The dawn sun rose like a slow-burning fire over Windmill Village. Its golden light touched the rooftops, the swaying blades of the great windmills, and finally the pier where nearly the entire village had gathered.
The wooden dock groaned under the press of bodies. At the front stood Mayor Kass, his weathered hands clenched behind his back, face etched with both pride and sorrow. All around him, villagers wiped tears, waved handkerchiefs, or clutched baskets of farewell gifts.
And at the center of it all stood Makino.
She wore a simple travel dress, her hair bound back, but her eyes glistened with tears that would not stop. She clutched Kuina's and Tina's hands like lifelines, while Jin stood tall at her side, his hand resting firmly over hers.
Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Everyone… I'll come back to see you. Windmill Village will always be my home. Thank you—for raising me, for protecting me, for loving me. I'll never forget."
Mayor Kass stepped forward, his old eyes soft. "Makino, child… You chose your happiness. We can't hold you back. All we can do is bless you. But…" His tone sharpened suddenly as he turned to Jin, his gaze becoming surprisingly fierce for such an old man. "Boy. We're entrusting her to you. If you ever make her cry—if you ever raise a hand against her—the whole village will put every coin together to put a bounty on your head. You'll never escape us."
"Damn right!" someone shouted.
"That's our Makino!" another villager bellowed.
The dock erupted with voices, a chorus of half-serious threats, as if the whole town had turned into a tribunal against Jin.
Jin only smiled. He tightened his grip on Makino's trembling hand, then bowed slightly to the crowd. "Mayor, everyone… you have my word. I'll protect her. I'll love her. She'll never walk alone as long as I live." His voice, calm yet carrying across the pier, left no room for doubt.
Makino broke then. Tears spilled freely as she threw her arms around him. Kuina and Tina pressed close too, each offering her warmth in the only way they could.
Life was full of departures and reunions. But this one—this leaving—cut deep. Makino had closed her tavern, handed the keys to her friend Arly, tied off every loose end. She had chosen her future with Jin. Still, seeing her village lined up to send her off shattered the strong composure she'd always carried.
Villagers crowded forward, one by one pressing her hands, patting her shoulders, giving hurried blessings. Kuina bowed stiffly to those she knew. Tina gave curt nods, unused to sentiment but unwilling to be cold on such a day. Even Kuma inclined his massive head respectfully, though words failed him.
Finally, the last goodbyes were said.
"Cast off!" Jin's voice carried as he turned toward the vessel anchored just off the pier.
A massive crab—the strange living ship that had agreed to carry them—shifted its legs in the shallows, claws clicking. The villagers gasped and laughed nervously, but the children cheered, delighted by the sight of a living creature so huge.
The crew climbed aboard.
As the crab-vessel began to paddle forward, Makino lingered at the railing, looking back. The villagers hadn't moved; they stood there waving, calling, crying. The sight broke her all over again.
Jin slipped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, anchoring her shaking body against his chest. His breath warmed her ear. "Look," he murmured, pointing back. "They're not losing you. They're blessing you. Every tear is a prayer for your happiness. And with me, Kuina, Tina, and Kuma beside you—your life's going to be brighter than they can imagine."
Kuina added softly, "We're your family now too."
Tina smirked faintly through the solemn air. "And you know me—I don't let family down."
Even Kuma rumbled, his voice low and steady. "I will protect."
Makino turned, tears still streaming but a smile breaking through. "I know. With all of you… I'm satisfied. No, more than satisfied. I'm blessed."
The ship pulled away. Windmill Village grew smaller, the pier fading into a blur of figures and waving arms.
Makino pressed her forehead to Jin's chest, whispering so only he heard. "Don't you dare ever let me regret this."
Jin tilted her chin up, kissed her hard and deep—uncaring of the others nearby. Her tears mixed with his kiss, salt and fire together. She melted into him, arms clutching tight. For a moment, the farewell pain was swallowed by heat, by the desperate certainty that whatever storms awaited, they would face them together.
When they parted, breathless, Makino laughed through her tears. "You're impossible."
"And you're mine," Jin replied simply.
…
By midday, the crew had settled into rhythm.
Makino busied herself unpacking supplies, making lists, forcing her hands to work so her heart could calm. Kuina sat cross-legged with her sword, polishing the blood-red blade with a cloth, her eyes locked with devotion as though the steel itself could answer her dreams.
Jin envied that look.
Tina reclined on a woven chair, eyes closed, her breathing deep. He knew she was replaying months of training, mapping every gain, every lesson, into her muscles. She lived on vengeance and discipline.
And Kuma—Kuma sat unmoving, his bulk still as a mountain, aura pulsing faintly as he tested his inner beast, seeking mastery over the storm inside.
Jin walked the deck, the wind catching his hair, his shirt open at the chest. Salt spray flecked his skin as he stepped to the prow, arms folded, violet eyes drinking in the endless horizon.
"Finally," he whispered to himself. "Out to sea. A new book begins."
For five months he had prepared. Day after day, grinding his body toward perfection, never forcing, only building. He couldn't even measure his own power anymore. Stronger, sharper, honed to a level he couldn't compare to his old self. Kuina and Tina had leapt forward as well. Kuina breaking into Dark Force, Tina layering discipline upon revenge. Kuma… still evolving.
They were ready.
Jin grinned, a savage joy curling in his chest. "The Navy. The pirates. The Revolutionaries. Even the Celestial Dragons. This world is a game begging to be played. And I intend to play it to the end."
…
"Enemy sighted!"
The cry shattered his reverie.
A young sailor scuttled across the deck, face pale, sweat pouring. He pointed out to sea, voice cracking. "A kilometer ahead—a pirate ship on intercept course! Orders, sir? Do we flee, or…?"
His words trembled, the fear stinking off him. He cursed under his breath about bad luck, about a sister waiting at home, about dying so soon after leaving port.
Jin's lips curved into something dangerous.
The game, it seemed, was already starting.
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T/N :
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