"Your region has come to an end, Pirate King. You're dug too far; now the only way is down."

It was a fairly sunny day at sea, and the Sapphire Fortune sailed smoothly in the waters. Eric was in his cabin, hunched over papers and maps that spread across his entire desk. He slammed his palm hard on the hardwood before running a hand through his curls, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Captain," —a knock came on his door— "The wind's direction seemed to have changed, should we detour?" A burly man peeked his head through the door.

"No, we keep going as planned. I need to find that damn thing!" Eric snapped, his patience wearing thin. He turned his attention back to the map on the desk. It was an old map, brittle from years of handling. It had taken him almost a year to get this far, going island to island, chasing clue after clue. Yet he was still missing something, something that seemed so close yet so far out of reach.

The amulet, the treasure, the thing that every pirate— no, every person desired. The amulet is rumored to have been hidden alongside endless treasures. It had once belonged to the infamous Pirate King, who used their power to gain control over the seven seas.

Eric was snapped out of his thoughts when his ship violently jolted, and he was nearly thrown to the wall. Scrambling up, he hurried out of his cabin and onto the main deck. Outside, it was chaos. Men ran around, some clinging to the railing, looking pale and unwell.

"What is happening?!" Eric yelled over the howling wind. They were caught in a storm, a mighty one at that. He didn't understand; it was clear and sunny only minutes ago. Where did this storm come from?

The sky was quickly darkening, the clouds swirling into a massive, thunderous blanket. Heavy rain poured down, rendering the deck into a slippery mess. Eric, sensing the danger, ran for the helm, his boots clicking on the stairs. Taking over the wheel, the man abandoned his original plan to keep sailing onwards. He yanked the steer left, trying to sail out of the storm.

"Raise the sails!" Eric yelled over the screaming winds. By now, the wind had picked up. It carried the rain, hitting the ship's exterior like bullets. The moment the sails caught the wind, the boat shot forward. The storm was only getting worse. All Eric could hear was the wailing winds like dying sirens. All he saw was the rain, feeling the coldness stick to his clothes.

Suddenly, the ship jolted hard, almost throwing Eric overboard. Following was the horrible noise of wood splintering. Had they hit something? With no time to think too hard about it, the man could only continue to drive the Sapphire Fortune over violent waves.

Eric gripped the helm so tightly that his fingers were going numb. Or was that from the cold? He could see the outline of a few of his crew running in and out on the main deck. Turning his attention back to the sea, the waves crashed against the outer hull violently, swaying the ship at every turn. He couldn't even tell if they were even moving anymore; he could barely even see his own flag, the dark blue fabric camouflaging against the clouds.

He suddenly noticed something in the distance. Eric wasn't sure how he was able to even see it, but there was unmistakably another ship close by. He caught a glimmer of red sails before the winds picked up in the opposite direction, driving the rain into his face.

However, as quickly as it came, the storm was gone. The clouds dispersed, revealing clear blue skies. The rain died down alongside thunderclouds as the waves calmed. Soon enough, the ocean was still again. There was no trace of the brutal typhoon except for the water pooling on the deck. As well as Eric being absolutely drenched from head to toe.

"Holy…" The man had to take a moment to process what on earth just happened. However, he quickly turned his attention back to the distance. Sure enough, there was a ship floating on the water. He fumbled for his spyglass. Peering into it, Eric's jaw fell slack. It had red sails, and clear as day, was a crimson rose.

"Full speed! Now!" Eric yelled at his men, changing his direction immediately for the ship in the distance. If it really is what he thinks it is, he is in for a treat.

As the Sapphire Fortune neared its target, Eric felt his heart skip a beat. He was right, it was the Scarlet Rose. The ship that belongs to none other than the infamous pirate king. A man who was rumored that not even death could claim his soul. The ship itself was in rough condition, battered, and the black wooden tiles were losing their color. He could see people on board still, only a few, though. However, Eric's attention wasn't on the crew members; his gaze was focused on the man standing behind the helm.

"Hah! What a surprise! I surely did not expect the pirate king himself to be delivered straight to my feet!" Eric called out as soon as the two ships were close enough. The people onboard the Scarlet Rose all snapped their focus to him, including the man in red. Even with his long black hair covering half his face, Eric could still see the coldness in his eyes.

"Oh? And who might you be?" The man spoke, his voice smooth, even as his hand drew near the gun on his waist. Eric's men threw a bridge to connect the two ships as the rest of his crew drew their weapons.

Leaping from his spot on the poop deck, he leisurely strolled across the wooden bridge. His face held a sly smirk as he felt excitement bubbling up inside him. This was his chance to get what he wanted. "I am Eric Locke! Captain of the Sapphire Fortune, good greetings, Henry."

