Hani Hammerhand! #20

Author's note: donate power stones or I will personally pay you a visit and kiss you goodnight. 

...

Sitting on the bed of my allotted room aboard the Jackdaw, I felt my eyes burning as I gazed at the floating text boxes before me. 

Each one outlined a different career path, a choice I had to make before proceeding to the next tutorial mission. Pirate, Marine, and Bounty Hunter were the options presented to me, though the system hinted at the existence of others who weren't quite compatible with me. 

Honestly, I was grateful that there were only three since I had been paralyzed by indecision, unable to choose among the three paths laid out before me for three days now, just soullessly staring at these three boxes without sleeping or even batting an eyelid.

"I wonder if Sif is behaving... I sure hope she hasn't bit anyone's arms off...' I wondered, quickly pushing aside the distraction, and refocusing my attention on the choices at hand.

The Pirate path promised charm and charisma, qualities that could prove invaluable in recruiting allies, negotiating deals, and gathering information. 

It also offered to make training in swordsmanship, pistol marksmanship, and navigation remarkably easier, though it wouldn't make me an expert overnight. Still, the prospect of easier learning appealed to me, considering I knew nothing about navigation. 

The Marine route promised to refine my leadership skills, granting a more natural authority and proficiency in heavy weapons, strategies, and the Rokushiki combat techniques. Plus, it boasted the perk of enhanced lie detection—a valuable asset in any situation.

On the other hand, the Bounty Hunter path offered a broader skill set. While it didn't specialize in particular weapons like the others, it provided a boost to learning all melee arms and proficiency in all types and streamlined tracking abilities, along with heightened reflexes in critical situations.

Thankfully, the system offered a loophole: I could enjoy the benefits of a chosen career path without committing to it. Flexibility was key—I could select the Marine path and still pursue bounty hunting if I pleased while enjoying the bonuses of the career path, which was a good thing since being a marine was the last thing I wanted. 

And come to think of it, I didn't find the bonuses provided by the Marine career path to be appealing in the first place. I had already learned the Rokushiki by myself and had no intention of furthering my mastery of these skills. 

As for tactics, and heavy weapons, I had zero interest in such skills. Only the perk that allowed me to detect lies more easily was slightly tempting, but it didn't justify choosing the Marine career path over the other two. 

Bounty Hunter had its appeal, particularly its knack for mastering all weapon types. However, I already received a similar reward after completing the second tutorial mission. With that in mind, I found myself drawn to the Pirate career path.

Without hesitation, I tapped the icon representing piracy. Instantly, notifications flooded my vision, though I barely had time to register them before my room door flew open with a violent crash. 

Startled, I turned to face the intruder—a man wielding a bloodied sword, his grip tight and his eyes ablaze with menace.

For a brief, tense moment, we locked eyes staring at each in other silence, me puzzled at what he was doing in my room, and him waiting for me to panic. Then, just when I was starting to feel awkward, he unleashed a ferocious battle cry and lunged toward me with deadly intent.

Reacting swiftly, I seized my bellow and hurled it at the intruder. With impressive reflexes, he sliced the projectile in two with his sword. But that split-second distraction provided me the opportunity to rise to my feet and charge at him, driving my shoulder into his chest. His body slammed against the wall, and before he could recover, I delivered a solid punch to his jaw.

As I prepared to strike again, I noticed the intruder had slumped to the floor, unconscious. I couldn't help but marvel at his sudden collapse. "How could he be so weak...?" I muttered, scratching my head in bewilderment.

Shaking off my surprise, I focused on the situation at hand. Who was this intruder, and what was he doing in my room? A series of unsettling realizations flooded my mind—the ship's recent tremors, the distant sounds of chaos echoing from the main deck.

Examining the intruder's unfamiliar face and attire, it dawned on me: a pirate attack. "Damn it... I can't believe just one choice made me so absent-minded that I didn't even notice the chaos outside my room..." I muttered, feeling rather embarrassed. 

Pushing away the feelings of shame, I set out of my room, ready to confront the rest of the pirates invading the ship. 

...

Amidst the chaos aboard the main deck, Jack knelt with his hands bound behind his back, casting a desperate glance at Sif, silently pleading for her intervention. However, the massive wolf merely opened her eyes briefly, casting a nonchalant gaze at Jack and his fellow captives before resuming her peaceful slumber.

Jack had the urge to bash his head against the wooden deck in frustration, but before he could give in to his impulse, a towering figure clad in stereotypical pirate attire, complete with a tricorn hat, loomed before him.

"Give it up already... that beast is frozen by fear and unable to save you from me, the great Hammerhand Hani," the pirate captain proclaimed, raising his arms to reveal the steel hammers that replaced his missing hands. 

His words dripped with arrogance as he surveyed his captured prey, gesturing towards Jack with one of his menacing hammer hands. "Well, no need to be afraid anyway... we'll just let you be on your way once we've stripped the ship of all valuables," he declared, his tone oozing with false reassurance.

He kept the fact that he intended to take the ship as well and throw them into the sea to himself. After all, he wasn't cruel enough to rob these people of even their hopes of survival. 

"Speaking of which..." Scratching his head with the tip of the hammer affixed to his wrist, he turned his attention away from the bound captives towards the hatch leading below decks.

"What's Greg doing anyway? He should have been back already..." he muttered, his tone tinged with impatience. In a swift motion, he singled out one of his underlings, commanding him to investigate. "You there, go in there and see figure what's going on!" he ordered, pointing a hammer-tipped finger towards the hatch.

"Yes, captain," the pirate replied dutifully, scurrying towards the hatch with haste. However, the silence below decks was short-lived as the unconscious form of the pirate flew out of the hatch mere seconds after entering, his face bruised and swollen.

Soon after, a figure emerged from the depths below. With a tanned muscular physique and long flowing black hair, the newcomer exuded an aura of confidence and amusement as he surveyed the main deck. His gaze fell upon Hammerhand Hani's unique appendages, and a smirk played across his lips.

"Hammer for a hand... huh, I bet that's handy..." he involuntarily muttered, a chuckle escaping his lips at his own joke. The jest struck a nerve with the pirate captain, his expression contorting with rage at the insolence.

Blake's absentminded expression only seemed to stoke the flames of Hani Hammerhand's fury. "How dare you mock the great Hani Hammerhand!" The great Hani Hammerhand bellowed, brandishing one of his hammers in Blake's direction.

Blake furrowed his brow, his confusion evident as he regarded Hani for a moment before speaking up. "Shouldn't it be Hani Hammerhands? You know, since both of your hands are hammers and not just one?" he queried, his tone genuinely inquisitive.

Hani was momentarily stunned into silence, his brow creasing as he mulled over Blake's observation. "I suppose you're right..." he conceded, scratching his head with the tip of his hammer. "From now on, I shall be known as Hani Hammerhands. Did you hear th--" he began, only to catch himself mid-sentence, realizing he was straying off course. 

"In any case, prepare to have your skull split open by the hammer hands of the great Hani Hammerhand!" he declared, lunging forward at Blake with aggressive intent. 

"I'll make you regret mocking me!" he exclaimed, his hammer arcing towards Blake's head as promised.

...

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