Chapter 14 – Brawl at the Harbor

THE EXPLOSION WAS HEARD almost all over Port Royale. Riku and Raijin were already at the town center, waiting for Daisuke and Jack when the sound of the explosion reached them.

“Woah, what was that?” Riku looked around, wondering where the sound of an explosion came from.

“I think it came from the harbor,” said Raijin, fixing his eyes on the black smoke up in the sky.

“Should we go and see what’s going on?” Riku suggested.

“Heeeey! Raijin!!” a man called out Raijin.

“Hey, Yura. What’s going on? Why are you running?”

The man named Yura ran towards Raijin. “The sharks! They’re at the harbor!”

“Sharks? What sharks?” asked Riku.

Yura took a deep breath. “The Great White Sharks. They are at the harbor looking for you. They...They went to your boat and blew it up!”

Raijin’s heart sank as he heard what happened. He was confused as he did not do anything to anger the loan sharks. He even paid them earlier today. He felt saddened and furious at the same time.

He remembered the time when Boris showed him Kaminari for the first time. It was already old and creaky back then. He couldn’t remember any memories with his parents, but losing Kaminari was a hard slap to him.

“Oh, no. T-This is my fault. They must have thought that you are with me when I kicked that fish brain,” Riku considered after realizing what happened at the market earlier.

“They’ll pay for it,” said Raijin. He took his tonfas from his side and ran towards the harbor.

“Raijin! Wait!” Riku shouted as she ran after him.

As they reached the harbor, they saw thirty, maybe forty members of Great White Sharks, and the brothers, Sera and Hammer. All of them were armed, from simple swords to hand-held cannons.

“Oy, Raijin! It’s nice for you to finally show up! Thought that explosion might reach ya!” shouted Sera. “And you even brought your elf assassin.”

“So it’s true then...you tried to assassinate my brother.” Hammer appeared from behind Sera.

“A-Assassinate? I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you dare lie to us, kid! You sent that elf to kill me! Right guys?”

Sera’s lackey nodded.

“What? I’m not an assassin! Just admit that you are a weakling, fish-brain!” Riku protested.

“Enough!” Sera demanded. “No one messes with the Great White Sharks. Your boat is not enough, so we’ll take everything from you. Including that elf!”

“That boat you destroyed. That’s the last thing I have from my parents! And you took it away from me! You are the ones who will pay!”

The Great White Sharks laughed hysterically.

“And what are you gonna do about it, kid?” asked Sera.

Raijin’s eyes were glaring. As he pressed a button at the handle of his tonfa, the longer end began to spark with electricity.

* * * * *

A few moments earlier at the United Alliance headquarters.

“WHAT?!” Torai jumped out from his seat.

“Calm down, will you?” said Jack.

“Calm down?! You do not simply say ‘Hey, I have news. An avatar is here’.”

“How would you want me to say it then?”

Torai sighed. “Never mind about that. Where’s this avatar then?”

“He’s at the lighthouse. His name is Dai---”

“WHAT?!” Torai jumped out from his seat again.

Jack sighed “Will you please stop doing that?”

“But I was at the lighthouse just earlier before I came here!”

“Really? So you already met him.”

“Yeah. The elf named Daisuke? He didn’t seem to look like an avatar to me though. Are you sure he's an avatar?”

Before Jack could answer Torai’s question, they heard an explosion.

“Was that an explosion?” asked Jack.

They went out and saw a cloud of black smoke rising from the harbor. Torai ordered his men to go towards the harbor and investigate what was happening.

“Sir Torai! We detected three ships heading towards the harbor!” said one of the U.A. surveillance personnel.

“Is it them?” asked Torai.

“We think so, Captain,” asked Torai.

“I knew those loan sharks will come in handy soon! They were related to the Fishbone Hunters. And it seems they led them here,” said Torai.

* * * * *

Daisuke was now in the streets near the harbor. He could now clearly see what was happening. He saw more than two dozen men fighting two people and a few more lying on the ground.

“Riku! Raijin!” shouted Daisuke.

Raijin hit another shark lackey with his electric tonfa. The lackey got electrocuted and fell. “Daisuke!”

“Hey! Fight now, chit-chat later!” Riku demanded as she used her rose magic to fight multiple lackeys. Her enemies found it difficult to fight her thanks to her glowing skin. Her enemies were entranced, almost as if the glowing pattern on her skin was hypnotizing them.

Daisuke knew better than to piss off Riku, so he used his power to create his signature Wooden Arms to fight the shark lackeys as well, much to everyone's astonishment.

“Tch, another plant-user...” said Sera.

“I’ll deal with that newcomer, you deal with Raijin and that female elf,” said Hammer.

“Sir Hammer! The U.A. is coming!” shouted one of the lackeys.

“Damn it! We can’t deal with all of them at the same time!” Sera claimed.

“Three warships? Why would they bring those just for us?” asked one of the lackeys.

Hammer scanned the area. Because of the commotion, they did not notice that three large ships were getting closer to the harbor.

