CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

East Blue looked very calm and peaceful on this night. The sea lay flat like a vast dark blue sheet illuminated with only moonlight, but small flashes stood out at the other end of the horizon. Two ships were moving one after the other. From one ship, screams of angst and fear were ripping the tranquil night while bloodthirsty cries arose from the other. A pirate ship was chasing a cruise ship to loot. The succession of cannonballs and their whistling approaching the ship overwhelmed everyone on board with fear.

Although any cannonball did not hit it, the rudder of the ship broke apart with a loud noise. It was no longer possible to control this ship. As he could no longer change direction with the wind, the pirate ship was slowly approaching, and with one last shot, they managed to smash the main mast too.

Even though the pirate ship was still 100 meters away, silhouettes emerged from the water and silently climbed onto the ship. When the tens of silhouettes boarded the ship, more screams of agony and fear started to rise.

A man was trying to protect his family with a sword and a gun in his hand. But the pirates were very numerous, and their numbers were increasing. One of the pirates had managed to pounce on the man and knock him down. Just then, the young woman behind him picked up a gun she found on the ground and fired at the silhouette she could barely see in the dark. The girl missed, but sensing the bullet's passage, the pirate lost his attention momentarily, and the father stabbed him and got out of the way.

The man turned and called out to those behind him.

"Get down to the rescue raft, quick."

While forcibly holding back the two pirates, a third came and injured the man on his right side. Screaming, the young girl fired the gun again and was able to shoot one of the pirates this time, but this did not bring a good result. one of the pirates with a rifle saw his crew mate get killed and shot the young girl. The mother saw her husband and daughter getting killed and shielded her only remaining family with her body.

Just as the other pirates were going to shoot the mother and son, when a cannonball hit the side deck, the boy fell from the ship, and the bullets only hit the mother. This poor boy watched his entire family slaughtered by pirates and disappear into the dark waters of the sea.

.......

The sun had already risen, and a scorching heat was beginning to spread over the vast sea. This was Kreegan's second day on a beam of wood. The waves hitting the piece of wood for two days had been rocking it from side to side. For the first time, dark thoughts were running through that 6-year-old boy's mind, wondering if he should stop holding on at this very moment. His mother and father came to his mind, and a great sadness washed over him. He no longer had a father to carve a sword with and a mother to run to and hug when he bled. Thin, salty tears streamed down his little face and mingled with the sea's salty waters.

With every tear flowing, the hands holding the piece of wood were starting to lose strength, and he suddenly found himself sinking into the blue depths. He was so tired, hungry, and thirsty that he wanted to close his eyes now. However, at that moment, he heard his mother's voice telling him, "Fight, do not give up." and his father's voice shouted at him, "Kreegan Wucrane! Get up right this moment. I didn't raise a quitter." He opened his eyes, and simultaneously, a thought flashed in his mind that if he gave up, his parents would be sad. He began swimming with all his might and managed to reach the surface.

The piece of wood he was standing on was about 5 meters away, and he started to stroke with all his might, but the distance was closing very slowly. His little arms were starting to get sluggish with exhaustion, but he couldn't give up now. His father didn't raise a quitter. After a few minutes of struggle, he had managed to climb back onto the piece of wood, completely exhausted, even though the splinters stinging in his hands, which were holding on to the wood with all his might. They hurt him very much, but he would not let go of this wood.

Another day had passed. His lips began to crack and bleed from thirst and the sea's salt. The occasional waves crashed on his face, and salt burned his lips like fire. For the first time, he realized that hunger is a painful thing. It was as if his stomach was grinding itself, and he didn't even have the energy to move his fingers.

For a moment, his eyes caught a glimpse of his father's watch on his wrist. While on board the ship, Kreegan was bored and was beginning to overwhelm his parents. He was constantly asking, "are we there yet?" his father was not angry with him and had taken off his watch and taught Kreegan how to read the time and said that they would reach there when the hour hand, which had just passed 12, came back to 12 again. Recalling this memory, Kreegan brought his other hand to that watch and started chanting in his mind." I will not give up." All he could do was hold on.

.......

A fishing boat was happily returning home after a good haul. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he watched the sun begin to set over the horizon. No matter how many times he saw it, this sight always affected him like the first day and wiped all the tiredness of the day from his mind. This view was one of the only reasons he fell in love with the sea. Just as he was about to get on to the helm, a glint caught his eye and disappeared. This repeated a few more times, and the fisherman called out to his companions.

"Somebody get me the binoculars quick."

Another fisherman brought the collapsible binoculars and looked toward the spot where the glow came from. When the glimmer caught his eye once more, he saw where it was coming from and looked there through the binoculars.

"There is a castaway turn to the port side."

A few minutes later, one of the fishermen jumped into the water and took the unconscious Kreegan aboard.

"He must have been at sea for a few days, judging by this poor boy's state." The fishing captain turned to the others and said.

"Ryomachi brings me a blanket; Kamesago wet a clean cloth with drinking water and bring it to me." The fishermen wrapped Kreegan in a blanket, trying to raise his body temperature, then rubbed the wet cloth over his lips, causing him to drink little by little as he swallowed. A few hours later, they reached their village and took the unconscious boy to the village elder's house.

"Did you run into anyone else, or did you see any shipwrecks?"

"We made a wide circle of a few kilometers a few times but didn't run into anyone else. Judging by the way the boy was, he had been dragged by the currents for a long time."

"The last storm was four weeks ago. That can't be why, and there's only one possibility left - the pirates."

"We should put the child in Koushirou's dojo when he wakes up. I think it would be better for the child to have other people of his age. When the marine patrol ship arrives, we ask them to take a picture of the child as a missing person."