"I'm not a pack-mule..." I try to retort even though the man's assessment is correct.
The Revolutionary chooses to ignore my token protest and turns to the girl with a comforting smile. "It's alright Claire. There's nothing to be afraid of. Is this your first time seeing a Devil Fruit?"
The young woman gently shakes her head yes. "I thought..I thought those were supposed to be a myth?" she speaks in a frightened whisper.
"No no no. They're plenty of them around." Korka speaks soothingly before demonstrating by sprouting a beak from his face "See?"
My hands spring upwards, covering my ears as the young lass shrieks even louder than before and promptly flees from the room in terror.
With a genuine look of befuddlement on his face my employer turns to me and frowns. "Did I say something wrong?"
And some days were not lazy at all... I struck the fuse and the cannon again roared with a thundercrack, filling the air with fire and a plume of white smoke.
"All guns! Keep Firing!" Korka bellowed from the helm as a piece of railing next to him exploded into splinters. "I'm not losing this ship to some worthless picaroon with only a five and a half million price on his head!"
"Captain! They're almost broadside!" One of the hired sailors shouted.
"Prepare grappling lines! We're taking the fight to them! HUNTERS, go earn what I'm paying you!"
I grabbed the nearest man and shoved him in front of the cannon I was manning. "Take over for me!" I ordered. "And I swear to god if you shoot me I will-" A cannonball exploded onto our position, utterly ruining the stand the culverin was mounted upon. "Tsk, never mind." I draw one of my revolvers as I rush across to the center of The Marjhan and begin racing atop one of the lines now connecting the two ships. A balancing feat that would have been impossible without my high DEX.
Six shots ring out as my finger depresses the trigger in rapid succession but I can barely even hear them over the deafening clamor of the battle raging from both ships.
Two bullets strike a pirate center mass sending him down without so much as a scream. The third shot shatters some poor sods knee who might I say goes down with a lot of screaming. The fourth is dodged just barely, the target never knowing how close he came to having his brain matter splattered across the deck. The fifth misses entirely and the final shot blows straight through a pirates hand, taking off a finger and completely stopping him from drawing the pistol he was reaching for.
+55 Exp! I mentally discard the notification as I approach the enemy ship. Something I long ago learned was that Exp was only awarded in battle when someone was taken completely out of the fight, either by disabling them, having them fall unconscious, or ...something more permanent.
Seeing as how I gave that nameless grunt two in the chest it's probably the latter.
'Well I shouldn't say nameless...' Everyone's titles were still hanging above their heads after all. I just elected not to read them most of the time. If I read their name, I'll start humanizing them. If I humanize them, I'll empathize with them.
For example, the man who's hand I've just destroyed is 'Raul' and judging by the fact he's Lv. 5 the guy is greener than a bundle of unripe bananas. I mean what is he even doing out here? Why would he choose to- I shake my head clear of those distracting thoughts as my feet touch down on the wooden planks of the pirate vessel and quickly glance around to get my bearings.
Up at the helm Guilford was already engaged in solo combat with the enemy captain and over by the bow end of the ship Waldstein was sweeping goons aside three or four at a time with his steel mallet.
"I'm not late to the party am I?" I question aloud as I announce my presence with a running kick to one of the many mooks, sending him face-first into the butt of a cannon.
+40 Exp!
'Ooo that's gonna hurt in the morning.'
"Not at all!" Waldstein shouts out, the permanent smile still on his face. "How d you want to split them? You take the 10 on the left? And I'll take the 30 on the right?" "I think your math's a little screwed up there old man." I replied with a grin as I drew a disposable sword from my [Inventory] with one hand and switched out revolvers with the other. "I think you meant 30 for me."
"Captain Pellora!" one of the enemy crew suddenly cried out.
A slight twist of my head and I watch the pirate captain fall as Guilford extracts his swords from the man's body. The first coming from Pellora's chest and the second out of his throat.
"Avenge the captain!" One mook bellowed with a raised saber.
"RROOOAAA!" his 40 or so fellows all roared in agreement.
"A race then! We'll see who gets more!" Waldstein shouted as he charged into the horde with weapon raised. A battle-crazed laugh erupted from my throat as I zipped ahead of him "You're on!"
Finally, after close to a month at sea the shoreline of Centaurea dawned on the horizon. The first stop of many in my contract. We'd take a few days rest, unload the cargo hold, patch a few things on the ship, and then it's back onto the ocean. Thankfully though, we won't have to sail all the way back to Yeutton to restock. Korka's made some arrangements ahead of time with a port that is far closer.
As far as levels go, the journey's been about what I expected. I'd reached Lv.31 rather quickly as I was only a few hundred Exp off and 32 came just a week later from the battle against the 'Pellora Pirates'. Getting up to 33 though was an absolute slog. Most days the only Exp the [Game] felt like sending my way was in the form of a single daily quest that varied from 30- 250 Exp each time -usually on the lower end-.
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