Chapter 1

“Attack!”

“Load left cannon! Fire!”

Bombardment was raining down from all directions.

Countless bullets and a myriad of cannonballs.

And interspersed among them, magical lights of all colors danced.

The deafening booms struck my ears, amidst the desperate screams cutting through the chaos.

Some held onto the corpses of the dead, wailing in a mix of agony,

While others, with vacant expressions, clutched their severed limbs.

Or perhaps… those who lay cold with fragments embedded in their chests, unable to even close their eyes.

As I gazed upon the brutal scene of massacre unfolding over the vast sea,

A girl with blonde hair, red eyes, and shackles on her hands and feet thought to herself,

“How beautiful…”

This is the visage of death.

A scene of leaving a world filled only with pain, drifting toward peaceful and happy rest.

Feeling envy towards those who could savor that joy,

She wished to capture this moment, akin to a sacred ritual, in her eyes for even a fleeting second.

Then.

-Snap!!

“…”

In an instant, the light she held in her eyes vanished, leaving only shadows of darkness behind.

Deep wounds carved by a whip oozed with pus and blood.

If she were a normal person, she might have fainted from the pain.

However, as a response, she merely turned her head silently and moved forward.

“Hurry up, you filthy slave! How dare you look away!”

A sharp voice pierced her ears.

Perhaps due to a spell of confusion, her ‘master’ spoke in a strangely kind tone.

“Move this instant! If you keep dawdling, I’ll toss you into the sea!”

Her master’s whip lashed out again, carving another wound into her back.

But still…

No scream escaped the girl’s lips.

Though it hurt, she had already become too accustomed to the sensation.

Through prolonged lessons, she understood.

Slaves held no right to scream.

No right to express pain.

“…”

She hoisted the cannonball, feeling as though her arms might fall off.

Walking on the swaying deck with her broken, battered body was no easy feat.

Water sprays shot up from all directions.

Wood fragments grazed her cheeks.

The sweet, irresistible temptation of death beckoned nearby.

Yet…

She had to keep walking.

For slaves had no right to complain,

No right to the luxury of dying.

Everything must happen solely according to her master’s will…

At that moment.

“Wh-what?!”

“What is that?!”

“!”

A sudden voice filled with confusion echoed around.

And then…

-KABOOM!!!

The deck she stood on shook violently beneath her feet.

A cannonball…

No, something far larger seemed to be flying toward them.

The shock caused the girl to lose her balance and fall to the ground.

The cannonball she was barely holding onto disappeared somewhere.

But in that instant, she heard neither the expected whip’s crack

Nor her master’s furious shouts.

What she could see were the faces of her master and others, drenched in shock.

And…

A gigantic black shadow loomed over her.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“!”

A deep, resonant male voice reached her ears.

Even with just a simple tone, it exuded strength and authority, making her turn slowly to look back.

What began to appear in her sight was…

A hulking figure, likely around 2 meters tall,

Covered in muscles that seemed ready to burst.

And…

A middle-aged man with golden hair and a beard.

His appearance was anything but ordinary as he glanced at the girl and broke into a smile.

It was a fearsome smile that somehow drew her heart in…

At that moment.

“Golden… beard…”

“Ezra Drake!”

“The Pirate King! The Pirate King has appeared!”

Voices filled with fear and horror turned the surroundings chaotic.

However, the massive man paid it no mind and simply reached out towards the girl.

“!”

His large, sturdy hand looked like it could crush her head in an instant.

Thinking that pain would once again approach as always,

The girl unconsciously squeezed her eyes shut.

Yet,

“!”

She felt no pain from the hand that touched her head.

Rather, it gently caressed her hair.

It was the first time she had ever felt such a sensation.

In a daze, she looked up at the beaming face of the man.

Then.

“Y-You! Do you know who you’re messing with? I am Marquis Philippe of the Kingdom of Frantz! How dare a filthy pirate act out here!”

Her master, trembling with fear, shouted.

Yet…

“Does being a noble mean you have two lives? If that’s the case, then it’s perfect. It’s time for me to conduct an experiment.”

The man did not flinch,

And began to emanate his Golden Magical Power.

“What… what are you all doing? Hurry up and deal with that filthy pirate!”

“B-but, my lord! He’s the Pirate King!”

“A monster who has reached Grade 12! How can we possibly…”

The soldiers, despite holding guns and swords, were already losing their fighting spirit.

At that moment.

-BANG!!

“Ugh!”

“…”

The Lord shot a soldier in the head who was petrified with fear.

He then screamed sharply,

“Don’t talk nonsense! The Pirate King? Grade 12? What does that even matter! I am the Great Noble Philippe! Bring me that scoundrel’s head! I’ll kill anyone who stutters!”

At his furious command, the men began to move, frowning as they always did.

With trembling hands, they grasped their guns and drew their swords…

The man slowly,

Raised his bandaged fist, readying himself.

“Truly… how disgustingly despicable you nobles are.”

His voice resonated with strength.

He hadn’t even brought a weapon with him.

