Hours later, the ship was already far from the land; they were in the middle of the sea. It was late afternoon; the wind was blowing gently, and the sea was calm. The smell of dried salts was filling the air. Sounds of water and waves were below the ship while the sound of seagulls filled the sky.

Axel was inside the captain's quarter with the crew officer, Fleton. The captain's quarter was one huge mess. There were lots of papers and empty liquor bottles scattered on the desk and the floor. The room was nauseating. It smelled like a rotten egg mixed with alcohol. The floor and the wall were covered with moss, dried wine, and rat droppings.

Fleton was a 5.8 feet man in his mid-20s. He had pale skin and a slim build. He had brown eyes, a black crewcut hairstyle with no facial hair, and a flat nose. He wore a blue knitted cap, a grey shirt, red waistcoats, and a pair of leather sandals.

He had a hunting knife and two flintlocks sheathed on his left and right waist. He spoke in a rather polite and calm manner.

"Since it's his first time being in our ship, how about ye teach him, Fleton?" the captain ordered.

"Gladly, Captain!" he answered.

"Why don't ye take him fo' a walk?"

"All right, come on Lil Axey, follow me," Fleton said. "Just leave yer belongings here. No one will take your stuff."

"Oh, okay," Axel replied as he followed Fleton, leaving the captain's quarter onto the main deck.

The main deck was busy because the crew was doing their chores. Both of them looked at their work for a while.

The crew were patrolling, keeping watch on their surroundings. Some were reading the wind while some were checking the ship's condition.

"What are we going to do?" Axel asked.

"First thing first, let's start with the introduction, shall we?"

"Sure."

They sat on the ground.

"Well, Lil Axey," Fleton asked. "What do you think we do for livin'?"

"That... Sorry. I don't know."

"Hm? Do you know what we are?" he asked as he frowned and scratched the back of his hair.

"Aren't we pirates?"

"Well, yes, yes," Fleton confirmed. "You aren't wrong though. We aren't pirates... To be exact. We are freelance bounty hunters. We live the way we want.

"We have a captain that leads and orders us." He observed the working crew doing their chores. "If the captain says this, we do this. We also have chores here. Just look around you. Most of us guard and observe the ship. Some checking the cannons and some preparing weapons."

"So... What is my task?"

Fleton thought for a moment.

"Ah! Good question for a newbie like you, Lil Axey! Come on, follow me again. I'll give you a job for today," Fleton said as he stood.

Fleton took Axel to the lowest deck, the ship’s jail. He opened the door leading downstairs, and they both descended.

The lower deck was… horrible. The smell of rotting wood, mushrooms, mosses covered the floors and the walls because of the lack of sunlight.

As Axel set his foot in the room, the stench pierced his nose. The smell was unbearable for Axel as he covered his nose with both of his hands, but the smell pierced through his fingers.

"Ugh, the smell! It stinks!" Axel thought.

He looked at Fleton, but the smell didn't affect him in the slightest.

“What is his nose made of?” Axel thought.

"Wait for a moment," Fleton said as he looked around.

Fleton took a mop and an empty bucket. He filled it with water and gave it to Axel.

"Hold these for a sec," he said.

Axel held his breath and held the mop with the bucket. He put the bucket down and covered his nose with one hand.

"Your first task: Mop this place until it smells better," Fleton said.

Axel dropped the mop as he frowned towards Fleton.

"I... What?" he asked.

Fleton took the fallen mop and handed it to Axel.

"You heard it clear."

Axel sighed as he held the mop.

Fleton went upstairs and Axel, with disappointment, began mopping the deck. He tried to breathe through his mouth, but the nauseating smell filled Axel's senses, causing his eyes to become teary as he almost puked.

“Oh my…!” Axel thought. “The smell!”

He mopped using only his right hand as he held his nose using his left. As he moved to the corner, a calming voice of a man greeted Axel.

"Good Afternoon," the voice greeted.

Axel jumped in shock and aimed his mop at a hostage cell where the voice came from; it was right behind him. Axel's legs were shaking, and his hands went cold.

"Who-Who's there?!" Axel asked.

It was a 5.9 feet tall slim man in his mid-30s. He had beige skin, Grecian nose, and long dark brown asymmetric cut hair that reached past his cheeks with no facial hair. He wore round glasses and a white cassock robe. His voice was gentle and calming. He had a mysterious and charming aura surrounding him. He always used hand gestures when talking.

The man was sitting on his flat wooden bed inside the small jail cell. The cell had narrow ventilation for light and air to enter. The man smiled with a warm, mesmerizing gaze as he saw Axel pointing the mop to him.

