The Blackhorn Pirates' ship had neared the shore, its enormous hull blocking the sunlight and casting a shadow over Eliza and the others, still absorbed in their chessboard game. Only then did they realize a ship was approaching.
"Eh? A ship! The one Kiana-san's been waiting for!" Ilya exclaimed excitedly, eager to share the news. Meanwhile, eldest sister Eliza stared in curiosity. A ship meant humans—and so far, she and the others had only seen Kiana as a human. Other humans? She was intrigued.
"I wonder… are these humans as beautiful as Kiana?" Eliza murmured, her gaze following the approaching figure.
Before anyone could respond, a figure leapt from the ship and landed on the beach, the impact sending a puff of sand into the air. Siegel stood there, gripping a massive long knife—almost three meters long. On him, the weapon didn't look unwieldy; it fit him perfectly, like a tailor-made tool. This prized weapon had been won from another pirate crew in the West Sea, and Siegel's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Its nearly 500-catties weight was ideal—not too light, not too heavy.
"Um… so ugly," Eliza commented bluntly, her disappointment clear. Ilya nodded in agreement.
Siegel's thoughts blackened. These mermaids were bold—actually bold. Most creatures cowered at the sight of humans. But here they were, greeting him with insults?
"I poke!" Ilya suddenly jumped up, poking at Siegel's muscular thigh with her tiny finger.
"Uh… it's so tough… nothing like Kiana," she said, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. Her audacity left Siegel momentarily speechless. He'd never seen a murloc unafraid of humans—instantly, he imagined the terror he could induce in such a creature.
"Captain… something's wrong with these mermaids' brains. They're not running!" one pirate observed, smirking. His gaze flicked to Ilya, already calculating ways to "play" with her later.
"Hmph. Fine. Let's grab them, then," Siegel growled. Following his command, a pirate aimed a gun at Ilya. She stepped back, realizing this was no ordinary encounter. These humans weren't friendly—they meant harm.
"You… what do you want?" Ilya asked, voice quivering.
"What do we want? Hahaha… can't you see? You're caught, mermaid fool!" Bang!
A massive fishing net shot from the pirate's gun, wrapping around Ilya and dragging her to the ground.
"Yah! Let me go!" she screamed, struggling fiercely, but the more she fought, the tighter the net became.
Eliza reacted immediately, shoving the others aside. "Go find Kiana! Hurry!"
"Eh? What about you, sister?"
"I'll hold them back. Now, go!"
"But…"
"Quick!" Eliza shouted, face hard with determination. She remembered her grandmother's warnings: humans were terrifying, and mermaids should hide. They had met Kiana first, and she had been safe—but now, this lesson was coming back with harsh reality.
"…Okay, sister. Take care," Eliza whispered, tears brimming, and sprinted after Kiana.
"Trying to run? Hmph… foolish mermaid," Siegel sneered. With a wave of his hand, sword energy cut through the sand in a deep line, splitting the beach in half. Tens of meters long and three meters deep, it was a clear message.
Eliza froze. One wrong step and she'd be cut in two.
"If you run again, next time you won't be so lucky," Siegel said coldly, the massive machete in his hands humming with deadly promise.
The pirates fired their nets again, ensnaring both Eliza and Eliza's sister.
"I-elder sister!" Ilya cried from the ground. But a pirate kicked her harshly in the abdomen.
"Ugh!" she gasped. Pain and fear brought tears to her eyes. Humans… they were terrifying.
Siegel surveyed the three caught mermaids with satisfaction. This was a fine haul—each would fetch a hefty price. "Take them to the ship. Tonight, we celebrate!"
The pirates cheered, hoisting the mermaids aboard. Ilya cried out as a lewd hand groped her. "No! Stop!"
"Don't worry, Captain. We'll be gentle," one pirate said, smirking.
Ilya's panic grew. Kiana, come save me! she silently begged.
Bang!
A gunshot echoed through the forest. An elk's head exploded, brains splattering the nearby trees. Kiana walked calmly, dragging the corpse back to the lake with one hand.
Suddenly, a violent rumble erupted ahead, dust rising. Kiana's eyes narrowed. Which direction—?
Dropping the elk, she activated her shadow armor. Her long silver hair darkened to black, her clothes shifted, and her silhouette blurred as she moved.
"Dodge!" Kiana murmured, her evasion skills sweeping her through the jungle with deadly grace.
Reaching the lake's edge, she noticed the chess-playing mermaids were gone. Her chest tightened at the sight of deep sword marks in the sand.
"This… who did this?"
Clearly, this wasn't Eliza or the others—they lacked the strength.
Kiana's gaze fell on the pirate ship docked nearby. The black flag made her anger flare.
"Pirates? You dare touch my friends?" she growled. In the year since meeting Eliza and the others, she'd grown close to them. Anyone attacking her friends would pay.
She activated her skills again, sprinting toward the ship. Soon, voices reached her ears from above:
"Hahaha, this mermaid's chest is huge!""No, no, please—"
Kiana's fury boiled over. She leapt onto the boat.
"Huh? Who—?" Siegel's eyes widened at the sudden intruder.
Switching back to Moonlight Armor, Kiana's light wings unfurled behind her in a silver cascade.
"Destroy your people," she said coldly, pistols in hand. Siegel blinked. The girl he'd seen just moments ago—black-haired—was now silver-haired and completely different.
"Your appearance…" Siegel muttered, puzzled.
Kiana scolded herself silently. Idiot—of course changing armor would alter her appearance. Something to remember next time.
"A person who can change appearance?" Siegel guessed.
"Yes, that's right," Kiana replied curtly.
"Hmph. Whoever you are… do you know who I am? Siegel! 300 million Baileys bounty! Destroy her!" sneered the one-eyed pirate.
Bang!
Kiana didn't waste words. Her shot rang out, and several pirates dropped instantly, heads blown apart.
"Fifty-three million Baileys? That's enough to draw a supply," Kiana said coldly, her voice like frost cutting through the air. Siegel's grin faltered.