The Man of the Sea chapter 1
Oct. 13th, 2018 09:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yun_miyakeTitle: The Man of the Sea
Pairing: Ohmiya/Sakumoto/Yama (friendship)
Genre: Adventure, Romance, Friendship
Rating: PG-13
Length: Chapters (seven in total)
Disclaimer: I only borrow their name for this fic
Summary: Sho, an Admiral of the Navy was assigned to find a hidden island. The only one who could help him to accomplish the mission was a freelance navigator who happened to hate the Navy. However, when Sho had just made an agreement with the navigator, someone snatched him away – a high-ranked pirate that Sho had anticipated.
Note: betaed by my best ladygiggles. Thanks so much for sparing your time, you’re awesome and I’m sorry for my horrible grammar
Note 2: It was inspired by One Piece in term of magical power and setting, but the storyline is originally mine.
“Why do I have to go on a mission to persuade a single navigator?” Sho threw the letter down angrily as he finished reading it.
“He’s not just a navigator, Sir,” one of his most trusted captains, Ueda answered while taking the command letter from the floor.
Sho couldn’t get why the Fleet Admiral wanted him to sail towards an island which was out of their jurisdiction to persuade a single navigator. A small mission – at least for Sho’s standard – and he had too many things to handle recently which were more urgent than convincing a freelance navigator to work with them.
Ueda folded the letter and put it down on Sho’s desk with the utmost care, afraid that his movement would add more fuel to Sho’s anger.
Sho glanced at the calendar on the wall; it was the middle of September, the time of so many storms. As far as he knew, even the Navy avoided this month to sail. They didn’t want to risk their lives and chose to wait for the storm season to end. The absence of the Navy was utilized by the pirates to conduct more crimes at sea and on the remote islands. The two biggest oceans – Kanata and Tsunagu – were still under the Navy’s control. However, the pirates had taken the smaller seas and for the past six months, the situation had gotten worse.
Navy’s Fleet Admiral, Higashiyama had ordered the Admirals, including Sho, to conduct patrols on a regular basis to handle the pirates. The problem was, the number of pirates had grown rapidly and arresting or executing them wasn’t the best solution since new pirates would soon replace them.
“Ueda, you come with me,” Sho said.
“Yes, Sir,” Ueda answered.
“We’ll sail tomorrow, at dawn. Prepare everything, we will expect bad weather on our way,” Sho continued. His eyes locked on the map, to the island where they would go, a place where all the bad guys gathered, a place where Navy men like him were not welcomed.
As Ueda left, Sho started reading the information about the navigator he would persuade. The man could be considered a criminal since he worked with pirates, mafia, and treasure hunters. However, he was the best navigator in the whole ocean and now, the Navy needed him to lead them towards the hidden island which hid a secret weapon. According to Higashiyama, no pirates knew about that island, and although the Navy did, they couldn’t locate the place, not even their most trained navigators. Their only hope was to find the freelance navigator who was known for his extraordinary intelligence in finding the most hidden treasures in the entire ocean.
The navigator was only a few years younger than Sho; he had a smart face and from the way he smiled in the picture, Sho could tell that this man was someone hard to persuade. Sho was good in negotiation, but he had never negotiated with a criminal before. He had made a plan, though, to use the force in case this man refused to work with them.
***
Sho led the cruise, he delivered a short encouraging speech to his underlings, particularly to the newly recruited navy men. He told them not to be afraid of the turmoil of the sea and to get ready for the worst possible storm.
“Don’t worry too much, Sakurai-Admiral is here with us,” Sho heard one of them speak to his friend. “He can control the wind, we’ll be alright.”
The dark clouds welcomed their ship as they left the harbor. Sho tightened his fist, indeed he could control the wind with his orion power, but it was forbidden to be used against nature. The power was given to him to protect the Navy from its enemies. That power was the award for him when he succeeded in accomplishing a dangerous mission a few years ago. It was the same year he was promoted to Admiral.
“Sir, we’re heading Northwest,” Ueda reported.
“Keep the pace and don’t panic, you know what to do,” Sho said, glancing at the compass in his left hand. The sky above them had turned darker; an unpleasant wind started blowing and droplets of rain began to pour.
“Understood, Sir!” he replied and returned to his station.
They were lucky that the storm wasn’t as bad as what they anticipated. When the storm was over, it was already dark. Sho checked the compass and the map; they would need one more day to reach the island. Nobody could guarantee that the navigator was still there; but since there was no latest report from the intelligence agent, Sho was sure that the man they were looking for hadn’t made any move to the new place.
