Chapter 76: THIRD POV [BONUS Chapter]

"Impossible—" the first mate began to scream, his voice breaking.

He stepped toward the edge of the smoke, squinting, trying to see what was happening.

Suddenly, a pair of bloodied hands emerged from the gray cloud like claws reaching out of a nightmare.

They were covered in gore and black scales. Before the first mate could even raise his sword, the hands clamped onto his throat and his shoulder, and with a violent jerk, he was pulled into the smoke.

"AHH!!"

A pitiful, gurgling cry echoed out right after. It was a sound of absolute agony and terror that scared the remaining pirates to their very core.

They heard the sound of a struggle, the snapping of wood, and then a wet, tearing noise that made several of them gag.

SPLATTER...

A heavy spray of red hit the deck boards, soaking into the wood.

Thud.. Thud... Thud..

A strange bouncing sound was heard. Then, something came flying out of the haze.

It was a round object that hit the deck with a dull thud and rolled toward the group of frightened pirates. It stopped a few feet away, resting face-up.

The head was none other than that of the first mate. His eyes were still wide open, and even in death, his face still captured the essence of the horror he had felt before the end.

The pirates stared at their leader’s severed head, and the last of their courage evaporated.

"ABANDON SHIP!!"

No one knew who said it first. It might have been the youngest deckhand or the most seasoned fighter, but the sentiment was unanimous.

One by one, the remaining pirates turned and began to flee for their lives. They didn’t care about the ship, they didn’t care about the "merchandise," and they certainly didn’t care about their pride.

None of them bothered to even turn around to see if their comrades were fleeing or not. It was every man for themselves.

They scrambled over the railings, some diving straight into the dark water, while others fought over the few remaining lifeboats.

****

Back on the main deck, high above the chaos near the hatch.

"W-What’s all this racket about?!" The captain of the ship stormed out of his quarters. he was a large, greedy-looking man in an expensive blue coat.

He slammed his hands on the balcony railing, looking down at his crew in confusion. "Why are you fools jumping? Get back to your posts!"

His men didn’t even utter a word. They didn’t even look up at him. They all simply scrambled about like ants in a fire.

Some jumped off the ship in a mad rush, hitting the water with loud splashes. Others hurried to free the emergency lifeboats, hacking at the ropes with their knives.

Seeing this, the captain’s earlier rage was replaced with a stupified look.

He had never seen his crew act this way. They were hardened criminals, yet they were running like children.

"What in blazes are you fools doing! Someone tell me right—"

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The Captain’s words froze in his throat. He heard the eerie, heavy footsteps approaching him from behind, coming from the shadows of the cabin walkway.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. He felt the presence of something predatory standing just a few feet away.

He whipped his head around in a flash, his hand going for the fancy saber at his hip. But he was too slow.

BAM!

Without a hint of remorse or hesitation, his face was met with an instantaneous fist.

Jacob’s knuckles, reinforced by black scales and fueled by the last of his strength, slammed into the captain’s jaw.

The force was incredible. The captain’s feet left the deck, and he was knocked clean off the balcony. He spun through the air before splashing into the sea below.

The few pirates left on deck all shivered, stopping in their tracks as they looked at the man who had just retired their captain.

Jacob stood there, drenched in blood, both his own and that of his enemies. He looked gruesome, his face stern, his skin pale from blood loss, and his eyes glowing with a faint, dangerous light. He looked like death itself standing on their deck.

Their fears grew even more, forcing them to flee even faster. They didn’t even try to fight him. In a matter of moments, the entire ship was pirate-free.

The only sounds left were the flapping of the sails and the distant shouts of the men in the water.

Jacob stood by the railing, his hand gripping the wood so hard it cracked. He watched as the pirates rowed hurriedly in the emergency lifeboats, pulling at the oars with everything they had.

They were trying to get as far away from the ship as they possibly could, fearing that he might jump into the water and follow them.

Jacob watched them for a long time, his vision starting to sway. The adrenaline was finally leaving his system, and the reality of his injuries was moving in.

His shoulder felt like it was on fire, and his leg was numb. He could feel the warmth of the blood running down his back.

He had won. The ship was his. The captives were free.

And yet.

Jacob, who’d been trying his best to remain standing through sheer willpower, finally couldn’t anymore.

His knees buckled, and his grip on the railing slipped. He fell backwards, his body hitting the deck with a heavy thud.

He stared up at the blue sky for a split second, seeing the white clouds drifting peacefully by, before his eyes rolled back. He collapsed on the deck, unconscious.

It seemed that though he’d tried to hide it, that bullet barrage had been too much for him to bear in his human form.

His body was strong, but it was still human enough to fail when pushed too far.

Perhaps things would’ve been different had he been in his merfolk form. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

As he lay there in the silence of the abandoned ship, the black scales slowly receded, leaving only a bloodied, broken man behind.

The "demon" was gone, leaving the ship to drift aimlessly on the quiet waves of the afternoon sea.