To the Depths of the Sea

The deck of the kingdom's ship had fallen into a whirlpool of steel and screaming. The loud shouts of soldiers, the sharp clang of swords on axes, and the guttural roars of pirates made a thunderous symphony of battle. Fenix and Kelly moved through the chaos like ghosts, their bravery shining through the storm. Shen fought the huge pirate commander at the same time.

The pirate captain's rough face twisted in anger. Shen's painfully calm defense met every swing he made, showing how strong and powerful he was. He yelled, "Show me the strength of your kingdom!" in a rough voice as he swung his huge sword in a vicious arc.

Shen's eyes were fixed on the captain, and he was using his sharp mind to figure out every move and weight change. The captain's anger made him weak, which made his attacks strong, reliable, and boring. Shen knew he just had to wait for the one chance—the one huge mistake in judgment—and ride out the storm.

Fenix kicked a charging pirate away after stabbing him with his sword and then turned around to see what was going on. An arrow hit another corsair in the throat as he was getting too close to his blind spot, and he heard a familiar thwip by his ear. He looked at the aftcastle with appreciation. Kelly was a steady presence there, nocking another arrow while her eyes were already looking for the next threat. As he watched them, a brief flash of pride broke through Shen's intense focus. His friends were like a well-oiled machine, a two-person wall against the tide.

The captain pushed forward again, getting more and more angry. The captain's strong blow missed Shen by inches and broke the deck planks where he had just been standing as he moved to the side with grace. "You only fight for yourself!" Shen fought back, gripping the hilt of his sword as he got ready for the inevitable backlash.

He charged at him like a battering ram, planning to crush him with pure force, but the captain's eyes narrowed as he looked at Shen's stance. As Shen pulled away at the last second, the captain's sword cut a terrible gash in the wood. The display of raw power was a clear reminder of the deadly line he was crossing.

After deflecting a clumsy swing and killing another pirate, Fenix quickly turned to Kelly, who had just shot another arrow. He yelled, "We can't keep this up much longer," over the noise of battle. "What is the plan?"

Kelly spread her arms wide in a grim resolution and took a moment to catch her breath. "We have no other choice—we have to stop this right now!" she said, her voice full of determination.

The pirate captain snarled and pulled away when he saw that the battle was getting away from him. "Stoop back!" he yelled at his men. "Prepare the cannons to fire!"

Shen felt a cold, scary chill that was colder than the ocean spray. Instead of just trying to win, they were going to sink the whole ship. Their own ship wouldn't stand a chance against the cannons of two pirate ships.

Shen acted when the gunports of the two remaining pirate ships opened up like hungry mouths. "Kelly! Fenix! He yelled, "Take cover!" with a whip-like voice as he ran back to the captain.

A loud roar went through the air as fireballs flew across the sea. Cannonballs hit the hull of the kingdom ship, and the planks exploded in smoke and splinters. Shen fought the captain again in a desperate battle in the middle of the chaos, moving in a wild dance to avoid the rain of iron and the man's angry blows.

The captain raised his huge sword high in the air, thinking he saw a gap in Shen's divided attention. "It's over!" he yelled, lowering the blade as if it were the last blow that would end the fight.

But at that moment, Shen's eyes saw a black ball coming straight at them, and it was a sign of death that echoed through the air. Instinct took over after a hundred battles. There was no way to avoid it. Instead, Shen turned around and kicked the captain in the chest with all his strength. The pirate was thrown back, right into the cannonball's path, and his triumphant yell turned into a choked gasp. The captain fell to the deck, broken and unconscious, with a sickeningly absolute effect.

Shen turned to his friends after the captain had been taken out of the picture. "We need to take their ship right away!" he said.

Things got worse with every second that passed. The cannon fire hurt their ship badly; the wooden planks creaked in a way that made it sound like they were going to fall. Fenix and Kelly rushed to take charge of the pirate flagship by running to the helm without wasting any time.

Shen thought for a moment as he looked around. The rest of the pirates were in a complete panic and were running away from their ship after their captain was killed. Even the crews of the other two ships were nervous and began to back off when they saw how quickly things had changed.

A serious look at their own deck confirmed his worries. The warriors of the kingdom didn't move. Shen felt a sudden and strong pain of loss. He had let them down. But he couldn't afford to be sad.

Shen and his friends were able to take over the enemy's flagship because the other pirate ships ran away. "Go ahead at full speed!" Shen took the wheel and yelled. Their kingdom's big ship let out a final moan behind them. It began its slow, final plunge into the deep blue sea with broken masts and a damaged hull. It disappeared beneath the waves, leaving only floating debris behind.

Shen, Fenix, and Kelly kept going toward Regalia, even though they were sad about their loss, and the stress of battle made them stronger. It was not the end of their work.