“Wait just a damn minute!”
“What seem to be the problem?”
“How in the world did my name got in there?!”
“Yesterday night, we received your candidacy through open communication. By rules, that shouldn’t be possible anymore but, in consideration of your achievement and contribution in the giant devil incident, some rules are amended a little.”
“Who? Who filed a candidacy for me?!
“……”
Gants face froze from my question. It was not from shock or anything. His eyes weren’t looking at me but to someone else. From a distraught face to a confused one, Gants knits his brows and frowns quizzically.
Ah!
I turn my head around and see Merissa with a bead of sweat pouring from her forehead. Her face petrifies in a contorted smile as she looks at me. I lock my gaze at her with indignation and in return, she does it too until five seconds when she averts it in haste.
“Ah! So it is really you, Merissa!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Waaaaa!”
I aggressively glomp on Merissa out of anger!
I can feel a vein twitching in my cheeks.
“Why did you do that?! You even pulled out your own candidacy for that?!”
“Don’t be so mad! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I just thought that you would fit better than I am!”
“Still, you should not have done that! Are you an idiot!? Surely you are an idiot!”
“I just thought that you deserve this better than me!”
“But, isn’t this your dream?! You want this for a long time now, right?!”
“Ah…It’s okay…”
Merissa sprouted a smile towards me. It is a sincere smile even though her eyes say otherwise. I slowly parted from Merissa as I let go of her shoulder. If she wanted it like that, then I will carry out what she dreamt of.
“Are you two done making a scene?”
“Y-Yes…sorry…”
Gants sarcastically scolded us. As I look around, most of the attention are on me and Merissa including Hois who watches with a grin in his face and Airene who expresses a glum countenance as she watches us.
Despite what she says to Merissa, Airene actually likes her, huh…
“Haaa…whatever, geez! Fine, count me in, okay!? What are we supposed to do from now on?”
“It’s good that you are being cooperative, kiddo. Well, there are three methods to determine who will be this year’s Emperor of the Sea.”
“What are those?”
“First is by default eligibility, a ceremony where the chosen candidates will touch the emblem one by one. It is the first, a most simple method in determining the next emperor. It is, without a doubt, the best way to determine who is eligible to hold that title as the saint inside the emblem chooses the right person.”
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“That sounds so simple…”
“That’s right! However, it has been centuries or so when the emblem actually chooses someone. Basically, it is just a part of a rite for the candidates to touch it before proceeding to the next method is their proficiency and strategic knowledge about sea battle. If that is not enough, it will be a ship battle with provided resources for parties involved in the candidacy.”
“I see…So it implies that there’s a huge chance that Hois and I will fight using our ship?”
“Certainly.”
My face immediately feels cold. A battle between ship certainly is the best way to determine such thing but. With that in mind, there’s no other way to fight back other than what is available on the ship itself. No divine possession, no divine ascension, no barrier and whatsoever.
The image of Hois carrying his ship like a giant hammer struck my mind…
No way! Are you kidding me?!
If that madman and Merissa’s ship clashes, won’t we get immediately taken out if the condition isn’t favorable to us by default? If the condition of the weather, time, place and even distance becomes slightly unfavorable to us, we may immediately lose!
My head turns towards Merissa like a clockwork.
“M-M-M-Merissa! I think your hunch is wrong!”
“Hmm? Nah, you’ll be fine!”
“What do you mean I’ll be fine?! Look at that guy grinning and itching for a battle!”
We direct our gaze toward Hois who shows a smile befitting of a battle maniac as he cracks his knuckles. His fresh young boy looks are ruined because of such expression!
“That’s enough chitchat. Hois of Bismarck and Asagao of Iowa, proceed at the front of the emblem!”
“Already?!”
“Good luck Asagao.”