Yet the faces of the armed soldiers, at least a dozen it seemed, were filled with anxiety and fear even the girl could recognize.

In contrast, the hulking man wore a face free of worry…

He even seemed relaxed.

Then, the golden aura emanating from his body began to blaze with intensity.

To the girl, it appeared so magnificent.

The brilliance radiating from him was reminiscent of the splendid morning sun, swirling around his clenched fist like thread.

At that moment.

“! Fire… fire!!!”

-BANG BANG BANG!

With her master’s urgent voice, bullets were now fired.

Without discrimination, they rained down on both the hulking man and even the girl.

In such a situation, frail and powerless, death was the only thought that surfaced.

However…

-WHOOSH!

“!”

A flash of light sparkled before the girl’s eyes.

A wave of brilliance, too dazzling to defy, swept away all the incoming bullets.

Feeling the tingling sensation surging through her body even though she was not the target, the girl could only curl up.

And moments later.

As the brilliant light that filled her vision faded,

“Ah…!”

Her eyes, previously shrouded in a thick shadow, now glimpsed a single ray of light. And with it, a clear sense of amazement arose within her.

“C-C-crazy….”

“Ugh… ugh…”

The ones who had been standing with weapons just a moment ago lay on the ground, bloodied and defeated.

And…

“Ugh… What… what is this…?”

Among them, there lay her master.

His arms, once unyielding with a whip, were now hideously shattered, and he rolled on the ground in agony.

The very being who held the fate of her and all those present in his hands, resembling an undeniable god,

Now sprawled out on the ground like garbage, causing something deep within the girl to stir.

At that moment.

“!”

The massive man extended a small sword towards her.

Then, with a voice tinged with calm unlike before, he spoke.

“Finish it. With your own hands, break the chains that bound you and seize your freedom.”

“F-freedom…?”

That which she had longed for but never experienced,

Hearing the man’s words urging her to claim it, the girl hesitated momentarily.

The unknown brings fear.

Even if it was something she had always desired,

Every step toward the unknown was laced with doubt.

However,

“What… what are you doing?! S-stop! If you touch her, the Kingdom of Frantz won’t stand idly by…!”

With fear, she began to crack the shell of doubt,

Holding the dagger as if it were a chick’s tiny beak.

-CRACK!

“AHHHH!!!!”

Her master’s scream echoed in her ears.

Yet, in that moment, the sound felt incredibly refreshing to her.

“P-Please! I… I was wrong! I’ll never hit you again… I promise…! G-GAAAH!”

The arrogance from before faded without a trace,

As he sobbed and pleaded with an ugly face, tears streaming.

But his voice no longer reached the girl’s ears.

Her focus was solely on one thing,

To shatter the shell before her…

To break free from the world named slave and bondage.

With pure passion and yearning,

Bearing only that, the small chick used all its strength to break through the fragile shell.

And finally…

-CRACK!!!

“W-WHAT…?”

The shattered skull of her master lay cleanly severed.

The dagger that pierced the bone and struck the brain extinguished the fading life for good.

Thus… she faintly realized that a world had been broken.

The world that had been called slave vanished,

As she slowly lifted her head.

The sky, blurred by the choking smoke rising in all directions, looked hazy.

But to the girl, this sky seemed clearer and more radiant than ever before.

A sense that something binding her heart had grown faint.

That realization felt both frightening yet…

Simultaneously, she experienced the feeling of joy for the first time.

A single tear streamed down the girl’s face for reasons she knew not.

“Well done. You are free now.”

A calm hand patted her shoulder.

In response, the girl looked up at the person who just granted her freedom—

The one dubbed a pirate by so many only moments ago—

And bowed her head respectfully.

“Thank you… Pirate… sir.”

“You needn’t thank me. That freedom you just claimed was earned by your own hand. I merely nudged you a little.”

The pirate wore a smile that was both daunting yet bright.

To that, the girl smiled back.

At that moment.

“Captain! We’ve finished up over here too!”

“Goodness… you’ve made quite the commotion again. You didn’t wipe them all out, did you? While it’s great to be efficient, at least leave some behind for a clean-up!”

A ship approached, clearly distinct from the other sunken vessels.

The enormous warship bore a skull flag on its black sails as it cut through the wreckage of defeated ships.

Waving a hand lightly at the voice calling from atop, the pirate turned back to the girl and asked.

“Then let’s go back. Tell me your name and home, and I’ll send you there.”

Once more extending kindness, the pirate made her feel grateful,

But at the same time, she felt slightly awkward, as she cautiously replied.

“Um… I don’t have a home. I’ve been a slave since I was born…”

“Hmm… Is that so…”

At her words, the pirate’s expression turned slightly somber.

For the first time, his face, which had been all hearty laughter, bore a weight.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of discomfort at that sight,

The girl found herself speaking in a slightly frantic tone.

“B-but I have a name! My name is… Ambasha.”

“Cough!?”

Suddenly, the pirate made a complex expression and coughed harshly.

Moments later, he knelt, looking at her face—

Or more precisely, at the cross-shaped scar hidden within her hair.

And…

“Shit? What’s the main character doing here?”