Small Moments at Sea

The Flying Crimson raced across the calm sea, overtaking ships that had departed days earlier. Waves crashed against its hull, seagulls circled overhead, and marine life occasionally broke the surface. Yet despite the peaceful voyage, tension hung over the deck.

“Lina...” Skayla called in annoyance as footsteps pounded across the deck, growing faster. “LINA!”

“Huh? What?” Lina muttered, finally stopping in her tracks.

“Can you do me a small favor and STOP PACING?!” Skayla shouted. “You’re scaring away all the fish!” She pointed toward her fishing line, then gestured at the wooden deck.

Lina looked down and discovered that her boots had left scuff marks across the once-pristine wood.

“Not to mention, half the crew can’t do their jobs because they’re terrified of crossing paths with you!” Skayla added, pointing toward several sailors carefully maneuvering around Lina.

“I’m sorry!” Lina called to the crew. She walked over to Skayla, who sat happily on an empty wooden crate near the railing, fishing beneath a parasol.

“You do realize this is my first time fishing, and your constant pacing is making it a hundred times harder than it needs to be,” Skayla complained. “You need to relax and enjoy yourself.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Lina said with a sigh. “I can’t relax knowing what might be waiting for us out there.”

“There isn’t much point in whispering about the danger awaiting us,” an old man nearby said as he lazily fished from another wooden crate.

He wore a weathered black coat over a white shirt yellowed by years of sun and seawater. An old cutlass hung from the belt around his black trousers, its curved guard marked by a small hole where something valuable had once been set. As he leaned back to reel in his line, his collar shifted, revealing a black ring magically etched around his neck—the mark of a criminal slave.

“Every crew member aboard knows what we might encounter, whether it’s a sea monster or a Ghost Ship!” he cackled. “Our gorgeous president warned every damn fool beforehand, and they still agreed to climb aboard!”

“Why is that?” Lina asked, keeping her gaze on the open sea.

“Apparently, there’s a handsome reward waiting for us if we survive,” he announced. “NOT THAT I’LL SEE A SINGLE COIN OF IT!”

The old man pointed to the ring around his neck, knowing every coin he earned went toward repaying his victims.

“You should be grateful you’re still alive, former Pirate Lord of the Southern Sea, Barbarossa,” Lina stated emotionlessly.

“GWHAHAHAHA!” Barbarossa (53) cackled. “And it’s good to see you too, former Captain of the Order of Scarlet!”

The two glared at each other as the air between them grew tense. Several sailors quickly scrambled for cover, fearing a fight was about to break out.

Skayla remained seated and casually recast her line, allowing the hook to enter the sea with a soft BLOOP!

Barbarossa had ruled the Southern Sea as its Pirate Lord for nearly thirty years. Everyone believed he was unstoppable because his ability to read the weather and water gave him an advantage in almost every battle.

That belief ended when his fleet entered the Sea of Cremonia.

The Royal Navy and all five Orders fought Barbarossa’s fleet for weeks before a violent summer storm engulfed both sides. With no clear victory in sight, Barbarossa surrendered before the storm could send everyone to Davy Jones’ locker.

Prince Edwin locked him in the brig of a Royal Navy ship. Barbarossa later escaped and returned to his sinking flagship, determined to go down with it and give his reign a glorious ending. Lina refused to let him escape justice so easily. She swung aboard, defeated the wounded Pirate Lord, and dragged him back into custody.

At his trial, many of Barbarossa’s victims demanded his execution. Lina believed death would do nothing to repair the lives he had destroyed, so she suggested eternal servitude: he would work at sea and use his earnings to repay them.

Klarisa stepped forward and offered to take the legendary Pirate Lord into her custody as a pet.

The magistrate gave Barbarossa a choice between servitude and execution. He accepted servitude without hesitation, declaring that he had no complaints as long as he could remain at sea.

Barbarossa still spent hours complaining that Lina had robbed him of a glorious death, violated the Pirate Code, and ruined the perfect ending to his legendary career.

The court ignored every word.

Klarisa later appointed him captain of the Flying Crimson, refusing to waste his experience by making him scrub the deck. Receiving command of another ship earned Barbarossa’s loyalty, and he swore never to betray the woman who had given him a second life at sea.

As Lina and Barbarossa continued glaring at each other, something tugged on his fishing line. Barbarossa immediately broke eye contact and reeled it in, only to find the bait gone.

“TCH! That’s what happens when I don’t pay attention,” he muttered.

Lina smirked at his failed catch.

