Laughter and cheers filled the ship, blending with the clinking of raised glasses. The dim glow of oil lamps flickered gently, casting dancing shadows on the wooden walls as if celebrating the night's festivities.
I (Élodie) merely smirked. My fingers curled tightly around the glass of liquor, its dark liquid swirling inside. I took a slow sip—hot, sharp, burning down my throat. Delicious.
But suddenly...
My heart skipped a beat.
A strange unease crept into my chest.
The smirk faded from my lips.
Something was wrong.
I bit my lip, trying to ignore the chilling sensation crawling down my spine. My eyes swept across the room—the crew was still lost in merriment, drunk on laughter and liquor. No one seemed to notice.
But I knew better.
A captain's instincts are sharper than sight.
Where is Nadja?
My brow furrowed. Before the feast began, I had sent her to check on the supply storage. Now, she was nowhere to be seen.
That's not like her.
I downed the rest of my drink.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Done.
I rose from my seat.
"Captain! Stay! Have another drink!" One of the crew slurred, clearly intoxicated.
I chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Hahaha... Drink all you want. I need to check on something."
With long strides, I left the lively party behind.
The further I walked from the noise, the more serious my expression became.
Where the hell did that kid go?
As I neared the storage room, a faint sound reached my ears—
A voice.
A woman's voice.
Muffled.
My eyes narrowed. My fingers instinctively brushed against the hilt of my sword.
I stepped closer to the door, took a deep breath... and slowly pushed it open.
And what I saw inside—
Left me speechless.
What the hell is this?!
A group of men in black robes, their faces concealed from head to toe…
Eating?
And among them—
Nadja.
Eating with them?
Blood boiled in my veins.
"Nadja..." I called her name, my voice trembling with restrained fury.
She looked up, confusion written all over her face. "What?"
The fire in my chest exploded.
I folded my arms, inhaling deeply.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, NADJA?! I SENT YOU TO CHECK THE SUPPLIES!! NOT TO HAVE A GODDAMN FEAST!! DO YOU WANT TO GET BEATEN UP?!"
My voice thundered through the small storage room.
Everything fell silent.
Nadja flinched, but only for a second. She stood up, walked towards me, and then...
Knelt.
"I'm sorry..." Her voice was barely a whisper, her head lowered in submission.
I narrowed my eyes. "Start talking. From A to Z."
Nadja swallowed hard.
"Here's what happened..."
-----
Nadja – 10 Minutes Earlier
The storage room door had barely opened, and I hadn't even taken a step inside when suddenly—
I WAS PULLED IN!
Someone yanked me inside with force.
"Aghh!" I stumbled onto the wooden floor, trying to resist—
"Who's there?!" I shouted.
From the shadows, a man stepped forward.
He was slightly stocky, with a thick mustache and beard covering his jaw. His face was round… and his expression?
Odd.
Like he wasn't a threat.
"I am Manabu Shintaro, leader of the Kagegumi Organization!" he declared dramatically—like a circus performer.
I raised an eyebrow. Is this guy serious or just playing around?
"What are you doing here?" I asked, keeping my tone firm.
He grinned. "We came to steal… a basket of apples."
I blinked.
"So… you're a thief?"
Manabu shook his head rapidly. "No! We are…"
Suddenly, he struck a dramatic pose, his hands moving in a wave-like motion—
"...ninjaaasss."
I stared at them blankly.
"...You came all this way just to steal apples?"
Was today my unlucky day to meet weird people?
One of his men suddenly burst into tears, loud sniffling heard behind his masked face.
The guy beside him patted his back, trying to comfort him.
Manabu started crying too.
What the hell is happening? Shouldn't I be the one crying right now?
"We haven't eaten in 10 days! Huhuhu!" Manabu sobbed, wiping his tears.
My eyes widened. Ten days? Was this for real?
"What happened?" I asked, needing to understand before jumping to conclusions.
Manabu took a deep breath.
"Here's our story…"
---
Manabu Shintaro – 10 Days Earlier
The sky was bright and blue. The sea breeze kissed my face.
I smiled.
This was my world.
The world I had dreamed of—leading my crew with a brand-new ship, sails proudly bearing the name "KAGEGUMI."
I, Manabu Shintaro, the handsome, adorable, and highly respected leader of the Kagegumi!
"Boss, here's your drink," one of my men offered.
I took it like a leader chosen by the heavens. "Thank you." I took a sip, enjoying the vast ocean view.
But then—
BOOM!
The waves roared, and our ship lurched violently!
My drink spilled, the ship tilted wildly—left, right—chaos erupted!
Everything aboard slid and crashed as the ship became unstable.
Even though there was no storm, we were being tossed like ragdolls.
What the hell is going on?!
I rushed to the railing, peering into the waters. My throat went dry.
Beneath the beautiful waves…
A massive shadow moved.
Bigger than our ship!
My heart pounded. Was this the end?
BOOM!
Our ship launched forward, the front end lifted high.
We started sinking.
The ocean swallowed us whole.
At that moment, I thought—This is it. We're going to be eaten.
But no.
The shadow vanished.
Just like that.
As if it never even noticed us.
We drifted at sea for ten days. Starving. Weak. Barely alive.
Until I saw a light—
This ship.
That was our sign to sneak aboard and survive.
---
Back to the Storage Room
I stared at Manabu.
My eyes stung.
Was this really happening? Stories like this exist in real life?
I grabbed a basket and handed it to them. "Sorry, this is my basket. It doesn't have apples… but grapes. That's fine, right?"
They lunged at the basket, knocking it over. Grapes rolled across the floor.
They devoured them like starving animals.
Manabu sighed in relief. "Thank you. Even if it's grapes… this is better than starving to death."
---
Back to Élodie
I let out a long sigh.
The anger I wanted to unleash… cooled after hearing the truth.
I turned to Nadja, exhaling deeply.
"Next time, if something like this happens, tell me first. Got it?"
Nadja raised her hand to her forehead in salute.
"Understood, Captain!"
---
Deep Beneath the Ocean
The sea creatures scattered, as if something enormous was rising from the depths.
The pitch-black abyss concealed its form, but its glowing eyes pierced through the darkness.
With each movement, the deep-sea creatures made way—bowing in fear.
It swam upward… slowly…
Searching for something.
ZUPP!
Its glowing eyes locked onto something at the surface.
It surged forward.
Fast.
Determined not to lose sight of its target.