Side Story: Barbarossa's Closure

With the Kraken incident finally behind them, Lina and Skayla spent the next few days sightseeing around Piraeus, with Lesha acting as their tour guide.

“I-I-I don’t like wearing skirts or heels!” Lesha complained, struggling to walk properly.

Sera had forced Lesha to dress more casually for their outing, replacing her usual military uniform with a pink button-up shirt, a short white skirt, and navy blue heels.

“You’re such a tomboy, just like Lina,” Skayla teased, poking her side. “Speaking of Lina, where is she?”

“Over there,” Lesha said, pointing toward Lina, who stood ahead in a light-gray button-up shirt, a long turquoise skirt, and black flats, her scarlet hair tied neatly into a ponytail.

A strong sea breeze lifted Lesha’s skirt. She quickly pulled it back down, but not before Skayla caught a glimpse.

“Pink lace... nice,” Skayla commented with a smug grin.

“You do realize you don’t need to announce that to everyone, right?” Lina said, walking over and smacking Skayla on the back of the head. “Lesha, lean on me, okay?”

Lesha leaned against Lina for support, drawing the attention of nearly everyone they passed.

“Booo! That’s no fun,” Skayla said with a pout, grabbing Lina’s other hand. “I want an escort too! Besides, I’m wearing the dress I bought from Klarisa’s shop.”

Skayla proudly gestured toward her yellow summer dress.

“Yes, yes, whatever you say,” Lina said, already feeling exhausted.

After an hour of sightseeing, the three stopped at a small outdoor café, where Lesha slipped off her heels and rubbed her sore ankles.

“I’m sorry for making everyone stop,” she said. “I know you all wanted to continue sightseeing.”

“It’s fine,” Lina replied, wiping some cream from Skayla’s face. “Besides, this one seems perfectly happy with all the desserts you ordered.”

“I-I’m glad to hear that,” Lesha said, taken aback by how quickly Skayla was devouring her cake. 

Skayla tried to speak, but her mouth was too full of cake.

“Finish chewing before you speak,” Lina said, handing Skayla the drink she’d been sipping.

“I-Indirect k-kiss!” Lesha screamed internally, turning bright red as Skayla drank from the same straw Lina had used.

“What I was trying to say is that I’m surprised nobody tried to hit on us while we were walking around,” Skayla said after finally swallowing her cake. “Doesn’t that usually happen when a group of girls goes shopping together?”

“Of course nobody approached you,” Barbarossa said, walking toward their table with a small burlap sack and a bouquet of flowers. “You had an armed, red-haired woman ready to attack anyone who came too close.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lina said, trying to take a sip of her drink only to find it empty.

Skayla and Lesha exchanged glances before giggling.

“So what do you want?” Lina asked, still annoyed. “Don’t you have a date to run off to?”

“Yeah... something along those lines,” Barbarossa answered with a faint, sad smile. “Would you three care to join me?”

The three followed Barbarossa out of the city to a small, weathered church perched on a cliff overlooking the sea, where an angry elderly nun stood outside.

“You’re late, boy!” the nun shouted. “Do you know how difficult it is to keep this church running when I have to send people away every time you visit?”

The nun marched over, grabbed Barbarossa by his right ear, and yanked him down.

“I’m sorry, Mother Towa,” Barbarossa said.

“MOTHER?!” Lina, Skayla, and Lesha exclaimed in surprise.

Mother Towa slowly turned toward the three women and pinched Barbarossa’s ear even harder.

“Don’t tell me you’ve laid your grubby old hands on these fine young ladies?” she asked. “I swear to god, I will personally castrate you in the name of the lord.”

“Of course not!” Barbarossa exclaimed. “You know I’ll never love another woman the way I loved Anne Reed.”

“Fine, I’ll take your word for it,” Mother Towa said. “Go ahead while I speak with these three.”

She gave him a kick in the backside to send him on his way. Lina, Skayla, and Lesha approached her.

“My name is Lina,” Lina said. “This is my childhood friend, Skayla.”

“My name is Lesha, First Lieutenant of the Royal Navy,” Lesha added with a polite bow.

“I’m Mother Towa, prioress of this broken-down church,” Towa replied, gesturing toward the building, which looked ready to topple in a strong wind. “I’m also the mother-in-law of that idiot over there.”

She pointed at Barbarossa, who had taken a seat in front of a grave.

“Wait... that means you’re Anne Reed’s mother?” Lina asked.

“Yes,” Towa answered, keeping her gaze fixed on the grave. “I was only sixteen when the young master of the noble household I served assaulted me. When his family learned I was carrying his child, they tried to silence us. I fled, but was severely injured and collapsed outside this church.”

“The former prioress found me and gave us sanctuary,” Towa continued. “She helped me give birth to Anne and hid us from anyone who came searching. I stayed and became a sister because I was afraid the family would find us if we left.”

“How did Anne become a pirate?” Lina asked.

“Anne inherited her father’s orange hair,” Towa said with a sigh. “As she grew older, I feared his family would recognize her, so I sent her across the sea to work as an apprentice seamstress for an old friend. Pirates attacked her ship before she arrived. For years, I thought she’d been killed or sold as a slave, never knowing their captain had taken her in and raised her like his own daughter.”

