The wind howled through the Calm Belt — unusual for a sea that rarely moved. Rai D. Kaen's small patched-up sailboat creaked as the waves started to shift beneath it. He sat on the deck, half-asleep, with the oar still in his hand.
He hadn't eaten in two days.
The sun had turned cruel, and the sea showed no mercy. When he lifted his head, the sky shimmered — heat waves, no clouds, no birds. Only him, the sea, and the faint hum of something strange beneath the surface.
Then he heard it — boom.
A shockwave rippled through the air, followed by smoke rising far to the east. It wasn't thunder. It was a cannon.
Rai's eyes narrowed. "That sounded close."
Another explosion echoed. This time, he caught a glimpse — a large marine warship firing at a smaller vessel, sleek and black, darting through the waves like a shadow.
The black ship's flag bore no mark. No skull, no emblem. Just a single white eye painted on the sail.
Rai's stomach turned. He remembered that symbol. His mother used to whisper about them — Cipher Pol.
Agents who worked under the World Government's direct command, hunting anyone with forbidden bloodlines, knowledge, or names.
The marines fired again, cannonballs slicing through the air. The black ship turned sharply, barely dodging the barrage. But one hit the hull, sending wood splinters flying.
Rai gritted his teeth. "They're sinking…"
He looked at his sail, then back at the chaos. He could stay here and live another hungry day — or he could risk everything again.
He stood up, grabbed the rope, and turned his sail toward the smoke. "Fine. Let's see where this goes."
---
The sea churned as Rai's small craft drew closer. The Marine ship loomed huge, white and gold, with cannons lined like teeth. Their flag fluttered under the sun: Justice.
"Lock on the escape vessel!" an officer barked.
Rai watched the smaller black ship trying to steer away, but it was too damaged. A figure stood at its bow — a young woman in torn white uniform, silver hair sticking to her cheeks. Her hands glowed faintly blue as she pressed them against the ship's deck.
The water under her ship shimmered and solidified — ice. She was freezing the sea itself to steer.
"What the hell…?" Rai muttered.
The marines didn't hesitate. Another round of cannon fire came. The girl raised her hand — and a wall of ice shot up, blocking two shots, but the third slammed into her side. Her ship cracked in half.
The explosion lit up the water.
Rai's eyes widened. "Shit—!"
Without thinking, he dove into the sea, paddling hard toward the wreckage. The salt burned his cuts, but he kept moving. Pieces of the ship floated around him, burning.
Then he saw her — floating unconscious, blood in the water.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her up to his small boat, heaving her over the side. She was light — too light — but cold as death.
"Hey!" he shouted, slapping her cheek lightly. "Wake up!"
Nothing.
Rai looked at the Marine ship closing in fast. Cannons were already turning toward him.
"Hell no," he growled.
He placed a hand on the boat's edge. His veins pulsed gold. A faint flame flickered along his fingertips, spreading to the sail. The canvas caught fire — but instead of burning, the flames pushed the air, propelling him forward.
The boat shot across the sea like a missile, leaving a streak of steam in its wake.
The Marines shouted, but by the time they reloaded, he was gone.
---
By dusk, Rai found a small reef far from the main route and dropped anchor. The girl still hadn't woken up.
He sat beside her, tearing a strip of cloth from his shirt to wrap her shoulder wound. She looked older than him, maybe twenty, with pale skin and short silver hair matted by seawater. A Cipher Pol badge half-melted hung around her neck.
Rai studied it, frowning. "Cipher Pol… why the hell are they turning on their own?"
When he finished tying the bandage, he sat back. "Guess you'll tell me when you wake up. Or not."
He leaned against the mast, exhaustion catching up. The night was calm again, the stars clearer than before. He drifted half-asleep to the sound of the waves.
---
He woke up to the sound of metal scraping.
Rai's eyes shot open. The girl was awake — and holding a knife to his throat.
"Who are you?" she demanded, voice sharp but low. Her blue eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight.
Rai froze, hands raised. "Easy there. I'm the guy who just saved your ass."
"Liar." She pressed the blade harder. "You're with the Marines."
"Do I look like a Marine to you?"
She hesitated, glancing at his torn, soot-covered clothes. Her hand trembled for a moment before she finally lowered the knife.
"...Then why save me?" she asked quietly.
Rai rubbed his neck. "Guess I was bored."
Her eyes narrowed. "People don't risk cannon fire because they're bored."
He grinned. "I do."
That earned a tiny pause — almost a smile, before her face hardened again. She looked around the small boat. "You're sailing without a compass."
"Didn't have time to buy one. My island got burned yesterday."
Her expression shifted slightly. "By who?"
"Marines," Rai said flatly. "Said they were looking for someone with a mark."
He pulled his shirt down slightly, revealing the faint dragon scales glowing on his chest. Her eyes widened.
"…You have a Mythical Zoan."
"You know what this is?"
She looked away. "I used to."
Rai leaned forward. "Used to?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stared at the sea for a long moment, the moon's reflection glinting in her eyes.
"I was Cipher Pol Nine," she said finally. "I ran missions for the World Government. Killed whoever they told me to. Until one day, they told me to kill a child with that same mark."
Rai froze.
"I refused," she said. "So they hunted me instead."
The wind picked up slightly. Silence hung between them, heavy but calm.
"So," Rai said, voice low, "you're saying the Government wants both of us dead."
"Seems that way."
He grinned faintly. "Then we might as well stick together. For now."
She glanced at him. "You don't even know my name."
"Then tell me."
"…Lina. Lina Vale."
"Rai D. Kaen."
Her gaze lingered on that middle initial. "D, huh? You should hide that. The Government doesn't like that letter."
"I noticed."
Lina stared at the horizon. "You have no idea what that name means, do you?"
Rai shrugged. "Not yet."
"Then pray you never find out."
---
Hours passed. The two sat in silence, the sea stretching endless around them. Lina's wound had stopped bleeding. Rai kept adjusting the sail, chasing whatever faint wind appeared.
At last, Lina spoke again. "You're reckless."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Despite herself, she almost smiled.
Rai looked at her, eyes glinting. "So, ex–Cipher Pol agent. Got any idea where we can go that won't get us shot on sight?"
She thought for a moment. "There's a place west of here. Abandoned island — used to be a Marine supply outpost before the Calm Belt shifted. It's quiet."
"Then that's where we'll go."
She frowned. "You're just going to trust me?"
He shrugged. "You could've killed me when I was asleep. You didn't. That's enough for now."
Lina sighed. "You're insane."
"Probably."
As the boat drifted onward, Rai stood up, adjusting the sail. His flame mark pulsed faintly under his skin, reflecting off the moonlight.
Lina watched him from the corner of her eye. "Rai," she said quietly. "If the World Government really is after you… what do you plan to do?"
He looked over his shoulder, expression calm but sharp.
"What else?" he said. "I'll make them regret it."
He looked up at the stars — the same ones he'd sworn to follow the night before.
"The old world's choking under their chains," he said. "If it takes fire to break it, I'll burn the whole damn sky."
Lina didn't answer. But for the first time in years, she didn't feel like running.