"I do not yet believe we are quite on a first-name basis yet," Henry replied, his face held no sign of distress as he signaled for his own men to draw their guns.

"Well then, Pirate King, I see that your ship seems to be in rough shape. How about you come aboard mine? I'll treat you well~," Eric announced slyly. It was clear his intentions were not goodwill, though.

Sensing the threat, Henry drew his gun, but didn't point it. "I can tell you confidently that we can manage. And you can drop the good guy act, I see it written all over your face."

A little taken aback by how quickly the other man figured him out, Eric dropped the facade. "Alright, fine," — he drew his pistol— "Come along quietly, and no one gets hurt. I have no idea what in the world could have happened that left your ship in this condition, but you're outnumbered—"

BANG!

Henry pulled the first shot; he had somehow raised the gun and fired without Eric noticing. The two ships were sent into a frenzy, with Henry's crew taking on the defense. However, it was clear they were fighting a losing battle.

"Do not kill anyone important!" Eric yelled. He knew that the Pirate King would have the information he wanted. Besides, the bounty on his head was enough to feed his crew for another year. Henry had leapt from the helm and onto the main deck, joining his crew. Eric was close behind, focusing solely on the other captain. Shots were fired back and forth as the smell of smoke and gunpowder filled the air, alongside the metallic smell of iron.

He aimed shot after shot at the Pirate King, all towards nonfatal areas. Bodies dropped one by one, mostly those from Henry's crew. Soon, there were only four people left from the infamous Pirate King's ship, including Henry himself.

The floorboards were slick with water and blood, causing Henry to stumble in his steps. Eric took that opportunity to land a bullet straight into the other man's calf. Now only having one good leg left, the man leaned against the railing to keep himself standing.

Just as he was closing in, another pirate jumped in to the other's defense, "Captain! Are you okay!?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Asta," Henry replied, his voice strained. Eric was surprised. Was the newcomer a woman? He could not tell, but he decided to come back to that thought later.

The said woman fired several shots at Eric, one landing in his left shoulder, his dominant side. He cursed under his breath; his gun had just been rendered useless.

Tossing the pistol aside, he drew a sword from his belt with his other arm. He needed to find a way to disarm the others' guns, too, or he was as good as dead. Just as the female pirate was aiming for another shot, she was tackled away by one of Eric's men.

"Asta!" Before Henry could help her, Eric lunged. He tackled the pirate to the floor as they engaged in a struggle for the gun. However, Henry was taller and stronger than Eric, as he was flipped onto his back. The table was now turned as he watched the other point the gun at his face.

Click— a blank— click— another blank. Henry was out of bullets. Both men stayed still, one out of shock at his good luck, the other baffled at the bad timing. Suddenly, Eric took advantage of the distraction as he surged up, grabbing the other's collar and biting the pirate king right in the nape of the neck.

"What the—! You dog!" Henry dropped the gun and shoved him away, his hand flying to his neck. A bite mark was blooming there, fresh blood blending in with the red coat.

"Dog? What a lame insult," Eric commented as he kicked the pistol off the side of the ship and into the ocean. "Now come on, the rest of your crew is already taken. Surrender, or I kill them one by one."

Henry's head snapped to the rest of the ship, and sure enough, the remaining three members were subdued. He turned his attention back to Eric. "I'm not going to—"

Before the man even finished his sentence, a scream interrupted his words. He looked in the direction of the noise. It came from one of his captured men, a young boy, the cabin boy. The boy's screams turned to gurgling sounds as Eric pulled his sword from the boy's stomach. "Believe me now?"

Henry sat there stunned. He watched as Eric moved onto the next hostage, the pirate from earlier. Her short hair did little to hide the hate in her eyes as she glared at her captor.

Just as he raised his blade, "Stop! Stop! Fine! I surrender!" Henry shouted, his voice a little shriller than before. He raised his hands slowly, his crimson eyes staring intently at Eric. Eric felt his heartbeat speed up slightly.

Delighted, he spared no time wrapping a coil of rope tightly around the other man's wrists, binding them together at the front. He led Henry, alongside the two remaining hostages, across the wooden board and back onto his ship.

"Welcome to the Sapphire Fortune! Enjoy your stay, it'll be for a while~" Eric chirped happily, very pleased with his work.

"Sapphire Fortune? Sounds like a knock-off name, not gonna lie," Henry answered without missing a beat. Eric was taken aback at the bluntness of his words, his smirk faltering momentarily.

"Well, someone has a death wish…"