Chapter 9 - From Battlefields to Peaceful Slumber

After the fierce battle between the Black Skull Pirates and the Marines came to an end with the defeat of the pirates, I looked around at the chaos and destruction that had befallen the Black Skull Pirate ship. The sight was horrifying; shattered ship debris, lingering smoke from explosions, and traces of the battle scattered everywhere. But what shocked me the most was the sight of blood splattered around and possibly even severed pirate body parts, severed by the swords of the Marines or destroyed by the ship's explosions.

It was the first time in my life that I witnessed the cruelty of war with my own eyes. The feeling of shock still overwhelmed my mind, making it difficult for me to accept the brutality of what had just occurred moments ago.

As I observed my surroundings with a heavy heart, my stomach suddenly churned, indicating that I was about to vomit. I gritted my teeth and resolved to hold back the nausea that washed over me.

The visual impact of this real battle was starkly different from what I had seen in anime or movies. In the world of animation, brutal scenes like this were usually not depicted as vividly. Only the sounds of slashing, shouting, and dripping blood were shown, but there were no bodies destroyed by explosions or severed by swords. This was the real world, not an imaginary one. Taking a deep breath, I struggled to come to terms with this cruel reality.

After managing to calm myself down, I continued to observe the situation around me. I saw several members of the Marines reporting to Captain Smoker, presumably about war statistics and reports. Other members of the Marines were busy assisting their injured comrades, while some were handcuffing the remaining members of the Black Skull Pirates.

A few moments later, a Marine approached us, the pirate prisoners. He instructed us to follow him to the Marine ship. With weakened steps, we obeyed his command and made our way towards their vessel.

Upon reaching the Marine ship, we were welcomed warmly. They provided us with blankets, water, and food. As I slowly began to chew the food given to me, I felt the true value of that meal.

In my previous life, I had never given much thought to food and the plight of hunger, as I always had enough food at home. However, through this experience, I realized how precious food truly was. I had never been so emotional just from chewing food.

Tears unknowingly streamed down my face as I chewed the food carefully. I was not alone in this sadness. Some of the other prisoners in the cell were also crying, celebrating their freedom from the cruelty of the pirates.

The Marines looked at us crying with the food they had provided. There was happiness on their faces, but also anger, not anger directed at us, but anger towards the cruelty of the pirates that had left us in such a state.

After finishing the emotional meal, I and some other victims were directed to a room on the ship. The room was provided as a place for us to rest.

Entering the room, I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. And for the first time since transmigrating to this cruel world, I slept peacefully.