The crashes of the waves against the wooden hull echoed outside, the ship creaking as it sliced through the restless sea. Outside, the salty breeze carried the distant cries of seagulls, while below deck, the crew moved in a rush, each man busy with his tasks.
"Jasper! Get your butt over here, you snoozy mutt!" barked a voice, full of irritation and urgency. Jasper, an 18-year-old bright white hair and sleepy eyes, was jolted awake, his mind still hazy from dreams of distant shores and calmer waters.
With a groan, he stumbled out of bed, quickly reaching for his sword—an old, slightly rusted blade that had seen better days—and bolted out of his cabin. The entire ship seemed alive, a chaotic symphony of orders and movements as he ran toward the hull.
A man dressed in a black outfit, complete with a wide-brimmed black hat, stood observing Jasper with an unreadable expression. His skin was smooth like polished onyx, and his pointed cat ears twitched as he scanned the commotion on deck. The strange man, known to all as Captain Orlandeau, narrowed his golden eyes at the sight of the young sailor.
"Jasper!" Captain Orlandeau called, his deep voice somehow carrying over the crashes of the waves and the bustling crew. Jasper hurried over, his sword bouncing against his side as he approached.
"Yes, Captain! Sorry for oversleeping," Jasper said, a hint of nervousness in his voice. He stood straight, trying to appear alert despite the fatigue still clinging to him. Orlandeau studied the boy for a moment, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, though it was hard to tell if it was one of amusement or annoyance.
"Take that rusty thing out and show me what you've got!" Captain Orlandeau barked, his voice cutting through the din of the ship. "I can't be sailing around with dead weight like you, who can't do anything!"
With a quick movement, Jasper drew his sword, adrenaline surging through him. Before he could fully steady himself, Orlandeau lunged at him, the captain's blade slicing through the air with practiced precision.
"React faster!" Orlandeau shouted, his strikes relentless.
"Too slow!" he taunted, as Jasper struggled to defend himself. "Block that!"
Jasper parried and dodged, the weight of the sword feeling heavier with each passing moment. The captain's relentless practice left him breathless, his muscles burning from the effort. Orlandeau pushed him harder, his eyes glinting with a mix of challenge and mentorship.
"Next time, I'll make you wash the whole ship by yourself if this happens again!" Orlandeau growled, his voice firm. "Now get out of my sight!"
Jasper sighed, feeling a mix of relief and exhaustion as he prepared to leave the training area. Just as he turned to walk away, Orlandeau called him back.
"Hey, kid!" The captain tossed an arm brace toward him, which Jasper caught instinctively.
"Welcome to the crew, kid. I expect a lot from you," Orlandeau said, a smirk playing on his lips. The tension in the air shifted, replaced by a sense of camaraderie.
"Now go out and help the others with the sails!" the captain commanded, and Jasper, heart racing with excitement, nodded eagerly before rushing to join his fellow crew members.
Jasper dashed over to the main deck, quickly fastening the arm brace as he went. He joined his crewmates, helping to adjust the sails, their laughter mingling with the sound of the wind and waves. Hours passed as they worked together, the camaraderie lightening the burden of the day's labor. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting golden rays across the water, when Captain Orlandeau emerged from below deck.
"Well done, everyone!" he shouted, his voice booming with authority. "You can stop now. That's enough for today—get some rest!" The crew members cheered, grateful for the reprieve.
As the crew began to disperse, the captain beckoned Jasper over. With a curious tilt of his head, Orlandeau studied the young man. "Jasper, what attunement do you use?"
Jasper hesitated, itching the back of his head, his eyes shifting nervously as he spoke. "Uhh, I'm attunementless, Captain."
Orlandeau's expression shifted to one of scrutiny. "Attunementless, or have you simply not awakened one yet?"
Jasper shuffled his feet, looking down at the deck. "No, Captain, I have not awakened one."
The captain nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering. "Then I expect you to have good mastery over your weapons. But who knows? Maybe one day, you may awaken something new."
Suddenly, a loud roar pierced their ears, sending a shiver down the spine of everyone on board. Captain Orlandeau shot up immediately, his eyes narrowing as he looked out over the darkened waters. In the distance, a shadowy figure loomed, rising from the depths—a massive creature, nearly 60 meters tall, resembling a serpent, its form twisting ominously as it drew closer.
