut the grilled fish into small pieces and fed them to Laboon. Little Laboon had clearly been won over. After every bite, it would nuzzle Witte. Bite, nuzzle. Bite, nuzzle.
Laboon was very sensitive to people's good and evil. That was why everyone had such a good attitude toward Witte.
Tesoro cut his steak and teased, "Captain, shouldn't we pay Witte a salary? Cook, doctor, sword coach... How many jobs has she taken on by herself?"
Rhett snorted. "She's the one who wanted to stay."
Witte wasn't upset. She just smiled and put a piece of grilled fish on Rhett's plate. "Captain, try this."
Rhett: "...Ah, thank you?"
......
At night, the deck was covered in stars.
Witte sat on the railing, humming an ancient song. The melody was soft, as if it could smooth away all fatigue. Enel, for once, didn't complain about the noise. He leaned against the mast with his eyes closed.
Rhett walked over. The blood mist looked especially deep in the moonlight. "Where did you learn that song?"
Witte stopped singing and turned to look at him. "In a dream."
"Another answer like that." Rhett frowned impatiently.
Witte laughed softly. "One day, you'll remember." Her gaze passed over Rhett and looked at the distant stars. "When that day comes, don't say I talk too much."
Rhett was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly asked, "What is this 'future' of yours really like?"
Witte blinked and answered playfully, "A future with you in it is the best."
Rhett: "...Nonsense."
......
Rhett's blood mist surged. He held out his hand to Witte. "Welcome to the Blood Dawn Pirates. I am the captain, 'Mist Lord' Rhett."
Witte looked at Rhett with a grin. "This morning, I could feel how wary you were of me. How did you change your mind in one day? I have to say, that's very you."
"Because I'm Rhett. Not because of my strength. Not because of my status. Just because I'm Rhett. That's all."
"That's your style." Witte stood up and gave a slight bow. "Vice Captain of the Blood Pirates, Witte, at your service, my captain."
"It sounds like you just said something very important?"
"Who knows~"
Witte made a comical face at Rhett. She wagged her index finger back and forth. "I said 'Blood Pirates,' not 'Blood Dawn Pirates' You're so dumb, Captain"
"Beat me in a fight and I'll acknowledge you. It's not impossible for you to be a vice captain. No one ever said my ship can only have one vice captain." Rhett stared at Witte. He was right. She was absolutely evil.
"I think Mr. Tesoro is doing a very good job. I'll just..."
Tesoro suddenly stepped out of the shadows. Behind him were the other crew members, who had been eavesdropping. Tesoro, Moria, even Stella holding little Rati. Everyone was there.
"Please, you must take this opportunity." Tesoro walked out quickly and bowed deeply to Witte. "Please give the captain a good beating. Everyone really likes you. We can run the captain's businesses together."
The crew behind him nodded in unison.
Witte blinked. "Huh?"
"Can you understand?" Tesoro gritted his teeth. "Can you understand the despair of a top Emperor-level crew with three Emperor-commanders and the largest territory of any member nation? In terms of expanding territory, no one can use these people. When it comes to paperwork, not a single one of them is reliable!" He glared at Rhett. "This guy always dumps everything on us and goes off to sleep!"
Perona floated over and delivered the final blow. "Last time, the pile of documents was taller than Lord Moria~"
Moria: "Kishishishi~ I saw him stuffing documents into my zombie's mouth with my own eyes."
Enel snorted. "This god wouldn't lower himself to deal with those useless papers. But this guy—"
Rhett: "..."
What was happening? Wasn't he just being cool a moment ago? How did one sentence turn this into a public criticism session? The old saying was right. Talking too much leads to trouble.
His blood mist began to churn restlessly. He thought he should run. Because Tesoro's art style was starting to look a little unhinged.
Witte looked at the crew, who were full of resentment. She suddenly laughed. "So that's how it is~" She turned to Rhett. A glint of mischief flickered in her ice-blue eyes. "It seems the captain needs to be 'educated.'"
Tesoro took the opportunity to hand her a stack of documents. "These are three months' worth of reports."
He also handed her a map. "This is a route that needs confirming."
Finally, he pulled out an account book. "This is the report for our underground operations."
Rhett looked at the deck, which had instantly filled up. He showed his shark teeth. "Are you all mutinying?!"
Witte elegantly rolled up her sleeves. "No, this is 'a new official's first three fires'~" Her silver sword was already drawn. "Captain, would you care to teach me?"
Rhett's blood mist instantly exploded. "Interesting! Let's see what you've got!"