The next morning, Arima woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his door. He sat up, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword. He had a feeling that it was the thugs from yesterday, coming back for revenge.
"Who is it?" he called out, his voice rough from sleep.
"It's me," a familiar voice replied. "The village elder."
Arima relaxed slightly and got up to open the door. The old woman was standing there, holding a tray of food. "I brought you some breakfast," she said, stepping inside the hut.
Arima looked at the food. It was a simple meal of rice and fish, but it smelled delicious. He hadn't eaten a proper meal since he had arrived in this new world.
"Thank you," he said, taking the tray from her. He sat down on the bed and started to eat, devouring the food with gusto. He was starving.
The old woman watched him eat, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You fight well," she said, breaking the silence. "Where did you learn to use a sword like that?"
Arima paused, a piece of fish halfway to his mouth. He wasn't used to people asking him personal questions. He was a Yakuza, and he had always been careful not to reveal too much about himself.
"It's a long story," he said, taking a bite of the fish.
"I have time," the old woman said, sitting down on a small stool across from him.
Arima sighed. He knew he wouldn't be able to get rid of her that easily. "I've trained since I was a young boy," he said, deciding to give her a vague answer. "It was what I decided I wanted to be the best at, and I've been doing it all my life."
The old woman nodded, a wise look in her eyes. "You have the look of a warrior," she said. "But you're not from around here. Where do you come from?"
Arima hesitated. He didn't know how to explain where he came from. He wasn't even sure himself. He was a man out of time, a relic from another world.
"Far away," he said, after a long pause. "Very far away."
The old woman seemed to understand that he didn't want to talk about it. She didn't press him for more details. "Well, you're here now," she said. "And this village is in your debt."
Arima finished his meal in silence, his mind racing. He had a lot to learn about this new world. He needed to find a way to fit in, to make a life for himself. He had a feeling that this village was just the beginning.
After he finished eating, he got up and put on his clothes. He felt a strange sense of purpose, a drive to do something, anything, to escape the feeling of being lost.
"I'm going out for a walk," he said, turning to the old woman.
"Be careful," she said, a worried look on her face. "The world outside this village is a dangerous place."
Arima nodded, a grim smile on his face. He was counting on it.
He stepped outside the hut, the morning sun warming his skin. He took a deep breath, the salty air filling his lungs. He was ready for whatever this new world had in store for him.
He walked through the village, the villagers giving him a wide berth. He could see the fear in their eyes, but there was also a newfound respect. He had become their protector, their guardian.
Arima decided to walk to the other side of the island to find the other villagers who lived there. As he walked, he could hear the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the seagulls crying overhead. He couldn't help but admire the beauty of the island, and he wondered what kind of people he would meet on the other side.
As he made his way through the dense forest, he could feel the cool breeze on his skin. He was starting to get the hang of his new life on the island, and he was excited to see what else he would encounter. But as he approached a clearing, he could see a group of men standing around, and they didn't look friendly.
The men were rough-looking, with scars on their faces and tattoos covering their arms. They were armed with swords and guns and clearly up to no good. Arima knew he had to be careful and approached them cautiously.
As he got closer, he could hear them talking about a shipwreck they had stumbled upon, and they were planning to loot it. He was curious about what the loot would be and decided to just watch them from a reasonable distance for now.
Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to see a small group of monkeys, their eyes gleaming in the sunlight. They looked harmless, but Arima knew that appearances could be deceiving. He watched as the monkeys approached the men, curious about their plans.
The men didn't seem to notice the monkeys at first, but when they did, they were amused by their antics. One of the men even threw a banana to the monkeys, which they eagerly devoured. Arima couldn't help but smile at the scene, and he felt a sense of relief that the monkeys hadn't caused any trouble.
But as he watched the men and the monkeys, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. The men seemed too relaxed, too confident in their plans. He wondered if they had underestimated the danger of the island and its inhabitants.