"Oh? Did I startle you?" the man asked, concerned. "I apologize for that."

Axel lowered his mop and got closer to him. He stood in front of the cell.

“W-Who are you?” Axel asked. “Why are you here?”

"Me? Oh, I am just another unfortunate person who happened to be here. Ah! Where is my manner? I should introduce myself. Pardon me. Ahem! I am Durxante Alglory. Please address me as Durxante for short."

"Oh, I—"

Before Axel introduced himself, Fleton opened the door and shouted to Axel.

"Hey, newbie!" Fleton shouted as he descended the stairs. "I almost forgot to tell you: Just ignore the person in the cell! He is insane—" He saw Axel standing still instead of working.

“Hey!” Fleton scolded. “Don’t laze around! This deck can’t mop itself, ye know!”

"Aye! I'm sorry—!" Axel replied as he bowed.

"Raise your head. I will visit you again with Captain Goldteeth." Fleton ascended the stairs. "Don't slack off and do your work, newbie!"

Instead of obeying Fleton, Axel continued to talk to Durxante.

“Ah, newbie?” Durxante said, concerned. “Who are you?”

"Ah—! I’m Axel. I'm a new crewmate.”

Durxante gasped with his eyes sad.

"Oh! What a pity!" Durxante closed his eyes and shook his head while clasping his palms in front of his chest. "Why does an adolescent man like you choose this kind of living? There's always another thing you could have become! O Lord, may you give Axel a better life—!"

"H-Hey!" Axel said as his eyes widened. "Don't misunderstand! I only need to reach the Western Land for free. I have no other choice but to stick around!"

Durxante laughed as his smile returned, and Axel realized the pity was a joke to tease him. Durxante coughed, trying to regain his composure.

“Western Land, hm?” Durxante said as he smirked. “I am heading there too! Hey, what do you seek in Western Land?”

"I'm seeking fame by introducing my grandfather's works there to make my grandfather proud of me."

"Works? Is your grandfather a craftsman or such?"

"He is a blacksmith, and I'm his sole apprentice and successor."

"Hm? But why must you pursue your dream in Western Land? Can't you be a good blacksmith in Eastern Land?"

"That's because he never reached Western Land as long as he lived. He was too old, so he wanted me to reach there instead."

"Is that so? Ah, what a good grandson you are! I want to have a grandson like you when I get old. But alas! I can't get married!"

"Why can't you get married?"

"Ah, that!" Durxante scratched his right cheek using his index finger while looking up. "Ah... P... Please don't ask me anything about that subject. I-It's too sensitive to me,"

"Ah, okay then, why do you want to reach Western Land, Mr. Durxante?"

"I'm searching for someone there. Someone important to me."

"A friend of yours, or perhaps... your lover?"

"It's a family of mine." Durxante said and paused for a moment as he looked on the ground, concerned about something.

“D-Durxante?”

“Ah!” Durxante said as he raised his head. “Sorry, Ahem! Anything else you want to ask this poor man?”

"How long have they held you here?"

"That..." Durxante looked around cluelessly. "I don't quite remember, sorry. I must have been here for too long that I have considered this cell as my home. Anything else?"

"Hmm, ah! How about the reason they captured you?"

"Ah, that!" Durxante scratched his head as he bit his lower lip; he looked worried to answer the question. "It's a lengthy story! When they were away… I... Hmm... How did you put this..." Durxante gnawed his left thumb, thinking critically.

After a moment of awkwardness, Durxante's eyes widened as an idea flowed to him like an electric shock.

"Ah!" Durxante said aloud as he raised his finger. "I tried an unauthorized change of ownership without the captain's agreement to control and take the ship all by myself!" Durxante sounded over-optimistic, making Axel think twice.

“So… In short, you tried to steal the ship?” Axel asked.

"Ah..." Durxante's heart skipped a beat as he started sweating. "The term steal is incorrect. Please don't say that. You make me feel that I am a criminal."

"You tried to steal the ship didn't you?" Axel interrogated as he stared at Durxante deep in his eyes with his face full of doubt.

"N-No." Durxante's lips quivered. "I-I'm not!"

"You did try to steal the ship, didn't you?" Axel squinted his eyes.

"Ahem! I... I." Durxante's limbs went cold as his face turned pale. "I didn't want to steal it! A-At first..."

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"So you did try to steal the ship!" Axel shouted with open eyes as he pointed at Durxante like a prosecutor delivering indisputable evidence.

