Chapter 50: Chapter 48 – The hunt goes on

– POV General –

As Hestia and her crew set sail for the mysterious island, not knowing what they would find, to the north a huge ship sailed by. It was huge and flew two flags proudly atop its main mast, standing out from the many others. One was a sea lion, symbol of the Navy with an anchor in the background and the second was an Asian dragon rising from the water, symbol of the Manahime clan.

The twins' ship, of which they were both the Captain, was sailing straight towards the continent that the wanted pirates were just leaving. The sound of footsteps on the deck drowned out the sound of the waves and the wind as a hundred men and women ran in all directions. They were pushing the huge wooden monster forward by the sweat of their brow under the unruffled gaze of the two Commodores posted on the quarterdeck.

"With this wind, we should be there in two days at the most, at least everyone is working hard to get there. That said, the few wanted notices we had done should already have arrived there on the southern continent."

"Tch, yes...sigh, if we hadn't stayed in Belfort City for another week, we might have even caught them all if our deductions were right."

Aoi and Kano Manahime had stayed longer on the northern continent because their ship and men had arrived much later than expected. An incident had occurred on the Bergs Sea which they had crossed to join the two Commodores who had been stationed in Belfort for a while. It was obviously unforeseen but it had to be dealt with and the orders that had been given could not be challenged despite the very high status of the twins.

"Who would have thought ? A merchant ship that disappeared on the East Sea with several naval officers on board... too weird. Meanwhile this story has held us up longer because of this damn procedure that always takes forever."

The twins didn't know it, but Hestia and her crew were once again obviously responsible for what had happened to the merchant group. The news had delayed their departure as it was their officers who had been tasked with making a small detour. Sailing the same route, they had been ordered to keep an eye out for any clues as they sailed towards Belfort City. 

"Yes, our men were on the same route, it is normal that they were contacted by the Central before us since we were not on board. But at least we had time to investigate well enough to determine almost with certainty the destination of these thugs. But even that...why would they suddenly go there ?"

Aoi calmly replied to Kano bringing a gloved hand to her chin while looking at the horizon with a pensive look in her sky blue eyes. The ship had been sailing south for three days now, having concluded after investigation that that was where Hestia was headed. However, neither of them knew yet where exactly and even less how much time they had to find her, Achi and her group.

"The southern continent is lawless so they are no doubt heading back to their lair before planning their next evil deed. I doubt the theft of the map was just for the pride of stealing it...they knew perfectly well what they were coming for."

"And whose real purpose is a destination that is on Lord Hamilton's map, one of the hidden islands. But it remains to be seen where the ship plans to anchor on the southern mainland, it would be foolish not to head there before any other stopover."

All of this the twins had already figured out, but they couldn't help but repeat it to themselves over and over again, watching their men from above. Reflecting, Kano even thought they looked like ants, running around and obeying their leaders. After all, these officers were the crew of one of the four great navy clans under the direct orders of the only two heirs of Hiro Manahime.

The Navy Headquarters was located in its Capital City named Albion, on the westernmost continent of The Nations of the Western Seas, owned entirely by the Navy. It was run mainly by "the Central" just above the four Admirals, although less popular. That's how it was, the HQ was the head and the different clans, the different families were the ones who kept order on the seas.

At the head of the Central, the one and only Admiral Commander, head of the entire army, acting as President, elected by the Council. Composed of different members who have earned their place and proven their value in different fields more than useful to stand at the top. Thus, women and men, thinkers more than warriors, strategic rather than heroes, sat in Albion. 

"Commodores !"

As Aoi and Kano shared the same irritating thought of not knowing and not being able to control everything, a voice brought them out of their reflective state. Billy Black, the Lieutenant Commander they had met in Belfort City, was climbing the stairs two at a time in their direction. He still had half of his face burned off and half of his mustache, but this time his wounds had healed slightly, although he still had a limp on his right side.

The officer had been assigned to their crew at the request of Achi's father, believing that his experience in the Opera House basement would be of great help. He was the only one who could see, even if only briefly, the face of the criminals responsible for the fire ten days ago. His request was accepted by the upper echelons of the Navy, so Billy Black did everything he could to serve the twins in the hope of one day getting his revenge.

"Commodores !”

“We heard you the first time…”

“S-Sorry. A messenger bird has just arrived, sent from the southern continent but the scroll has no name on it."