“Talk about a career change,” Skayla chimed in. “Seamstress to pirate.”

“Really?” Lina said, staring Skayla down. 

“Your friend is right,” Towa said, bursting into laughter. “You can imagine my reaction when Anne returned years later—alive, a pirate, and engaged to another pirate. I was overjoyed she’d survived but furious about the piracy, so we had quite the mother-daughter spat.”

“That’s understandable,” Lesha said, scribbling in her small notebook while Lina and Skayla watched her, confused.

“Barbarossa came to me later that night and told me about Anne’s reputation among pirates,” Towa continued. “They called her the ‘Cowardly Pirate’ because she never killed anyone. She often let her enemies escape, sometimes even dropping them off near shore despite the risk of being captured herself.”

“‘The Cowardly Pirate’... I like that nickname,” Skayla said with a bright smile.

“Thanks to him, Anne and I were able to reconcile,” Towa said with a faint smile. “She told me she planned to retire from piracy and come home to live with me after one final voyage. A few weeks later, during a terrible storm, Barbarossa carried her here in his arms. They were both severely injured, but Anne had lost too much blood, and by morning... she was gone.”

Lina bit her lip as she recalled the Kraken’s attack on the Southern Flame.

“Ironically, when one life is lost, another is gained,” Towa said as a young woman with orange hair ran out of the church and began kicking Barbarossa in the backside. “That’s Hope (27), Anne and Barbarossa’s daughter.”

“EHH?!” Lina, Skayla, and Lesha shouted.

“Come on, you three. I’ll introduce you to Hope,” Towa said, leading them toward the grave.

As they approached, Hope’s shouting grew louder.

“HOW DARE YOU COME BACK HERE?!” Hope shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shoved Barbarossa onto his side. “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COME BACK AND VISIT MOM!”

“HOPE, THAT’S ENOUGH!” Towa shouted. “We have company, so mind your manners.”

“W-Who the hell are you sluts?” Hope asked, wiping away her tears.

Everyone froze as Lesha’s pen slipped from her fingers.

“What did she call us?” Lina asked, struggling to contain her anger.

“I’m sorry, do you have trouble hearing, slut?” Hope asked, stepping toward Lina.

Just as Lina was about to react, Towa kicked Lesha’s pen off the ground, grazed Hope’s cheek, and vanished over the horizon.

“Sister Hope,” Towa said, her voice frighteningly cold. “Did we not discuss your language toward visitors?” 

“I’m so sorry for my language,” Hope quickly apologized to the three of them. “Please find it in your hearts to forgive me!”

“Fine,” Lina said, offering her right hand. “I’ll forgive you just this once.”

Hope reluctantly shook it, knowing Mother Towa was watching.

“Hope, I want to correct you on something you said earlier,” Skayla said. “You can’t call us ‘sluts’ when all three of us are still virgins.”

An awkward silence fell over the churchyard as Lina and Lesha turned bright red at Skayla’s casual announcement.

“For the record, Hope is also still a virgin," Towa added, bursting into laughter. 

“NO!!!!!” Hope screamed before running back inside the church, embarrassed. 

While Skayla was being scolded by Lina and Lesha for blurted personal information, Mother Towa slowly approached Barbarossa. 

“I heard a rumor that a giant sea monster had been brought ashore,” Towa said. “Did you finally get revenge for Anne?”

"Yes, I did," Barbarossa said, staring at Lina and Skayla. "I couldn't have done without them." 

“I’m glad,” Towa said, wiping away her tears. “I’m sure Anne helped you too.”

“Yes, she did," Barbarossa smiled, turning toward the sea.

“Oh! I almost forgot to give you this," Skayla said, reaching into her magic bag and pulling out the charred remains of Anne's cutlass. "I was truly surprised to see it survived after withstanding a Keraunos." 

“Thank you,” Barbarossa said, carefully accepting the broken cutlass and sticking it directly next to Anne's gravestone. "With this, my legacy as a pirate is over, and I'm free now." 

“Free?” Hope muttered before rushing out of the church and tackling Barbarossa to the ground. “DON’T YOU DARE TRY TO DIE BEFORE MY WEDDING!” she shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You still have responsibilities as my father!”

Barbarossa stared at his daughter, and for a moment, he saw Anne standing in her place.

“ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MARRY MY DAUGHTER HAS TO DEFEAT ME FIRST!” Barbarossa declared, pointing toward Towa. “AND IF I’M NOT HERE, THIS OLD WOMAN WILL TAKE MY PLACE!”

“DAMN RIGHT!” Towa shouted. "NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TAKE MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S CHASTITY WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!" 

"ARE YOU TWO TRYING TO KEEP ME SINGLE FOREVER!?!!" Hope shouted. 

Years later, after the release of The Pirate Lord’s Tale of Revenge, Anne Reed’s resting place became a famous pilgrimage site for couples hoping to marry.

Mother Towa continued telling visitors stories about the legendary Pirate Queen she had raised. Sister Hope searched for someone to take her away, but no one was willing to challenge the former Pirate Lord for her hand in marriage.

As for the noble family responsible for Mother Towa’s suffering... their estate burned down in a freak fire. No one survived, and no one dared investigate.