CHAPTER 2

It had been five months since Kreegan had arrived in Shimotsuki village. The people here treated him very well. But Kreegan moved around like a ghost.

Tsura, the fishing captain who rescued Kreegan, would visit him occasionally, but Kreegan hadn't spoken a word since he had arrived. Tsura was watching Kreegan, looking out to sea under the sakura tree at the top of the hill. Tsura turned to the elder and asked.

"What did the doctor say?"

"He said that the child went through a huge physical and mental trauma and that his internal organs were damaged because of this physical trauma. The doctor said that he would never be like other children anymore and would have a weak body."

"So why doesn't the boy talk at all?"

"He said that there wasn't any physical problem preventing him from speaking, and he chose not to talk because of the mental trauma he went through. The doctor said that if we continued to provide him with a proper environment, he would start talking after a while."

"It breaks my heart seeing a child like that."

"The child most likely saw all his family killed before him."

"At least he knows how to write his name, so we are not calling him "boy" anymore."

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Koushirou had been watching the newly arrived boy from afar for several weeks. The boy had not lost his will to live, but because he had no goals in life, he was rocking this way and that in a sea of melancholy. Normal children would have childish dreams and goals like being the greatest swordsman ever or being the king of the world. But this one had nothing. All he wanted was to live without any goals or dreams.

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Two more months passed like this, and he was a little mingled with the other children, but due to his weak physique, he could not even compete with children three years younger than him and quickly got tired. Keegan stood, as always, under the sakura tree on the hill, looking out to sea. The reason he did this was out of habit. While living in the Gao Kingdom, his father used to go up to the highest hill and watch the sea on the day he had to return from the sea. His father was a strong marine soldier. He even knew his father's rank. He was a petty officer under Captain Rat-face. he only saw him once when his father returned. That day, his father wanted everyone to pack up and take a vacation in a hurry.

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In the evening of that day, the pirates had killed his entire family, and thin tears began to fall from his eyes. he sniffed strongly and tried to hold back the tears. He will never forget the tattoos the pirates had. He started thinking I'm going to find them and punish them when I grow up. But then he remembered the doctor saying that he would always have a sickly body and should be careful not to overexert himself.

"Never quit, that is what father says... I will get strong."

Just then, he saw a ship on the horizon with a black flag on the ship's main mast. The pirates found us here too. Kreegan was starting to panic, and he had to reach the port before the ship came ashore and inform the Elder, Tsura, and Koushirou.

He ran towards the shore with all his might, but halfway through, he began to gasp. Before he fell into the sea, he could run ten times that distance at once, but now he started to feel sick after running a little distance. He grits his teeth and manages to reach the shore, but by the time he reaches the shore, the pirates are already off the ship and on their way to the tavern. On the highest mast of the ship was a blue skull in a black flag.

Seeing the pirates, Kreegan took a deep breath and thought that the pirates would hurt these people too. He picked up a stick that stood on the side of the road and started running toward the leading pirate. The pirates were laughing and chatting loudly among themselves.

Some pirates had noticed him approaching, but who would care if a 6-year-old boy approached them? Approaching them silently, Kreegan struck the front pirate on the leg with his stick and began to shout.

"Go away, stay away from us!"

The pirate kicked Kreegan and began to draw his sword.

"You fucking piece of shit, how dare you hit me, captain of the Bluejam pirates!!"

He was about to lower his sword at Kreegan when another sword intervened and stopped him. When the pirate looked at him, a tall, slender man with glasses was beside him. Turning to Bluejam, Koushirou said:

"If you can't drink and leave with your manners, I think it's time for you to leave."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

Bluejam tried to cut off Koushirou, but he effortlessly deflected Bluejam's attack. Bluejam started to get angry and sent out a series of frenzied attacks, but Koushirou was effortlessly deflecting them all with minimal effort. Bluejam was getting tired, and his breathing became labored. He was about to order his men to kill everyone when he realized that men with swords surrounded them. If even 5-10 of these men were as skilled as the man in front of them, he could only get out of there in a coffin if they continued to attack. He didn't come where he was by picking a fight with people more powerful than himself, so he decided to go back to his ship and leave.