As he continued to observe the group, he noticed something strange. The monkeys were behaving oddly, and they seemed to be communicating with each other in a way that was beyond their usual chatter. Arima couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that something wasn't quite right.
Just then, the men's leader, a tall man with a scar on his cheek, noticed him watching them. He glared at Arima and yelled, "Hey, you! What are you doing here?"
Arima quickly realised that he had been caught and needed to come up with an excuse. He replied, "I'm just passing through. I didn't mean to intrude." The leader's eyes narrowed, and he motioned for his men to surround Arima. "That's a lie. You were spying on us. What did you hear?"
Arima knew that he had to be careful. He didn't want to reveal too much, but he also didn't want to appear suspicious. He replied, "I didn't hear anything important. Just that you're planning to loot a shipwreck. I was curious about it."
The leader's eyes flashed with anger, and he yelled, "Curiosity killed the cat, you know!" Arima was startled by the man's outburst and tried to explain himself, but the man showed no interest in hearing him. He pulled out his sword and charged at Arima, his men following close behind.
Arima dodged the leader's attack and drew his own sword. He was outnumbered, but he was not going to back down. He knew that he had to fight if he wanted to survive. The men attacked him from all sides, but Arima was able to defend himself with his swordsmanship. He was able to take down two of the men with his sword, but the others were still attacking him relentlessly.
As he fought, he noticed the monkeys watching from a distance. They seemed to be enjoying the show, and Arima couldn't help but feel a little amused by their antics. But he knew that he had to focus on the fight at hand.
The leader of the men was getting frustrated, and he yelled, "Get him! Don't let him escape!" Arima was starting to tire, and he knew that he had to do something to turn the tide of the battle. He thought of a plan and decided to carry it out.
He pretended to be weak and let one of the men knock him to the ground. As the man stood over him, ready to deliver the final blow, Arima kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. He then leapt to his feet and charged at the other men, his sword flashing in the sunlight.
The men were taken by surprise and couldn't react quickly enough. Arima was able to take down the rest of them with his sword, leaving only the leader standing. The leader glared at Arima, his face twisted with rage. He charged at Arima, his sword raised high, but Arima was ready for him. He parried the leader's attack and then swung his own sword, cutting the leader's arm. The leader screamed in pain and dropped his sword, clutching his injured arm.
Arima stood over the leader, his sword pointed at his throat. The leader looked up at him, fear in his eyes. Exhausted from the battle, Arima asked, "Now, are you going to tell me about the shipwreck?"
The leader hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. He told Arima about the shipwreck and the rumoured treasure hidden there. Arima was intrigued and decided to investigate the shipwreck for himself. He finished off the leader, making sure to leave no witnesses to his actions; sparing them would only give him future trouble. Before leaving, he checked for precious loot that he could get from the dead men. He bagged a few pouches of coins from them and some jewellery to sell to the merchant later.
With his curiosity piqued, Arima set off towards the shipwreck, eager to see what he might find. As he made his way through the dense forest, he could clearly notice that the wounds and bruises he had gotten from the previous fight were itching; when he looked closely, he could see that one of the cuts was slowly closing itself. He couldn't help but wonder if this was another strange ability he possessed in this world or if he was just lucky.
When he arrived on the edge of the cliff where the shipwreck was supposed to be, he found it nestled between multiple massive reefs that surrounded the island. The waves crashed against the rocks, creating a mist that obscured the shipwreck from view. Arima could see the ship's wreckage, its wood splintered and its sails shredded. He still could see the skull and crossed bones on the tattered sails, its black colour probably faded since it had been wrecked here for a long time. He could imagine how the ship would look in its glory days; it was perhaps a majestic and imposing sight.
He looked around the cliff, trying to find a way down to the wreckage. After some searching, he found a narrow path that led down to the water's edge. As he made his way down, he could feel the spray from the waves on his face and the cool breeze blowing through his hair. When he finally reached the wreckage, he could see the whole ship clearly, and it was a sight to behold. The ship was massive, and it must have been a formidable vessel in its day. The wood was rotting, and the metal was rusted, but Arima could still see the beauty in its design. From the rough shape and his limited knowledge about ships, he guessed it should be a galleon class ship.