Sho looked at the night sky; it had been fifteen years since he joined the Navy. His career was the fastest compared to the other sailors in the same batch. He was also the youngest Admiral. He turned 36 this year; not a young boy anymore, but an age where he could make wise decisions. He was loyal to the Navy and dedicated his life to protect the seas from the pirates. He had imprisoned many pirates including the high ranked ones, his presence was feared by the pirates and respected by the islanders.
He was also popular among the girls. Who could resist him in the first place? He was handsome, his career was on the fast track and he was the hero who freed them from pirate’s terror. If Sho wanted, he could pick the girls he liked to sleep with; but he didn’t. He wasn’t a person who utilized his power for harassment, besides, he was too busy to think about girls.
Sho kept on looking at the blinking stars, it reminded him of a person, someone he was close to. It had been 20 years since they met for the last time. The day Sho joined the Navy marked the end of their friendship. Sho never hated the man, even though they ended up as opposites. Deep down inside his heart, he wanted to meet his old friend again, perhaps in special circumstances where he could act as a civilian instead of a navy Admiral.
He had heard about that particular man’s whereabouts. Ironically, he had become a top-ranked pirate that the Navy couldn’t handle. Sho hadn’t had any chance to encounter him, but he hoped it would happen soon. That man had caused troubles for the government, it would be such a shame for the Navy if they couldn’t arrest him.
“Sir, we’re already close to the shore,” Ueda’s voice woke him up from his daydreaming.
“Thanks, Captain.” Sho answered. He walked towards the cabin wearing his Navy cloak, holding a long blade in his right hand and inserted a gun into the belt around his waist.
Niji Island was a place where neither the Navy nor the pirates took control of. It was some kind of a hub for the sailors, but somehow, the bad guys seemed to dominate the place. Sho hoped his team wouldn’t need to get involved in a stupid fight with the drunken sailors or mafia. If they did that, there would be a possibility that the navigator would decline their offer. Besides, Sho didn’t want any casualties in this mission; he had brought too many inexperienced soldiers with him and risking their lives on their first assignment wasn’t a great idea.
Sho only dragged Ueda with him towards the center of the city in order to avoid unwanted attention. He had already attracted attention with his bright white Navy cloak, though. Sho had received the newest report from their intelligence which mentioned that the navigator was inside the casino and now was playing trump card with three other men.
They entered the tallest casino building and walked straight towards the table in the far corner. The man they were looking for was among the players; he glanced momentarily towards Sho and returned his attention to the cards in his hands.
The man’s appearance was younger than the photos which Sho had seen. He had thick black hair and pale skin which reminded Sho of a plant that lacked sunshine.
“What do you want, soldier?” one of the players hissed without lifting his head.
“I have no business with you, Sir. I’m here for that guy,” Sho answered, gesturing towards the young man at the left corner who still declined to look at him. “We’ll be waiting here, until you finish,” Sho continued.
“What a burden,” the young man whispered.
Sho ignored him and stood still at the edge of the table, watching them play. A man with a hood stared at him but when Sho stared back, the man averted his gaze to the cards in his hand.
They waited for an hour until they finished the game. The young man lazily stood and was about to walk off to the far direction before Sho grabbed his wrist.
“Ninomiya Kazunari-san, we would like to negotiate something with you,” Sho said.
The man turned to him with a frown on his face; he freed his hand from Sho and gave him a critical gaze from head to toe.
“I have nothing to do with Navy commanders,” Ninomiya hissed.
“He’s an Admiral, watch your mouth, kid!” Ueda shouted from Sho’s right side.
“I don’t see any difference,” Ninomiya smirked. “And I’m not a kid,” he added to Ueda before turning around to leave, but Sho was faster. He walked ahead of the man and blocked his way.
“We’re offering you the highest bid,” Sho said.
Ninomiya’s expression didn’t change, but Sho could tell that he was thinking fast and considering what Sho meant by the highest bid. “I’m not cheap, you know.”
“Mention your price,” Sho replied.
Ninomiya glanced around the room and returned his gaze to Sho before continuing. “This place isn’t the best spot to talk about money. Let’s go somewhere quieter,” he said, leading the way even before Sho could answer him.
The man guided them towards the third floor of casino which mainly consisted of a bar. Ninomiya chose a table in the corner where they could speak freely. The jazz music that Sho liked was playing in the background. Somehow, it made him relax.
