CHAPTER 405: BRACE FOR IMPACT?

"Especially after you and your friend got on board my ship without paying the fee..." Captain Righthook whispered dangerously into Lillian’s right ear, causing her to give a faint smile and shrug as she responded with:

"Oh, well~... It’s the least I can do for a free ride to the east."

The Captain’s left eyebrow twitched at what he had just heard. Was this mockery he was hearing?

"I’m sure you are aware, matey, that I can make you walk the plank and kick you off board, right?"

"I mean... You could~..." Lillian then held up her hands with a mischievous grin as she flexed her fingers, "But by doing that, you’ll be missing out on some free labour. I think that’s a losing deal, honestly~..."

The Captain listened to what he had just heard and stroked his beard before walking past Lillian and towards the front of the ship.

Lillian followed after and watched as the Captain crouched down and unravelled a messy coil of chains with a rusty metal anchor attached to it.

Then, holding up the anchor with his left hand and right metal hook, he—

"Catch!"

—Tossed the anchor in Lillian’s direction.

Lillian, who had already expected this outcome, caught the anchor without any trouble. Her strength had vastly improved, after all, so carrying a simple rusty anchor was no problem for her.

"Looks like you are good for something, well then, I’m going to need you to throw it off over—"

Before the Captain could say where to throw the anchor, Lillian had already gone and done it, as though she already had experience.

SPLASH.

Hearing the splash, the Captain stroked his black beard as he watched Lillian return from the side of the ship.

"Have you ever been on a ship before, matey?"

"I’ve been on quite a few." Lillian stated instantly. While she was absolutely poor in her past life, her current body had been on countless cruises in the past, so it wasn’t that much of a lie, really.

She watched as the Captain nodded, having had his curiosity satisfied. He then walked towards Nearlo and Viesta, who were still holding a conversation with one another.

Lillian remembered that Viesta was a fan of celebrities who were all about adventure. And despite knowing this already, Lillian couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her.

"Ah... I think I was kind of like that with Marionette..."

Nostalgia washed over her a little as she leaned against the wooden railings of the boat. She became relaxed as the breeze brushed through her hair, but for some reason, she felt that deep inside her heart that there was something off...

As she looked off into the distance, which seemed to have become rather foggy... She couldn’t help but mutter her girlfriend’s name inside her head several times...

’Marionette... Marionette... Marionette... What am I forgetting?’

Lillian tapped her chin as she pulled out her phone and looked at the bars. Usually, a person would be given access to WiFi on regular boats, since they would no doubt have it.

However... On a boat like this, there was absolutely no way.

"And without the WiFi... I can barely do anything on my phone..."

Lillian’s eyes then shot wide open.

She had forgotten to tell Marionette that she was going to be cut off from the internet for a couple of weeks! Which in turn would mean that she wouldn’t be able to call during that duration!

Viesta, who was far away from Lillian, raised her head from her conversation with Nearlo as she heard the Rabbit suddenly scream out:

"CURSE MY MEMORY!"

She raised an eyebrow, but then noticed the Captain’s arrival over to them. She watched as the bearded man smiled warmly as he gestured his hand towards one of the cannons on the ship’s deck.

"Do any of you perhaps know how to operate a cannon?"

Viesta shook her head. She had only ever known how to wield firearms.

"I do not, Captain. But I’m willing to learn, if you will allow me."

"We shall see, first..." The Captain then turned his eyes towards Nearlo, who stiffened, "Well, how about you, Mr Nearlo? I’ve heard that you are quite the notorious pirate."

Nearlo, hearing that he was labelled as notorious, nodded slowly, which soon turned extremely confident, "Of course, I am! How dare you assume that someone as I can’t even handle a simple cannon."

Nearlo walked up to one and patted it before gesturing towards his bodyguard.

He then stated:

"But why should someone like me operate such a thing when I have someone to do it for me? I got much better things to do than that. Isn’t that right, Jon?"

"Of course, Master Nearlo..."

Right as the Captain was about to comment on that, Lillian came up from behind and muttered, "But what about in a fight then? Are you just the type of person to run away?"

"O-of course not! Cease your blabbering!"

With a click of his tongue, Nearlo walked past them while muttering, "Since there’s no point in me standing on the deck, I’ll be returning back to my living quarters."

"Oi there, matey..."

Captain Righthook pushed out his metal hook and stopped Nearlo mid-step. Then, with a threatening glare, he muttered:

"You will stay aboard this deck and defend my ship with your life."

Everyone, apart from obviously the Captain and Lillian, widened their eyes at the words "defend".

They turned their gazes towards the bearded man and found him looking towards a dark greyish fog that was rapidly approaching their boat. And not a split second later, they found a large dark vessel hiding inside it, also approaching their boat at rapid speed.

Nearlo, who was watching what he found to be a separate boat, became startled as he realised that it wasn’t slowing down!

"Slow down!" He yelled before chanting it out loud again and again, hoping for the separate vessel to hear him and notice their presence.

Viesta was also about to join in on the chanting, but realised something was amiss.

Where was Lillian?

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Captain Righthook yelled as the opposing ship crashed into the side of their rickety ship and—

DUM...!

—Caused it to begin leaning over towards the other side.