Ichirou’s supporting voice enters my ear. It automatically sent a throb in my chest and I became all tingly. My heart seems to palpitate at an abnormal rate and I feel extremely uncomfortable. I wonder if a transcendental being can catch fatal disease involving heart failure…
……
Trapped by the predicament that I was thrown into, I literally have no choice but to proceed at the front of the emblem with reluctant steps. Together with Hois, we walk towards the emblem, a shield with eight-headed serpents as a design, embedded in a glass atop of a pedestal. Gants follow us from behind and will act as overseer.
“First up is Hois. Please gently place your hand at the top of the emblem. Afterward, go to my left side.”
“Aye! This ceremony has gotten so repetitive that I am sick of it.”
Hois walks towards the emblem with joyful strides as he berates and throws a complaint. He gleefully and playfully places his hand at the emblem while humming in joy. Everyone was just silent and some chit chat in low voice can be heard. Most of them already expect that it will just turn out this way.
After a several seconds, Hois parted with the emblem and strides to Gants side. He has been cracking his knuckles for a while now and every single time I hear it click, it makes me a little tense. Of course, I am going to fight someone absurd!
“Asagao, it’s your turn. Please don’t delay it any further.”
“Does it look like that? Ahahaha…”
I sheepishly approach the emblem because, after this, two more trials awaits. Even though it was kind of forced upon me, I want to win for Merissa. I don’t care for the title of the emperor of the sea because it sounds so childish…
I place my hand at the encasement of the emblem and not even a mere two seconds past…it glows brightly…
No way…
“It glowed!”
“Gants! Is it possible…that this is the birth of our new Emperor…or rather…Empress?!”
“Barnacles…”
“The saint of the sea has already chosen a new empress!”
Such things are said behind my back as I stare at the glowing emblem with a dumbfounded face. I slowly turn my head towards the pirates and saw them kneeling down in respect for me. Even Hois who was overly enthusiastic to fight obediently kneels before me without a second thought.
“FUCK YEAH! Accessible rare and new resources and materials! My dream of ship upgrade is within my grasp! My hunch was on the spot! I knew it! Hahahaha!”
Merissa laughs merrily while tears of joy slowly slip from her eyelids. She seems drunk in victory as she proceeded to stand on the chair she was sitting. Well, my victory is her victory after all and not to mention, because of this, I don’t have to fight Hois in a ship battle!
Ichirou stares at me with widened eyes but recompose his self and claps his hand from my instant victory.
Everyone entered in a festive mood and surrounded me. I was immediately carried by dozens of hands Cheers bursts left and right as they carry me towards the passageway. I was carried off towards the large hall where hundreds of pirates gather and chat.
Upon seeing the cheering figure of the people that were carrying me, they immediately realized what happened and burst out in joy too. Not long after that, alcoholic beverages and various sea foods are brought out.
Ichirou’s eyes sparkle upon seeing the sight of the booze…
As for me…
It took me a damn while to process everything until I was seated on a throne made of gold with swords and skulls made of gold too. I just stare at them looking at me like some kind of a cult god while they celebrate and drinks.
Even right now, Ichirou, Merissa, and Airene are drinking together in one table…
Wait…
Wait!
How the hell everything escalated quickly like this?!
With just a single flash of that stupid thing that they become like this?! Is it really that significant for them?!
A while ago I was being berated and crying myself out, and now, I am being treated with utmost respect and they began feasting in front of me.
My mind is trying hard to catch on to the event that unfolds…
“Asagao! Good Afternoon! As expected, you are so amazing!”
“Sorry, we overslept…good thing…Emby knows where you guys are…”
“Pii!”
Before I knew it, Casablanca, Hibiscus, and the dumb bird is already here and partaking in the feast…It seems that they were told what is happening right now and immediately rushes here…
……
And here I am sitting…processing what the hell just happened…
Oh yeah…
That emblem…
It shone brightly as my hand came in contact with it and then everything transpired into this situation. Well, there is no real problem here…
Aside from THAT STUPID EMBLEM REACTS TO DIVINE POWER! THAT WAS THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST! IT DEFINITELY REACTED TO MY DIVINE POWER AND I KNOW IT!
This assembly is rigged right from the start!!!