Chapter 18:

Pirate Island

Piracy In Another World: I Will Plunder The System

We dropped the freed prisoners off at Layu Island, a safe haven with a guild hall and adventurers stationed to stop unsavoury people from coming ashore. Unsavoury people like pirates… Which is probably why we were initially met with quite the hostile reception.

Thankfully, the former prisoners protested on our behalf and with some reluctance, the mercenaries allowed us to leave. Once more, we set sail for Rummel Cove.

After several hours of sailing, we decided to take a break. We lounged around on the deck of the ship when Túta spoke up.

“I don’t like her!” Túta pointed toward Elora, who was awkwardly fidgeting.

“Because she is an elf?” I asked, concerned that this would be an ongoing issue.

“Not that.”

“Then why?”

Túta looked annoyed.

“Just cause, alright!”

“No, she’s part of the crew so you have to get along.”

“Alright, fine! I don’t like her because she has bigger boobs.”

Elora and Túta both flushed red, while I simply nodded.

“They are pretty impressive.”

Túta slapped me. “You beast, you pervert. I hope you die.”

She turned to run, but I grabbed her hand. I looked at her with more sincerity than I had ever shown before.

“Túta, I’m a man! Of course, I like big boobs. But fear not, as I also like smaller ones. Size is not a factor in determining their worth, for they are all wonderful."

I gave her a thumbs up and a reassuring smile.

Túta’s mouth quivered, unable to say anything. She fell to her knees, face as red as a beetroot.

“What about mine?” Pippa asked, beginning to lift up her shirt.

I covered my eyes. My face was probably pinker than Pippa’s hair.

“Pippa! Yours are wonderful, brilliant, perfect the way they are.”

We sat in awkward silence for a while. Túta eventually managed to pull herself together.

“Before I forget to ask again, who won the contest?” she asked.

“What contest?”

“Who was the most impressive at taking down those elves?”

Pippa and Elora joined Túta in staring at me with a burning predatory gaze. You’d think battling slave traders would’ve been the scariest part of my day, but the way those three girls stared at me was far more terrifying.

I wanted to claim credit for what I did on the ship, but truth be told, I was the weakest link in the team, and there was a clear outlier.

“Well, I guess Pippa won. We would’ve struggled far more if they managed to launch spells.”

Túta bit her nail. “I guess that is true.”

“I admit, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat them… well, not that easily anyway, if they had spells,” Elora agreed, though she too looked disappointed.

“Then I can have anything?” Pippa's eyes sparkled.

We all nodded, though some, especially Túta, were more reluctant than others.

“Yay!” she jumped in the air before running up to me and kissing me on the cheek. “I want a kiss from Lark like that.”

I could feel my cheeks warm up as I looked away. Unfortunately for me, it was straight in the direction of Túta, who was giving us a death stare.

“That’s not allowed!” Túta said, grinding her teeth.

“I must also object…” Elora nodded, not making eye contact.

I sighed, knowing full well that I would experience hell later. But I was a man of my word.

“Pippa!”

“Huh?” She turned her head as I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“There’s your reward.”

Pippa’s face turned red as she shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. I could feel my own face warm up. I looked away, feeling embarrassed.

We sailed on and, a short time later, arrived at Rummel Cove.

When I was told there was an island of pirates, I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe an island full of like-minded individuals, people who want to rebel against the system and be free.

Instead, I was surrounded by intoxicated sleazeballs. It was a twisted town, as though morality had been tossed aside. The streets were lined with drunkards and prostitutes, and those were the less dark parts.

We walked up the road, the salty sea air replaced by the scent of cheap ale and the cobblestone streets covered in sticky God knows what. I tried to avoid certain patches of the road so as not to dirty my boots.

The pirate life sure was glamorous.

As we wandered further into the town, we noticed a small gathering in the centre of the street. A man with a scruffy brown beard and a scar running down his face was standing over another man lying injured. A blade pierced the injured man’s shoulder.

“Rahahara~ Look what we’ve got here! I reckon I’ve snared meself a Marine,” laughed Scar Beard.

The crowd forming around the man hooted and jeered.

“Ya know what we do to marines?”

“Kill em!” the rowdy pirate crowd yelled.

“Please. I’ll tell you anything. Just let me go. I have a wife and kids.”

“Rahahara~ Shall we spare the marine?”

“No! Kill him! Kill him!” the crowd chanted.

“Ya heard ‘em,” Scar Beard drove his blade into the marine’s chest, silencing his pleas in an instant.

I bit my tongue. As much as I disliked how they were toying with him, I was no different from them. I killed those slave traders without even a shadow of remorse.

Some pirates looked up and noticed us watching. Leering grins spread across their faces. The way some of them were staring at Pippa, Elora and Túta made me sick.

“Stay close to me,” I warned them.

Túta nodded.

“I can just cut them up,” Elora offered.

“Let’s avoid that for now.”

“Fine. You are no fun,” she pouted.

“I won’t let anything bad happen to any of you, but we should probably find a secure place to sleep tonight.”

They all nodded.

“We should try asking at the tavern,” Túta suggested, pointing to a bustling building. The sign above the door read Flintlock Tavern. Whilst it was an apt name for a pirate bar, I had yet to see a single gun in this world. I had to wonder where the name came from.

We walked up to the tavern and pushed open the door to be met with the scent of alcohol. Although there was idle chatter, there was but one voice that resonated throughout the hall. It was a beautifully haunting voice accompanied by the mournful sound of a fiddle. A woman with dark blue hair and matching feathers sang a haunting sea shanty.

▪──── X ────▪

A blessed man once sought the truth,

Forbidden fruit he sees.

A sinful soul he became

Accursed man be he.

He formed a crew of brawn and might,

And took to stormy seas.

A pirate feared in every port

Accursed man be he.

He ravaged islands far and wide,

Ruled oceans wild and free.

Sent many sailors to their graves