Out at sea, near the city of Tossa, the black ship Trunks confidently cut through the waves, as if it weren't sailing, but rather asserting itself on the sea itself. Trunks stood on its deck, his long brown hair blowing in the wind, his blue eyes shining like the sea on a stormy day.
Marcus, his heavyset lieutenant, approached him and said, "Sir, there's a small ship approaching from the south. It looks like a weak pirate crew."
Trunks smiled and said sarcastically, "Pirates? In this sea? Let's teach them the difference between those who steal and those who rule."
Quickly, he gave his orders, and the crew moved like a beehive. Sails lowered, oars readied, and arrows were readied. It wasn't a defensive battle... but a lightning attack.
When the small ship approached, its crew was unprepared. There were fifteen men, their faces pale as they saw the black ship approaching rapidly. They tried to maneuver, but Trunks had decided to go down himself.
He leaped from his ship onto the deck of the other ship with amazing agility, his long sword in hand.
"Who dares sail into my waters without permission?" he shouted, his voice as if the sea itself were listening.
One of the pirates tried to respond, but Trunks didn't give him time. With a single blow, he knocked him to the ground. Then he charged through the crew, moving like a storm, striking, dodging, and shouting. The fight was unequal, not because of the number of men, but because of just one man.
In minutes, the small ship had descended into chaos. Some pirates jumped into the sea, the rest fell under Trunks's sword or surrendered.
Trunks stood amidst the corpses, his sword raised, and said:
"This is the end of those who think the sea is unruly. From today on, every wave speaks my name."
He returned to his ship, his face showing no trace of regret. He knew this small battle was only a prelude to something greater: Athens.
---
Elsewhere, on the White Ship, Linus watched the horizon from afar. The sea was calm, the voyage proceeding, but something in the air was unsettling.
"Sir… there's something strange on the horizon," said old Nikos, peering into the distance.
Linus raised his spyglass and saw a huge black ship, its sails flapping like the wings of a demon, and on its prow a statue of a dragon's head opening its mouth.
"That's not Trunks' ship… it's Lamore's ship," Romulus said, his face turning pale.
"Lamore?" asked Linus.
"Yes… the pirate who was defeated in the Fourth Sea War, but not killed. They say he only sets sail when he smells blood."
Linus felt a shiver run through his body. He wasn't prepared for this kind of danger, especially after what he'd experienced on the island.
He quickly said, "We return to the island immediately. We can't take any risks now."
He gave the orders, and the crew moved quickly. They redirected the ship and returned to the first island, hiding among the trees, watching from afar.
Linus stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the black ship slowly passing by, as if searching for prey.
He whispered to himself, "If this sea is full of the likes of Trunks and Lamore… my path to Athens will be more difficult than I imagined."