"Any farther ahead and we'll be in the target's patrol zone. We could run into patrol ships at any moment."
He suddenly looked back.
"Oh, and if a fight breaks out-"
"I know."
The girl set down the chunk of metal in her hands.
There was not a drop of sweat on her forehead, and her breathing was as steady as if she had just returned from a stroll.
"You give the orders, I do the fighting.
-as long as we're not targeting civilians or the Navy, I never hesitate against pirates."
That answer made several people packing up equipment nearby breathe sighs of relief.
They began dragging the heavy tools back to the storeroom, preparing to wash themselves, fill their stomachs, and face the conflict that might come.
The enemy appeared sooner than expected.
The man had just changed into clean clothes and stepped onto the deck when a faint sound came from overhead.
A petite figure flipped down from the top of the mast and landed in front of him.
"Two ships, northeast."
"But... something doesn't look right."
"Let me see."
According to the nautical chart, they still had at least a day and a half of sailing before reaching their destination.
Did the enemy's patrols really extend this far?
He took the brass telescope offered to him and kicked off, shooting upward.
Hooking his fingers around a yardarm, he used his core to flip himself up and landed steadily in the lookout.
With the rim of the telescope pressed against his brow, Rossi's field of vision filled with torn canvas and billowing smoke.
The two ships flying the Lizard Skull Flag were sinking slowly. The flags themselves had been shredded into a few strips of colored cloth, fluttering feebly atop scorched masts.
The sea breeze carried the