Pirate: Invincible from the Start

He swept his senses over Winter Island next, but found no trace of life. It was deathly silent.

Survival

Bass Island.

On the beach below the embankment to the left of the long harbor.

If anyone asked how Bada felt right then...

He would have said he wanted to die.

Previously, he had always followed the larger groups around, picking up their scraps. A few days ago, he had decided to make something of himself and recruited a few more brothers. That was how he had managed to get ahead of everyone today.

Who could have known that the very first time he took the lead, he would run straight into Kuta's crew?

He wondered if he had stepped in dog shit that morning, or perhaps crossed paths with a crow.

Just then, he heard the voice he least wanted to hear, followed by a weight settling on his shoulder.

"Well!"

"That's quite a special welcome you've put together!"

Kuta appeared silently beside Bada and draped an arm over his shoulders as though they were best buddies.

"Let's have a little chat, you and me."

Bada trembled all over.

Thump, thump, thump...

The instant Kuta appeared, everything around him became unnaturally quiet. Even the wind fell silent. He felt as though he stood in an abyss so dark he couldn't see his hand before his face, with nothing left in the world but his ever-quickening heartbeat.

And death's scythe rested against his neck.

A chill shot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, making even his soul feel frozen.

His face was pale, his pupils rapidly dilating. His whole body went rigid, and he didn't dare turn to look at Kuta, whose arm was around his neck.

If fear hadn't stiffened his body enough to