[The Beast's Debt: Upper Deck]
The morning sun was bright, reflecting off the calm blue waves. The crew had just finished a massive breakfast, though most of it ended up on Ato's face rather than in his stomach.
Ato: "Frhgffhhgfdfg!"
Manjo sighed, crossing her arms as she watched her captain struggle with a mouthful of bacon. "First finish the food in your mouth, then talk. Idiot."
Ato swallowed hard, nearly choking, then slammed his fists on the table with a grin. "Hey, Hey! Let's have a practice on the upper deck to see what type of power Manjo and Poison have!"
Lemon jumped up, eager to see Manjo in action. "Yea, it's a great idea!"
A few minutes later, the entire crew was gathered on the scorched wooden planks of the upper deck. The salt air was fresh, but the tension was rising.
Ato: "Ok! Now we will train! After that, we're having a welcome ceremony for Manjo and Poison!"
Poison bowed slightly, his long black hair catching the light. "Thank you, Ato-san."
Ato: "Now then... first! Manjo vs. Kojo!"
Kojo blinked, resting his hand on the hilt of his leading sword. "Me? Ok then."
The rest of the crew backed away to the railing. Faramis stood in the middle, looking at his watch. "3... 2... 1... BEGIN!"
Kojo didn't hesitate. He grabbed two of his swords—his movements a blur of purple steel—and rushed towards Manjo. He wasn't going easy; he wanted to see what the "Siren of the Seas" could really do.
Suddenly, Manjo's right leg began to glow. A jagged, buzzing yellow energy wrapped around her limb, smelling like ozone.
Manjo: "Lightning: Coated!"
Kojo swung his blades in a cross-cut, but Manjo didn't dodge. She swung her glowing leg in a high arc, her heel slamming into the flat of Kojo's steel. The impact sent a shower of yellow sparks across the deck. With a grunt of effort, she shoved him back.
Manjo: "Lightning: Smash!"
She kicked out with explosive force. Kojo sensed the danger and flipped backward, barely clearing the area as Manjo's foot hit the deck. CRACK. The reinforced wood splintered, a web of fractures spreading from the point of impact.
Kojo: "Ok then... Dragon's Howl!"
He lunged again, his swords vibrating with a low, guttural roar. He attacked again and again, a storm of slashes, but Manjo was faster than she looked. She parried with her lightning-coated limbs, the yellow electricity crackling every time they clashed.
Manjo: "Lightning: Bullets!"
She snapped her fingers, and small orbs of yellow electricity shot toward Kojo's chest.
Kojo: "What?!"
He twisted his body mid-air, dodging the orbs by a hair's breadth. They hit the railing behind him, exploding into clouds of dust and smoke. As the dust cleared, Kojo's expression shifted. He pulled his third sword from his waist and clamped it firmly in his teeth.
Kojo: "Three Sword Style: Dragon's Claw!"
He vanished. A purple streak of light passed through the center of the deck. Before Manjo could even raise her leg, the cold edge of a blade was resting gently against the side of her neck.
Manjo went still, the yellow lightning fading from her skin. "I surrender."
Kojo breathed out, sheathing all three swords in one smooth motion. He looked at her with genuine respect. "What do you use? That wasn't just physical strength."
Manjo wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. "I use magic power... but I can't really control it yet. It just kind of... happens when I get excited."
Ato's eyes were sparkling. "Whoa! Magic power! That's so cool!"
Kojo nodded. "Oooooo."
[The Captain vs. The Ghost]
Ato stepped into the center of the deck, cracking his knuckles. "Now! Me vs. Poison!"
Poison looked surprised, pointing to himself. "I have to go against you, Ato-san?"
Ato: "Now everyone go away! This is gonna be big!"
Faramis and the others scrambled back to the cabin doors. Faramis raised his hand. "Ready... LET'S GO!"
Ato didn't wait. He shifted his weight and launched himself forward like a cannonball. He pulled back a fist, ready to test Poison's defenses with a heavy punch.
Poison didn't move until the last second. Suddenly, a flash of violet light erupted in his hands. Ato's fist hit something hard and sharp. When he looked down, he saw a massive, glowing Purple Scythe held firmly in Poison's hands.
Poison twisted the staff of the weapon, using the momentum to shove Ato backward.
Ato: "Interesting! A purple scythe!"
Ato's grin widened. He felt the familiar heat of his "Beast" blood rising. He shifted his stance, his feet digging into the wood.
Ato: "World Shaker!"
He sped toward Poison again, his fist vibrating with enough force to level a building. Poison raised the scythe, ready to block the crushing impact. The air between them began to scream as the two powers were about to collide—
FLAP. FLAP. FLAP.
Suddenly, a thick bundle of papers fell from the sky, caught in the updraft of their duel. One large sheet of newsprint landed directly over Ato's face, sticking to his damp skin.
Ato: "Mmph?! Whff?!"
He skidded to a halt, his attack canceled by a piece of flying trash. The rest of the newspapers scattered across the deck, fluttering in the wind. Faramis ran forward and picked one up, his eyes scanning the front page.
Faramis: "The end of the Seven Eden Vice-Commanders! The pirate crew with no name defeated them! The Eden General, Ryoto, gave them bounties!"
Lemon's head snapped up. "What bounties?! How much?!"
Ato pulled the paper off his face, his expression suddenly going blank. "Ryoto... Ryoto... Ryoto..."
Kojo: "Oi, Ato! Come here! Our wanted posters are here!"
Faramis ignored the bickering and turned the page, his hands trembling slightly. "The bounties are stapled on the next page of the newspaper..."
He flipped the sheet, and the crew crowded around.
The first poster featured Faramis, looking terrified while holding a wrench.
Faramis Takanaba (Dead or Alive): 5,000,000 E-Coins.
Faramis: "Only five million?! My inventions alone are worth more than that!"
The next poster showed Lemon mid-gravity-punch.
Lemon Hyokua (Dead or Alive): 25,000,000 E-Coins.
Lemon: "Haha! Take that, Faramis! I'm five times more dangerous than you!"
Then came Kojo's poster. It showed him with his three swords, looking like a true demon of the sea.
Kojo Ren (Dead or Alive): 50,000,000 E-Coins.
Kojo: "Fifty million... not bad for a start." He looked at the next one.
The final poster was larger than the rest. It showed Ato in his white Limit Breaker aura, looking feral and unstoppable.
Ato Dragonaid (Dead or Alive): 93,000,000 E-Coins.
The deck went silent. Kojo stared at the name printed in bold black ink.
Kojo: "So your surname is Dragonaid..."
Poison stood in the back, his grip on his scythe tightening until his knuckles turned white. His eyes were wide, fixed on that single word.
Poison: "Dragonaid..."
A flash of a memory—a burning city, a silver-haired man, and the roar of a dragon—flickered through Poison's mind for a split second before vanishing back into the fog.
Ato: "Dragonaid? Oh yeah! I forgot I had one of those! It sounds cool, right?"
Manjo walked over and looked at her own poster—she was listed as a "Threat" with a bounty of 10,000,000 E-Coins. She sighed. "Great. Now I can't even go grocery shopping without someone trying to arrest me."
Ato laughed, throwing his arms around Kojo and Lemon. "Who cares! We're famous! Now... WHERE'S THE WELCOME CEREMONY MEAT?!"