The night had fallen, and the ship cruised through the calm waters under the starlit sky.
"Mmh…" Kiernan's eyes fluttered open as he woke up from his nap.
He sat up, and hopped off his bunk bed, then noticed that the bottom bunk was empty as Julian was nowhere to be seen.
"Yawn…" Kiernan scratched his long hair that had already reached his shoulders.
The hair was far from smooth, as it was pretty wild-looking, but it gave him a distinctive style that he liked.
It made him look dangerous, but coupled with his handsome face and gentle-looking gray eyes, he looked dangerously attractive.
Someone that not too many young ladies would be able to resist.
With his cabin key in his pocket, he stumbled out of the cabin, went down the narrow hallways, and found himself on the deck with the starlit sky shining down on him.
He then heard some commotion coming from the ship's lounge area, and when he went there, he saw some sailors and Julian playing some card games and telling wild stories.
"Oh, you finally woke up." Julian motioned for Kiernan to come. "Take a seat and play with us."
Kiernan took himself a chair and sat around the table.
The rowdy-looking sailors glanced at him briefly before checking their cards and then continued with the game.
"Yrvi, you mentioned something about the Swording Port incident, didn't you?" Julian asked.
Yrvi, a man with a thick beard and weathered skin, solemnly nodded.
"I heard another passenger vessel happened to be near the area of Swording Port when the incident happened!
"The captain of that ship was on the same bar as me and told me and a few others that he also saw a Navy ship docked there at the time of the incident.
"A ship that apparently belonged to one of the Navy Admirals!"
"Admiral?" Another sailor said in surprise. "If Admiral was there, how did that incident happen? The Five Admirals are the strongest military figures in the Navy, and only the Fleet Admiral holds more power and authority."
"Well…" Yrvi wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I heard that there was a pirate ship with a red skull and crossbones…"
"Red skull and crossbones?!" A sailor exclaimed. "Isn't that ship that belongs to Pirate Emperor?"
"Yes, it was the main ship of the Pirate Emperor, Mauricio Krakenbane!"
"So, it was Mauricio Krakenbane that destroyed Swording Port?" A sailor said in surprise. "That's one of the Five Pirate Emperors; now I know why the Admiral was there."
"Still, how did Swording Port get destroyed with Admiral there?" A sailor asked. "Did he arrive too late, and everyone was already killed?"
Julian checked his cards in silence and then folded.
"Shit cards…" he stood up, and said. "Thanks for the games, but I need some fresh air."
"…" Kiernan watched as he left and then asked, "Have any of you guys heard about Red Emperor? Is he also one of the Pirate Emperors?"
"Herodes the Great?" Yrvi shook his head. "He isn't some filthy Pirate Emperor. I don't know what Herodes is currently doing, but I am sure he is saving some lives."
'Saving lives? What I heard from Karma depicted Herodes as a piece of shit.' Kiernan frowned, stood up, and bid farewell to others before stepping outside into the cool air.
Then, he saw Julian lean over the railing, looking down at the starry water reflection.
"Yo," Kiernan walked next to him.
"What do you want?" Julian asked.
"What's with you and Swording Port?" Kiernan asked. "I saw the changes in your expression when the Admiral and Mauricio were mentioned."
"Whoa, you're sharp-eyed, aren't you?" Julian sarcastically said. "Yeah, you're right."
He let out a deep sigh and pointed towards the west.
"That's where Swording Port is, now ruined, and that was my home." Julian said. "I am the sole survivor of that tragedy."
"That's… not what I expected." Kiernan looked surprised.
"Yah…" Julian sighed. "My little sister and my parents died there. In flames. The funny thing is that public things that the pirate did that."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I didn't know who the pirate was before now." Julian said. "Mauricio Krakenbane was only the second culprit of that incident. The main culprit was the Navy Admiral, Ethan Blackforest!"
"Admiral was the culprit?" Kiernan's eyes widened. "I thought the Navy was the good guys."
"I know you aren't naive." Julian laughed. "You're still new to these waters, but there isn't justice here. The Navy are glorified bounty hunters, they aren't here to serve justice."
"What happened there really?"
"Admiral Ethan Blackforest was hunting Mauricio for three days and three nights; eventually their chase reached the Swording Port.
"Y'see, Mauricio, as one of the Pirate Emperors, had a nice, juicy bounty on his head. If Ethan had killed him, he could've just retired and become king of some shitty island.
"Their fight shook the very foundation of Swording Port. Mauricio started using the people there as human shields, but Ethan ignored the innocent bystanders and focused solely on taking down the Pirate Emperor.
"That day, Ethan killed more of the civilians than Mauricio. Eventually, Mauricio escaped the island while Ethan killed the rest of his crew.
"However, to make sure that the public didn't find out about his horrible deeds, Ethan killed the rest of the witnesses.
"And then blamed everything on Mauricio.
"I only survived because I swam off the island. I swam all the way to the New Rakuya."
"…" Kiernan stayed quiet, watching the waves crash against the hull.
"Well, I suggest you not tell anyone about this; if anyone informs Ethan that there are witnesses left, he'll find you and kill you."
"Oh, thanks for telling me then." Kiernan sarcastically said. "Well, I am not worried. I am not telling anyone shit."
"Heh." Julian grinned and reached out his hand to him. "I'll introduce myself properly—my name's Julian Noah, I'm seventeen years old, and I am Low Stage Martial Champion."
'Low Stage Martial Champion at such an age?!' Kiernan's eyes shook. 'I guess New Rakuya is really just a small pond. I already found someone more talented than Johan so randomly.'
"Kiernan Hunter, seventeen years old for about a week already, and I am High Stage Martial Fighter."
He then shook the hand.
"Oh, we're the same age." Julian said in surprise. "Why are you here alone? I doubt you're in the same boat as me, so where are your parents?"
"I am en route to meet a mother that abandoned me when I was a baby." Kiernan said. "I guess you could say that I am on holiday currently."