"Cap'n, we should be able to reach our destination soon," Tomas said with an excited expression.
I nodded and turned back to the front, looking at the distant sea while standing against the railings.
Today was my fourth day. Yesterday, I slept at Miao Song's house after our discussion continued late into the night.
Today, Miao Song and the rest were busy preparing for the journey, as we would be leaving early tomorrow morning. There was nothing for me to do, so I decided to hunt some more pirates.
The destination Tomas mentioned earlier was the approximate location of another infamous pirate group. He was excited because our ship was traveling at three times its normal speed.
The reason was the woman standing beside me, watching the tranquil sea.
"I still don't get it. What are you doing here?" I said to my companion.
"Didn't I say yesterday?" Zephyra said with a smile. "I am an adventurer. Since you were going on one, I decided to join you. Moreover, it's not like I had anything to do back there. Miao Song and Matthias are busy with travel arrangements, and as for Ulysses, forget about him. And I prefer action to sitting idly."
I gave her an exasperated look. "I am going to murder a bunch of pirates in cold blood for money. I don't think that can be called an adventure."
"All the same," Zephyra said. I shook my head at her careless tone.
Then we both fell silent and looked out at the sea.
Even though it was a hassle to take her with me, I didn't think it was a waste of time. Previously, I had thought to hunt some minor pirate crews nearby for their silver and gold, as I had already hunted all pirates with good bounties in nearby areas.
When Zephyra forcefully joined us, I wasn't in the mood to babysit a princess. But she proved her worth by increasing the ship's speed using magic. Of course, her magic wasn't enough to travel at that speed constantly, but she could still create periodic bursts of speed.
Because of that, I decided to target bigger fish. One such target was an infamous pirate group with a high bounty in a large port town nearby. It would normally take a full day for a round trip, but with her, the journey was reduced to a mere ten hours.
I felt bored, so I decided to tease Zephyra.
"Zephyra," I called with a teasing tone. "As a princess, you are out here adventuring alone. Did you run away from home?"
The smile on my face froze at Zephyra's solemn face.
The fuck? Was I right? It was just a random guess.
I prodded further, "Did you run away because of a political marriage?"
Now, Zephyra's face became completely downcast.
Can it be any more cliché?
"When you mentioned Giganto yesterday," Zephyra started, "you did it expecting a reaction from me, right?"
She didn't wait for my answer, as if certain she was right.
She continued, "You know what I am, right? You didn't know about me before yesterday. When you saw me yesterday, you first looked at me casually, but then your expression changed briefly as if you saw something hidden."
I looked surprised.
"Don't be so surprised," Zephyra said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Reading people is an important skill. As royalty, I had to learn it at a very young age; otherwise, those hyenas would've chewed me alive without me even knowing."
"Yes," I agreed easily since she had pointed it out so directly. "Though I can only tell that you are an Atlantean and nothing more," I added.
A glint appeared in her eyes. "Interesting ability you got there."
Then her face became sad again. "As for your earlier questions. Yes to both."
"I was promised to the Atlantean prince from birth by the elders," she said in a low voice.
Wait. Is she betrothed to her brother? Is this Marvel or Game of Thrones?
A small smile appeared on her face as she looked at me and assumed what I was thinking.
Fuck, I was proud of my facial control, and here she is dismantling it so easily as if it isn't even difficult to read me.
"How much do you know about major undersea races?" Zephyra asked with a smile.
I thought for a bit, then answered what I remembered.
"I think there are Atlanteans, Lemurians, and the Aqueous," I said with certainty. "Those are the ones I know."
"You know about the Aqueous?!" She exclaimed. "You are certainly full of surprises. Not many know about those creepy motherfuckers," she said, the last sentence with disdain.
I looked at her wide-eyed as she cursed casually. Weren't princesses supposed to be prim and proper?
And once again, she read my face.
"I have been adventuring for some years," she laughed. "It is expected that I will pick up some new vocabulary."
Damn. She is wild.
"But let's get back to the discussion," Zephyra said, changing the topic. "You are right about those undersea races, but they are not the only ones. They are among the top, but there are many other races living underwater."
Yay, it's time for Zephyra-sensei's lecture on undersea races.
