A few minutes later.
"So? what do you say?" I asked, looking up at the flushed girl pinning me to the ground with her body. I mean, sure, I could have broken free—or not ended up in this position in the first place—but what, am I an idiot?
"I don't know… I'd like to…" Suki replied between heavy breaths, and, I suspected, not just because of the sparring. "But this is too serious a decision to make on my own. I need to talk it over with the girls."
Hmm. Interesting. With the girls. She didn't even mention the elder.
"We're setting sail tomorrow morning. You've got the whole night to think about it. Or… did you have other plans for tonight?"
I admit it—I couldn't resist. Though the result wasn't quite what I'd expected.
"And… what if I do?"
I couldn't help raising an eyebrow.
Well. That was unexpected.
"Huh? Uh… mmph—"
I was cut off. In a very pleasant way, I won't argue—but still cut off.
But letting the girl take the lead in a situation like this? Not happening! A bit of effort—and our positions reversed. Now it was me pressing Suki to the ground, though the intensity of the kissing didn't diminish in the slightest. If anything, this was more comfortable for both of us.
"W-wait…"
With a considerable effort of will, I obeyed her request—though honestly, I needed a moment to breathe too. This teenage body was very much not built for composure in situations like these.
"I-if we keep going… I won't leave," she said, still catching her breath. "And I need to."
"..."
Damn. What a letdown… but she was right… but still, what a damn letdown… yeah, still right. Damn it.
Once again, duty beat desire, and I pulled away with extreme reluctance. The girl got up just as unwillingly and straightened her clothes.
"Well… I should go?" she asked uncertainly.
"Yeah…" I tried very hard not to look at her. "Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow morning. With your friends."
"Mm…"
"Ah, screw it!"
And just like that, our goodbye got postponed for another ten minutes.
***
The next morning, nearly the entire village came to see us off. Most seemed quite pleased, calling out for us to "come back again" (mainly the shopkeeper, the tavern owner, and their families). Some didn't bother hiding their relief at our departure, namely the local guys.
Others looked gloomy and troubled. Former chief Panao, pressured by villagers dissatisfied with his leadership, had handed authority over to some guy named Oyaji. Personally, he seemed just as nuts as Panao, only a bit younger, but that wasn't my problem. If the villagers picked him, they picked him.
The real stir, however, was caused by about twenty young women—the entire "younger generation" of the Kyoshi Warriors.
The most pleasant part for me? They hadn't come empty-handed. Each of them carried a rather hefty pack. A familiar smirk spread across my face—which, miracle of miracles, almost turned into a genuine smile.
"Captain Chan, we've discussed your proposal and are inclined to accept it!" Suki declared, already in full war paint.
"Well then, Commander Suki, welcome aboard," I said. "Tandao will show you where you and your subordinates can get settled."
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some movement behind me.
Hmm… judging by the way my crew was staring at the girls, they were probably planning to erect a monument in my honor. Fine—let's consider morale officially boosted to unprecedented heights. Now the main thing was to make sure discipline didn't plunge headfirst into an abyss of lust and debauchery.
Oh, this was going to be fun.
And on that glorious note, we departed the hospitable island.
For the pirates of the Earth Kingdom, trouble had just begun.
***
Some time later. Captain's cabin.
"So, how are our guests settling in?" I asked.
By now, my cabin was habitually packed with the first mate, the chief medic, the skipper, and the chief engineer—though how exactly he had gotten dragged into all this, I still had no idea.
"We've assigned them a shared cabin, sir. And a separate one for the commander," the old sailor replied, clearly displeased. "The quartermaster is putting them on rations now. I've prepared the mercenary contracts, but… Sir, what exactly do we need these girls for?"
He very clearly wanted to add something about women aboard ship, but managed to restrain himself.The deeply ingrained discipline woven into the man's very soul simply wouldn't allow him to openly grumble against the captain's decision—even if the decision itself seemed idiotic to him.
"Hmm. I suppose the explanation that I've simply replaced our losses with well-trained warriors won't satisfy you?"
Judging by the grim faces around me—no, it wouldn't.
"Their level of training is indeed exceptionally high. If not for their lack of experience, I'd say they're not inferior even to Fire Lord Ozai's guard. However, the disciplinary consequences of a decision like this may very well outweigh the benefits. Not to mention that in battle, the men will be distracted—not only by the fight, but by the need to protect the girls. That means reduced focus… and higher casualties on our side."
(End of Chapter)
Even the smallest flame needs fuel to endure.
If you wish to see this story burn brighter, consider leaving a review, a comment, or offering your Power Stones.
🔥 Bonus chapter at 700 power stones.