I woke up in a cell.
"…Bruhhh."
I rubbed my face and groaned.
"Why do they always put me in cells and tie me up?!"
I looked around.
"Woahhh… wait."
No blindfold.
No earplugs.
No handcuffs.
"…my skills working already or what?"
Then I noticed something worse.
A bed.
"…they even gave me a bed??"
That scared me more than chains.
My body ached.
My head throbbed like someone was hammering inside it.
And my fingers—
"…who the hell put bandages on my hands?"
I blinked.
Outside the cell, a Mink guard was sleeping.
Snoring.
Peacefully.
I grabbed the bars.
"Oi… wake up."
Nothing.
"Wake upppp."
Still nothing.
I inhaled.
"WAKEED UPPPP!!"
The guard jumped up instantly—
like a boss had caught him sleeping on duty.
He stared at me.
"…You're meeting our kings," he said stiffly.
"They'll decide what to do with you."
Then he added, quieter,
"…By the way, you act like Ace perfectly."
I sighed.
This again.
"I'm not Ace," I said calmly.
"I'm Ash. Please… trust me."
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
The guard straightened.
More Minks gathered in front of the cell.
Weapons lowered.
Eyes sharp.
Whispers spread.
"That pressure…"
"It was real…"
"Like Roger…"
My chest tightened.
I remembered.
Electro.
Fear.
That moment—
"…Bruhhh."
I tried to do it again.
I focused.
Tensed.
Pushed.
Nothing.
I probably looked like a monkey trying to scare predators.
Some guards laughed.
Great.
Then—
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Duke Inuarashi arrived.
The laughter died instantly.
He looked at me.
"So you are Ash," he said.
"You are quite the troublesome child."
I looked up.
"…Duke Inuarashi."
The room froze.
Every head snapped toward me.
I scratched my cheek.
"Uh… I also know Duke Nekomamushi."
"Spy," someone hissed.
"I'M NOTTT—"
Inuarashi raised a hand.
"Very well," he said calmly.
"Then tell me. We gave you a chance to leave. Why did you return?"
I met his gaze.
"That wasn't leaving," I said.
"That was deathhh."
His eyes sharpened.
"That pressure you released," he said.
"That was not something a normal person could produce."
"…It was my first time too," I said quietly.
He stared.
"Why are you acting shy?"
"I'm trying to keep the environment calm," I said.
"Hehe."
Silence.
He sighed.
"One final question," he said.
"What do you want… and how did you reach Zou?"
I exhaled.
"I'm from a faraway island," I said.
"Very isolated."
"I saw a giant elephant from my shore. I rushed here in my boat. That elephant was Zunesha."
Some Minks stirred.
"I asked it for help. It used her tail to throw me up. I passed out. Then… you know the rest."
I hesitated.
"…It helped me again too. After you cruel Minks threw me."
"..bruhh what am I saying,
I just spoke whatever came to my mind
but it's kinda true
so I'm not lying
maybe bruhh.."
Inuarashi stared at me.
"…You can hear it?" he asked.
"You mean the Voice of All Things?" I replied.
The room went dead silent.
"How do you know that?" he demanded.
"Who are you?"
I panicked.
"Uh—my grandma told me stories!" I said quickly.
"About a giant elephant and animal-like people!"
"..bruhh again
I'm making stuff up
why am I like this..
by the way I have got quite a talent.."
Inuarashi rubbed his face.
"One last thing," he said.
"What do you want?"
I didn't hesitate.
"I want to leave this island," I said.
"And never come back."
"…Because you guys are demonnnn."
He looked like he wanted to eat me.
Then he turned away.
"We will decide," he said.
"Until then, you stay. Do not try to escape."
"I'll wait," I said quickly.
"Just don't kill me or throw me again."
"Thank you, oh kinggg."
He left.
Four guards stayed behind.
I looked at them.
"…Was that interrogation?"
They nodded.
"Okkk…"
My stomach growled loudly.
I looked at them.
Like a baby looking at its mother.
One Goat Mink sighed.
"Fine," he said.
"I'll bring food."
After some time.
Vegetables.
Only vegetables.
But I was starving.
So I ate everything.
Time passed.
The moon rose.
Then—
More guards arrived.
And finally—
Nekomamushi.
"So you are Ash," he said.
"Yes," I replied.
"My men told me what you said," he continued.
"But how can we trust you? What if you are truly a spy?"
I looked straight at him.
"If I were a spy," I said,
"I wouldn't be here begging to live."
He studied me.
"Do you know why we assumed you were a spy?"
I nodded slowly.
"Because Roger was your friend," I said.
"Ace was his son. He's dead."
"My face looks like his," I added.
"So you thought I was mocking him."
"…Correct," he said.
"I am impressed, Ash."
He exchanged a glance with his men.
"You will not be executed," Nekomamushi said.
"But you will not be trusted."
"You cannot live on Zou."
"And you don't want to either."
"So we will let you leave."
Relief hit me—
"But," he continued,
"One Musketeer will follow you."
"If you are a spy," he smiled,
"You will die immediately."
He gestured.
"A wolf mink , his name is Gray."
I looked at the Wolf Mink.
Then back at Nekomamushi.
"…So you're offering a Mink to my crew?"
Everyone froze.
"What?" Nekomamushi said.
"Well," I shrugged.
"I'm gonna be a pirate as soon as I get out from here. He'll follow me. That's basically crew, right?"
Silence.
"…Do whatever you want," Nekomamushi said.
"One mistake—and you're dead."
I nodded.
"Count on me."
They left.
Only the Wolf remained.
I leaned back.
"So this is it," I muttered.
"My second life…"
"…just started getting serious."
I looked at the Wolf Musketeer.
He stared at me like he was waiting for his prey.
"...Bruhhh"