Agin, not one for words, found Danton's reasoning twisted but couldn't formulate a rebuttal.
William, however, chuckled and exposed the truth. "Captain, you're just afraid that if you take too many supplies, the crew left behind will have no choice but to stay put, drifting aimlessly instead of continuing their voyage to draw the Marines' attention away from us."
Once Danton and his men took the last lifeboats, the remaining pirates would face two choices. Either they could pursue Danton out of desperation and try to kill the captain who abandoned them—though with Danton taking the only navigator, as well as the maps and logbooks detailing the nearby islands, the chances of finding him were slim. Or they could follow the only seemingly viable path: continue sailing and search for the next safe haven, unwittingly leading the Marines away from Danton.
Danton had deliberately brought his second mate Bamond while leaving behind the vice-captain, who knew a bit about navigation, to prevent the crew from falling into chaos and to ensure they had a leader to guide them forward—all part of his plan to escape unscathed.
Danton fell silent for a moment before speaking in a slightly hoarse voice. "The situation on the ship is simply a matter of whether we all choose to die together. Do you think staying behind would let us defeat the Marines? You're a smart man, William. In the East Blue, there's never a shortage of people driven to desperation by life, forced to take risks. If you stick with me, we can easily rebuild a crew—maybe even better than before. At worst, we can eventually find those Marines and avenge the ones we left behind."
William's gaze flickered, as if genuinely considering Danton's offer.
Bamond said nothing, but his disdain was clear as he spat into the sea.
The group exchanged no further words as they took turns rowing, guided by the navigator toward their destination.
Although Danton had extended an invitation to William, the two groups remained vigilant against each other. Another day and night passed in tense silence. Finally, early the next morning, the exhausted men spotted a small island on the horizon.
Everyone's spirits lifted, and they rowed with renewed vigor. William, however, caught Danton and Bamond off guard and signaled to Agin with a subtle glance.
When the boats were still a few hundred meters from the island, William, seated at the stern, suddenly whistled sharply. Drawing his curved blade, he slashed at Bamond's shoulder without hesitation.
Caught by surprise, Bamond cried out in pain and stumbled backward. However, William's hasty attack, combined with the cramped space of the small boat and his own fatigue, meant the blow wasn't fatal. Though injured, Bamond retained his fighting ability. Using his momentum, he created distance between himself and William, grabbed his sword—still sheathed—and swung it forcefully at William's waist.
"William, you really do have guts!" Bamond growled.
Simultaneously, Agin acted swiftly after William's signal, lunging at Danton with a dagger. But Danton's reflexes and vigilance far surpassed Bamond's. He dodged Agin's strike and roared like a beast, "You dare challenge me with just a few underlings?!"
Danton easily forced Agin back, then retreated a step to the bow of the boat. From his coat, he pulled out a flintlock pistol, already loaded, and aimed it at Agin.
Having planned for this, Agin reacted quickly. Seeing his ambush fail and Danton draw his gun, he didn't hesitate to dive into the sea.
Danton, losing his target, didn't bother searching for Agin. Instead, he turned the gun on William, only to see him follow Agin's lead and leap into the water.
Cursing under his breath, Danton shifted his attention to the other small boat. There, Vallon and Aramis, having heard William's whistle, had launched their own attack on the navigator, Gore. However, the two of them, less skilled than William or Agin, struggled to overpower Gore even with the element of surprise and a two-on-one advantage.
Danton raised his pistol to aim at Aramis, but before he could fire, the boat suddenly rocked violently. Caught off balance, he toppled into the sea with a splash.
Unprepared, Danton gulped down a mouthful of salty water. But what truly alarmed him was the agile, fish-like figure darting toward him underwater.
As a pirate captain who made his living at sea, Danton was a decent swimmer, but he was no match for Agin, who had grown up by the shore and spent his days fishing and diving.
Years of experience as a pirate had honed Danton's combat skills and physical strength, making him superior to both William and Agin. But William had planned from the start to exploit Danton's weaknesses while playing to their own strengths.
The outdated flintlock pistol, primitive in William's eyes, was useless underwater. Danton attempted to hurl it at the approaching Agin, but the water sapped the throw of its power. Agin easily dodged the feeble attack and closed in on Danton. With a quick twist, he evaded Danton's grasp and slipped behind him. One arm wrapped around Danton's neck, while the other reached for his prosthetic eye.
Panicked, Danton blocked Agin's hand and struggled fiercely, failing to notice William silently approaching from the side, a dagger clenched between his teeth.
William closed the distance and plunged the dagger into Danton's abdomen. The blade sliced through water, fat, and muscle with ease, tearing into the pirate's vulnerable organs. Blood billowed from the wound, staining the surrounding water crimson. Danton opened his mouth to scream, but only bubbles escaped. Seizing the opportunity, Agin pried away Danton's blocking hand and drove his fingers into the captain's eye socket, gouging out the entire prosthetic eye.
William withdrew his dagger and slashed twice at Danton's arms. The captain's flailing limbs went limp.
With Danton subdued, Agin glanced toward the boat's position and began dragging the barely-conscious captain toward the surface. As he neared the boat, Agin's head broke the water's surface, only for a glinting blade to swing toward him. Startled, he quickly submerged again.
On the boat, Bamond stood grimly, his teeth clenched. He kept his eyes fixed on the water, ready to strike at Agin the moment he surfaced again. But Agin, undeterred, continued bobbing up and down, refusing to give up.
Splash!
Just as Bamond swung his blade once more, William burst out of the water behind him, grabbing the side of the boat and vaulting aboard. Without losing momentum, he barreled into Bamond, who turned at the sound but was too slow to react.
Bamond attempted to slash at William, but William closed the distance and pinned Bamond's sword arm.
William's bloodied dagger struck again, plunging into Bamond's shoulder. The second mate finally lost his grip on his sword, and William seized the opportunity to snatch it away.
"You thought being Danton's dog made you someone important on this ship?" William sneered, twisting Bamond's body and kicking him to the deck.
Even then, Bamond remained defiant. "If you've got the guts, then kill—"
Before he could finish, William drove the sword into his chest. Staring into Bamond's eyes, he completed the sentence. "—kill you?"
William twisted the blade, then yanked it free. Moments later, Agin's head reemerged from the water. Seeing only William standing on the boat, he realized Bamond had been dealt with and called for help hauling Danton aboard.
William glanced toward the other boat. The fight there had ended as well, with Vallon waving frantically at him. Finally exhaling a long breath, William moved to assist Agin.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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