“You know, worrying about things beyond your control is a waste of time at sea,” Barbarossa said, casually casting his line again. “Out here, we’re at the mercy of the Gods. There’s nowhere to run or hide. Whatever comes our way, we’ll deal with it when it happens.”

“In that case, what should I do?” Lina asked mockingly, waiting for his words of wisdom.

“Take a lesson from your friend,” Barbarossa answered, gesturing toward Skayla. “She’s calm, focused, and relaxed. She’s even humming while enjoying the sea.”

He glanced back at Lina and pointed toward her.

“Remember, you’re no longer a captain or a knight,” Barbarossa continued. “You’re just a young woman traveling the world with her friend. Learn to relax and enjoy it while you can.”

Barbarossa’s words resonated with Lina, forcing her to acknowledge a reality she had been trying to avoid.

“I guess you’re right,” Lina sighed as a small smile appeared on her face. “Maybe I should relax.”

Lina walked to the center of the deck and stretched both arms above her head, letting out a long breath. For the first time since leaving Eldoria, the heavy pressure weighing on her shoulders began to fade.

“That’s a good smile,” Barbarossa said.

Skayla’s fishing rod suddenly bent violently toward the water.

“I GOT ONE!” she shouted, struggling with the rod as she pulled it back and forth. “COME... ON... YOU!”

With one powerful pull, an enormous fish burst from the sea and flew directly toward the back of Lina’s head.

“HEY! TURN AROUND, LASSIE!” Barbarossa warned, instinctively reaching for his cutlass.

“DON’T YOU DARE CALL ME LASSIE!” Lina shouted as she spun around and punched the oversized fish in the head, sending it crashing onto the deck hard enough to rock the ship.

The one-hundred-and-fifty-pound fish lay motionless, its head bashed inward. As crew members gathered, Barbarossa knelt beside Lina’s unfortunate victim to inspect the damage.

Skayla pushed through the crowd and popped out at the front. “So, how’s the victim, Chief?”

Barbarossa flipped open a small silver pocket watch. “Time of death: a quarter past noon.”

Several crew members began pretending to cry.

“Cause of death: blunt-force trauma from a cannonball,” Barbarossa added, struggling not to laugh.

“Seriously?” Lina asked.

The crew immediately burst into laughter.

“You have to play around a little while at sea,” Barbarossa said, giving Skayla a thumbs-up. “Good job setting that one up.”

“Anytime, Chief,” Skayla replied.

“Keep this up, and someone’s going to take this cannonball to the head,” Lina warned, raising her right fist.

The laughter stopped, and everyone scattered, leaving Lina with Barbarossa, Skayla, and the unfortunate victim.

“So, what kind of fish is it?” Skayla asked.

“An A-Rank Diamond Head Tuna,” Barbarossa answered. “They use their hardened heads to break open shells and occasionally punch through ships’ hulls. But as you can see, this one’s head was driven straight back into its gills.”

“Is it still edible?” Skayla asked worriedly.

“Of course!” Barbarossa exclaimed. “This fish is caught only a handful of times each year and is normally served at royal banquets!”

Barbarossa turned toward the crew members still keeping their distance. “Go fetch the chef from the galley! We’re eating well tonight!”

The crew erupted into cheers, and the sailors’ happy faces reminded Lina of how her own Order reacted whenever something rare was served for dinner.

“I’m really alone now, huh?” Lina muttered as tears slipped down her cheeks.

“Come fish with me!” Skayla shouted with a broad smile, patting the empty wooden crate beside her. “Come sit!”

Lina remained standing, wondering whether she should be enjoying herself. This journey was supposed to be a punishment, not a vacation.

“I believe you need this,” Barbarossa said, holding a fishing rod toward her. “Whatever you’re thinking about can wait, so enjoy the small moments while they last.”

Lina stared at the fishing rod before finally accepting it.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

She sat beside Skayla, who enthusiastically began teaching Lina everything Barbarossa had shown her earlier. Before long, the two were giggling as Lina struggled to place bait on her hook.

Barbarossa watched them for a moment before turning away with a small grin.

“Never thought I’d see such a bright expression on your face,” he muttered, recalling how every expression he had seen from Lina until now was filled with worry or anger.

“I truly hope nothing ruins it.”

Barbarossa stepped through a metal door and allowed it to slam shut behind him.

A sudden pain caused him to stumble against the wall and slowly slide to his knees. Barbarossa clutched the old scar across his chest as his expression turned deadly serious.

“Don’t you dare ruin this moment for them, ye crazy bastard,” he muttered.