The Flag

Ever since he was born, Louis had been regarded as a monster, an angel, and even a succubus. But being mistaken for a god by a witch was a first.

He found the whole thing rather exasperating.

Beside him, Uta and Yelena raised their brows at the old witch's words and actions, clearly taken aback.

But when their eyes fell on Louis, they understood. It was easy to see how the old witch had mistaken his identity.

Louis's answer did nothing to change the old witch's devout attitude. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, then became even more reverent.

"Yes, you are not a god."

As she spoke, she knelt down again.

Louis shook his head at the sight and turned to leave.

Fanatical religious zealots were simply impossible to reason with.

Yelena and Uta followed him.

The villagers lowered their heads, not daring to look Louis in the eye, and silently moved aside to let them pass.

After Louis and the others had left, the old witch knelt facing the direction he had gone, her devotion utterly sincere.

Several days later, in an unknown stretch of sea.

A warship flying a seagull flag cruised across the water, trailing a red wake behind it.

Drawn by the blood, schools of savage predatory fish gathered behind the warship, diving into the crimson foam to feast.

From the deck, transparent humanoid figures could be seen tossing one body after another into the sea, churning up blood-red waves.

At last, as the final body hit the water, the sea rose in a sudden storm, surging into towering waves.

A wave that blotted out the sky swept down and swallowed the warship whole, dragging it into the depths.

Soon, the towering waves subsided just as swiftly, and the sea returned to calm as though they had never been.

After a long while, a massive shadow emerged beneath the wind-rippled surface. First, the mast bearing the seagull flag pierced the water, followed by the huge sails rising into the air.

Boom... The warship rose from the sea, its thunderous emergence startling the seagulls overhead. Spray surged up, dazzling beneath the sun.

A moment later, everything settled.

Across the boundless sea, only the massive warship remained, pristine after its deep-sea wash.

A golden figure approached from afar, spreading immaculate white wings as he slowly descended onto the deck.

Thud...

Louis stood on the warship's deck and slowly folded away his wings before heading straight for the cabin.

As he walked, Louis's eyes swept over the spotless deck. He couldn't help but approve of the brilliant idea of sinking a warship into the sea to wash it clean.

People who spent a lot of time underwater really did know a thing or two about cleaning.

Before the huge mast, scorching flames suddenly blazed behind Louis. When he reached the spot directly beneath it, the fire erupted outward.

The blazing flames swirled around the ship, rapidly raising its temperature. The seawater left on deck evaporated before his eyes.

The sails and flags bearing the World Government's seagull emblem instantly caught fire. In moments, the raging flames engulfed the entire warship.

Before long, the sails bearing the World Government's insignia had burned away, and wisps of black ash scattered in the wind.

Louis opened the cabin door and slowly walked inside.

The passageways and rooms were cluttered with piles of objects. The sea had tossed everything around and left it in disarray.

It was worth noting that not a trace of blood remained inside the cabin. Most of the Marines had been dragged onto the deck to await their fate.

As Louis walked through the warship's corridors, golden motes of light emerged from his body, swirling around him like a brilliant galaxy.

Wherever he passed, pale golden motes drifted down and sank into the scattered objects, turning them into living things that sorted themselves away.

After a long while, Louis emerged from the cabin and went to the top of the warship to wait for the tardy Island Cloud.

A moment later, the pristine white Island Cloud descended with a clear, melodious song. The two people standing at its edge with bags and bundles in hand came into view.

Abente Heim hovered above the warship's bridge island, level with Louis.

"Is this the ship we'll be using from now on?!" Uta leaped down with her backpack and stood beside Louis, curiously looking around.

It was her first time aboard a Marine warship, and everything felt unfamiliar.

"Yeah. This warship should be fine for sailing around the Four Blues, at least." Louis nodded, then took the fragile items from Yelena and gently set them down on the bridge island's deck.

Yelena's red eyes swept over the empty sails and the warship's distinctive blue-green paint. "Do we need to change the ship's colors?..."

"I bought plenty of waterproof paint on the last island." Yelena thought it would be best to cover up the fact that they had stolen a warship, especially while sailing through the World Government's home territory in the Four Blues.

Louis answered casually, "There's no point wasting time repainting the ship. Anyone with eyes can tell it's built like a warship. We can't hide that."

Yelena nodded thoughtfully, then met Louis's gaze and continued, "Also, besides the flag, should we put up sails?"

Louis pondered for a moment before answering.

"Let's put them up!"

As Louis's means of transportation, the ship didn't need sails to travel across the sea. Still, a ship without sails would look strange.

"Okay!" Yelena set down her backpack, took out the quality sailcloth they had bought, and walked toward the mast.

Uta's eyes lit up at the sight. She stopped exploring and ran after Yelena. "Yelena, I'll help!"

"Come on!"

Yelena answered succinctly.

Working together, they hung a black flag from the top of the lookout platform above the mast.

The black flag bore a skull framed by a pair of white wings. When the time was right, Louis would fly it as they sailed the seas.

Louis had deliberately left all the ropes intact when he set fire to the Marines' old sails, so Yelena and Uta soon had the new sails hoisted.

They had their time with the Red-Haired Pirates to thank for that. They had learned a lot before they'd even set sail.

After a while, Yelena and Uta stood beneath the mast, gazing up at the enormous sails bearing the same emblem as the flag. Bright smiles spread across their faces.

Louis walked over and stood beside them, smiling too.

Just then, Uta turned and tugged at Louis's sleeve.

When Louis looked down at her, she asked him a question.

"Hey, Louis!"

"What is it?" Louis asked.

"What are you going to name the Pirate Crew?"