"Okay, okay, fine!" Durxante closed his eyes and slammed his fists to his thighs, accepting his defeat with his teeth clenched. "I tried to steal this ship. Are you happy now?!"

"But why?"

"You see... I have no enough money. So, I sneaked myself in, hoping that they never noticed me being here. That was where I was dead wrong. They captured me in less than a minute and put me in this cell."

"Have you begged the captain to set yourself free?"

"Yes!" Durxante clasped his palms. "I have begged countless times! But sadly, deaf and merciless ears heard those pleas instead! So, I shall patiently wait and pray for the day I am freed from this icy steel cage, just like how Paul of Tarsus once did."

"I see..."

Axel looked at Durxante's cassock. For Axel, Durxante's clothes looked unusual. He thought Durxante was wearing women's clothes.

"Why are you wearing strange clothing?" Axel asked.

"Weird you say?!" Durxante huffed as he stood, instantly. "I am a preacher!"

"Oh! S... Sorry, I meant no insult," Axel apologized as he scratched the back of his head.

Durxante sighed as he sat back.

"What is a preacher, is it an occupation?" Axel asked, curious.

"Yes, it is! A preacher is a person who preaches the Word of God to people from place to place."

"God? What is that?" Axel asked.

Axel was agnostic. (Agnostic: a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God/Goddess).

"That's a simple question." Durxante closed his eyes for a moment as he silenced. "But with very complicated and long answers depending on how others interpret it and I can't tell you about it now."

Durxante looked at the ventilation. The sky was turning orange; it was afternoon.

"But for now, why don't you finish your work first?" Durxante suggested as he gave Axel a warm smile. "You do not want to make the captain and the officer angry for disobeying them, no?"

"Oh, my!" Axel realized he had done nothing but talking. "I almost forgot the task!"

Axel grabbed the mop and hurried to mop around the room as Durxante watched him.

"I can't believe it." Durxante thought as his smile faded for a second as he became concerned for a moment. "It's right here. Didn’t think I would meet you so soon…"

Moments later, the captain and Fleton descended the stairs to see Axel's work.

"Alrighty, Fleton. What did ya order him to?" the captain asked as they descended the stairs.

"It's a simple task," he said. "A deck cleaner."

"Deck clean'r?" the captain said, surprised. "I see. We don't have one, eh?"

"And now we have."

As Fleton stepped in the room, Axel finished mopping.

"Ah! Captain Goldteeth, Fleton!" Axel greeted as soon as he saw them both. "A-Ahoy!"

"I'm so lucky that I finished it on time!" Axel thought as he looked at Captain Goldteeth and Fleton with his hands shaking.

"How's the work doin' here, Lil Axey?" the captain asked.

"Aye!" Axel saluted while holding the mop with his left hand. "I have cleaned the deck, captain! Just as Fleton ordered!"

Captain Goldteeth and Fleton walked around. They saw the place was better than before. No more mosses nor fungus on the wall and the floor.

"Smells better than my late grandmother's perfume!" Captain Goldteeth commented, impressed.

Captain Goldteeth patted Axel's back.

"Ye did a good job, Lil Axey!" the captain praised. "Come with me to the main deck! I have to show ye something."

"Um, Captain, what's with that man in the cell?" Axel asked as he pointed to Durxante.

"Him?" Captain Goldteeth asked.

Durxante looked at them with a sincere smile.

"God bless you—"

"Shut up!" Captain Goldteeth shouted as he gave Durxante a hateful stare.

Durxante responded by waving his right hand. Captain Goldteeth patted Axel's back again while hurrying to leave.

"Ouch!" Axel thought as he tried to hold the throbbing pain, "My injuries!"

"He is just another stupid religious lunatic! Just ignore him, Lil Axey!" the captain ordered. "Talking with him will make ye more stupid than ev'r!"

Axel just nodded, and the three ascended the stairs onto the main deck.

Fleton closed the door, and silence flooded the room. Durxante closed his eyes and clasped his hands.

"For God alone, o my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. Psalm 62:5."

On the main deck, Fleton had prepared a heated steel marker and passed it to The Captain. The Captain looked at Axel. Axel gulped as sweats started pouring from his body. Axel moved back a few steps with his legs trembling.

"Um... W-What are you going to—?" Axel asked, anxious.

"Gimme yer hand, Lil Axey!"

"What are ya goin' to do with that heated metal?"

"For my late grandmother's sake, Lil Axey! Just do as I say! It will not hurt!"