He got closer to the ship and saw some walkable reef surrounding the ship, big and flat enough to walk on, compared to the rest of the sharp, clustered reefs that surround the island. Arima stepped onto the reef and walked toward the ship, careful not to slip on the wet and slimy surface. As he got closer, he could see a hint of red on the ship's hull; it could be a dark red or burgundy, before it lost its lustre. He went around the ship looking for something to climb up to the deck. When he was walking near the stern of the ship, he could see that the writing on it was damaged, but he could still roughly tell what was written on the nameplate. It said "Queen's... something." He could only guess that the name of the ship was Queen's something, like Queen's Force or Queen's Dawn, or maybe Queen's Vessel.
He found a ladder-like thing, made of wood, that could help him climb to the ship. He climbed up and looked around the deck. The ship's deck was covered in debris, with ropes and sails scattered everywhere. Arima could see the remains of cannons and other weaponry, as well as broken barrels and crates. He walked around the deck, exploring the ship's remains. He found a few items of interest, including a rusty sword, a tattered map, and a small chest filled with gold coins. He took the map, hoping that it would lead him to some hidden treasure.
He looked at the map and noticed a strange symbol. It was a skull with two swords crossed behind it, and it seemed to be pointing to a location on the map. He couldn't quite make out the coordinates, but he will look into it later. He decided to explore the ship further, searching for any clues that might help him decipher the map's meaning. He entered the captain's quarters and found a dusty old journal with a relatively big sword stuck on top of the table beside it.
The sword stood embedded in the centre of the table, its curved blade driven deep into the wood. The hilt rose at an angle, dark metal catching the light with a muted sheen. Fine engravings traced the guard and grip, worn smooth in places from extended use but still intricate enough to suggest craftsmanship of uncommon skill. Around the point of impact, the tabletop was splintered and cracked, as though the weapon had been planted there with deliberate force. The almost pristine condition of the sword compared to the rest of the ship feels like there's something quite mysterious about it. However, his mind was more on the journal beside the sword. He opened the journal and began to read. The pages were yellowed and brittle, but he could make out the handwriting.
The journal belonged to the captain of the ship, and it detailed the ship's journey and the captain's experiences. Arima read with fascination, learning about the captain's treacherous and long journey on the high seas. As he read, he came across an entry describing a mysterious island the captain had discovered.
"The island is unlike any I have seen before," the captain wrote. "It is shrouded in mist, and the waters surrounding it are treacherous. But I believe there is a great treasure to be found here." Arima read on, eager to learn more about the island. The captain had been drawn to the island by rumours of a lost civilisation that had once thrived there. He had spent days exploring the island, searching for any signs of this civilisation.
As he continued to read, Arima discovered that the captain had found something. A strange artefact that he had taken from the ruins of the lost civilisation. The captain had believed it to be of great value, and he had kept it hidden on the ship, away from the prying eyes of his crew. Arima was intrigued by the artefact and knew he had to find it. He searched the captain's quarters, looking for any clues that might lead him to the artefact's location. Finally, he found a hidden compartment in the captain's desk. Inside was a small, intricately carved box. Arima carefully opened the box and found it empty.
Disappointed, Arima wondered what could have happened to the artefact. Could someone have taken it before the shipwreck? Or was it still hidden somewhere on the ship? Determined to find the truth, he returned to the journal, hoping to see if he was missing something, and then he found the last page was thicker, but not dense enough to be noticeable from the rest; it looked like a bunch of pages glued together. He carefully peeled off the glued pages and saw more writing on them.
