Chapter 337: Landed

Ned landed with his knee, making a loud impact over the wooden planks, louder than the waves the ship facing at the moment. 

With his Detect skill on, ICE prompted as soon as Ned started to stretch his body to stand. 

[34 lifeforms detected.]

Ned raised an eyebrow under the mask, scanning the ship's crew around him. For now, aside from a guy with a broken jaw, and a patched eye, the rests of their jaws were hanging, if not squinting their eyes of what they were witnessing.

One of the crew raised a hand, pointing a carved blade to Ned with his hands trembling. "Makers-of-old-and-new-seas! What do you want?" He wore his red bandana full of sweat from both the high noon sun and the surprise he can't suppose to control.

Before Ned could spat a word, an arrow whistled his spot, then arrow, and another arrow. Most of it was lousily aimed at Ned as they flew past him almost a meter away. Perhaps surprise got the most of them. Ned simply docks to evade at least three of them. But the more he evade, the more he was slowly being pushed backward, to the railings empty of barrels. They were trying to push him.

In just seconds he landed on the ship, the crew have managed to make a hasty decision. Whoever's behind their coordination was not ordinary.

And here Ned has chosen to land in the most simple-looking ship, with rusty irons as a bracket for the mast. The ship was smaller than the ship of the Time to Loot crew. Perhaps they weren't looting that much.

Six arrows wedging toward him, different speed than the rest, while Ned was making a mental note of the crew's positions on the deck. Ned conjured Zephyr spell that produces a pair of chains and immediately waved them to block five of the arrows. Ned swiftly conjured Windturner, bending the trajectory of the remaining arrow, and hit the ground an inch away from his black boots.

"For the life of me and the Seven Emperors," a lady's voice came sounding over an elevated platform where the wooden steering wheel was visibly brown under the heat of the sun. "I have never seen that kind of magic." She held a bow, ivory surface, and curved to perfection. Pulling arrows behind her quiver, she aimed to Ned. "Who are you? What do you want? Why are you here?"

Ned raised hands instead. Loosening himself instead of fighting any further. "I am a landlubber," he said, "I bring no harm."

Men of at least 20 to 40 years of age glared at Ned, most of which snickered. Yet did nothing as they looked up to the lady with the bow.

Must be their captain, Ned thought as he looked up at the lady. She got short hair tied neatly. Surprising as she seemed to be talking not of the pirate tongue but that of a landlubber instead.

"Where did you come from? The lady asked the iron tip still aimed at Ned.

It was at this moment that a shadow slowly emerged from above. Newter then stopped and hovered above, almost touching the flag of the crew, as she was half as big as the ship.

They could barely breathe, or steady their aims. Half of the crew ran below the ship, while others could barely hang on the railings, and a few raised a hand with bows aimed at Newter. One peed which made his white pants leaking of yellow liquid.

"Don't shoot!" Ned shouted, taking their attention back to him. In spite of this, an arrow whistled.

Newter's fur simply shrugged the arrow off. She glared at the captain.

"Newter, enough," Ned said, voice commanding. "All's fine now." Ned nodded but his hands remained suspended on the air, showing the crew that he came to bring no harm. "You may leave."

And leave she did, Newter flew over the horizon which left the crew of the ship flabbergasted as they stared at Ned with awe, and fear. Some could not even hold back themselves and ran to leave away from Ned.

Perhaps, I came in too strong, Ned thought.

Minutes passed. Realizing that Ned was a mighty person that could bring their destruction if he wanted to by simply commanding his beast, Niagara the captain gave up and welcomed Ned to her crew.

Judging from her Leak, Niagara was at least Silver in Hunter's rank. A roguish type of profession.

Ned was given a room, a food, and every accommodation he needed without asking more about his background, or why the mask?

After an hour, Ned settled himself quite nicely inside one of the cabins. Niagara had to apologize for more than enough as she could only give Ned an ordinary room.

While Ned had to maintain a facade like he owns the ship. Lucky for him, he was wearing a mask. If not, Niagara would be given the chance to study his youthful not-inclined to lying face.

I am not, Ned thought. I'm just acting.

[And you are far from being good at it.]

ICE had to intervene to stop Ned from thinking so highly of himself just because he came with a massive evolved beast.

The crew, which they call themselves as Orange Shanty: as to why the name? Ned assumed of Niagara's orange hair (That for some reasons, complements with her chubby cheeks, and speckled nose), eventually gets used to Ned with his mask on. Ned had to ask their captain properly to brush the fear off she was feeling to him, about the Wrath Island.

Lucky for Ned, the ship was built to tread waves rather than to fight ships. With that, Ned heaved a sigh of relief as Wrath Island was also at the same path the Orange Shanty was taking.

Ned tried to ask them of their destination, but it seemed that pirates were secretive enough all they said was somewhere in Scattered Bay.

With only a day to reach the Wrath Island, Ned had to take advantage of the free food the crew was offering.