Chapter 75: Queen of the Land of Shadows (Part 2)
The fight between Kurumi and Scáthach didn't happen after all—it was interrupted by the three-man team that had gone to check the treasure and supplies.
"Captain, that was a beautiful match—your decisions, reactions, and technique were all excellent."
It seemed Chiron and the others had watched part of Eric 's duel with Scáthach and were genuinely impressed by their captain.
He then turned to Scáthach. "You must be the legendary warrior Scáthach. Truly exquisite technique and ferocious spearwork. It was breathtaking."
Scáthach's Akame gleamed slightly as she activated her Clairvoyance.
"To be praised by a sage who has mentored many heroes—what an honor. If there's ever a chance, I'd love to spar with you."
"Of course."
Chiron smiled.
Scáthach turned to address the group.
"Allow me to formally reintroduce myself. I am Scáthach, Queen of the Land of Shadows, ruler of the Otherworld and the Realm of Magic."
Kullikay exhaled a puff of smoke.
"First a general, now a queen. Captain, you're really leveling up."
Eric scratched his head.
"Some of our companions haven't arrived yet. That intro might've been a bit early."
Meanwhile, Perona wandered around, looking for Moria's massive body. Deep down, she knew he was dead. She understood why she had been sent away—but she still tried to convince herself: maybe Moria-sama was spared, or maybe he escaped…
...
The three who stayed aboard the Eternal Dreadnought had piloted the ship into Thriller Bark's inner walls. The team was now reunited, forming a ten-person crew. But—
Everyone formed a circle, silently thinking the same thing:
'There are way too many women!'
The only men—Eric , Chiron, and Kullikay—felt more awkward than lucky.
Others might cry with envy at being surrounded by beautiful women, but the reality wasn't that glamorous. It was uncomfortable.
Eric made a quiet vow to himself:
'Next time, I'm summoning a man!'
The crew took time to introduce themselves and build camaraderie.
The happiest of them were Esdeath and Polky. Esdeath sensed that Scáthach also had a battle-loving spirit—unable to resist strong opponents. Sensing her strength, Esdeath met Scáthach's gaze. They studied each other in mutual intrigue.
Polky, the previously youngest crew member, now had an even younger and doll-like little sister—Perona. She couldn't resist hugging her and rubbing their cheeks together.
'Who is this woman?!'
Perona fumed silently in Polky's arms. She resisted the urge to unleash a Negative Hollow. Though different from ordinary women, she still had enough sense to know better than to pick a fight on her first day aboard.
"What a charming scene…"
Eric blurted out without thinking.
"Hmm?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Ahem…"
He coughed awkwardly, trying to cover up.
"Uh… so what do we do now?"
One of the remaining pirates on Thriller Bark interrupted his mock-cough performance.
'Perfect timing!'
Eric mentally gave him a thumbs up.
"Could I ask you all a favor?"
"Of course!"
The pirate was visibly excited.
"Some of us have been trapped here for months, others for years. Without our shadows, we could only hide in darkness. You've saved us! For our saviors, we'd cross fire and storm—"
"No, no,"
Eric waved him off, flustered by the gratitude.
"Just help us clean up this ship. The graveyard is full of corpses that Moria stole from around the world. They should've been resting in peace—but instead were turned into zombies."
Perona, listening, turned her head awkwardly. After all, she had once been a commander in Moria's crew, leading the zombie divisions in battle.
"You want us to return them to their original graves?"
"No need. You wouldn't even know where they were taken from. Returning them would waste your time. Just pack the bodies into coffins, gather them up—along with any creepy tombstones or props—and we'll bury them on a deserted island."
"Regal in bearing, considerate of others, and focused on bringing joy to the people. Not bad at all."
Scáthach nodded in approval of Eric 's words and actions.
[Scáthach Favorability increased. Bond Level unchanged]
[Akame Favorability increased. Bond Level unchanged]
'Why give me the alert if the level didn't change…?'
Eric muttered, though he was touched:
'So Scáthach and Akame both care about ordinary people's happiness.'
"Understood. I'll go let the others know—we'll start gathering the corpses now."
That pirate seemed pretty reliable. Shame Eric forgot to ask his name…
...
Once all the zombie corpses were gathered, the pirates who had reclaimed their shadows bowed deeply in gratitude.
"Thank you so much for helping us see the sun again. We don't know how much longer we would've survived in the dark."
"Ara, who would've thought there were such polite pirates."
Kurumi's view of pirates had been mostly negative—coarse, rude, and usually violent.
"There are many types of pirates. Some are sailors labeled as criminals for exploring freely. Some are robbers who became pirates to plunder wealth. Some travel for dreams, sharing music like the Rumbar Pirates. Others are treasure hunters called pirates just because the government doesn't like them."
Eric glanced at Kullikay as he said that.
"There are countless kinds. But anyone the World Government doesn't approve of ends up on a wanted poster. Still… most pirates really are villains."
"That's why someone with kingly bearing must lead the people—bring them happiness."
Scáthach added. She still carried the responsibility of a queen in her heart.
"Ahem!"
Eric cleared his throat.
"We'll head to the nearest deserted island. Once we've buried everything, you'll all be free to go!"
"I can finally sail free again!"
"Forget that—after these horrible years, I'm going home to retire."
"The sea really is dangerous… I just want to stay alive."
"I wonder where my crew ended up?"
"Forget those guys! They abandoned you!"
The moment they heard they could leave, the pirates erupted in emotion—some wept, others encouraged one another, while a few confessed their fear of the sea. A spectrum of expressions filled the moment.
"Ahem!"
Eric cleared his throat again, regaining attention.
"We're also recruiting crew members. If you're interested, feel free to apply. But don't do it out of obligation—we're not asking for repayment."
"We're a traveling adventure crew now. If anyone joins just to abuse our name for piracy—we don't welcome you. But if you're sincere, feel free to apply now!"
(END CHAPTER)
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