The Final Desperation

Ed was a small-time pirate who had experienced the harshness of life at sea. For someone of his strength, trying to make a living off piracy was a fool's dream. If he was unlucky, he might lose his life instead of gaining riches. But Ed was a fool—an optimistic one.

Ever since he was little, he had dreamed of becoming a pirate. The idea of exploring unknown lands and finding treasures intrigued him immensely, so much so that he set out to sea the moment he reached the appropriate age.

Drifting on a broken raft he had stolen from a local fisherman, he eventually met the members of his crew. However, as his life reached its peak, reality slapped him across the face. After an encounter with one of the four emperors of the sea, he realized the harsh realities of life. Many ships in his fleet were destroyed as he fled with the remaining survivors.

The power showcased by these emperors was on another level. It was terrifying to think that they were still human, given that their powers exceeded mortal limits. The origin of all this lay in the curses that pirates bear. The harsher the curse, the stronger the powers, but these powers come at a price. Ed was approached numerous times by a devilish figure in his dreams to acquire such powers for himself.

Each time, Ed rejected the figure because he knew the price in exchange. He had personally known people who had accepted this deal and became cursed pirates. And every one of them had met a miserable, short-lived end. His father, for example, had died with his body shriveling up as his life drained away.

Ed could still remember the screams that had sounded that night. It would forever haunt his dreams and was the reason he was so adamant about rejecting the offer. Just the constant screams in the background as the devil tried to tempt him was enough to rebuff any ideas, no matter how attractive the offer was.

But this stubborn attitude finally exacted its price when he met an emperor's crew. Although he doubted that having the powers would have made a difference, at least he could have minimized the losses. Now he was adrift on this damaged boat in an unfamiliar area.

Dealing with the aftermath of everything was a whole mess. And there were issues with supplies as well. They had managed to live off what they had so far, but if they didn't restock soon, who knew what they might do.

"Captain, we see light."

Finally getting some good news, Ed perked up and climbed up the crow's nest. Then he took the telescope and looked through it. In the distance, he saw a giant flame illuminating a nearby landmass.

"Land. We finally found land!"

Ed yelled excitedly, boosting the morale of the defeated crew.

"Adjust the sails. We'll be heading to our 2 o'clock."

"Aye Aye, Captain!"

The members of his crew hustled to make the adjustments. As the boat approached the flame, Ed looked through the spyglass to try and scout for anyone nearby. Since there was a fire, there must be people nearby to start it. A few seconds later, Ed spotted a stone castle that was covered in flora and vines. It was an old-looking castle that had seen better days.

As Ed observed the castle, he saw one of the walls shatter. Looking over, he saw a young man wearing gauntlets that were glowing red and a person with black smoke emanating from his body. Ed knew this state. It was called Blacken, a state where the pirate lets the curse inside him eat away at his body.

By doing so, the pirate gains a strong boost in power but pays with his life force. This method was often a last resort for cursed pirates due to its high costs, but not everyone could enter this state. Only those pirates who bore a strong enough curse could do so.

But even if the pirate survived the battle, his remaining lifespan wouldn't allow him to enjoy it. The body would rapidly age, along with its strength. In most cases, the pirate met a tragic end, usually from betrayal after being weakened. That's the life of a pirate for you.

Ed watched as the Blackened pirate pushed the youth back into a wall. Things were looking grim, but his partner came to help. Seeing the person get wounded, Ed shook his head. For normal people, a single scratch was a death sentence, while for pirates, it was a risk.

When a cursed pirate injured another, they injected the curse into the body. If the person could bear the curse, the curse inside him would eventually fight it off. But if the extra curse pushed the pirate over the edge, then the curse would activate and devour its user. Another reason why Ed refuses to accept this power.

Ed was relieved to see the youth take this opportunity to overwhelm the pirate before finishing the fight. If he didn't, then his companion would have sacrificed himself for nothing. So far, Ed hadn't seen any signs of curses on these two people, so getting hit even once was certain death. That's why Ed was so surprised when the person managed to remain standing. He was wobbling, but he was still alive.

"Impossible! How can he resist the curse? Could it be his strong body? But how can he have such strength without bearing a curse?"

Ed was starting to see hope in contending with the monsters known as cursed pirates. If he could learn the method those people used, he could get away from the stupid curses once and for all. But his dream ended as another cursed pirate came into view. Ed knew this person. His signature axes were famous across the region. And because he knew Runefeld's strength, he knew the two fighters stood no chance.

Even if they could fight like before, Runefeld's Blacken state was far more terrifying than the previous pirates. They weren't even on the same level. That's why Runefeld was the captain instead of the other.

"It's over. There's no way to get that method anymore."

As Ed was about to look away from the castle, he saw another person walk into view. This person was strangely confident as he drew his green saber. And Ed understood why. Those movements. They were like an art. No matter how hard Runefeld tried, he couldn't seem to hurt the person. Yet this person couldn't seem to hurt Runefeld either.

"He's too conservative in fighting," he commented, knowing full well that dodging won't help him win.