“First, I don’t work for one side for too long,” Ninomiya said, straight to the point, as they sat down. “Second, I need a guarantee for my safety since many people want to kidnap me, and third, you have to pay me in advance.”
Sho had been told about the terms and condition of this guy, so he wasn’t really surprised now. He knew that every sailor wanted Ninomiya to be on their side, which was why this guy hid on this island once he had finished a job.
“We can provide all of that,” Sho replied with confidence.
Ninomiya pouted, his gaze still indicated that he didn’t trust what Sho said. “Are you going to arrest me once I finished working for you?”
“Of course, not,” Sho said. “We don’t imprison someone who works for us.”
“That’s not what I’ve heard about the Navy,” Ninomiya murmured. “You’re not so different from pirates.”
“Watch your mouth!” Ueda said impatiently.
Sho lifted his hand to stop the captain from interrupting. This Ninomiya was their key to finding the hidden island, they couldn’t risk this chance.
“I hold the second highest position in the Navy,” Sho said. “I don’t break my promises.”
Ninomiya gave Sho a stern look, his lips curved into a slight smile. “I bet the Navy is looking for something more than just treasure.”
“I can’t talk about it here. It’s classified,” Sho said.
“Typical,” Ninomiya shook his head.
“If you agree, we can leave for the Navy Headquarters tonight. My best troops will give you the highest protection until the time of our departure. You’ll get an advance payment, does that sound perfect?” Sho tried to flash a smile to the navigator, but all he could do was a stiff grin.
“Why not?” Ninomiya said.
Sho was surprised; he thought that Ninomiya would ask for payment first before agreeing. It was easier than what Sho anticipated, not a bad thing though.
“If you break your promise, I’m going to navigate your ship to hell,” Ninomiya said. “Now, let’s talk about what I need during my stay with the Navy,” the man continued.
“Ueda, note everything he says,” Sho commanded.
Ninomiya spoke for about five minutes, mentioning everything he needed, including the toilet paper pattern he liked the most. Sho was sure that he made up all of this to annoy them, but it was none of Sho’s concern. His underlings would take care of the toilet paper later on, all he needed to worry about was the hidden island and the secret mission they would conduct.
“Finished?” Sho asked Ninomiya who took a deep breath with such a satisfied smile on his lips.
“For now,” he shrugged.
When they were walking outside of the bar, Sho spotted the same man with the hood covering his head. The man was enjoying a glass of liquor, but his face was perfectly hidden under his black hood. It raised Sho’s suspicions, but he couldn’t do anything now, this island is law-free.
The three of them returned to the ship as it was getting dark. Ueda grumbled all the way as Ninomiya made him bring half of the stuff he bought on their way.
“Sakurai-san,” Ninomiya called. The navigator refused to address him by his Admiral title, which indicated that he declined to obey Sho. “You’d better take the opposite route to return to the headquarters. There will be a hurricane in the middle of the sea tonight.”
Ueda shook his head and rolled his eyes as he heard what Ninomiya said, but Sho agreed immediately. The man’s reputation was already proved; it was better to do what he said.
Ninomiya locked himself up inside his room, he even requested dinner to be delivered. Sho didn’t mind it at all, he didn’t particularly need to talk with the navigator right now. Their classified mission could wait until they were in Navy headquarters. It took longer for them to reach headquarters since they took a round trip; Sho had sent his report to Higashiyama, explaining that they succeeded in persuading the navigator and now were on their way back. Everything seemed to go as planned, at least for now.
***
It was late at night, but Sho hadn’t finished reading the four long reports which were sent by each of his underlings from the four sea territories under his command. Kamakiri Sea, Maboroshi Sea, Kanna Sea and Naraku Sea. The reports were mainly about the pirates who had been growing in numbers for the last three years. Amongst those pirates, there were strong leaders who occupied particular islands. They were out of the Navy’s reach, not mentioning they were by far fewer in numbers, but they possessed power that Sho couldn’t imagine.
Sho finished reading the reports and put them away in the bottom of his desk drawer. He fished out the map instead and took a look at it for a good long time. He recalled the meeting the day before, which had discussed the plan to sail for the hidden island. Ninomiya was there too, he had basically slept half the meeting and only woke at the end, when Higashiyama asked him where the island was located.
Ninomiya swept the room with his sleepy eyes and smirked before answering. “The island is across Naraku sea, you’ll be dead before you could reach it.”