"Other than those races," Zephyra said, tucking a few strands of hair that had fallen onto her face due to the wind behind her ears. "We also have Neptunus, Sirenas, and the Talokan. They are not as strong and widespread as the other three, but are certainly regional overlords where their kingdoms lie."
Wait a minute. Did she just say Talokan?
"Talokan?" I repeated uncertainly.
"Oh, you know about Talokan, too?" She looked impressed. "You certainly are well-informed."
"Just heard about them in passing," I said.
"They are the latest undersea kingdom, formed just a few hundred years ago. They aren't that strong, so they huddle in their territory, but are still strong enough to defeat a few minor undersea races that attacked them to enslave them."
I mostly tuned out what Zephyra explained about the Talokan. In my mind, there was only one question: whether there was a vibranium deposit in their kingdom.
"Then there were many other minor races," Zephyra continued. "Like fishmen, octopusmen, sharkmen, seaweedmen, mermaids, selkies, and many more."
Then she looked lost in thought. For a moment, she looked sad, thinking about something.
"Among the major races, there are also many sub-races and tribes," she continued with the lecture. Her eyes had a distant look for a moment. "Atlanteans are the same."
I suddenly realized where this was going.
"You are from a different tribe?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"Yes."
"There are many tribes among the Atlanteans, and they are normally considered one whole," she said. Then a hint of anger appeared in her voice. "But there is only one tribe ostracized by them."
She took a deep breath and said, "The Pink Atlanteans."
"You are?" I asked, though I was almost sure of the answer.
She didn't answer; instead, a faint light appeared on her body, then, as if an illusion was lifted, her real body came into view. It was light pink. The illusion not only covered her skin color but also enhanced her regal aura.
I looked at her with appreciation as she certainly looked better in her natural form.
I heard collective gasps from behind me. Looking back, I saw Tomas and the rest looking at Zephyra in fear.
"Get back to work," I barked.
"Aye, Cap'n." They nodded in fear and scrambled away immediately.
I turned back to her. She had changed back to her human form.
"Would you tell me?" asked in a soft voice, tucking another strand of her hair behind her ear.
A light blush appeared on her cheek, then she nodded.
"During the Great Cataclysm, when Atlantis sank eighteen thousand years ago, a small group of people was said to be cursed by the Abyss. Because of that, while the rest evolved into Blue Atlanteans, those cursed ones turned into Pink Atlanteans."
"If it were just a color difference, it wouldn't have been so bad," she said bitterly. "But there was more than a simple superficial difference between the two. Those differences were what contributed to our current predicament."
"The Pink Atlanteans are on average stronger than the Blue Atlanteans. The average lifespan of Blue Atlanteans is 150 years, but for us it is 200 years. Pink Atlanteans are more likely to be born with superpowers than the Blue Atlanteans. In a way, we are superior to them," she said, the last part tinged with arrogance. It wasn't empty arrogance but arrogance ingrained in her bones.
"But that wasn't the worst." A look of anger appeared on her face. "We Pink Atlanteans only have females in our tribe. No matter which race we mate with, we will always give birth to a Pink Atlantean. That made those Blue Atlanteans feel threatened by us. They feared us, thinking we would replace them. We aren't even allowed in the main kingdom; we have a separate small kingdom far away."
"You said the advantages, but there should be some disadvantages otherwise you'd be extinct by now," I said lightly.
She nodded. An appreciative glint appeared in her eyes at my observation.
"Yes, there is," she said sadly. "There is only one. But just that one feels that all the advantages together are not enough to compensate for it."
She looked back at the sea, looking at the horizon. "Our fertility is extremely low. There is only a one-in-a-thousand chance of a successful pregnancy. That was how those Blue Atlanteans had controlled our population."
"What about—"
"Humans?" She completed my sentence.
"Yeah, there are too many," I said. "Higher chances of successful pregnancy."
She laughed self-deprecatingly. "Yes, you are right. But with humans, our already low fertility becomes abysmal. With a one-in-a-million chance of a successful pregnancy."
My eyes widened.
"But it's not like it was completely useless," she said with a mischievous smile. "Our tribe members occasionally bring back human males for mating and keep trying until they are impregnated."
"Or until they suck the man dry," I said with a dry laugh.
"That too," she laughed. "But it was through this method that we barely reached a few thousand in hiding."
"And your marriage?" I asked.