"Kaido..." Orlandeau mumbled under his breath, the name barely audible amidst the growing tension.
Jasper rushed over to the captain, his heart pounding, his eyes wide with both fear and determination. The shadowy figure disappeared beneath the waves, leaving only ripples as evidence of its presence. The crew, sensing danger, ran up to the main deck, their eyes fixed on their captain.
"Get ready, everyone! This is going to be a tough ba—" Captain Orlandeau began to shout, but before he could finish, everything went black.
Silence enveloped the ship, a crushing void, until only one sound could be heard—an ominous voice echoing through the darkness, repeating over and over:
W̶̦̪̦͕͈̫̗̤͔̣̠̯̣̼̄̊͗͆͛̍̀̿̃ͅA̵̡̤̺͈̦͓̭̳̮͓̠̪͂̌̀́̑̋̄̏͒͗̂͌͐͘͜͜K̴̲͖̪̻͍͆̈́̈͗̽ͅÈ̴͙̖̟̤̹͔̭̞̘̻̥̖̈́̄̿̎̆̅͋̉̐́̕̕͜͜͝͝ͅ ̵̡͈͖̪̪͚̦̳̲̠̕Ṵ̶̹͖͛́̽̌͌̏́̒͠P̸̛̛̦̩̭̬̽̒͂̊̋͌͐͛͝͠ W̶̦̪̦͕͈̫̗̤͔̣̠̯̣̼̄̊͗͆͛̍̀̿̃ͅA̵̡̤̺͈̦͓̭̳̮͓̠̪͂̌̀́̑̋̄̏͒͗̂͌͐͘͜͜K̴̲͖̪̻͍͆̈́̈͗̽ͅÈ̴͙̖̟̤̹͔̭̞̘̻̥̖̈́̄̿̎̆̅͋̉̐́̕̕͜͜͝͝ͅ ̵̡͈͖̪̪͚̦̳̲̠̕Ṵ̶̹͖͛́̽̌͌̏́̒͠P̸̛̛̦̩̭̬̽̒͂̊̋͌͐͛͝͠ W̶̦̪̦͕͈̫̗̤͔̣̠̯̣̼̄̊͗͆͛̍̀̿̃ͅA̵̡̤̺͈̦͓̭̳̮͓̠̪͂̌̀́̑̋̄̏͒͗̂͌͐͘͜͜K̴̲͖̪̻͍͆̈́̈͗̽ͅÈ̴͙̖̟̤̹͔̭̞̘̻̥̖̈́̄̿̎̆̅͋̉̐́̕̕͜͜͝͝ͅ ̵̡͈͖̪̪͚̦̳̲̠̕Ṵ̶̹͖͛́̽̌͌̏́̒͠P̸̛̛̦̩̭̬̽̒͂̊̋͌͐͛͝͠ W̶̦̪̦͕͈̫̗̤͔̣̠̯̣̼̄̊͗͆͛̍̀̿̃ͅA̵̡̤̺͈̦͓̭̳̮͓̠̪͂̌̀́̑̋̄̏͒͗̂͌͐͘͜͜K̴̲͖̪̻͍͆̈́̈͗̽ͅÈ̴͙̖̟̤̹͔̭̞̘̻̥̖̈́̄̿̎̆̅͋̉̐́̕̕͜͜͝͝ͅ ̵̡͈͖̪̪͚̦̳̲̠̕Ṵ̶̹͖͛́̽̌͌̏́̒͠P̸̛̛̦̩̭̬̽̒͂̊̋͌͐͛͝͠
Suddenly, Jasper jolted awake, his eyes blinking against the harsh light of an unfamiliar room. He lay on a small, uncomfortable bed, his head pounding with severe pain, as if it were being squeezed from all sides. He tried to gather his thoughts, but the only thing he could remember clearly was Captain Orlandeau's voice, cut off as he warned of a tough battle. Everything after that was just darkness.
Jasper slowly sat up, his body aching, and looked around. The room was bare, with walls made of rough stone and a small wooden table in the corner. He glanced down at himself—his clothes were ripped, tattered from whatever had happened. The arm brace, the one given to him by the captain, hung loosely around his wrist, barely intact, its metal warped and dented.
