CH-5 Pirate ship on the horizon!

As the merchant ship sailed steadily through the tranquil waters, the lookout's voice pierced the calm. "Pirate ship on the horizon!" he shouted, his tone urgent and edged with fear.

The captain swiftly grabbed his spyglass. Raising it to his eye, he focused on the distant silhouette of the approaching ship. What he saw turned his expression grim. "All hands on deck!" he bellowed, his voice carrying authority and urgency. "Man the cannons! Prepare the guns! We're under attack!"

Kosuke and I exchanged tense glances, the weight of the moment settling heavily on our shoulders. We quickly moved to the weapon cache, grabbing rifles with practiced efficiency. Kosuke turned to me, eyes serious and focused. "You ready for this?" he asked, his voice steady but carrying an undertone of concern.

I nodded, though my grip on the rifle tightened. "I've trained enough," I replied, forcing a confident smile. This was going to be my first big battle, and despite my determination, nerves fluttered in my stomach. The skirmish on the island was nothing compared to this impending clash.

With that, I set my rifle aside momentarily and concentrated. I extracted my femur, reshaping the bone into a mace, then added spikes fashioned from my finger bones, creating a brutal weapon designed to crush through armor. The extraction and transformation sapped a bit of my stamina, but I didn't let it show. I hefted the spiked mace, feeling its weight and power, and nodded to Kosuke, ready for the imminent battle.

The pirate ship closed in swiftly, its sleek design allowing for superior maneuverability. Unlike the merchant ship, built for carrying cargo and only armed with a few cannons for self-defense, the pirate vessel was made for battle. Cannons lined its sides, ready to unleash destruction.

"Fire at will!" barked the merchant captain, his voice straining against the rising panic. The ship's cannons thundered, sending shots across the water. Some found their mark, causing explosions on the pirate vessel, but it wasn't enough to slow their approach.

The pirates retaliated with precision, their cannonballs whistling through the air and crashing into the merchant ship's hull. Wood splintered, and shouts filled the air as the crew scrambled to take cover.

As the ships exchanged cannon fire, the pirate vessel steadily closed the distance. Harpoons were fired, their heavy hooks embedding into the merchant ship's sides and reeling the vessels closer together. Chaos erupted as bullets flew from both sides, and bodies began to fall amid the deafening noise of battle.

Kosuke and I took cover and returned fire. Each shot counted, injuring or killing pirates.

"Keep firing!" Kosuke shouted over the chaos.

I nodded, focusing on my aim.

The pirate ship drew closer, revealing a crew of hardened marauders with scarred faces and wild eyes. They roared with savage delight, brandishing rusted cutlasses and jagged machetes. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and the salty tang of the sea.

"Cover me!" I shouted to Kosuke, tossing him my empty rifle. Kosuke nodded, his face set with grim determination, and began reloading his weapon.

With a great heave, the pirate ship's harpoons pulled the vessels together with a resounding crash. The pirates surged forward, leaping onto the deck of the merchant ship like a flood of dark water, their ragged clothes flapping in the wind. The merchant crew braced themselves, eyes wide with fear and resolve.

I felt a surge of adrenaline. My heart pounded as I heaved up the menacing mace. The pirates charged, eyes gleaming with bloodlust, their shouts a cacophony of rage and anticipation.

The first pirate to reach me swung a cutlass at my head. I ducked, then brought my mace up in a brutal arc. The weapon connected with a sickening crunch, and the pirate crumpled to the deck, skull shattered. Another pirate lunged at me, but I sidestepped and swung my mace again, crushing the man's ribs.

Around me, the deck was a chaotic battlefield. Swords clashed, pistols fired at close range, and men grappled in desperate hand-to-hand combat. Kosuke stayed close, his rifle cracking with each shot as he picked off pirates trying to flank me. He fired with precision, dropping a pirate who was sneaking up on my blind side.

"Nice work, Kosuke!" I replied, my voice strained as I swung my mace at another attacker. The pirate's machete glanced off my body, the impact barely registering due to the bone armor under my skin. I countered with a swift, crushing blow to the pirate's knee, dropping him instantly.