“You’re underestimating us, young man,” Higashiyama said, exchanging a look with Sho.
“I have sailed the most dangerous seas for half of my life,” Sho said directly to Ninomiya. “You don’t need to worry about the risk of our cruise. All you need to do is guide our way.”
Ninomiya shrugged. “Fine by me, but I don’t want to die for the Navy.”
Higashiyama entrusted the mission to Sho. He would depart in ten days, sailing the darkest and the most dangerous sea of Naraku. He had chosen the best sailorsto travel with him, including Ueda. He commanded all units to be ready, particularly in preparing the ship. He checked the progress Ninomiya made on a daily basis. The man had created spectacular maps of the routes they would take during their voyage to the hidden island.
Sho had commanded the special unit to guide the navigator’s room day and night to prevent any intruder from entering the headquarters, not that it was possible anyway. But, something strange happened two days prior to their departure. Ueda rushed into his office with a pale face and shaking voice.
“Sir, we have a problem,” he said.
“What is this? I have no time for stupid problems, Ueda. As you can see, I’m so busy right now,” Sho answered while tracing the map with the tip of his finger. It was the newest map Ninomiya had made, the alternative route, in case the first course was too dangerous.
“Someone has entered headquarters and snatched the navigator, Sir,” Ueda said while trying to suppress his trembling voice.
Sho lifted his head and looked into the captain’s eyes. It was the ultimate bad joke in the middle of the night, he needed a good two minutes to digest Ueda’s words.
“An intruder…” Sho said.
“Yes, Sir,” Ueda answered.
“Tell me, Captain. That you have done something to arrest them.”
“About that, Sir,” Ueda replied with doubt. “We have an issue.”
Sho ground his teeth and stood up. He approached the captain who shrank in apprehension. “Explain,” he commanded.
“All of the guards are falling asleep, Sir. We have tried to wake them up, but it seems that they are under a spell. We entered the navigator’s chamber and found some murals presumably written by the intruder. The situation is suspicious, Sir. We think that you should take a look at it,” Ueda panted as he tried to speak as fast as he could in one breath.
From Ueda’s report, Sho could conclude that the intruder wasn’t a random person. There was no way they could enter this building without being detected.
“Show me,” he said to Ueda, grabbing his cloak from the chair behind his desk.
“Yes, Sir,” Ueda replied, leading the way towards the northern wing where the chambers of the navigator was located.
Ueda’s unit had smeared the corridor with weapons ready in their hands. They bowed in respect as Sho walked past them. When they arrived at the entrance of the chamber, a weird scene welcomed them. All of the guards are lying on the floor with their eyes closed tightly. Their lips formed a slight smile, as if seeing a very beautiful dream.
“What the fuck,” Sho murmured, looking around the room. It was beyond his imagination, never in his life had he seen this kind of incident.
When Sho approached the chamber, numerous artistic murals welcomed him. He narrowed his eyes and felt the anger climb to his head. All of the murals were mocking words aimed at the navy. He continued his steps into the chamber and found more artistic murals, but this time, they were directed at him.
Admiral Sakurai Sho is a pervert!
Sakurai Sho has three balls and a double-headed-dick!
Sakurai Sho loves fucking below his work table!
Sho pretended he didn’t see the last mural which was written on the ceiling with the utmost artistic font. He was so upset he would choke the writer to death if they were in front of him.
“Sir,” Ueda called him with trembling voice.
“What!?” Sho turned to the captain who didn’t dare to lift his face.
“They left something on the bed.”
Sho approached the bed, perhaps it was just more stupid, insulting words. But it wasn’t, instead a small piece of paper was lying on the pillow with beautiful hand writing. There were only four numbers written on it, something which made Sho’s blood boil up.
3104.
To be continued
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Date: 2018-10-14 10:26 am (UTC)Thanks for this new story. I can't wait to read the next chapter !
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Date: 2018-10-14 10:42 pm (UTC)i really wanted to make them as pirates since a long time ago 😸
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Date: 2018-10-26 01:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-10-27 07:46 am (UTC)I owe you so much :))
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Date: 2018-10-29 07:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-10-29 01:18 pm (UTC)so nice to see your comment :)
I hope your schedule will loosen up (not for the sake of this fic, but in order to enjoy more fun days ^^)
please take your time to read it,
my schedule lately also crazy. I have finished writing this series a few months ago during my summer holidays :)