The Black Rift Pirates sailed on under the endless sky, sea salt in their lungs as their new crew acclimated to life together. The ship rocked gently, its wooden deck now home to a crew of six—a mix of ambitious warriors, each with their own ambitions and skills.
Solian was at the bow of the ship, looking out to the horizon. He had been enjoying the peace, but a very familiar chime echoed in his mind—the System's notice sound.
A ghostly screen flickered before his eyes.
[System Notification]
???? Big Task Reminder!
Mission: Defeat a pirate with 80 million or more berries' bounty.
Reward: 1 Summoning Ticket (Use it to summon a friend from another world.)
Solian's eyes narrowed. He had already seen this task before, but now the system was asking him for it in a certain way. It was clearly pushing him towards action.
"80 million, eh?" he growled.
That was no trivial reward. The pirates they had fought up to now had been worth between 2 million and 30 million berries, but an individual worth 80 million was in a league of their own. That translated to serious peril, but serious rewards.
He shut his fist. The Summoning Ticket was something he'd been patiently waiting for. If he could summon someone from another world, it would give him an advantage he never had before. But before that, he needs to have a plan.
Jorin and Drayce's Thoughts
Jorin noticed Solian staring at something in the middle of the air, his usual "system stare" which he was very accustomed to. The swordsman walked in, arms crossed.
"Something on your mind?"
Solian turned to face him with a grin. "Yeah, just got a reminder from the system. We're going to need to kill an 80 million berry pirate."
Jorin's eyes bulged out of his head. "That is a serious upgrade from what we've been up to."
Drayce, who'd been sharpening claws by the mast, burst into laughter. "Sounds like it would be a blast. We need some honest-to-good battle."
Solian nodded. "It won't be easy. We need to train, gather intel, and prepare. If we just charge in, we'll be annihilated."
Jorin smiled. "Then it appears we're actually going on to the next step. Time to ruffle some feathers."
Crew Strategy Discussion
Solian assembled the crew on deck. He explained the mission, and the prize in question.
Vance leaned against a barrel, cracking his knuckles. "80 million? That's a battle royale. If we eliminate them, our names will be plastered on everything."
Kael chuckled. "Not just our names—our bounties too."
Dreyse, as usual, kept a level head. "We need information first. It is not hard to locate a pirate with that price, but one that we can actually beat? That is what counts."
Solian nodded. "Alright. We have to be cautious. We'll gather intel at the next island. Observe who the heavies are before we make any moves."
The crew exchanged glances. They all knew this was their greatest challenge yet. But none of them lost hope.
Solian smiled. "Let's make it worth it. We're not fighting just to win—we're making a point. Black Rift Pirates are no longer small-time."
Next Stop: Information Search
With their next destination in sight, the crew changed direction and sailed toward the nearest island with a port city. They needed information, supplies, and a strategy before launching their attack.
As the ship continued to sail forward, Solian could feel it—this would be their toughest fight yet. But if they emerged victorious, everything would be different.