But Ed was met with another surprise. Soon Runefeld crashed onto the ground and stayed down, letting the saber fall on his neck. The process finished so simply that Ed had a hard time believing it. What happened? Why did Runefeld let himself be killed? What did he miss?

Ed decided to continue watching the group as they retreated and met up with other people. If possible, he wanted to meet up with them and understand their powers. The ship docked on the side of the island, and the tired crewmates disembarked to set up camp. They had spent too long at sea, so a change of pace was more than welcomed.

Ed grabbed something to eat before climbing back up the crow's nest. He looked through the telescope and tried to find the people he had seen earlier. Soon, he found the group, but he realized one person was missing—the skilled individual with the green saber.

"Where did he go?"

Ed scanned the area but failed to find him. Suddenly, he felt a sharp blade pressing against his neck, causing his eyes to widen.

"It's not nice to spy on people," someone said from behind.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a green saber coming from around his shoulder. There was no doubt about it; it's hard to forget such an eye-catching color, especially when he was just admiring it.

Ed slowly raised his hands and said, "I don't mean any harm."

"I know. That's why you're still alive."

One wrong move, and he could end up dead. Sweat dripped down the side of his face as the threat of death loomed over him. He racked his brain for a way to get out of this situation, and Genji knew that. But Genji gave him time nonetheless. He was curious about what this stalker of his would offer to bargain for his life.

"Do you want to take over my crew?" Ed asked after considering all his options.

"Interesting," Genji said, withdrawing his saber.

 

---

 

Your dialogue looks good, but there are a few minor improvements to consider for clarity and fluency:

"How was it?" River Stream asked Genji when he returned to the camp.

"No problem, just some passersby," Genji replied.

River Stream let out a sigh of relief. He had a small panic attack when Genji mentioned they were being watched. As for how he knew, River decided not to ask.

"Don't be so worried."

"I can't help it. Half of the group is off fighting, so if we get attacked again, things might get messy."

Genji shrugged and took a seat. Soon, Logan and the others returned.

"I see everything went well?" Genji greeted the returning group.

"Yeah. I wish you had told us that was the head of their captain. And what the hell did you three do? There were barely any of them left."

"Just a day's work. Don't worry about it."

"You do realize that's one of the most infuriating phrases, right?"

 

---

 

"So we asked around the place. There's no news about the mission item," Logan began the meeting.

"That's a problem," Silver added.

"Yeah, it is."

"So, any ideas on what's next?"

Genji raised his hand to get everyone's attention.

"I suggest we leave the island and go to a different one."

"Well, I have bad news for everyone then," someone interjected, "When I was investigating yesterday, I saw a particular boat sneaking away."

"..."

"..."

"I can't say I am surprised. Enigma gave off a scary feeling when we boarded the place."

Everyone turned to Genji as if implying it was his fault they were in this situation. Genji smiled at their gazes and said, "Well, do you want to see my solution to this?"

"Do we have another option?"

"Of course, but the other option will depend on luck."

They knew what he was implying – to wait for another unlucky boat to land on this island and be hijacked by them.

"We'll see what you have in store first," Logan replied for everyone.

"Then follow me."

Genji walked out of the room and headed toward the shore. As his teammates followed him, they wondered what he had in store. But when they arrived at their destination, they couldn't believe their eyes.

"W-what is this?" River Stream struggled to express his confusion.

Genji turned around to face the group and threw his arms up.

"I present the Storm Chaser pirate group."

"I can see that. I'm asking why you led us here."

"Don't worry about it. All you need to know is that they will listen to my orders and give us a ride."

"When did this happen!?!"

"Like I said, don't worry about it."

Genji led the group onto the ship before walking away to talk to Ed.

"Are you sure this isn't a trap?" Silver couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know, but he shouldn't have a reason, right?"

"Or is there a chance he got bought out? River, your parents must have a lot of enemies, right? Do you think one of them was willing to pay for the breach of contract to get you killed in this world?"

River Stream paled when he heard that question. Although unlikely, this explanation was more believable than Genji suddenly gaining control over a group of pirates. Not when the world they are in has more cursed pirates than dogs.

As the rest of his team was having a panic attack over everything, Genji returned.

"Alright, it's all set. Let's go."

"All set for what?"

"The trip, of course. What else?"

Genji gave them a strange look as everyone started acting weird after he came back.

"Nothing. Heh heh," River let out a nervous laugh.

 

---

 

Genji felt the sea breeze brush past his face and the warmth of the sun on his skin. The weather was amazing today. As he basked in the sunlight, Genji heard approaching footsteps.

"Hey Enigma, care to join us in fishing?" Genji opened his eyes and looked back to see Logan, the social butterfly of the group.

"No thank you. I'll continue to meditate."

It had been a week since the group boarded the ship, and nothing drastic had happened. Genji spent most of his time at the bow of the ship, meditating, regardless of the weather. Whether it was raining or windy, Genji persisted in his efforts.