“Hahahahahaha! So he’s finally here!”

From the western area of Port Royale, three to four dozens of U.A. footmen arrived at the harbor wielding rifles and swords.

“You guys! What’s going on here?” asked one of the footmen.

“These people destroyed my boat! Other boats even got burned as well because of them!” Raijin claimed.

Hammer laughed. “Don’t worry, kid. We’re now done playing loan sharks. We are now here to take the whole Port Royale! Witness our eldest brother! The captain of Fishbone Hunters!!”

True to his words, three ships were now near the harbor. Cannons started to shoot cannonballs which were aimed at the warships of the United Alliance.

“What? Fishbone Hunters?” asked Daisuke.

Hammer saw an opportunity to strike Daisuke with his battle hammer, but Daisuke managed to block his attack with the wooden arm.

“You’re pretty clumsy for an elf!”

Daisuke glared at Hammer. “You guys really piss me off.”

Hammer suddenly felt a wave of killing intent coming from Daisuke that made him back off a little. Was he imagining things? Earlier, Daisuke was simply punching with his overgrown arms made of trees. But now, he seems to have the eyes of a monster.

“What's the matter? You were laughing just now.” Daisuke took a few steps forward.

Hammer took another runestone and activated it to become another battle hammer and rushed towards Daisuke. “Once I'm done with you, I'll sell you to the Slave House!”

Hammer was skilled with battle hammers, so wielding two at a time does not even slow him down. He tried to smash Daisuke with his hammers continuously, but Daisuke simply evaded his attacks. His attacks were also so lousy that he was full of openings.

Daisuke exploited his poor defense and tried to punch Hammer with his wooden arm. However, Hammer quickly sidestepped to dodge.

Even with the killing intent that Hammer felt from Daisuke, he still charged him and the two continued to exchange blows.

* * * * *

Raijin was not having it any better. Despite the muscular looks of his opponent, Sera was still able to move quickly.

“What’s the matter, boy? Can’t land a hit?” Sera taunted.

“Shut up!” Raijin shouted as he continued to attack Sera with his electric tonfas.

“That weapon of yours looks great! I’ll take them from you after I chop your head off!”

Sera then went on the offensive after dodging Raijin’s last attack. He swung his ax toward Raijin, but Raijin manages to block his attacks with the tonfas.

Raijin tried to counter, but he just could not find any openings. What’s with this muscle-brain’s speed? How could he move so fast despite his build?

Sera performed a downward strike toward Raijin. Raijin was forced to block the attack with both of his tonfas again.

“You are so weak that you even had to hire some elf just to assassinate me! Pathetic!”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Raijin was struggling to block the ax above his head. “I never planned to kill you.”

Sera raised his ax and struck downwards again. The attack would have definitely gone through Raijin, but Riku managed to block the attack with her rose magic.

“Hey! Need a hand?”

Behind Sera, most of the Great White Sharks were now fighting the footmen. “I see you are already free. I wouldn’t mind if you’ll help me with this muscle-brain.”

“Gladly!”

The pattern on Riku’s skin glowed even brighter as she chanted a magic spell. “Germinio Iraeus”!

“Uwaaaaaaah!!” Sera wailed in pain as rose plants started to grow from where he was standing and got wrapped around him tightly. In just a matter of a few seconds, Sera was completely wrapped inside thorny rose shrubs.

Raijin’s jaw dropped. “You could have started with that! Why use it just now?!”

“Hmph. I will not waste my mana with mere lackeys,” said Riku.

* * * * *

The three warships of the United Alliance started to fire their cannons. Instead of fighting the Great White Sharks that were wreaking havoc at the harbor, Torai and Jack decided to fight the Fishbone Hunters that arrived.

“Alright soldiers, we've been waiting for this for quite a while now. The Fishbone Hunters will end here today,” Torai declared.

“They attacked Maria Island years ago. I believe that was the day my father saw Daisuke use the power of Ariyani.”

One of Fishbone Hunter’s ships headed towards the harbor. The two remaining ships continued to fire their cannons toward the warships.

One of the United Alliance warships tried to intercept it, but got too near the attack radius of the Fishbone Hunters' cannon and got hit.

“Sir, I would like to remind you that we cannot yet afford these warships to be destroyed. The Union Gates cannot send another ship in months. We'll get into trouble.”

Torai got frustrated. Just as when they could deal with the treasure hunters now. “I'm going. Keep shooting those cannons.” Said Torai.

“No, wait. I’ll handle the hunters. Do you think you could take me to one of those ships?”

“Sure. What are you planning?”

“Take me to one of their ships. Then tell your men to close the gap once I gave the signal. You can take care of the ship getting near the harbor after you dropped me.”

“OK. I’m counting on you, then.” Torai then faced his crew. “Men, hold your position. Once Jack gives his signal, close the gap then sink those ships.”

Torai’s men screamed their lungs out.

Jack called Torai. “Let’s do this!”