VARIA~My little flower

Prologue

The emerald green sea glittered in the hot sun and calm waves lapped at the bow of The Domina, the fastest heartiest ship there ever was. At the bow of the ship, there stood the captain. Her name was Maria Espada Anemona. She came from a long lineage of strong, brave pirates, each one with incredible tales to tell. Her family, of course, was mostly made up of men, who refused to acknowledge that Maria wanted to do the same thing.

"Ah, little Mari! You're such a delicate little flower, you wouldn't last two days on a pirate ship, much less as a captain!" Her father had joked, spraying flecks of spit across her face when she brought it up to him. But "little Mari" had other plans. At fourteen, she decided to run away, taking up a position as crewmate aboard The Strongman. She quickly climbed the ranks and achieved the position of Captain.

Now, Maria had carved her destiny. She woke up each day, captain of her ship, her blue-gray eyes bright with grit and determination. Anyone who dared to cross her learned to know better. Every day, her long, curly black hair was thrown into a bun, shoved into a cap, and the day would begin. Days soon filled with battles, fighting sea serpents, and politely slapping any misogynistic prick who dared to insinuate that she was incompetent.