He attuned himself to nature and sensed his flow of energy. He observed how it reacted in different environments and tried to take inspiration from it. He seized every moment to practice his control and honed himself with all this extra time he didn't have before.

It was mind-numbing, but Genji started to develop a liking for this state. In this state, he could forget about all his worries and become one with nature. And these meditation sessions paid off. Over the course of these few days, Genji felt his control had improved. A small but noticeable change.

"I don't understand how you can sit there all day and do nothing. I can never imagine myself doing such a thing."

Unlike Genji, the group had been plagued by boredom in the past week. They had a few decks of cards, but after a couple of days, they ran out of new games to play. The pirates, on the other hand, seemed to have taken a liking to these new paper games.

"Everyone has different preferences," Genji replied.

"Yeah, but you are the only one who has been doing the same thing since day one. Not even 7156, the lone wolf, managed to persist as long as you."

7156 has taken a similar approach to Genji and secluded himself in his own corner. The only difference was that while Genji was training, 7156 was lost in his own thoughts. But two days ago, 7156 seemed to have run out of things to think about, as he soon became restless and started wandering around the ship.

"Get used to it because we will be doing a lot of sailing in this world."

*Groan*

"I'm going to hate the sea after this."

Logan left Genji to his own devices and joined the others in fishing for a potential meal. More time passed when Genji suddenly heard a series of panicked voices. He opened his eyes and looked around. In the middle of the deck, he saw a group of people all pointing out at the sea. He got up and walked over.

"What's going on?"

"Sea beasts, Captain."

"Sea beasts?"

"Yes. Powerful creatures of the sea that have gained the curses of the sea and become extremely powerful. There have been many stories of ships being sunk because of them."

Genji traced his eyes along their fingers and saw a large fin cutting through the water, heading straight for them.

Genji drew his saber and took out a bottle of poison to coat it. Then he took a few steps back before getting a running start. As he approached the side, he jumped off the ship and toward the fin.

*Splash*

"Captain!"

The people on board yelled when they saw the waters turn red and the fin disappear underwater.

"What's happening?" Ed ran over when he heard the yelling.

"Sir, the captain jumped into the waters!"

"HE WHAT?!?!" x7

Ed and the team pushed aside the crowd and looked into the sea. A large area was taking on a shade of dark red as turbulent waves rocked the boat. It was not a good sight. The group stared at this scene intensely, but the bloody waters blocked their view. Unless they were willing to jump down, they wouldn't be able to see what was happening.

Minutes passed, and the only change was the expansion of the red area. The teammates grew worried, but their team list indicated that Genji was still alive. That was the only reason they hadn't taken the chance to leave. As they reached the end of their patience, a bulge of water appeared nearby.

The water rushed aside as if a large object was shooting up. A few seconds later, a giant great white shark leaped out of the water. This shark was much larger than its modern-day counterparts, about 20 meters in length, compared to the normal 4.6 to 6 meters of a great white.

"The shark's wounded!" The crowd was awakened by this exclamation.

They quickly scanned the rising sharks and spotted a considerable wound they had previously overlooked. It was gaping wide and raining copious amounts of blood. This wound gave the crowd another shock that helped them overcome the terror that welled up as they noticed the numerous rows of razor-sharp teeth in the creature's mouth.

This wasn't a normal mouth of sharp teeth. No, the entire mouth was filled with sharpened bone spikes. No tongue or gum tissue was visible. Just teeth and terror. Then they realized something frightening. The shark was right above them with its mouth wide open and ready to take a chunk out of their ship. Despair formed in the hearts of these seafarers as their impending doom accelerated toward them.

Then Genji showed up in their sights, hanging on the side of the shark. He pulled himself up and ran up the side of the beast, holding [Jaguar] with both hands and stabbing down at the colossal airborne predator.

Dagger Arts: Impact Strike

The head of the shark snapped to the side and with the tug, its body. Then Genji pulled out his saber and jumped off.

*pluhn-juhn*

A large wall of water erupted into the air as Genji spread his cloak and landed on the ship. Rolling back on his feet, Genji wiped the side of his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a wide, predatory grin. It was a disturbing smile full of madness and audacity.

*Gulp*

The pirates onboard suddenly felt their throats go dry at this sight.

"Hahahahah. Let's dance." Genji laughed and jumped into the falling wall of water.

Genji buried his face into his forearm as he plunged through the tidal wave. When he came out the other side, he swung the arm to the side and pushed away the remaining water that clung to him.

Then his saber burst into a shadowy flame as he brought it down above his head with a double grip. As he fell down toward the belly side-up shark, he swung down hard. His saber cleaved into the flesh, and following the cut, the black flame flowed out onto the leathery skin.

Extending from the tip of his saber, a line of shadow flame arced up the body of the shark. As the flame burned, a large cut opened beneath it, allowing Genji to drop through unhindered.

*Splash*

The water rushed in to fill the void that formed from his cut and caught his fall. Then the shadow flame faded, and the shark split in half along the prior location of the flames. Blood gushed out and dyed the waters above Genji as the body of the shark separated, leaving only the bottom part of the tail to hold it together.