"Heck, no! I'm not doing that!" Axel said aloud as he scurried away, leaving, but Fleton grabbed Axel's shoulder and locked Axel's wrists with a rope.

"H-Hey!" Axel yelled. "Release me—!"

Axel struggled his best to let go of the rope, but Fleton tied his arms on a wood pole. The captain stood next to him with the heated steel marker ready.

"Don't worry, Lil Axey," Captain Goldteeth said to calm Axel down. "It will feel like a mosquito's bite."

Fleton pulled Axel's sleeve and Captain Goldteeth imprinted a mark on Axel's right upper arm. Axel screamed in pain as the captain imprinted the mark. After five seconds, the captain pulled the marker.

"See?" the captain said. "It's not that painful—"

"Mosquito's bite your nose!" Axel shouted as he stared at the captain with a bitter look and a pale face. "It felt like a tiger's instead!"

Captain Goldteeth flicked Axel's forehead.

"Ouch!"

"Don't exaggerate ye son of a biscuit mak'r!" the captain scolded Axel aloud. "If it felt like a tiger's bite, ye would be in Davy Jones's locker!"

Captain Goldteeth looked at the imprinted mark. It was a mark of an octopus holding seven cutlasses and a skull.

"Hunky-Dory (meaning: good/going well)," the captain said. "That's all for now."

Captain Goldteeth handed back the marker to Fleton and returned to his quarter. Fleton stood next to Axel and patted his shoulder.

"All right, let's talk for a moment," Fleton said to Axel.

Axel gave Fleton a bitter gaze for tying him before.

"I'm sorry, okay." Fleton apologized as he gave Axel an awkward smile. "That's our tradition of welcoming newbies!"

Fleton untied Axel's hands from the wooden pole.

"Fine," Axel muttered as he tapped his right upper arm.

Moments later, they both sat near the edge, talking.

"Have you ever touched any firearms?" Fleton asked.

"No, I haven't."

Fleton pulled out one of his flintlocks and aimed at the orange sky.

"Gun is a very simple tool. Just pull the trigger and"—Fleton pretended to shoot the flintlock at the sky—"bang!

"However," he added. "There are many types of firearms. In my life, I have only used flintlocks and muskets."

"Is it heavy?" Axel asked.

Fleton handed Axel his flintlock.

"Try it, yourself," Fleton instructed.

Axel took Fleton's words too literally as he aimed to the sky and pulled the trigger, causing a loud gunshot noise, surprising everyone working.

"Hey!" Fleton scolded as he took the flintlock back forcefully. "Don't just shoot that thing outta the blue!"

"Oh! S-Sorry!" Axel apologized with a shocked face.

The captain, who was reading his map inside his quarter with a bottle of rum next to him, fell down, surprised from hearing the shot.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted aloud as he went outside with his clothes soaked with rum. "Who in the world just shot a damn flintlock?!"

Axel stood and bowed from afar.

"Sorry!" Axel apologized sincerely.

"Fleton!" Captain Goldteeth called. "Don't give a kid a dangerous toy again!"

"I'm not a kid," Axel thought as he scratched the back of his hair.

"Aye!" Fleton replied, and the captain went back to his quarter.

They both sat down. Fleton shook his head as he looked at the orange sky. The sun was close to the horizon. Fleton stood and pulled Axel's right arm.

"Hey, stand up." Fleton invited.

"Ah? Oh," Axel muttered as he stood up.

They both stared at the sinking sun. Fleton looked at the sun in silence and concern.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Fleton asked to break the silence. "I just don't know the day when I cannot see the sun anymore. This could be the last time seeing it."

"Don't say that. I believe that you can see it too tomorrow," Axel replied.

"Hmph. Of course I will," Fleton said with a smirk.

There was silence once more.

"Fleton," Axel asked. "How did you join the crew? Did he test you like he did to me?"

Fleton giggled as he covered his mouth with his hand.

"W-What's funny?" Axel asked.

"Ah, just forget it," Fleton replied with his face turning red, still smiling.

Axel gave Fleton an unimpressed look.

"Sorry. There's no such test," Fleton said.

"Wait, then why did he test me?"

"He never meant to let you join, so he made the impossible test," Fleton explained. "But, it backfired and you won fair and square. Captain Goldteeth always kept his words."

"So, how did you join?"

"He saved me."

"Save?" Axel raised one eyebrow. "Save you from what?"

Fleton lifted his head to the sky, trying to remember his past and his first fateful encounter with Captain Goldteeth.

"From despair," Fleton said.