The Beast's Debt had been cutting through the waves for six long days since the fires of Kogane No Tori faded into the mist. The initial adrenaline of the escape had worn off, replaced by the hollow, rhythmic growl of four very hungry stomachs.
High atop the main mast, Kojo Ren sat in a meditative trance. His legs were crossed, his three swords resting across his knees. He was trying to use "Blade-Zen" to ignore the fact that his last meal was a piece of dry hardtack three days ago. Below him, the ship was a theater of restless energy.
Faramis, the crew's scientist, was hunched over the glowing consoles of the control room at the bottom of the ship. His goggles reflected the green pings of the radar as he scanned for any landmass that wasn't a jagged reef. At the helm, Lemon steered with a focused intensity, while Ato paced back and forth behind him, looking like a caged tiger.
"Oi, Lemon," Ato groaned, leaning over the Prince's shoulder. "Did you see any island yet? And first of all, how do you even know we're going toward land? All I see is blue. It's been blue for six days!"
Lemon didn't take his eyes off the horizon. He reached into his vest and pulled out a weathered, leather-bound scroll. "I'm following my late mother's map, Ato. It hasn't failed me yet."
Ato blinked, his pacing coming to a halt. "Your late mother's? Map?"
"Yes," Lemon said, his voice softening. "My mom was a pirate long before she became a Queen. She died right after giving birth to me... but she left this behind. It's a map of the hidden routes the EDEN Navy doesn't monitor."
"Oh," Ato said, his voice dropping. "Sorry, man. I didn't know."
"Don't worry," Lemon said with a small, bittersweet smile. "I know she'd be happy seeing me out here, finally using it... wait." He squinted, pulling the map closer to his face. "Is that... yes! Ato, look!"
Ato lunged forward, nearly knocking Lemon off the pilot's stool. "Huh? Island? Where? Where is it?!"
A lush, green silhouette was breaking through the morning haze. It wasn't the metallic gold of their previous home; it was vibrant, smelling of earth and—more importantly—smoke and spices.
"Ato! Call everyone to the deck! We've reached it!" Lemon shouted, jumping with joy.
"Roger that!"
Ato didn't bother with the stairs. He bent his knees and launched himself like a cannonball to the highest part of the ship. He landed right in front of the meditating Kojo.
"Oi, Kojo! Stop sleeping! We're arriving on an island!"
Without waiting for Kojo to open his eyes, Ato grabbed him by the front of his t-shirt and hurled him off the mast. Kojo plummeted thirty feet, landing on the wooden deck with a loud THUD.
Ato jumped down after him and sprinted toward the hatch leading to the engine room. He kicked the door open so hard the metal frame groaned.
"Huh? Who's there?!" Faramis shouted, nearly dropping a delicate glass vial.
"Oi, Faramis! We saw an island!"
"Idiot! Then don't burst into my door! Stupid!" Faramis yelled, waving a wrench.
Ato didn't listen. He grabbed Faramis by the collar and started dragging him up the stairs. When they hit the deck, Kojo was just beginning to stagger to his feet, grumbling about "captain-enforced concussions." Ato didn't slow down; he swung Faramis around and threw the scientist directly at Kojo.
The two collided in a heap of limbs. "ARE YOU AN IDIOT OR WHAT?!" they both screamed at the top of their lungs.
"Sorry, sorry!" Ato laughed, his eyes fixed on the shore. "Oi, Lemon! Did we reach it?"
"Yep," Lemon said, bringing the ship into the docks. "Welcome to the Greatest Island of Chefs. A place where the kitchen is more important than the throne."
"CHEF'S!" Ato's eyes turned into literal flames. "I'm going all out! Someone give me money!"
Faramis, untangling himself from Kojo, sighed and tossed a leather pouch. "Here's your wallet, you glutton. Try not to eat the leather."
"Gotcha!" Ato caught it and vanished in a blur of dust, sprinting toward the town with Lemon right behind him.
Kojo sat on the deck, rubbing his sore back. "They both just left, huh? Figures."
Faramis stood up, dusting off his lab coat. "Looks like it. You're not going, Kojo?"
"No," Kojo said, leaning back against the mast. "Unless you have that capsule thing. My legs aren't ready for a hike."
"No, I don't have it," Faramis said, looking at his empty belt. "The capsule I used for the ship back at Kogane No Tori was a one-time prototype. I'm fresh out."
"Then I'll just sleep on the ship," Kojo muttered, closing his eyes.
"Then I'll be going," Faramis said.
"Oh," Kojo called out. "Can you buy me a drink? Here's the money—"
"It's okay," Faramis waved him off, jumping onto the pier. "My treat today. Keep your money."
"O... okay. Thanks," Kojo muttered, already snoring.
[The Town of Culinaria]
The island was a sensory explosion. Every building was a restaurant; every street corner had a smoker or a grill. The air was a thick, delicious fog of roasting meat and fresh bread.
"What should we get to eat, Lemon?!" Ato shouted, his stomach making a sound like a dying engine.
"Hold on, Ato," Lemon said, grabbing his arm. "Let's cool our minds first.Let me buy some ice cream."
"Oh! Ice cream!"
A minute later, the two were walking through the marketplace, licking massive triple-scoop cones.
"Oh, thank you, Lemon," Ato muffled through the cold sugar.
Suddenly, the crowd ahead of them started running toward a large plaza.
"Oi! The Greatest Cook Competition is about to start!" one stranger yelled.
"Are you for real? The prize this year is a legendary ingredient!" another replied.
Lemon stopped, his ice cream held mid-air. "'The Greatest Cook Competition'... sounds interesting. Wanna go and look, Ato?"
Ato finished his cone in one giant bite, his eyes glowing with predatory hunger. "Of course. If they're the best, their meat must be the best!"
[The Scientist's Errand]
Meanwhile, Faramis was wandering through the quieter district of the island, looking for a supply shop. He walked into a dusty bookstore filled with ancient technical manuals.
"Okay," Faramis muttered, scanning the spines. "Which book should I buy next? 'Thermodynamics of Void-Gold' or 'Advanced Bio-Chemistry'? Hmm..." He tapped his chin, looking around. "Am I forgetting something? Um... no, I think I'm good."
Back at the ship, Kojo continued to sleep, completely unaware that several pairs of eyes were watching thier ship plotting something evil.