Cani sighs and looks at the Butcher.
"I don't think there's much more information we can get out of him…" Moon shakes his head.
"Nope…" The captain looks up. Moon standing. "You can go, take your boat and tell Buki this exactly… 'We will never surrender… even under our own terms'"
Yuma stands on deck, watching as their boat floats away.
"They seemed nice…"
The off purple water splashes against the tan hull of the boat. Patches of mud and wood used to repair damage. A massive black flag with a red eye in the middle flapping in the wind. The rumors were true, A transport ship as big as an island. Some sources say it's up to 1000 feet long and 500 feet wide. And no one could even guess how tall the singular tower in the middle stood.
A massive window stretches across the very top of the tower, leading into a massive dark throne room. A massive throne made of pure crying obsidian. Neon blue tears run down the black stone as if it was crying. Soft dark red cushions and massive red chandeliers.
Sitting on this throne was a tall woman. Wearing long fluffy robes of whites, red, blacks, and purples. Her skin was slightly tanned. Her eyes were thin and calculating. Black with white stars in the middle. Long spiky red hair covers most of her face. Her eyes glowing an ominous red.
The door to the room opens and The Butcher is thrown in. He rises to his feet and instantly bows in her presence. She speaks up.
"What brings you back so soon?" The captain gulps.
"I went to attack Yuma and-" Buki scoffs.
"Get to the point maggot" The captain pauses.
"They said to tell you… 'We will never surrender… even under our own terms' and then-" The captain's head is instantly sliced off and rolling on the floor. Buki is emotionless and looks out the massive window.
"You've said enough for me to understand…" Buki places a hand on the armrest. Rising to her feet. Standing to her full height of 16 foot 5.
"Oh… and… You weren't bowing low enough" Buki turns away. Walking towards some cages.
"I'm gonna torture Richard now…"
Yuma stands on the deck, his long pink hair billowing slightly in the wind, the tips of his wavy brown horns casting sharp shadows on his face. Kinsha and Ika stand a few feet away, nervously exchanging glances. The tension is thick as Yuma's gaze remains fixed on them. Yuma exhales.
"So... tell me again why you two thought it was a good idea to take on a trained assassin Pirate crew by yourselves?" Kinsha looks down, biting her lip, while Ika fidgets, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Kinsha gulps silently.
"We thought... we could handle it. And we did." Yuma narrows his eyes, taking a slow step toward them. His voice is low and sharp.
"You think this is about whether you could handle it or not?" Ika, frustrated, speaks up.
"But we did! We won, didn't we? They're gone, and we're still standing!" Yuma crosses his arms, his expression hardening.
"You're alive—because their bounty was lower than yours. You were lucky this time. But luck doesn't hold out forever." Kinsha winces, but raises her head, her voice wavering with guilt.
"We didn't want to bother anyone. We thought... we'd be a burden if we asked for help." Yuma exhales slowly, rubbing his temple in frustration.
"Even still… That was dangerous" Ika clenches his fists, staring at the ground.
"But we don't want to be useless…"
"You're not useless. But you're not invincible either… That's a lesson I learned the hard way…" The weight of Yuma's words sinks in. Kinsha and Ika exchange another glance, both of them nodding slowly.
"We're sorry. We'll... we'll do better next time." Yuma lets out a long breath, his expression softening just a little.
"You're right you will. Next time, I want you to trust your team. We don't survive this rebellion by acting alone. Got it?" Kinsha and Ika nod in unison.
"Got it." Yuma nods, turning away slightly, his tone still stern but carrying a hint of relief.
"Good. Now go clean up. We've got bigger fights ahead, and I need both of you in one piece." Kinsha and Ika nod and rush off, leaving Yuma standing there, watching them with a mixture of frustration and pride.