Skirmishes erupted all around us. The pirates were fierce and relentless, their tempers flaring as the fight dragged on. They snarled and cursed, their attacks becoming more frenzied as they realized the merchant crew wasn't giving up easily. The merchant crew, fueled by desperation and my fierce example, fought back with everything they had.

Kosuke, his rifle now emptied, switched to a fallen pirate's cutlass. He fought back-to-back with me, our movements synchronized in a deadly dance of survival. My mace swung in wide arcs, breaking bones and smashing weapons aside, while Kosuke's blade flashed in swift, precise strikes, cutting down any pirate who got too close.

The deck was slick with blood, and the air was filled with the sounds of battle: the clash of steel, the cries of the wounded, and the grunts of exertion. Despite our fatigue, Kosuke and I kept fighting, our resolve unwavering as we faced the onslaught of pirates determined to claim the ship.

Seeing his men falter, the pirate captain decided to take matters into his own hands. He drew his revolver and fired at Kosuke. Kosuke ducked behind some crates, heart pounding, the sound of bullets whizzing past his ears. The captain lit a fuse on a bomb and fired again, pinning Kosuke down. With a cruel grin, he hurled the bomb, ensuring there was no escape. The explosion shattered the crates and sent Kosuke flying off the ship, blood trailing from his torn back as he hit the water.

"Kosuke!" I screamed, my voice breaking with desperation. I sprinted toward the edge, only to be intercepted by the pirate captain, who delivered a swift, brutal kick to my chest, sending me sprawling.

"Your friend is finished," the captain sneered, his eyes cold. "Now, it's your turn."

My mind was a whirlwind of fear and rage. I ignored the taunts, focusing solely on saving Kosuke. The pirate captain lunged, his sword flashing. The blade slashed across my neck, a shallow but painful wound that snapped me back to reality.

'Calm down, Kosuke wouldn't die so easily. Unlike you, he can swim. Focus on the bastard in front of you right now. Kill him as quick as possible, then you can try to save Kosuke.' I assured myself mentally. And then anger surged through my body.

I gritted my teeth and picked up my mace, swinging it with all my might at the pirate captain's ribs. The captain blocked with his cutlass, the sound of metal on bone ringing out. The two of us clashed fiercely, our weapons creating sparks as we parried and countered. My swings were powerful but predictable, and the captain deflected them with ease, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

Realizing I couldn't win this way, I disengaged, jumping back. I hurled my mace at the captain, who smirked, thinking I had made a fatal error. He raised his cutlass to parry the incoming weapon.

In that crucial moment, I lunged forward, my knuckles transforming into deadly claws. As the captain diverted the mace, I plunged my claws deep into the captain's stomach.

The captain's eyes bulged, his face contorting in pain. Blood filled his mouth, but with a final surge of strength, he punched me away, the guard of his cutlass cracking my lips and breaking several teeth.

I hit the deck hard, gasping for breath. The pirate captain staggered forward, one hand clutching his bleeding stomach, blood seeping through his fingers. He raised his cutlass high, ready to deliver the killing blow and I crossed my claws, bracing for the attack.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Blood sprayed from the captain's neck, and he collapsed, lifeless, near my legs. Silence descended on the ship, the sounds of battle replaced by an eerie stillness.

I turned, my heart pounding. There, dripping wet and bloody, stood Kosuke, holding a smoking pistol. A crew member beside him, also soaked, had clearly pulled him from the water.

Seizing the moment, the remaining pirates, their morale shattered, fled back to their ship, abandoning the fight. I ignored them, rushing to Kosuke's side. He was breathing, but his back was scorched, and a dozen wood splinters were embedded in his flesh, blood still leaking from the wounds.

"Stay with me, Kosuke," I whispered, my voice filled with urgency. "We need a doctor!" I looked around desperately, but the merchant crew seemed just as lost.

The captain stepped forward, his face grim. "There's a doctor among the passengers," he said. "I'll go fetch him. In the meantime, check on the other injured and hold the ship," he ordered the remaining crew.

I nodded, my focus never wavering from my injured friend. I could only hope that help would come in time.

I stayed by Kosuke's side, gripping his hand. "Hang in there, Kosuke. Help is coming."

Kosuke managed a weak smile. "I'm not going anywhere, Dante. Not yet."

…