Chapter 79: JACOBS POV[BONUS Chapter]

It was an aura of power, meant to crush my will and make me bow.

Inwardly, I scoffed. I had felt the weight of the deep ocean on my lungs.

Experienced the feeling of a crushing magic of a mermaids rage.

Just this much pressure wasn’t enough to deter me. I didn’t even blink.

"And didn’t anyone ever teach you not to go around harassing children?" I retorted, giving her a slow, deliberate one-over look, from her feathered hat down to her leather boots.

"If you don’t take care, miss, some unwanted rumors might start going around."

I let a small, mocking smile play on my lips.

"I’d hate for your legendary name to be tarnished by some little misunderstanding. People might think you have to pick on simple kidnapped men, just to feel big."

"B-BOSS!" Dinklehimer was flabbergasted. He blurted out the word frantically, his voice cracking in fright.

He looked like he wanted to jump forward and cover my mouth with his hand, unwilling to let me say another word that might offend the beast folk.

"Don’t interrupt."

The beast folk merely said those two words, yet a cold chill washed over every man on my ship.

It wasn’t a shout, but the sheer authority in her voice was enough to shut everyone up instantly.

Dinklehimer went stiff as a board and didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.

Even I myself felt disturbed in that moment.

It was a strange feeling, a prickle at the back of my neck that told me I was standing in front of a true monster.

A rare thought couldn’t help but cross my mind, was this woman, in fact, as strong as Persephone? Perhaps even stronger?

She had a presence that felt solid and dangerous, like a mountain that was about to fall on you.

Not wanting to diminish my self-confidence, I quickly shook off the idea.

I couldn’t afford to start doubting myself now.

If I showed even a second of weakness, she would pounce on it. I kept my gaze locked onto hers, refusing to look away.

The beast folk stared at me in silence, not saying a word. She was studying me, her golden eyes moving over my face as if searching for a crack in my mask.

She didn’t look angry anymore; she looked intrigued. Her tail flicked behind her, hitting the deck occasionally.

The silence persisted for a long while. The only sounds one could hear being the creaking of the ropes and the splashing of the waves against the hulls of the two ships.

The men behind me were as still as statues, waiting to see if I was about to be turned into a snack.

When I thought I should say something else to break the tension, she finally spoke up.

"Become a member of my crew," she said.

"W-What?" I blinked, trying to process what I’d just heard.

My brain felt like it had stalled out. I had expected a threat, a fight, or maybe a demand for gold. I definitely hadn’t expected a job offer.

"Absolutely not!" I refused without hesitation.

The words came out of my mouth before I even had time to really think about it, but I didn’t regret them.

I stood tall, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, staring right into those glowing golden eyes of the beast folk woman.

Why on earth would I want to help such a woman in the first place? I didn’t know her name, nor did we have any history between each other, and I definitely didn’t trust the way she looked at me.

Leaving me feeling uneasy.

I’d had enough of being bossed around by women like her.

I had just finished breaking my literal chains; I wasn’t in any hurry to put on new ones, even if they were made of gold and pirate fame.

"You sure? I could make you my first mate," she said, her voice smooth and deep. She tilted her head, her white-furred ears twitching as she watched my reaction.

’To hell with being your first mate,’ I scoffed inwardly. She spoke as if that was some kind of great prize I should be jumping for.

As if being the right-hand man to a pirate was the dream of every guy who got lost at sea. It wasn’t enticing in the least.

To me, "first mate" just sounded like "assistant boss," and I was tired of having a boss of any kind.

But then, a thought hit me. Why would she just give me such a high-ranking position right off the bat? We had just met.

I had just woken up from being knocked out. She didn’t know if I could lead, if I could sail, or if I would even be loyal.

Wasn’t she worried it would cause displeasure amongst her men? If I were a pirate who had worked on her ship for years, I’d be pretty mad if some random guy from a slaver ship got promoted over me on day one.

It felt like a trap, or maybe she was just that desperate for someone with a bit of backbone.

"I’m afraid that’s still a no," I said, keeping my voice steady. I didn’t care how good the title sounded.

I wanted my own life back.

"Really? So you’d rather wander aimlessly through the ocean without my help?" she asked.

Suddenly, she revealed a light smile.

I frowned, not sure what she was talking about. What did she mean by I would wander aimlessly through the sea? We had a ship.

We had a crew. We had the sun and the stars.

I wasn’t a sailor, but I figured if we just kept moving, we’d eventually hit a piece of dirt.

I glanced at Dinklehimer, seeking answers. He was the one who had been manning the wheel.

He was the "old timer" who claimed he knew everything there was to know about boats.

Surely he knew where we were going.

"Umm... boss, you see..." Dinklehimer started.

His tone didn’t sound confident as he spoke. He wouldn’t look me in the eye.

Instead, he started fiddling with a piece of rope on his belt, his face turning a little red.