— You finally done?! — I shouted, standing slightly above them on a ledge, gasping for air.
Down below, among the dust and rocks, stood Gin and Sabo — exhausted, scraped up, but alive.
— And where's Karina?.. — I looked around.
A second of silence.
And then —
— I'm here, I'm here… — came a voice from the side, out of the shadow of the debris.
Karina stepped out from behind a rock, brushing off her clothes and holding a staff in her hands. There was a cut on her cheek, her hair disheveled.
Sabo snorted, walking closer:
— I thought you were gonna run.
Karina smirked, unhurried:
— Thinking it doesn't make it true.
— What, did I cover your backs for nothing?
— Karina, are you taking my offer? — I decided to butt in, descending closer to the others.
She turned to me, squinting as if reconsidering everything again.
— Remind me, which one exactly? — she said with irony in her voice.
I chuckled:
— Simple and clear. You're with us — or going your own way?
Karina looked at all of us. At Gin — beaten, but standing. At Sabo — dusty and scratched, but still with fire in his eyes. At me — in torn clothes, with bruised knuckles.
And sighed.
— I've had plenty of chances to leave, — she said, lowering her staff. — But if you're still alive, then maybe I didn't stay for nothing.
— Is that a "yes"? — Gin asked with a grin.
Karina smirked, not answering right away. Instead, she slowly stepped closer, stood beside us, looking around.
— Alright then, — she nodded. — Consider it a yes.
Pause.
Then —
— Captain... — she said, glancing at me sideways. — So what's your dream?
I looked at her. Smiled.
— Pirate King.
She sighed.
— Of course. You're all insane, huh?
— One at a time, — Sabo replied. — But you'll get used to it.
Karina only shook her head — and for the first time, to me, smiled genuinely.
— Hey, so, let's go get your sister — Gin said, turning to her.
Karina froze for a second, then suddenly burst into laughter — not joyful, but like something breaking loose. The laugh was harsh, almost hoarse.
— You still don't get it… she's not her sister, — Sabo said quietly, stepping closer.
— What do you mean? — Gin frowned. — So she tricked us?
Karina wiped a tear from the corner of her eye — from laughing or exhaustion, who knew.
— Tricked you? — she repeated. — If I wanted to trick you, it would've looked a lot prettier than this.
— Well then, shall we head to her? — Sabo said, adjusting his cloak tiredly.
Karina snorted and shook her head:
— No point — she's definitely long gone. She always had a plan for when things went sideways.
— Then to the ship? — I suggested, looking around.
— NO! — Karina raised a hand. — First — Mad's treasure.
— If you mean that treasure… — I grimaced. — Could be trouble. That cave… it collapsed. After my final blow, there are more cave-ins than passageways now.
Karina squinted, looked at us all, then yawned and waved a hand:
— Fine… then to the ship. I'm dead tired.
She turned and, without waiting for an answer, walked off down the path.
— Let's go! — I said, jumping down from the ledge and catching up with her.
Sabo sighed heavily and followed:
— At least someone knows what they want.
Gin grinned:
— Yep. Sleep — best motivation there is.
And our battered, but intact crew made its way toward the dock, where the ship awaited — a light mist already rising above the water, and the wind turning cooler.
— Captain, — Karina suddenly said, picking up the pace, — we'd better set sail immediately. What's left of Mad's crew might attack us by night.
I looked at her and nodded:
— Alright.
Sabo sighed:
— Guess we're sleeping out at sea… if we're lucky.
— Welcome to the pirate schedule, — Gin smirked.
— No vacations, no insurance, — added Sabo with a crooked grin. — Just dreams and sleepless nights.
— Raise the sails! — I shouted as soon as we reached the ship and I climbed aboard.
Sabo nodded — tired, but steady — and went to the bow. Gin checked the anchor and ropes. Karina climbed up last, pausing briefly on the gangway to look back toward the island.
— Goodbye… — she whispered softly, almost inaudibly.
Then she stepped onto the deck, and the ship stirred — set off, as if relieved.
The night wind filled the sails, and the vessel moved into open waters.
I stood at the helm, eyes on the horizon. To my right, Sabo was tightening ropes; to my left, Karina finally let herself lie down on an empty crate, burying her face in her arms. Gin sat wearily by the mast, watching the stars.
— Well then… — I muttered, — now the real adventure begins.
The sleepless night dragged on — we took turns, some catching an hour or two of sleep, others manning the helm or watching the horizon.
In the end, no one really rested — it felt like your eyes had just closed when someone was already waking you.
By morning, the ship was filled with yawns, hushed murmurs, and the sound of waves.
Karina slumped by the railing with a cup of something hot. Sabo was nodding off mid-step. Gin looked suspiciously awake — maybe out of sheer stubbornness.
I clung to the helm like it could somehow keep me from falling asleep, when a voice behind me said:
— Sabo, what are you studying on those maps? — Gin asked, stretching lazily.
Sabo blinked slowly, then pointed to a worn corner of the map.
— There's a… nameless island. Not on any official chart, but here — there's an old note. Says "Legendary Treasure Island" or something like that. The coordinates are vague, but by calculation, it should be pretty close.
I perked up immediately:
— Treasure? Now that's what I call a proper pirate morning!
Karina, without lifting her head, gave a quiet snort:
— You're just like everyone else — falling for some gold tale?
Gin narrowed his eyes:
— And you know something more?
Karina slowly turned, leaned on the railing, and finally spoke louder:
— They call it cursed, and not because of treasure. It's nameless for a reason. Everyone who ever landed there said one thing: "Judgment will find you, if you think you're worthy." Strange things happened to those who went — some turned into animals, others grew whiskers that strangled them.
— You serious? — Sabo murmured, now fully awake.
— Dead serious, — Karina nodded. — No one knows what really happens on the island. Some say nature itself goes mad. Others — that the island is alive and hates outsiders. There's also a legend: the soul of the last person who buried the treasure is still there, watching… and punishing.
I looked out to the horizon. A hazy silhouette of the island was already visible ahead.
— And we're still going? — Gin asked.
— You even need to ask? — I smirked. — We're pirates.
The sea grew quieter as we neared the island. The wind had almost died, the water smooth as glass. Even the cries of gulls had vanished — only the creaking of the ship and the splash of waves beneath us reminded us we were alive.
— I don't like this, — Sabo muttered, peering into the fog ahead. — Too… calm.
Karina stood at the rail, squinting as if trying to spot something in the pale mist.
— This is it. No doubt about it.
— How can you be sure? — Gin asked.
— Just a feeling. I've gone through a lot of treasure islands—
— Slow down! — I shouted. — Don't risk the bow!
Sabo rushed to the sails, Gin to the helm, and the ship slowed almost to a stop. Ahead, sharp stone spires jutted out of the water like a sea monster's teeth. We drifted close to one of the rocks towering above the surface and dropped anchor carefully.
The shore was near. Not sandy — rocky, uneven, overgrown with dark grass and moss. In places there were bushes and strange, twisted trees with thick roots.
— We disembark, — I shouted, leaping onto the shore.