William slowly opened his eyes. His head was killing him. He shifted slightly, feeling wet sand below his entire body. He reaches out with his left hand, almost absentmindedly. His hand touched a piece of broken wood.

  Memories of a typhoon slapping against the side of a ship flash through William's mind, suddenly remembering what had happened. They were caught in a typhoon while fleeing the Marines, and had been shipwrecked.

  William pushes himself up, small cuts and bruises covering his body, but nothing to worry about. He looks around at the surrounding beach, and it is covered in death.

  Marines and pirates alike, bodies littered across the beach. Shards and splinters of wood from presumably a ship scattered around the bodies, one even pierced through the chest.

  William examined some of the pirate's bodies around him, recognizing some faces as his fellow crew members. He didn't feel too hurt by them dying; it was quite common on the sea, and they were pirates. The Marines would kill them on sight, without a hint of remorse.

  He pushes himself off the ground, and to the ocean, two wrecked ships lay near cragged rocks, both split wide open. One he recognized as the ship he was aboard, the Jolly Rodger now ripped to shreds. The other ship however, was painted Navy Blue, and the broken masts bore ripped Marine sails.

  "Damn," he mutters. William starts to walk to a nearby body of a man with ginger hair and shattered glasses. He looks around for something else, but sees nothing. Near the body of the ginger, a single black bicorn hat with a gold trim lay, seemingly undamaged. William picks up the hat, and puts it on.

  He looks over to the body, and shifts his gaze. "You were a good friend, Rick. I will lead the crew in your stead, for my name is William Emanon!" He announced the proclamation loudly for the entire beach to hear.

  "William?" a gravely voice called out from the side, causing William to swish around. A man with white hair, goggles, and face cloth covering his entire lower face greeted William as a rifle was held in the newcomer's hands.

  "Haha! Verona! Still alive!" William half cheered. Verona was still new to the crew, but he was a crackshot with that gun.

  "Apparently," Verona answered. He sighed. He had only been recently recruited, and almost immediately they had run into a typhoon. "Where's the Captain?" he asks.

  William grimaced, the grin almost always on his face disappearing. "Dead, sadly," he replied, the same grin returning once again. "But fear not, Verona! I have stepped up as Captain in Rick's shoes!" he exclaimed proudly.

  Verona didn't mind much of who was Captain, as long as his got him closer to his goal. "Alright; what from here, Captain?" He said it in a teasing tone. William was at least somewhat capable, he WAS the previous Vice-Captain.

  "Firstly, we need to find if there are any survivors from our crew," he answers, ignoring Verona's teasing. He looks around some more, before a glinting some distance away grabs his attention. William immediately dashes off, leaving Verona to catch up.

  William approaches the glinting in the sand, and he finds someone unexpected. A man with messy short blonde hair, and a small cut below his right eye lay in the sand, plate armor still on him. William leant down to see if he was breathing, and he was.

  William grinned wider, and took a deep breath. "Duros! Wake up!" The armored man named Duros shot awake, confusion surrounding him.

  "Wha-uh, huh?" he yelped, looking around him. His eyes settled on William and Verona behind him, freshly caught up. Duros' face split into a wide, beaming smile. "Ah, my friends! How good it is to see you after that terrible storm last night!" his voice confident and booming.

  Duros took a look around at where he was, surrounded by splintered wood and bodies. "Oh dear, this is quite a dark day indeed. Say, William, friend, where is the Captain?" he looked around at the area half expecting Rick to step out somewhere.

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  "Duros, friend, unfortunately, Rick has been taken from us by the storm. I have taken his place as Captain," he explained.

  Duros' head lowered in sadness. "A shame such a man has been taken from us. But if you have taken his place as Captain, then I shall be overjoyed! One of my closest friends, my Captain!" he laughs loudly and with joy.

  "Were there any other survivors, Captain?" he asked after he finished laughing. "Other than Sir Verona of course."

  "Unfortunately, none so far, but I have hope!" William responds.