"That is the way of those hags to placate those Blue Atlanteans by offering them a princess or two every generation as a sex slave," Zephyra said disdainfully. "After all, what strokes the ego better than a stronger and more capable woman kneeling in front of you?"
The rest of our time passed in silence as we reached our destination.
Soon, we found the pirates we were hunting. The main targets were the three brothers covered in tribal markings. They had used some kind of voodoo magic to strengthen themselves. I wasn't in the mood for a long fight anymore, so I killed them with a bullet each. As for the rest of the pirates, they were average humans like most pirates. They died quickly from my throwing knives and bullets.
Those three even increased the Assassin mission count by 3, too.
We collected the bounty from the port governor and set out on our journey back.
"Your aim is exceptional," Zephyra praised.
"It is," I said confidently.
It was expected with my updated Firearms skill.
Firearms (Expert)
Since I had fought with the sword many times, too, I also got a new skill.
Sword Mastery (Novice)
But comparing the two skills, I felt I had chosen the wrong name. Pirate Hunter Usopp might be better than Pirate Hunter Zoro.
Zephyra chuckled at my direct answer.
"By the way," Zephyra said, changing the topic. "Your magic? Have you learned it on your own?"
"Yes," I said.
"And have you started by directly learning spells?" She asked.
"Yeah," I said carelessly. "However, I tried reading the magic theory at first, but it felt boring, so I immediately shifted to spells."
She looked at me with an exasperated gaze. She sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead.
"What did you think magic was? Memorize enough incantations, and you become powerful?"
I hesitated. "…Yes."
"This is not how magic works," she snapped.
"You learned just enough basic theory and then crammed a spell. You know what to do to make the spell work, but you don't know how or why it works like that. You don't understand the logic and reasoning behind it. And that knowledge is required to improve as a mage."
"Moreover, you can only use this trick for low-level spells; to even consider learning higher-level spells, you will need to improve as a mage in that discipline."
"You are saying I will need to study," I asked in a fearful voice.
I had seen the two magic tomes I had. They were too big, with a vast amount of knowledge in each tome. Other than a few theories common to both, the rest were completely different. It was like learning an entirely new discipline with a never-ending syllabus.
"Yes, you will," Zephyra snapped.
Fuck.
"Do you want me to teach you?" She suggested, her expression softened. "I am not a master, but I know enough to get you started. Moreover, other than the Atlantean and Lemurian Magic, I also practice White Magic, which is similar to the healing magic you used yesterday. I should be able to get you started."
"You will?" I asked, surprised.
"We don't currently have anything to do, so may as well do it," she shrugged.
I laughed.
The rest of our journey back passed with Zephyra-sensei teaching me about magic.
—
By the time we arrived at the town, it was already nighttime.
We found both Matthias and Miao Song together with the butler Sebastian at the docks. They were directing a bunch of men to load supplies on a ship. The ship was much bigger than the one I used.
We walked towards them curiously.
"Are the preparations complete?" I asked Matthias, who was standing closest to us.
"Oh, Mr. Zoro, Lady Zephyra," Matthias smiled. "No, but they will soon be completed. We can leave by daybreak tomorrow."
We nodded and left after saying our goodbyes. We had a simple dinner at a bar, then we went back to Miao Song's house to rest for the night.
We reached Zephyra's room.
"Thanks for today," I said sincerely. She nodded with a smile. Then I turned to walk towards my room.
"Zoro," she called from behind.
I stopped and turned around. "You need something?"
She looked hesitant. I walked towards her.
She looked like she had finally made a decision and asked, "Can you accompany me inside?"
I looked into her eyes for any kind of falsehood.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Even if it is a political marriage, you are still betrothed. Won't it create a shitstorm if they ever find out about it?"
"It will," Zephyra laughed. Then her face turned melancholic. "I don't know how long I can continue this life. Sooner or later, they will send someone to bring me back, even if by force. I wanted to feel free, even if for a brief while. That's why I even started adventuring. To have a life, however small, outside their control. That's also why I want to do it, as a final rebellion against their control. For once, I truly want to do something of my own."
Then she looked deep into my eyes. Her face filled with expectations. "Can you?" She asked again.
I kissed her directly instead of answering. While we were kissing, I opened her door, and then closed it behind us once we were inside.
