The waves splashed softly, the sky was painted dark blue, and seagulls started singing. It’s the perfect time they were all waiting for.

Dawn was breaking.

The Theorisa, Captain Slate’s beautiful ship, was anchored all the way at the other side of the land, while she and his crew had prepared their stakeout near the place where the Maiden will anchor.

Her eyes narrowed when the Pirate King’s ship stopped near the shore.

“Captain,” Mr. Gunner called her as he made his way beside her to sit. “The Maiden has halted.” He informs.

Captain Joana, ever so careless, replied, “I’m not blind, Mr. Kiel. My eyes are as sharp as the eagle. Who wouldn’t see such a big ship from afar?” She looked at him with her brows raised.

Ah, her sarcasm… who wouldn’t love it? Kiel kept his thoughts to himself and hid his chuckles. Gunner knows she was always like this even when they were little. But he can’t find himself feeling angry towards her.

Although she has changed a lot since her father died, he always endured his true feelings. He knew he had to bury his love for his childhood sweetheart just to stay by her side.

A snapping sound of two fingers awoke him from his thoughts, Joana called his attention. “Mr. Gunner, signal Mr. William. I’ll give a signal to Julius… war has started.” A smirk spread across her lips, the shine of her eyes focused at the Maiden.

Kiel nodded, taking a red flag to wave towards William.

Looking from far away, William's best apprentice sees the signals and he immediately went to report to his master.

"Mr. Quarter, the flag has been raised." He says.

William nodded to his apprentice, "Alright. Get to your positions, mates!"

---

Back to the main signal, Captain Joana raised her flag.

Above the cliff near to the ship stayed Julius and his best archers, he sees the blue flag raised by his captain.

A smirk stretched his lips. He turned towards his apprentices, an ambitious look on his face.

"The flag has been raised, boys..." He says as he pulls an arrow from his behind. The others did as so.

"Blow some men as much as you'd like... However!" Julius faces the ship, placed the arrow on his bow then pulls the string saying, "Aim for the tip of the sail on the mainmast. The one who cuts the rope perfectly will have my sister." He chuckles deeply.

The others prepared as so.

With Julius's steady hand and tall build, he feels the wind then slightly changes his position, "Fire!"

Swoosh!, came the clean sound of an arrow flying perfectly down to the ship, hitting one of Captain Nickolas Thorne’s crew.

"Agh!” The crew cried in pain, falling into the ground as he bled.

Julius smirks as he huffed amusingly, "One down."

They all followed his orders and also shot their arrows, continuously hitting people.

But Julius, after hitting one person was enough, he need not waste his talent. "Cut the sails, ALL OF THEM... The captain said." He spoke to himself as he pulled another arrow behind him and pulled.

Shoot!

Ruckus started inside the ship.

Inside the Maiden, a man to knock on his Captain's door loudly panicking, "CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN!”

Captain Thorne growled deeply in his throat as he stood up and opened his quarter's door. "What in the ocean is going—"

"Captain! We're being attacked by other pirates!" He reported in panic.

Nickolas’ eyes widen in urgency before he narrows them back again. "Where is Mr. Grim?" He asks.

"I'll call him right away, Captain, Sir!" The mate ran through the chaotic crowd, trying to avoid the arrows flying above them.

Nickolas felt rage, his face turned red in anger. "Who are these pirates?!" He mumbles inside his voice.

The sight of his men in a ruckus and the sound of other’s painful groaning wasn’t helping at all. It made him angrier. He hated to see his men this unorganized.

He stood out his quarters, right on time seeing his right-hand man.

"Captain! Pirates from a new ship came to take our loot!" He reported, also angered by what was happening.

"WHERE IS THEIR SHIP? WHY HAVEN'T OUR SAILOR SEEN THEIR SHIP BEFOREHAND?!" Captain Thorne shouted in anger.

"None of them has seen their ship, Captain! They must've anchored it from the other side!" Mr. Grim assumed.

Captain Nickolas clenched his jaw as he tightened his fists. "What kind of foolishness is this?" He curses under his breath. "Take them, all men off deck! TAKE THEM ALL!" The Captain shouted, commanding them to leave the ship and take back their loot, kill the other ship's men, and destroy their ship.

Nickolas’ men were great. All of them specialize in their own talents. Although he was surprised at first, he could never feel weak because of his crew. He is the pirate king himself, he deserved the best men.

Hopefully, Captain Slate's crew would be alright.

Just as the time Captain Nickolas has ordered his crew to attack the other ship, their sail flew hard due to the strong wind, later ripping off their own rope that Captain Slate’s men have cut beforehand, making it break itself.

The sail has been cut off, success.

Above the cliff cheered Julius and his archers, but that didn't stop their duty.

"Good lad, Mr. Jekyll. Once we land in my hometown, you are welcome to marry my sister." He proudly confirms to the smallest man in his group.

Mr. Jekyll did a great job.

"Now let's go! Off to help Mr. Quarter!" He spoke before all of them ran with him down the cliff, in need to help the other group urgently.

Plan one, success!

On the other side, way down from the cliff, William and his mates trapped the trader who was going to meet with Nickolas’ men. They took the Pirate King's loots, every single penny of them, without difficulty.

The thing is...

"HEY!" Mr. Quarter and his group looked back to see some of Captain Thorne’s men running towards them.

William laughs before signaling his men to start running. They all obeyed immediately.

