He stepped fully into the light, and I finally saw his face.
Calm, composed, a cigarette now dangling between his lips, with the air of someone without a care in the world.
But I wasn't fooled.
I shifted into a guarded stance, my muscles tense. And just as I expected, in one sudden motion, he drew a flintlock pistol from his back and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
BANG!
I ducked low, the shot whizzing past me..
"Hmph." he exhaled a puff of smoke. "A target that actually moves. This might be fun, for once."
Mihawk, poised up on the platform above with one hand already resting on the hilt of his blade, seemed ready to jump into the fray. But I raised my hand, signaling him, 'don't interfere.'
My opponent, unfazed, and quickly fired off another volley.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One bullet grazed my shoulder, but I pushed forward. The rest missed, because I managed to avoid them, cutting through the air just behind me as I closed the distance in a blur.
Now we were close, too close for his pistol to be of any real use.
He tried to raise it again, but I slapped it aside, then caught his wrist with a vice-like grip.
His eyes narrowed as he clicked his tongue. "Tss."
He tried to twist out, but he couldn't match my strength.
"Alright, we can stop here. How about we talk instead?" He said calmly despite the tension still in the air.
We were near the edge of the ship now. Just a few inches back and I could toss him overboard, finish this fight in the sea, where I held the advantage.
"Go on then, I'm listening." I replied, not loosening my grip just yet.
He looked me in the eyes. "Benn Beckman. You're on my ship." he said evenly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
From the upper platform, Mihawk dropped down silently, landing beside me.
I nodded once and said. "Caius. And him, that's Mihawk."
Beckman's eyes shifted to Mihawk briefly "I suppose he's just as resourceful as you are." Beckman said.
Seeing the tension fade, I let go of him. He rubbed his wrist where I'd grabbed him, then reached into his pocket, pulled out another cigarette, and lit it, letting the smoke curl into the air.
"Thanks." he said, exhaling slowly.
Mihawk stood by, silent but alert, his gaze never straying far from Beckman.
Beckman started walking across the deck, each step calm and composed. He crouched near the railing and picked up his flintlock, brushing off some dust before slinging it back across his back.
"You two seem... interesting." he said, standing back up straight. Then, with a faint grin, he added. "Mind if I tag along?"
'I was planning to approach him anyway.'
"No." I said simply.
He stepped closer, now standing just in front of us, and extended his hand toward me. We shook hands.
"Welcome to the crew, Beckman." I said with my deep voice.
Mihawk looked on silently, his arms crossed, giving Beckman a faint nod of acknowledgement.
My journey had only just begun, but the crew was starting to take shape.
We started talking, the air now much lighter between us.
"So, how old are you?" Beckman asked, leaning casually against the railing.
"19." Mihawk answered plainly, then glanced at him. "And you?"
"26. And you, Captain?" Beckman asked, turning his gaze toward me.
"I don't know." I replied.
Both of them turned their heads toward me at the same time, clearly surprised.
"You don't know?" Beckman asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mihawk looked at me with narrowed eyes, curious.
"Lost your memory or something?" Beckman continued.
"I just don't know when I was born." I answered simply. 'I wasn't going to invent something.'
"Anyway, it's getting late." I said, and with that, we all headed to sleep for the night.
The next morning, we found ourselves back on the deck. The sea was calm, the wind gentle, and the sun barely rising over the horizon. I looked at the two of them and broke the silence.
"Do you know about Haki?" I asked.
"I've heard of it." Beckman replied, lighting his cigarette as usual.
"Yes." Mihawk added, arms crossed, watching the sea.
"I see." I said with a nod. "Then let me make something clear, it's one of our goals to learn it."
"And not just that." I continued. "We also need to get our hands on the six powers, the Rokushiki techniques. If we want to reach the top... we need to collect every edge we can."
"If that's the priority, then we also need more crew members." Beckman said, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. "A cook and a doctor are essential, for starters."
"Yeah. That goes without saying, we need more people." I replied, nodding. "And a name. Even a jolly roger."
"Let's think about the name later. For now, let's head toward Kokoyashi, there's a Marine base there. We might be able to get something useful out of it." I said, giving the directive with a calm but decisive tone.
Beckman nodded, already stepping toward the helm. "Got it. I'll adjust our heading."
Mihawk moved toward the sails without a word, his expression focused. The quiet efficiency between us was starting to set in, no wasted time.
Later...
I dove into the water. It was quiet, save for the distant sounds of the ship creaking above and the deeper, guttural echoes of the sea itself.
I didn't have to wait long.
A shadow passed beneath me, massive, slow-moving. A Sea Monster, too small to be a Sea King. I swam toward it without hesitation. As it turned, sensing me.
It lunged, maw wide open. I dodged fast, shooting to the side with a burst of speed. My fist collided with the side of its jaw, hard enough to send shockwaves through the water. It roared, bubbles spiraling upward.
Another came, smaller, but faster. I met it head-on, grabbing it by the snout and twisting with raw strength, using its own momentum against it.
I could feel it, my instincts sharpening, my body learning. This was training. 'Maybe I could figure out Fishman Karate.'
The sea was vast. And I had every intention of mastering it.