[R-18 Start]
As the door clicked shut behind us, the room enveloped us in a hush that amplified every breath, every rustle of fabric. Zephyra's lips were soft and insistent against mine. Her hands clutched at my shirt, pulling me closer as if afraid I'd vanish into the night. I deepened the kiss, my tongue slipping past her parted lips to explore the warmth of her mouth. She moaned softly, a sound that vibrated through me, stirring something primal deep in my core.
I backed her toward the bed, our bodies pressed together in a tangle of urgency and need. The room was simple, a modest chamber with a flickering candle on the nightstand, casting golden shadows across the wooden walls. But at that moment, it felt like our own private world. My hands roamed her back, feeling the curve of her spine through the thin fabric of her tunic. She was slender yet strong, honed by the trials of the road.
Breaking the kiss, I trailed my lips down her neck, nipping gently at the sensitive skin just below her ear. She gasped, her fingers digging into my shoulders. "Zoro," she whispered, her voice husky with desire. "Don't stop. Make me forget everything else."
I pulled back just enough to look at her, her emerald eyes gleaming with a fire. I tugged at the laces of her tunic, loosening them with deliberate slowness, savoring the way her chest rose and fell with each breath. As the fabric parted, revealing the swell of her breasts beneath a simple linen shift, I felt my pulse quicken. She helped me, shrugging out of the tunic, then the skirt, and letting them fall to the floor in a heap.
Her skin was pale and flawless, dotted with a few freckles from days under the sun. I cupped one breast through the shift, my thumb brushing over the hardening nipple. She arched into my touch, a soft whimper escaping her lips. Leaning down, I captured her mouth again, this time more fiercely, while my free hand slid lower, tracing the curve of her hip.
"Show me your true self," I growled in her mouth. She whimpered as the illusion was lifted, her pink body out in the open.
Zephyra's hands didn't stay idle; she hastily unbuttoned my shirt, her fingers trembling slightly as she exposed my chest. Her palms pressed against my skin. "You're so strong," she murmured against my lips. "I want to feel all of you."
I shed my shirt and kicked off my boots. Then with a predatory growl, I pushed her onto the bed. She sat on the edge, looking up at me with a mix of vulnerability and bold defiance. I knelt before her, my hands on her thighs, spreading them slightly as I leaned in to kiss her again. This time, I let my lips wander lower, across her collarbone, down to the valley between her breasts.
Her breasts were full and pert, nipples rosy and erect in the cool air. I took one into my mouth, sucking gently at first, then harder, flicking my tongue over the sensitive peak. Zephyra's head fell back, her hands threading through my hair as she moaned. "Yes... Oh, Zoro, yes." Her body responded eagerly, hips shifting restlessly on the bed.
I parted her thighs, looking at her glistening pussy. I looked up at her, meeting her gaze. "You're beautiful," I said, my voice thick with lust. "And tonight, you're mine."
She bit her lip, nodding. The scent of her arousal filled the air, musky and intoxicating. I started slow, kissing the inside of one thigh, then the other, working my way closer to her center. Her breath came in short gasps, her fingers clenching the bedsheets. When my lips finally brushed against her outer folds, she jerked, a sharp cry escaping her.
I teased her at first, my tongue darting out to trace the seam of her pussy, lapping at the wetness that coated her. She tasted sweet and salty, a flavor that made my cock throb painfully against my trousers. I traced her pussy lips from her entrance to the swollen bud of her clit. Zephyra's hips bucked, her moan filling the room. "Zoro... please…"
Encouraged, I delved deeper. My lips closed around her clit, sucking gently while my tongue flicked over it in rapid circles. She writhed beneath me, her hands tangling in my hair to hold me in place. I slid a finger along her slick folds, circling her entrance before pushing inside. She was tight, hot, and so wet that my finger glided in easily. I added a second, curling them upward to stroke that sensitive spot inside her while my mouth continued its assault on her clit.
Her body tensed, breaths coming in ragged pants. "Oh fuck... right there... don't stop..." She was grinding against my face now. I hummed against her, the vibration sending her higher. My free hand reached up to pinch her nipple, twisting it lightly, adding another layer of sensation.
Zephyra's climax built like a storm, her muscles clenching around my fingers. "Something's… happening…" she gasped, and then she shattered, her pussy pulsing around me as waves of ecstasy crashed over her. She squirted ropes and ropes of her juice, drenching me.