He looked at the men who were running towards them. Mr. William Quarter shouted at them as he ran, "IT IS BETTER NEXT TIME TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT RATHER THAN ALARM US YOU'RE NEAR! ADIOS MI AMIGOS!" He mockingly waved his hand as he ran.

Yet, that didn't stop the men from running after them.

Plan two, success!

Taking a look at the other group, Captain Jonathan was with Mr. Gunner and his men on a boat, quickly rowing through the hard waves of the sea, desperate to arrive at their enemy’s ship.

Jonathan has brought enough men to fight with him, the best in combat, and the best in guns.

They took the other way to avoid the upcoming men towards the land, perfectly settling at the back of the ship.

No one seemed to notice since Captain Thorne commanded almost all of his men to go on land and chase.

Fool. Joana let out a chuckle.

She shoved a gun into her pocket, a dagger in her thigh, the best sword on her waist, and his father's necklace wrapped around her neck.

The Captain turned to Mr. Kiel, "You all take the loot. I'll go and look for that damned Pirate King."

They all nodded and the others started to climb up the ship. Immediate enemies who were late from leaving the ship came to fight with them.

"Leave at once when you've taken the loot here on the boat; take the fastest route towards the other side of the sea." She commands and tells her gunner. "Don't wait for me and leave at once."

Mr. Gunner turned his head to look at her worriedly, "Captain." He eyes her badly, "We will wait for you." He forces her.

Annoyed by her Gunner's reply, she took his collar and pulled him to her. "I have my own ways, Kiel. Don't you trust me?" She clenches her jaw.

Kiel nervously nodded, eyeing his Captain. "Yes, I—"

"Then we don't have anything to talk about, GO!" She pushes him to go up the net. "I'll go straight to his majesty's room." She chuckled deeply portraying to the Pirate King as she took another net to climb on.

Kiel always trusted her with whatever she does, but he can't hide the fact that he's very worried about her.

He looks over his shoulder to see the beautiful man that was climbing to the other side of the ship, entering a window that seems to be this ship's Captain’s quarters.

He sighs in worry, "I hope you won't get caught." And when he says don't get caught, he means her real identity.

Entering an opened window, she immediately pulled her gun to aim.

It is certainly the captain's quarters.

"You..." A familiar deep voice tunes and she quickly changes her aim towards the sound. "...are a feisty little one, aren't you?" The man was sitting down as he sipped his tea.

Captain Joana smirks seeing the man she wanted to see these whole 10 years of waiting. The Pirate King had his legs crossed, calmly looking back at the small captain.

"Greetings, Captain Nickolas Thorne." Her voice let out amused as the ends of her lips curled up, her hands steady holding the gun perfectly as it aimed the latter.

Their eyes met, green to blue. The rage inside their souls pumped hot blood, for they wish to take away the life of each other.

"Who are you?" Captain Nickolas intertwines his fingers, narrowing his eyes at the young lad.

"I'm just a young man who simply wants to kill you." Joana introduces herself.

The other captain immediately shook his head as he clicked his tongue, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not yet, Sir. It is too early for a fight." He amusingly says, "We've just met each other." He stood up and started to walk around causing Joana to prepare for the attack. "Let's chat." Nickolas invites, smiling.

She shook her head, "I don't have time for a little chat, Captain Nickolas, Sir." She speaks as she pulled the lever at the end of her gun, prepared to shoot anytime now.

Nickolas deeply chuckles causing her to feel chills on her spine. He stops before turning to face the new lad, "You are very beautiful for a man indeed. I would like to know your name." He says.

Joana narrows her eyes, "Jonathan... Slate." By the time she has introduced her surname, her eyes rolled to look at the impressed Captain.

Nickolas smirks, "Slate?" He pretends to feel surprised. "Hmm... Slate..." He thinks as he placed his hands on his back and started having a turnabout the room, mocking the younger.

Joana licks her lips, "Rings a bell, Captain?" She growls under her breath.

The taller huffs a chuckle as soon as he remembers it, stopping near Captain Joana. "Ah yes... The Slates." He walked to another place, Joana again preparing for a shot. "A very good and loyal household... I never knew that old man Harold had a son." He questions.

She replied immediately, "I am the firstborn, to remind you. Kept hidden for my security." She narrows her eyes.

"Too embarrassed by your birth, I suppose." Nickolas Thorne mocks, smirking.

Joana cracks her neck, "Wrong. Too precious to introduce." She spat back.

Nickolas stopped on his tracks and gave a good look at the latter.

He admitted. The young captain is a beautiful man after all. He sighs as he shook his head, "Too bad your dearest father has died." He continued to test him.

Captain Jonathan feels the familiar angry feeling inside her, the very same one when he has killed her father.

Nickolas raised his chin, happy to see the latter unable to control her anger.

She clenches her hand through her gun before throwing it out the window, breaking the glass. In a quick move, Joana pulled out her sword. She points the sword to him straight, "Let's not waste our time to travel back through the past, Captain."

Nickolas chuckles, amused by the young, new captain. He then wielded his sword, "So this is why you're famous through the seven seas."

Captain Jonathan flashed her handsome smile as she prepares for her fight, "That is not all, Captain." She chats, "I really would like to show you but... I don't want to waste my time." He winks at the Pirate King.

Surprisingly, as if he saw gold through her handsome smile, the pirate king gets off guard, suddenly making his heartbeat for a second.

Joana took this time to step forward and attack.

You will pay back what you've stolen, Captain Nickolas Thorne.