[Rare Treasure Equipped]

[One-Shot]

[Positive Effect I ~ Ten seconds after a cannonball is fired, it instantly returns to the location it was stored in the longest prior to one minute of firing. This includes, but is not limited to, the cannon barrel.]

[Positive Effect I ~ Halves the time that is required for the cannonball to return to its stored location.] (Greedy Effects)

[Negative Effect I ~ Cannonballs fired from this weapon have slightly decreased impact.]

[Negative Effect II ~ The user’s reaction time is moderately decreased when using this treasure.]

...

Roseus was not disappointed in the treasure, but the problem was that the weapon did not have much use to him.

He could, of course, gift it to one of his crew mates, which was why he didn’t count it as a loss. However, he was still suffering from the loss of his treasures.

As he stared down at the cannonball, he started to think back on his battle with the Templars. It made him miss his treasures in a way that he believed he would miss a crew mate if he lost them.

After a while of brooding in his thoughts, Roseus heard a faint sound coming from the distance.

Amidst his pain, he looked up towards the ocean and prepared to use the powers of the storm. It might drain him to the point of passing out, but that was better than dying to another one of those Cannoneer Guards.

However, when Roseus looked up, he saw something he hadn’t expected at all.

Sailing through the ocean in the far distance was a ship so giant that Roseus could see it on the horizon, even during the night.

It was too far away for him to make out any distinct features, such as the flag or specific design of the ship. However, he was certain of one thing.

This was clearly a Galleon. The third tier of pirate ship, of which he had only ever seen one before.

That meant there was a chance that a pirate as powerful as Bonnflammé was heading towards RedSand Island.

"..." Roseus stood there in silence for a few moments, watching as the ship approached.

Afterwards, he pushed himself to his feet and lifted the cannon, One-Shot.

He then wrote the name of the tavern he was staying at in the sand, in case Lencho returned and wished to find him. Finally, he headed back towards the town.

He had no desire to wait and see whether the Galleon was friendly or not.

...

Along the way, Roseus had a quick glance at his system.

As he had been slaying the Chained with his father’s sword, he benefited from the double soul absorption effect that the weapon had given him.

Because of this, he went from 40% to 48% through the Deckhand rank.

He felt he was making decent progress.

...

After a reasonably long walk, Roseus arrived back at the Scorching Hand Tavern.

In the main dining area, there were still a few visitors sitting around and drinking at the bar. Roseus was about to walk right past them and head upstairs.

Then, he took a better look at the figures. He recognised each and every one of the men and women who were lounging around the space.

Their eyes all turned towards him and went wide as smiles spread across their faces. In an instant, Dawn ran over and leapt into his arms, whilst the others made their way over and joined in giving their captain an embrace.

Roseus felt a warmth spread through his body alongside the pain that flared in his ribs. He was able to forget the pain for now, as the feeling of reunion was much more satisfying.

"He’s alive," Kruger said with a playful cheer as he slapped Roseus on the shoulder. "The captain that’ll reach the Eighth Ocean."

"Aye! He is!" Jackson added, before all the others started giving their grunts of agreement.

Dawn stayed in Roseus’ embrace the longest, and even once the hug was done, she took the captain’s arm and wrapped it around her shoulders.

As he stood there with his arm around his Second-Mate, a tankard of ale was thrust into his hand, which he was urged to down. Even the more reserved members, such as Silius, were egging him on.

Roseus spent the rest of that night with his crew, enjoying alcohol and one another’s company.

They spoke about the battle, and Roseus told tales of how he slew Nammon’s vessel and advanced to the rank of Deckhand. He also told them about One-Shot and gifted it to Adriana, who could utilise the weapon greatly with her Triple Shot skill.

The crew also told Roseus how the battle ended and filled him in on the various treasures they had earned and the advancements they had made in their systems.

Roseus was particularly interested in the Crescente Spear, as it was linked to the sea god Lunarti, also known as the Reflected Moon God of the Sea.

...

Whilst the crew were having their reunion, Stanislava remained in the corner. She also drank, but did not involve herself in the conversation at all.

Shortly afterwards, Lencho arrived at the tavern as well, whom Roseus introduced as a man who wished to join the crew.

The duo would be a lot to deal with and required much more questioning before being accepted as part of the crew, so the Redflowers decided to deal with it the next day.

Once the drinking was done, the crew headed towards their respective rooms. The men were in one room and the women in another.

However, there was one last separate room where Roseus and Dawn would stay. This was something that felt natural both to them and to the crew.

It gave them time to talk and spend time alone together. Rather than falling asleep straight away, they found themselves chatting for another hour.

In the end, they fell asleep in a bed beside one another. For some reason, it felt natural to be embraced that night as they drifted into the dream world.

It was a peaceful night, so they enjoyed it. After all, they knew that these sorts of nights were a rarity in the Eight Oceans.