Only then did I pull back, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand as I stood. She lay there, flushed and boneless, her eyes half-lidded with satisfaction. But I wasn't done. My cock ached for her. I stood up, my hard cock, thick and veined, directly in front of her face, the tip already leaking pre-cum.
Zephyra's eyes widened as she took me in, sitting up slightly. "Aaah, Zoro... you're huge." There was a hint of nervousness in her voice, but it was overshadowed by hunger. She reached out, wrapping her hand around my shaft, stroking me slowly.
But I couldn't wait any longer. I forcefully pushed her back onto the bed, positioning myself between her legs. "Are you ready?" I asked, my voice strained. "This is your last chance to back out."
"Yes," she breathed. "Fuck me. Make me yours."
I aligned myself with her entrance, rubbing the head of my cock against her slick folds, coating myself in her juices. Then, with a slow thrust, I pushed inside. She was incredibly tight, her walls gripping me like a vice. I paused halfway, feeling resistance. I gave her time to adjust, but she wrapped her legs around my waist, urging me deeper. "More... all of it. Push it. I can take it."
I sank in fully, bottoming out with a grunt. The sensation was exquisite, hot, wet, and perfect. A pained grunt escaped her mouth as I filled her. I stayed still for a moment, once again allowing her to adjust. A hint of red appeared at her entrance, with a few drops spilling on the bed, dyeing it red. Once she nodded, I started again. Slow at first, pulling out almost entirely before sliding back in, building a rhythm.
Zephyra's nails raked down my back, her hips rising to meet each thrust. "Harder," she demanded, her voice breaking. "Fuck me harder."
I obliged, increasing my pace, pounding into her with deep, forceful strokes. The bed creaked beneath us, the headboard thumping against the wall. Her breasts bounced with each impact, and I leaned down to capture one in my mouth, sucking hard as I drove into her. She cried out, her pussy clenching around me, milking my cock.
We shifted positions seamlessly. I pulled out briefly, flipping her onto her hands and knees. She arched her back, presenting herself to me, her ass round and inviting. I gripped her hips, entering her from behind in one swift motion. This angle let me go deeper, hitting spots that made her scream. "Yes! Oh yes, yes! Zoro!" she wailed, pushing back against me.
I reached around, my fingers finding her clit again, rubbing it in time with my thrusts. She was so responsive, her body quivering as another orgasm approached. Sweat slicked our skin, the room filled with the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh, our mingled moans and gasps.
"Come for me again," I whispered in her ear, my own release building. "Come on my cock."
That pushed her over the edge. Her pussy spasmed around me, her whole body shaking as she came hard, her juices soaking us both. The tightness was too much; with a few more erratic thrusts, I followed her, spilling deep inside her with a roar. Hot pulses of cum filled her, marking her as mine in that moment of raw passion.
We fell on the bed in a tangled mess. Our breaths heavy with the earlier passion.
But the night wasn't over. As our heartbeats slowed, Zephyra turned to me, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Again," she whispered, her hand trailing down my chest. I chuckled, already hardening at her touch. We had hours yet, and I intended to make every second count.
[R-18 End]
The next day, we woke up before the sun rose. I left Zephyra's room calmly after a brief greeting and went to my room to get dressed.
On the way, I found Ulysses.
"Not bad, kid," Ulysses laughed and slapped me on the back. I was pushed forward and had to stop myself from falling. He laughed harder, seeing that.
After freshening up in my room, I left it and joined the rest. They behaved as if nothing had happened, though I knew for a fact that those thin wooden walls wouldn't have stopped Zephyra's voice from leaking out.
After making sure we weren't missing anything, we left for the port.
The sailors had already arrived by then and were waiting for us. Tomas and other sailors who helped sail my ship were among them.
We boarded the ship, and it left the port.
As I considered asking Zephyra to resume magic lessons—
Matthias cleared his throat.
"Master Miao," he began thoughtfully, "since we now sail under a shared purpose, would it not be fitting to grant our company a name?"
Miao Song looked thoughtful. All of us looked interested.
"It's an excellent idea, Mr. Matthias," Miao Song said with a smile.
"As for the name, how about…"
"Defenders."