  "Glorious! We shall search for more of our friends that have survived!" Duros shouts. Verona seemed to be surveying the beach, his eyes hidden behind the goggles.

  "I think I see something on the edge of the tree line," he announces. The other two turn towards him. "I can't see it fully, but I think it's...a house."

  "Glorious! If there is a house, that must mean there are people living here! Let us go at once!" Duros proclaims.

  "Slow down, Duros. I agree that houses equal people, but we don't know if they'll attack us or not. After all, we're-" William is cut off by Duros.

  "Nonsense! I believe I am quite reasonable. I will convince them to stand down!" Duros then begins to walk off towards where the house Verona spotted was.

  William glances over at Verona, who just shrugs. Verona begins to follow Duros, with William following close behind.

  "Why are there so many of the exact same house?" Verona asks, looking at the sight in front of him. A large wooden log house, quite sturdy in it's foundation, even on sand, had ten exact copies lining the edge of the trees.

  "Perhaps they share an architect?" William asks, unsure. Verona glances over at him. "I-I don't know! Why don't you try guessing?"

  A large shadow sudden looms over the group, as a seeming giant appeared out of the forest. Huge was the best way to describe him. He was shirtless, chest hair covering most of the bare skin. A thick beard covered his face, and an eye patch covered his left eye. An axe hung over his back, and he was carrying several trees over his shoulder.

  "Who's there?" the giant asked in a gruff voice. He stood directly in front of the group, yet looked straight ahead. His eye scanned the coast looking for someone.

  "Ragnar! Bud! Wrong way! Down here!" William called above to the burly man. He looked down, the group finally entering his vision.

  "Cha-ha-ha-ha-ha! William! Didn't see you down there! Is that also Duros and Verona? Cha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" He laughed a large hearty laugh.

  "Where is Rick, William? Is he a voice like the rest of you become so often?" Ragnar asks.

  William once again explains the situation of Rick's passing to Ragnar. Upon hearing the news, Ragnar lowers his head. "I understand. He was a good friend. But we must continue with his memory! Cha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

  "Right you are, Ragnar, my dear friend! Rick will forever live in our hearts!" Duros proclaimed.

  "Ragnar, do you know what is with these houses?" Verona asks. Ragnar just laughs.

  "Cha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Of course I do! I made them! Watch! Cha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Ragnar throws the trees he had on his shoulder up into the air, drawing his axe. In a swift movement, he sheared the leaves from all the trees in a single swipe. The next minutes Ragnar moved in a frenzy. He was cutting wood, shaping every part. After only two minutes had passed, an almost carbon copy of the other eleven log houses stood, now making twelve.

  "Cha-ha-ha-ha-ha! My house building skills are unmatched!" Ragnar boasted proudly. The other three applauded, William whistling.

  "Well, Ragnar. I didn't know you were able to build a house so efficiently!" William complimented. Ragnar laughed again.

  "Of course! I come from an island of lumberjacks! Cha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Ragnar was proud of his island. It was his home. But the reason he was here with this crew would have him bring justice to those who stole it from him.

  "Ragnar, did you encounter any survivors from the shipwreck?" Verona asks. Ragnar thinks, then shakes his head.

  "Well, we checked this side of the island, we might as well check the other!" William declared. The group agreed and walked back to the ruined beach.

  As they returned to the beach most had woken up on, there were new people on the ruined beach.

  A figure with a black cloak covering most of their body and with the hood up hid most of their features, but it was still obvious it was a girl. Pink frizzy hair poked out from underneath the hood, ropes tied around her, with a second figure wearing a Marine uniform had a foot on her hidden face with a pistol pointed at her.

  A third figure stood nearby, also a Marine, seemingly watching, weapon in hand. A voice was echoing across the beach to where the four pirates could hear them clearly.

  The figure pointing the gun at the girl on the ground was speaking, his voice high, quick, and scared. "I-I know we have to take you back alive, but I ain't afraid to shoot if you cause me any more problems I'll just report it as a Naval accident! S-so don't move! I swear!"