Rain hammered the deck like nails. The mast groaned where Bredma's silk had sliced through its ropes, leaning at an angle as if bowing to her. Every pirate on the deck had gone quiet, backing away from their captain like she was a wild animal ready to strike.
Koby clutched the knife in his trembling hands, his back pressed to a broken crate. "P-Ponyo…"
Ponyo stepped in front of him, chains spinning lazily in his grip. He stood barefoot on the slick boards, grinning despite the tension. "She's shorter than I pictured."
The words hung in the stormy air.
Click. Click-click.
Bredma's eight limbs flexed, lifting her higher above the deck. She tilted her head, her wet hair shifting to reveal pale, sharp eyes. A faint smile tugged her lips.
"You're bold," she murmured. "But boldness won't keep you breathing."
⸻
A silk thread flicked out so fast it sang. Ponyo ducked, and a barrel behind him split cleanly in two, its contents spilling across the deck. He spun his chain-hooks and smirked.
"Guess I'll need more than boldness, huh?"
Bredma stepped forward, her limbs clacking against the boards, silk threads dancing between her fingers. "You map everything you see, don't you, boy?" Her voice was smooth, almost amused. "I remember you… biting one of my lieutenants when we raided your little fishing village."
Ponyo's grin faltered for half a second.
"Oh, I remember your face," she continued softly. "Karamik's brat. The one they said wouldn't break."
She lashed out again. Ponyo jumped back, barely dodging as the silk sliced through a rope, sending a sail crashing to the deck. He yanked Koby aside just in time.
⸻
"MOVE!" Ponyo barked, dragging Koby to cover behind a crate. Another thread shot past, carving a groove into the wood like a hot knife through butter.
Koby's breathing was ragged. "She's—she's insane!"
"She's precise," Ponyo corrected, eyes scanning the rigging. "Means she can bleed."
⸻
The ship lurched violently. A roar thundered over the storm, deep and guttural. Lightning split the sky—and something massive surfaced beside the ship.
A Flesh Eater.
Its head was as big as a rowboat, its jagged fins slicing the waves. Its glowing yellow eyes locked on the ship, and its scream rattled the deck like a drum.
"F-FLESH EATER!" a pirate shrieked. Chaos erupted. Pirates scrambled for weapons, ropes, anything to keep the beast from tearing the ship apart.
Bredma didn't even blink. She flicked her wrists, anchoring silk threads into the mast and railing, balancing perfectly as the ship rocked violently. Her calm made the scene even scarier.
⸻
Ponyo's eyes darted everywhere: the mast, the sails, the lifeboats tied at the side. His chains spun in his hands like second nature.
"Koby, hold on to something."
"WHAT?!"
"Now!"
Ponyo sprinted across the deck as a silk thread slashed at his heels, ricocheting off a snapped rope. He grabbed a broken hook, swung onto the rigging, and hurled his chain into the mast.
The Flesh Eater slammed into the hull, sending a geyser of seawater across the deck. Pirates screamed as the ship tilted, some slipping and vanishing into the black water below.
⸻
Bredma's threads lashed out. One grazed Ponyo's shoulder—sharp pain burned as his shirt tore and blood spattered the deck. He winced but kept moving, eyes locked on a lifeboat swaying violently against the ship.
"Not fast enough, little mapmaker," Bredma said softly, flicking another thread.
This one would've cut him in half.
But Ponyo turned midair, swinging his chain-hooks in a wild arc. A gust of wind blasted outward, sharp enough to slice a hanging lantern chain clean through. The force knocked the thread just off course.
Bredma's eyes widened slightly.
Ponyo landed hard, staggering from the impact. His shoulder throbbed where the cut burned, but his grin returned. "That's new."
⸻
"Ponyo, what was that?!" Koby yelped, scrambling toward him.
"Not a clue," Ponyo said, wincing. "But it bought us time."
He yanked a dagger from a fallen pirate and cut the lifeboat's rope. "Get in."
Koby hesitated. "We'll die out there!"
"We'll die faster here." Ponyo hooked his chain onto a sail, pulling it down onto a group of charging pirates. They went down screaming, tangled under the heavy fabric.
Bredma moved closer, threads hissing through the rain. She was smiling wider now. "Run, then. I enjoy the chase."
⸻
Ponyo shoved Koby into the boat, leaping in after him. With one final swing, he cut the last rope. The lifeboat dropped into the raging waves, splashing violently as lightning lit the sky.
Bredma stood at the railing, perfectly balanced, her eight limbs spread like a monstrous silhouette against the storm. The Flesh Eater surfaced behind her, glowing eyes lighting the scene like lanterns.
"Run, little mapmaker," she purred. "The Veil always collects its debt."
⸻
The boat rocked violently as it was tossed by waves. Koby clung to the edge, white-knuckled. Ponyo leaned back, clutching his bleeding shoulder, staring up at the towering ship fading into the rain.
He chuckled through his teeth. "Told you we weren't dying tonight."
Koby turned to him, soaked and pale. "We're not out of this yet!"
Lightning flashed, and for a split second, the silhouette of something massive moved under their boat.
⸻
To be continued…