"What do you mean no name ?"

"The only thing that identified the sender was the seal bearing the crow's paw-like symbol also found at the end of the message, in ink."

Glancing seriously at her sister, Aoi grabbed the parchment the officer held out before unrolling it and taking in its contents. Quickly going through the letter with Kano's gaze over her shoulder, the two remained silent.  Wanting to do his job as it should be, the officer who had joined them hastened to fill this silence by repeating the information arrived not without being cut this time by Kano.

"Apparently an incident has occurred in the last three days in the three closest cities, Gaze, Vanier and Dhurin. That said we can't confirm if this is true since the sender is not from the Navy and that..."

"Officer Black ! There are many things you don't know about the great workings of our military, which is normal considering your status. That said, this information is true, so let the other Lieutenant know that we are going to Gaze, explain it to him, Commodores order."

Confused and lost by what she had just said, the man nodded his head before hesitantly walking away not really knowing what to say. He had been happy to be able to participate in this manhunt but realized that he indeed did not know many things. As he was about to put his foot on the step of the stairs to the lower deck, the same voice suddenly stopped him.

"Oh and Lieutenant Commander Black."

"Yes, Commodore ?"

"You're still limping and it's not much of a stretch for me to understand that while your body seems to be recovering thanks to the pain that's disappearing, it's only in appearance. You should put your bandages back on your burns and avoid moving around to avoid any infection that could penetrate deep into your body structures."

"I-I beg your p-pardon ?" 

"Sigh...Your burns there, tissue, muscle and even bone can be affected because of them, not to mention chronic dysfunction of your organs. Tachycardia leading to death, respiratory distress, rib cage compression, kidney failure and on and on. In short, if you don't treat your body well it will necrose from the inside, isn't that fascinating ?"

Kano had said this with an almost perky tone and a big smile, more worrying than reassuring considering what she was describing. Billy Black, on the other hand, was confused and trying to process the information that had come out of nowhere without warning. How did she know all this from just a glance ? Nodding his head without saying a word, he walked away with a fear that the young woman had just implanted in his heart while Aoi spoke.

"So the Crow's Nest already knows about this huh ? Mmmh, I'm not surprised, they have informants absolutely everywhere. Hopefully our first destination will be the right one..."

"I feel like luck is on our side Aoi big sis. Direction Gaze !"

____

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While new opportunities were opening up for the two pirate hunters with the help of a mysterious organization, Hestia had no idea yet. She and the others had just left the black sand beach with two new passengers. The young woman had put on her coat and her Captain's attributes as had her friends, appearing as they had since the first time.

All of them had given their names and their roles on the ship in front of a very silent Ulysses and Katherine. Although happy, they couldn't help but be more impressed, scared and lost than they had felt when they were in Gaze. The mother and son were still quite traumatized by their past life and after being excited to leave the cursed city, panic was getting to them a little more every minute.

Everything was new, despite the five days they had spent by their side, they didn't actually know the people they had decided to follow. In a few hours, the two former slaves found themselves on a pirate ship, with no way out, facing a group that they knew was dangerous. To make matters worse, there were also animals present including two tigers that were far too big for their age, rather imposing.

"You can relax, they are not going to eat you...and neither are we. You know who we are, you now know our history and that makes you members of the crew...sort of."

Hestia sitting and leaning against the mast with a cigarette between her teeth had broken the silence hoping to help them be less afraid. They all sat on the deck to tell Ulysses and his mother the story of their adventures, from Coven Island to this very moment. From the arrival of that white dove in their lair, through the kidnapping of young Achi, to the rescue of two unknown slaves on a whim.

"So ! You see they had kidnapped me all right ! It was no joke, I was deprived of my free will, my integrity and my..."

*slap*

"AOUCH !"

"What free will ? What integrity ? Wasn't it you yesterday who said you couldn't wait to find out what your father was up to on the nameless island ? Aren't you the one who's getting a little too comfortable and including yourself with us after all ?"

While Achi felt proud to be able to prove how right she was, once again, Kali had hit the back of her head preventing her from continuing. She spat a lot on her kidnappers but everyone knew, including herself, that she had also become attached to the group. The young noblewoman had nothing to answer while she sulked with her arms crossed, causing Mysie to laugh and at that moment, she relaxed the atmosphere a little more.