Arima read on and found out that the captain had been betrayed by his first mate. The first mate turned out to be a mole planted by the World Government to monitor his every move. The captain had discovered this too late and had been forced to fight off the first mate and his men. He managed to kill most of the mutineers, but his first mate was able to escape in the middle of the chaos. They were docked on one of the Kingdoms in the New World, so mustering a search party for the mole was out of the question since it was a massive island, and the Marines were probably already on their tail, thanks to the mole. They immediately sailed off to avoid the Marines, and true enough a few days later they had a couple of ships pursuing them.
The pursuers managed to catch up a few times, and they had skirmishes before putting some more distance between them thanks to his control of the ship with his sword's ability. However, in the end, they were cornered in the East Blue, surrounded by a few dozen Marine battleships and Cipher Pol agents' vessels. Still, the Captain was able to escape with the ship using his abilities, not before taking quite a bit of damage. On the last page of the hidden page, the Captain wrote that he was heading back to a familiar place and would wait for his trusted men to join him.
Arima couldn't believe what he had just read. So, the captain had been betrayed by his own crew, and he had been forced to fight for his life. And now, he had discovered that the captain had hidden the artefact somewhere on the ship. Or the Marines still managed to find him, and that's why the ship was wrecked here, then took the artefact from him. But the journal said nothing more about where the artefact could be found.
Arima was determined to find the artefact and continued searching the ship. He found a secret room hidden behind a false wall in the cargo hold. Inside, he saw a chest filled with gold and jewels, some letters littered on top of the open chest, but no artefact. Arima looked around the room, and that's when he found another journal, a smaller, leather-bound journal tucked away in a corner. He picked it up and began to read.
The journal was the captain's personal diary. In it, the captain described his life before becoming a pirate. He had been a wealthy merchant, but he had always dreamed of sailing the seas and finding adventure. He had finally gathered the courage to leave his old life behind and become a pirate. Arima was amazed by the captain's determination and courage. His name was Edward Teach, but he didn't find any clue of where the artefact might've gone. However, after reading the captain's diary, he felt a strange connection to the captain, as if he were a kindred spirit. Arima couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with the captain, a man who had given up everything to pursue his dreams. He decided to take the captain's diary and the other journal with him, hoping to learn more about the artefact and the captain's adventures. He also pocketed a few jewels and some gold from the chests, not forgetting to check the chest itself, in case he missed something.
When he was about to leave the room, he sensed something was amiss. The air was filled with an ominous presence. Arima looked around, but he could see nothing out of the ordinary. Then, he heard a faint whisper, like someone was calling his name. He looked around, but he could see no one. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head, and his vision blurred. He staggered to the ground, clutching his head in pain. He heard murmured noises in his head, but it was too painful to even concentrate on what it was saying.
As the pain subsided, Arima tried to focus on the voice, but it was too faint for him to make out the words. He struggled to his feet, determined to find out what was causing the strange phenomenon. He searched the room, looking for anything that could be causing the disturbance. As he got closer to the table with the peculiar sword on it, the murmured noise became louder and clearer. He reached for the sword, and as he touched it, the voice in his head became clearer. He could hear a deep voice, but he still couldn't make out the words. He concentrated hard, trying to understand what the voice was saying.
The sword was glowing, and the voice in his head was getting louder. It was an ominous voice, filled with anger and hate. Finally, Arima was able to make out the words.
"You will be my vessel, and I shall be your power! Wield me, and together we will rule the sea," the voice boomed in his head. Arima was startled. He had no idea what was going on or who was speaking to him. He looked at the sword, and it was still glowing, but the voice was gone. He was left alone, with only the sound of the waves crashing against the ship.
Arima knew that he had stumbled upon something powerful, but he didn't know what it was. He picked up the sword, and it felt like it weighed a ton. He could feel its energy flowing through him, and he knew that it was no ordinary sword. The energy flowed through his body, as if it were conducting a scan of him. Once the feeling of the energy subsided, he heard another sound inside his head. It was a robotic, inhuman voice that said: "Congratulations, you have obtained a Mythical-grade sword, Sword of Triton." After that, the voice subsided, leaving him confused. He didn't know what the voice meant, but he knew that he had to find out.