Glyn and the others rush onto the beach as they make their way to the boat. They leap onto the ship as fast as they can as everyone takes a breath. Everyone sits around the ship as Glyn sits down and looks across the area.

“We have to leave now.” He says.

Miller nods. “I’ll get started on preparations.”

“Hey, what’s going on?” Xia asks, concerned.

“We got spotted by Morgan’s Queen. It’s going to be a fight if we don’t get out of here.”

“Then we should fight!”

Mila shakes her head. “No, not right now.”

“What why?”

“Morgan has multiple King Pieces under her. We can’t take the risk of being overwhelmed by her forces in our current state.”

Xia Bai glares at him. “Weak.”

“Charging ahead to a fight we know we’re going to lose is foolishness.”

“Fine, do whatever you want.”

Xia Bai walks away as Glyn turns his focus to the ship. “Mila, get the sails ready. We’re going to retreat to a nearby island and regroup from there.”

“Right.”

Off on the beach, a small group of cloaked figures walk up. Among them, a young man in a suit trudges ahead, his head lowered. He smiles nervously as the cloaked figures around him twitch and move in awkward motions. He puts his fingers to his mouth and bites as blood trickles down from his fingertips. The blood moves from his unnaturally as it gathers in the palm of his hand into a blade as he laughs.

“Get them! In the name of the Great One, seize that vessel!” He yells at the top of his lungs.

At his command, the cloaked figures charge in, letting out inhuman screams as they charge forward. Luka laughs, barely containing himself as he uses the knife to cut himself, opening more wounds and drawing out more blood.

“I might do more than just scare them off. I might just kill a handful of them if they’re too weak.”

“Glyn, we’ve got trouble!” Otso yells from the deck of the ship.

In the distance, a group of people in cloaks charge towards the ship across the beach. Everyone readies their weapons as Glyn steps forward, holding out his book. The book glows with an intense light as Glyn holds up his hand. Storm clouds gather in the sky as he chants and as he closes his fist, a burst of electricity falls from the sky, hitting the gathering crowd.

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The electricity shocks the group as several of them collapse from the attack. The others charge ahead, marching over the bodies of the fallen as they get closer to the ship.

“Sam, Miller, now!” Glyn yells.

Sam and Miller leap off the boat and land on the beach, charging ahead. The pair charge ahead, smashing into the crowd. Miller swings his sword, forcing several men back as Sam smashes them with their shield.

“What are these guys?” Sam asks.

“No idea. But they give off a strange smell.”

Luka laughs, charging in towards Miller and swinging his blood blade. Miller catches him with his sword and the pair trade blows.

“Strong.”

Luka laughs staring at Miller. “Interesting. Interesting. You’re tougher than you look for a Pawn.” His smile widens. “It just makes me want to slice you open more and play with your insides!”

Sam rushes in and slashes at Luka, pushing him away from Miller with their shield. “I won’t let you lay a hand on Miller or anyone on this ship!”

“Careful, this guy is one of the Pieces.”

Luka laughs. “Call me Lukas, the bloody and I am Madam Morgan’s trustful Rook! I come to slaughter in her name and expedite the revival of the Great One.”

“Great One?” Miller asks.

“A marvelous being brimming with power. The Great One will arrive and lead our path in victory. We’ll win the War Game and then conquer the mainland in the Madam’s name!”

Miller stares at Luka. “He’s insane.”

“I figured.” Sam flicks their sword and flames burst from the hilt. “But I’ll make sure he knows his insane dreams aren’t coming true.”

“Something’s coming!” Glyn yells.

A large shell flies from above, aimed at the ship. Mila stares at it, gathering her flames and firing off a fireball at the flying cannonball. The flames explode the shell midair, causing an explosion that rocks everything around it.

“A cannon? But where did it come from?” Glyn asks.

Elsewhere on the island near the top of the mountain, Lois stands. She holds a pair of binoculars as she directs a group of cloaked men. Next to her, a gigantic cannon sits smoking from its recent firing. The men load another cannonball into the weapon as she spots their target.

“A little more to the left.”

The men adjust the cannon.

“Let’s see one minute and we fire again. Let’s give them a little time.”

The cloaked men nod as they prepare to fire off another attack.

On the beach, Glyn closes his book and turns to Otso. “How long!?”

“We’re ready now. But we need someone to push us into the water.”

Glyn nods. “Go down there and help Sam. Mila, you stay and keep an eye out for more cannonballs. They can’t seem to load more than one at once.”

She nods and Otso leaps off the ship.

Glyn turns to see Xia Bai. “Why not just flee with your teleporter?”

“If we leave it for them to use, then we’d be inviting trouble. We have to escape without letting them know we have it.” He explains.

She nods. “Then what do you want me to do? You’ll be our last line of defense should they board. If it comes to that, we’ll abandon ship and flee for the teleporter.”

“Got it.”

Otso lands and signals for Sam as the two turn away from the crowd and focus on the boat. They push on the vessel, putting it into the water.

“Leaving already!? We’re just having a little fun!” Luka yells, charging in.

Miller grabs the hilt of his blade, letting it drink on his blood. The metal grows larger and sharper as he plunges the blade into the ground. Flaming metal spikes erupt around the group, pushing everyone back as Sam and Otso push the boat into the water. The Glyn throws down the rope and the pair climb back onto the boat. Sam calls for Miller, who runs grabbing onto the rope just as the ship hits the water. Glyn signals for Mila, who causes an explosion that pushes on the sails. The ship flees into the open ocean as fast as it can, leaving everyone else on the beach.

Luka laughs as his blood blade fades. “Everything’s according to plan.” He falls to the ground, laughing. “Why do the others get to have all the fun?” He asks himself, his twisted grin unchanging as something twitches just below his skin.