"If we took you with us, it's because for some reason we don't know yet, you are linked to this island where Diana Hellfire left something."

"Yes, and since the notebook that our Captain has is our only lead, you understand that we will not hesitate. We will stop at nothing to find those for whom we left our home."

Lucas and Mysie also took the time to clarify what almost everyone already knew in order to reassure Katherine and her son. For now, there was no point in scaring them since they would have all the time in the world to discover their darker sides. It seemed to work because the little blond-haired boy began to smile and his mother seemed to have become much less tense than before.

In fact, Ulysses could totally understand their motivation even at his young age and even thought that he would have acted the same way they did. Imagining his mother away from him, missing and in danger was very easy since he had experienced it differently a few days earlier. Yet, this little boy was also discovering real pirates for the first time and while he gesticulated embarrassedly, he found the courage to ask the question that was burning his lips.

"S-So...the treasure you're looking for is actually your parents' crew ? I-I thought the pirates wanted to steal...super big mountains of gold ?"

"Hahaha~ don't get me wrong, little one. We aspire to own so many things in the future, wealth, women, ships...we are no exception. But remember one thing…" 

As she answered, the beautiful young woman straightened slightly, plunging her preening eyes into the boy's small, almost white blue ones. At that moment, she blew smoke out of her mouth before tossing her cigarette far enough that it landed in the sea. Then, seeing that Ulysses was captivated by what she was going to say, Hestia with a serious face, a firm voice and eyes more than sincere, finally finished her sentence.

"Not all treasure is silver and gold, matey.”

“..."

“But...you already know that don't you ?"

Turning her head slowly, the Captain then looked at Katherine and the baby she was carrying, this time sketching a small proud smile. The mother would then immediately look away, blushing slightly as her son began to smile with all his little teeth. Everyone was a little more relaxed than a few hours ago and as they were rocked by the waves, Joe spoke up.

"Captain. What are they going to do on the ship ? What about the exotic animals and that wanted poster with your head on it ??"

In an instant, the Sailing Master had brought seriousness back to the bridge, seeming more concerned about their presence than their absence. That said he was right, the first few hours of their departure had been filled with so much explanation that they had forgotten to organize themselves. New at sea was in front of them so it was not in a hurry and that, Edward did not fail to let his friend know.

"We still have some time ahead of us. Lighten up a bit too, sailor."

Sighing, Joe rolled his eyes before falling silent, understanding that this moment was important for the integration of the two newbies. Besides, they all knew that after this little moment, their intense life would resume and they would remain the Hysterics, crew of Hestia Hellfire. Once the discussion was over, so much had to be done, so it was best to enjoy this moment while it still lasted.

"The Navy can always look for us, we have Poseidon on our side !"

Mysie had suddenly stood up, pounding her fist on her chest with a look of defiance in her eyes, meaning word for word what she said. It was very sudden, so sudden that everyone burst out laughing without being able to really control themselves. She who always brought a smile even when she didn't mean to was now finding herself blushing with embarrassment, scratching the back of her head not knowing if she should be ashamed or proud.

"You betcha ! We're even downright blessed by Poseidon yes pfffhahaha~!!!"

Making a face, Lucas made Ulysses smile as he felt freer than ever and finally comfortable in their presence again. By resonance, Katherine, seeing her son still smiling, also felt more secure though still a bit wary. But this feeling of appeasement was to be short-lived because the next moment, the Captain's voice reasoned, cold and serious changing the look of her entire crew.

"Well, matey...I guess heaven decided you should prove your words."

As Hestia spoke these words, her gaze was fixed on the horizon, her brows furrowed causing everyone to look in the same direction. Far to the west, ominous gray clouds loomed over what seemed to be the end of the world, heralding difficult times ahead. The Cerberus and its passengers headed straight for this huge, ominous cluster, knowing full well that there was no way around it. 

"It's time to see if we are truly blessed by the God of the Seas, First Mate."

With a serious look that carried a glimmer of challenge, the Captain had stood up, staring at Lucas who also had eyes that conveyed great concentration. For the first time, the pirates were about to face one of every sailor's worst nightmares: a storm. Everyone knew what to do during these moments, but the theory was very different from the practice and as magical as the ocean was, it was also cruel and merciless. 

[New arc : The Island With No Name]

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