When Blood Meets Rubber

The Truth

Terror beat Inez for countless hours, yet she still sat there not saying a single word.
" TELL ME WHAT YOUR MOTHER KNOWS!" He yelled out in anger.

" N- no you stupid bastard..... YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT MY MOTHER KNEW!" Inez took up all of her strength to get those words out.
This angered Terror, " So you wanna play this game?"

Inez's head hung low, he grabbed her hair lifting her head up to his face. " I'll tell you about your father." He grinned. Inez's eyes opened wide.

" Captain Kurogane... That's your father. Yes he's a pirate. "

~ 24 years ago ~

Captain Kurogane “Black Tempest” Ryuji sailed the treacherous seas, his ship, the Storm’s Edge, slicing through waves like a blade through silk. His bounty of 3.8 billion berries weighed heavily on his shoulders, but Ryuji reveled in the thrill of danger. His jet-black coat billowed in the salty wind, and his eyes held the secrets of a thousand storms.

One fateful night, amidst a tempest that threatened to swallow the moon itself, Ryuji’s crew spotted a lone vessel—a sleek pirate ship named Crimson Gale. Its black sails bore a crimson phoenix, a symbol of defiance. The captain of the Crimson Gale was none other than Captain Mai, a woman with eyes as sharp as her cutlass.

Mai’s crew fought like demons, their blades clashing against Ryuji’s seasoned warriors. But when Ryuji and Mai locked eyes, something shifted—a recognition, a shared fire burning deep within their souls. They fought not as enemies but as kindred spirits, each respecting the other’s skill.

After a fierce battle that left both ships battered, Ryuji and Mai stood face-to-face on the blood-soaked deck. Rain lashed their faces, and lightning crackled overhead. Mai’s laughter echoed—a wild, untamed sound.

“Black Tempest Ryuji,” she said, her voice a melody of danger. “You fight like the storm itself.”

“And you,” Ryuji replied, “are the gale that defies even the fiercest waves.”

They struck a deal—an alliance forged in salt and steel. Together, they plundered ancient ruins, seeking lost treasures and forbidden knowledge. Mai’s laughter softened, and Ryuji glimpsed vulnerability beneath her pirate bravado.

In the quiet moments between battles, Ryuji learned of Mai’s dream—a utopian island where pirates could find redemption. A place where the sea forgave sins, and storms whispered forgotten tales. Ryuji found himself drawn to this vision, to the woman who dared dream it.

As the seasons turned, Ryuji and Mai’s camaraderie deepened. They shared stories of lost loves, whispered secrets under moonlit skies, and danced on the precipice of desire. Their stolen kisses tasted of salt and longing.

And then, one night during a lightning-lit storm, Mai revealed her greatest secret—a child growing within her. Ryuji’s heart thundered. Their daughter, Inez, would inherit the legacy of both tempests—the Black Tempest and the Crimson Gale.

Years passed and the two continued to search for the Utopia Island. All Mai ever wanted was too be free. Free.

That was until she ended up pregnant. " Kuro."

" Yes my love?" His words shadderd her heart, she knew that they would have to go their separate ways.

" I fear our adventures as one must come to end." It hurt her to say those words, she knew it would break his heart.

" Why my love?! Are you ill?! Are you- what's going on?!" Confused and worried he continued to ask questions.

" I'm pregnant Kuro. I fear if this child has a life on the seas she will not be safe. Especially with us as her parents. "