The remnants of the stolen Marine ship smoldered in the water as Lale clung to a floating piece of wreckage, her dark hair plastered to her face. The saltwater stung her eyes, but the glare she directed at Ace could have melted steel.
"When I said 'we need to get off this island,' this wasn't what I meant," she muttered through gritted teeth.
Ace floated on his back without a care in the world, grinning up at the sky.
"Come on, it worked, didn't it? We're not on the island anymore!"
A massive shadow passed beneath them. The water darkened.
"Ace," Lale said, her voice low and calm.
"Huh. That's a big—" he began.
The Sea King breached the surface, its massive maw opening wide enough to swallow the remaining wreckage whole.
Lale's Sharingan snapped to life. She locked eyes with the beast and focused. "You see nothing. You want to swim away."
The Sea King paused... then sneezed. Violently. The force sent them tumbling backward through the water.
Ace surfaced, sputtering. "Nice try! My turn!"
He raised a hand and fired a blazing fireball into the creature's open mouth. The Sea King belched in response, and the stench hit like a wall.
Lale gagged. "I hate everything about this!"
Before either of them could attempt another plan, a rogue wave crashed into them, tossing them toward a coral reef. The Sea King, confused by the sudden obstacle, headbutted the reef twice, gave up, and swam off into the depths.
The sea calmed.
A weathered fishing boat creaked into view on the horizon. As it neared, a grizzled old fisherman leaned over the edge, eyebrows raised.
"Let me guess. Pirates?"
Lale lifted a hand weakly. "No. Well... technically..."
"We're adventurers!" Ace added with a wave and a grin.
The fisherman sighed and hauled them aboard. "Kids these days," he muttered. "This is why I drink."
The next morning, Lale collapsed face-first into the sand of a new island. The grains were warm beneath her fingers, but her bones ached from the chaos of the previous day.
Nearby, Ace crouched beside a hermit crab, poking it with a stick.
"Look! It's like a tiny armored pirate!"
Lale screamed into the sand.
When she finally sat up, she noticed a merchant ship anchored at the edge of the harbor. Crates were being unloaded, each one marked with a symbol she knew all too well—the World Government's seal.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh no."
Ace followed her gaze. "Ooooh, are those snacks?"
To be continued...