Chapter 3 Battle at Sea

I may have miscalculated a bit on the romance of sailing at sea. Because I failed to think that because this is a cruise ship, it goes at considerably slower speeds than normal ships. Something about taking it slow being luxurious. It's already been three days since we left Melisbay island, and it's going to take two more until we reach Syrup Village. Now waiting around isn't so bad for someone like me, but a child who gets easily bored doesn't make for the easiest journey.

Luckily I've been able to keep her entertained with my phantasmal ability. I just told her random stories I made up and used my ability to make figures move with the story. It was a great use of my time, because I've become more adept at manipulating the energy. Unfortunately, story telling eventually gets old. Maybe I can make a solid phantom ball and teach her a fun game or something. I tried to get her to play with the other kids, but she said they were too snobby. Damn those rich brats I-*BOOM*

My inner monologue was interrupted by the sounds of cannon fire and the shouts of the crew. "Pirate attack! Pirates are attacking! Will all passengers please take shelter at the end of the ballroom. The guards will take care of the pirates, please just stay calm."

With that being my queue for action I take Silk and make sure she's safe with the other passengers before going towards the enemy ship. Moving onto the deck I can see the pirates trying to board the ship through long planks. Using this situation as an opportunity to test a new technique I made up, I quickly put my plan to work.

I started by creating mirage blades around me and shot them towards the enemy ship. My marksman skill isn't high enough to accurately shoot them at any specific target but that isn't the point. Because of their phantom nature they won't hurt anybody either. Which is why I named this technique mirage blades, because it passes through things like an illusion. Instead I use them as waypoints I can temporarily turn into a phantom and teleport to them. Unsheathing Yamato I prepare myself, the sharpness of the blade even when sealed can cut the air. I may have been used to violence but killing is another matter. But now I have someone to protect…

*Swish*

In an instant I'm in front of a group of pirates with basic movements I cut them down one by one in their surprise. Ignoring the sick feeling of cutting through flesh and bone I flash to the next location. Like this I continue to take care of the small fries, while flashing to avoid bullets. My continuous thinning of their numbers was enough to draw out the boss of the pirates.

He was a bulky fellow with a vicious smile that was missing a few teeth, he had unkempt hair and wore animal skin clothing. In his hands were a pair of twin greataxes, overall he had the style of a typical ruffian. "What's a pretty boy like you doing fighting pirates? Don't you know? You're facing Ax Killer Denley, I have a bounty of 5 million berries on my head. Now surrender your riches and women and we'll give you a quick death."

"Hahaha those lines are so cliche, you're like a stereotypical villain. A murderer like you, I won't feel any remorse when I cut you down." With the typical battle dialogue done I shoot several phantom blades towards him.

"What in the hell are those? What sort of trickery is this?" He swings one of his axes at one of the few mirage blades that managed to make it towards him. Then a sneer appeared on his face when he saw that the blades simply passed through his weapon. What he didn't expect was me suddenly teleporting in front of him.

For me everything was moving in slow motion, and even though he was surprised he quickly swung with his other ax. Meanwhile I slashed towards his other outstretched arm, each of us continuing our attack like a game of chicken. Unfortunately for him I was faster and lobbed off his arm, then flashing to the mirage blade that phased through him I flashed behind him behind him. Once there I simply made a quick slash and cut him down.

In the end he wasn't really strong or skilled enough to pose an actual threat. While I could've fought all the pirates head on, I simply don't have the combat experience to confidently take them all down. But in the middle of battle is the best time to hone your skills, so eventually I'll have to come out of my comfort zone. White extremely versatile, my current use of the mirage blades is gimmicky at best.

[Ding! Congratulations you've taken down a criminal with a 5mil berri bounty. You've earned 40 infamy gems.]

When I returned to the cruise ship all the other pirates were dealt with, and there were no casualties on our side as far as I could see.Checking my appearance before I go to grab Silk, I make sure I don't have any blood on me so I don't scare her. Luckily it seems I lucked out and didn't get blood on my clothes, I only have the one set.

After everything was settled and calmed down, I now had an excited Silk in my arms. Asking about how I saved the day and beat the bad guys. "Papa is a superhero, he goes boom, pow, shling, and bam all the bad guys are done for!"

I just smiled and enjoyed the sweet feels from the daydreaming girl. It's the only thing that has managed to keep my mind off the sick feeling of having killed somebody. You can prepare yourself all you want but it doesn't matter until the situation is in front of you.

Then the Captain came up to me with a happy smile. "Sir Luciano, thanks to you there were no casualties among us. And to thank you I want to pay you the bounty of the pirate you defeated. Unfortunately since he's dead there's a 30% reward decrease. Still, 3.5mil berri is no small amount. Unfortunately this is all I can do for you."

"It's alright Captain I appreciate the sentiment, I'll take you up on your offer. For now I'll take a rest with my daughter in our room. If you'll excuse us." Luckily the Captain took care of that headache for me. I may not really show it but having no money to my name has been slightly inconvenient.

"Ah of course, you must be tired after fighting those pirates. My apologies, I'll have one of the men drop off the sum to your room later. Please have a nice rest." To be honest I wasn't especially tired, with my current stats those pirates were all small fries. It's just awkward watching a grown man trying to verbally lick my boots.

-2 Days Later-

These 2 days have been more difficult than any of the previous days. I wasn't besieged by hundreds of pirates, but I might as well have. Instead I had to deal with the woes of parenting. It all started when Silk asked me a problematic question…

~flashback~

"Papa, I know you aren't really my papa. I've known for awhile, all the other kids look like their parents and I look nothing like you. I've done nothing but burden you. So, why did you take me as your daughter?"

That whole mouthful was like a punch to my gut by whitebeard himself. This was so out of left field, but I should've expected a smart girl like her to know.

"Silk, you're not a burden. You're a brilliant star in my life that brings happiness around her. As for why? I saw a kid like me, without any family and I guess I did what I wanted someone to do for me. Listen up Silk, family isn't always blood. It's the people in life who want you in theirs, the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to make you smile and who love you no matter what. So, Silk will you be my daughter?"

She was silent for a little while, and that silence made my heart nervous. Then she ran into my arms and started bawling. "Waaaah! *sniff* you can't take it back! *sniff* I want you to be my papa forever."

"Of course little one…" We stayed like that for a little while until she stopped crying. It brought a happy smile to my face. That a little love to those who need it can mean the world to them. It's something I used to crave in my last life. On that awful rainy day…

"Hey Papa?"

"Hmm?" She peeked up at me with her puffy brown eyes from my chest. But her next words caught me completely by surprise.

"Can I have a sword?"

Ugh! Can't you go easy on your papa Silk? On one hand there's giving her a means of self-defense and on the other is giving a 9 year-old a weapon. I have a feeling this parenting thing isn't going to get any easier…

~end of flashback~

Now we're finally at Syrup Village on the Gecko Islands. By my side is Silk who's currently hugging a small sword. In the end I thought that it's better that she knows how to defend herself…