At Seawind Harbour, countless onlookers stared speechless at the black ship that had erupted from the water.
They had seen magic’s wonders before, but for a palm-sized model in Yechui’s hand to transform into a colossal vessel, that was beyond shocking. It filled them with awe at the ship’s sheer power.
This black vessel was a large warship, its decks armed with combat magic cannons. What stunned them most was its uniform darkness: hull, sails, even the ropes hanging from the masts were dyed a deep, ink-like black. The moment it appeared, it stole every bit of glory in the harbour, rendering every other ship dull and insignificant. For a moment, no one even remembered the ominous meaning of black sails on these waters.
Yechui’s group basked in the crowd’s stunned silence, smiling with satisfaction as they climbed aboard and took their places on deck.
The Black Pearl was crafted from some ancient, weathered wood that felt both timeless and indestructible, as if it could withstand any storm. Yechui’s robes fluttered dramatically. Standing at the helm with one hand on the wheel, he shouted with heroic flair, “We set sail!”
Debbie, Green, Guni, Xiles, and Shalume, followed by the Dragon-Turtle Trio, lined up behind him, striking cool poses as the sea breeze whipped their hair and clothes. What majestic swagger!
Then…
Ten seconds later.
“Huh? Yechui, why isn’t the ship moving?” Debbie asked in confusion as the crowd began to mutter, wondering if they were done posing yet.
“Oh crap, we have to raise the anchor first!” Yechui suddenly realised.
The onlookers: “…!?”
“Guni, go pull up the anchor over there,” Yechui continued.
Everyone watched as a petite girl walked to the thick black chain hanging over the side. The chain was thicker than her thigh. A little girl was going to raise the anchor? And without even using the winch?
A collective wave of bizarre thoughts swept the crowd, only to turn into pure shock. With cute little “heave-ho” grunts, Guni began hauling. Amid the splash of water, the massive chain rose effortlessly. Her tiny feet planted on the gunwale, her small body seemed to contain infinite strength. The enormous anchor, easily hundreds of pounds, was yanked clear of the sea and tossed onto the deck like a toy.
The Black Pearl lurched forward.
Black sails billowed. The sound of the hull cutting water filled the air.
“Yo-ho—” Yechui, gripping the helm, let out an exhilarated whoop.
Then the ship suddenly veered wildly, heading straight for a moored merchant vessel. Panic ensued. Yechui scrambled at the wheel. The deck tilted, sending him flying sideways.
Everyone stumbled. Debbie grabbed the helm to stay upright and yelled, “Yechui, what’s happening?!”
“I don’t know! Why did it turn like that? Shit, we’re gonna hit! Hit the brakes, brakes!”
Debbie: “Brakes?”
“No, turn the wheel! The other way, right, right!”
Under the dumbfounded stares of the harbour, the Black Pearl wobbled, swayed, and finally steadied, sailing out of sight. And fast, incredibly fast. In moments it was just a black speck, far quicker than any merchant ship docked there.
The seasoned sailors in the crowd couldn’t help but show envy at her speed.
Then someone snapped out of it: “Black sails… that’s a black-sailed ship!”
“Black sails are cursed! Only flown when the captain dies. Ever since the ghost ship started appearing decades ago, any ship with black sails suffers mysterious disasters…”
“Exactly! Even the Black Sail Pirates don’t dare fly black sails despite their name!”
Whispers spread. Every coastal dweller knew the superstition. These days no one dared sail under black sails, so when Yechui’s magnificent ship appeared, people were too awestruck by its grandeur to remember the curse.
More importantly, Yechui’s crew were clearly the greenest of rookies, yet they were sailing this masterpiece under black sails… Were they begging for trouble?
Kind-hearted merchants removed their hats, placed hands over hearts, and bowed toward the sea, offering solemn condolences to the doomed crew: May the ocean grant you peace.
As for Captain Mantis Shrimp… no, Captain Sea Dragon, his expression turned strange. He hadn’t expected these fat sheep to possess such a ship. Staring at the distant black speck, greed flashed in his eyes. He made his decision.
“We set sail!” he barked at his crew.
“Captain, what are you planning? You’re not seriously thinking of robbing that monster ship… our little tub is no match!” a lackey protested.
“We’re not robbing them!” Captain Sea Dragon snorted confidently. “Black sails are cursed, and those idiots clearly don’t know how to sail. They’ll wreck themselves on a reef or suffer some disaster. We just follow behind and salvage the wreckage. That ship alone will make us rich!”
…
Yechui could have summoned experienced crew from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, expert helmsmen and captains aplenty, but where was the fun in that? Hands-on sailing was the true adventure. He quickly grasped the basics, pretending to study the chart (though he understood nothing), glancing at the compass (which also meant nothing to him), but damn, the vibe was perfect!
This wasn’t his first time summoning the Black Pearl. Back in the Buried Sword Land, he had manifested it as a BGM projection, just a hollow shell. But this redeemed version was the real deal: spacious cabins, a luxurious captain’s quarters, and holds stocked with rum, bread, and barrels of fresh water, enough for a long voyage.
Once the ship was on course, Yechui, Debbie, Green, and the others changed into full pirate regalia.
Yechui went full flamboyant Jack Sparrow, effeminate captain mode activated. Debbie donned an eyepatch, tied her hair into tiny dreads, and with her longsword and perfectly dishevelled pirate outfit, exuded a dangerous “please bully me” aura (…).
Lesa and Xiles were personally styled by Yechui, Nami and Robin cosplay, and honestly, the look and figure fit them perfectly.
Green, Guni, and Shalume wore standard sailor-pirate garb, pure Caribbean flavour.
The Dragon-Turtle Trio got children’s pirate outfits from the mall, bright colours, tricorn hats, and tiny boots. Ferocity? Zero. Cuteness? Off the charts. Even Celty’s head got skull makeup from Debbie and was hung outside the cabin as decoration.
A pre-prepared flag rose: a skull with one eye a goofy cartoon, one eye an alpaca, and the mouth a husky, slowly unfurling in the wind.
Yechui stood proudly on deck.
The Casual Name Pirate Crew was officially open for business!
The Black Pearl soon vanished into the endless sea.
While Yechui’s gang happily cosplayed, far behind, barely visible even through a spyglass, a shabby sailboat followed. Flying a mantis-shrimp… no, sea-dragon jolly roger, Captain Sea Dragon gripped the helm, eyes fixed ahead.
“Captain, I see them! They’re heading toward Dragonstone Island!” a lookout reported.
“Good. Keep watching,” the captain replied coldly.
…
Farther still, hundreds of miles away, in the pitch-black abyss of the deep ocean where only monstrous deep-sea fish and grotesque sea beasts dwelled, a pair of eyes suddenly ignited.
“Huuu—”
A sound like breathing.
Those enormous, terrifying eyes turned toward the Black Pearl’s direction. It could not see the ship, but some mysterious sense told it a black-sailed vessel was sailing.
Angry black light flared in its eyes.
The curse of black sails, a legend for decades, was never just a rumour…
