I was in front of the shark. And as the Megalodon swam and circled me, I had no idea what to do until these people came to help me.

One pirate noticed my figure, and quickly blurted, “MAN OVERBOARD!” Anon, Captain Israel sent out two pirates - more like forcing them to swim in the ocean -, but she didn’t think it through. Just before those pirates ram against the tides, they howled in unison at the top of their lungs. “WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO SWIM!” That’s when I knew we were screwed.

Finally, four pirates dove into the water and fought the baby Megalodon shark with their abilities. One pirate extended his palms when she crashed against the tides, and the other three revealed their weapons augmented with magic. Soon, the woman with arcane in her hand emitted a turbulent gale and sought to blow away the violent fish even for a moment. We didn’t have to fight the Megalodon. All these pirates had to do was to buy time for the rest of us to ascend back from the vessel.

[Character Name]: {Azure} [Title(s)]: {Lackey}

[Species]: {Human} [Occupation]: {Pirate}

[Level 15]

[Age]: {37-year-old}

[Class]: {Swordsman} {Novice Gunner}

[STR]- 3 [VIT]- 2 [MEN]- 31

[DEX]- 4 [INT]- 129 [LCK]-5

Azure was the pirate. Her hair was blue like a cloudless sky, and Azure’s eyes were like sapphire gemstone shimmering in a cave. She had a petite body but jiggling melons on her chest. Even though Azure was a pirate, her tone and voice belonged to an ordinary girl living in a village. If Azure had dressed differently, I wouldn’t have suspected her to be a pirate. And when I paid close attention to her nape, beads of pearls wrapped around her neck, forming a necklace.

There was also one thing I discovered. It was the slave’s title on her status.

The four comrades and pirates she had also didn’t have the {slave} description beside their name. And all five remaining pirates didn’t have abilities besides their weapons already imbued with magic. They were not the ones who cast it. I could only imagine that Captain Israel or someone from the ship was the one who gave it to them. My mind threw dozens of question marks in Azure’s direction, but it seemed that answering my queries was not the best option for now.

However, the wind ability wasn’t enough. Maybe it was because Azure’s stats were low, and her level was just at the bare minimum. Azure was the one who conjured the spell, hoping she could fend off the creature. But we were up against a Megalodon. Whether the monster was a baby or a full-grown adult, the Megalodon shark was not an enemy we should be messing with. Even so, I was thankful that a child shark was the animal we met, not a bigger fish. If a real Megalodon shark appeared before us, even the pirate ship could sink to the depths of the ocean.,

Alas, the spell just triggered the Megalodon. So the fish now aimed for the pirates, despite me being in front of the shark. In spite of casting her skill, Azure had her sweat dripped on her forehead. I swore those were sweats and didn’t come from the salty ocean. That pirate was also catching her breath, suggesting to everyone she was out of juice, even after casting one ability.

I knew it wasn’t my fault for getting drowned in the ocean. It was all thanks to the pirates and their schemes. Regardless, Captain Israel made up for her prank and threw off a few of her comrades into the water just to save me.

So I somewhat had this responsibility of saving these pirates. But the thing was, I didn’t care about anyone besides my sister. If the person or the situation involved Kirameki, I would do everything within my power to fix it and save her. However, this occurrence was not the case. I had been like that ever since the day I was alive. I shouldn’t then, so I shouldn’t now.

Nonetheless, if I let these people drown and get eaten by a monster while saving myself, the prank Captain Israel made for me could turn out to be real. If I were the Captain and shared the same sentiments as Captain Israel had, I would’ve done the same thing.

For starters, saving everyone here would benefit Kirameki and me. If I could somehow get these pirates to my side, maybe fraud comradery wouldn’t be a terrible idea after all.

“Now I get to see what my powers truly are,” I commented, and copied the pirate’s wind ability. Since I didn’t have a weapon just yet, and those five pirates didn’t have any special skills, the one who could manipulate the breeze was the only option I had. At least, for now.

I didn’t know how to activate the skill just yet. But I had a feeling. There was no way for me to memorise each movement done by Azure, the pirate who conjured the wind spell, so I made it my own and trusted my instincts.

It had been ten seconds, but I hadn’t received anything. For a second, I thought that my powers were a fluke and that mimicking other abilities was just a lie told by my powers. But I was stand to be corrected. The moment I thought all hope was lost, an explosive burst of energy left my hands. The projectile was ethereal. But the gale was there. And after a few seconds, the hurricane I copied split the waves and pushed back the Megalodon. Even the spell propelled the drizzle elsewhere, creating a tsunami strong enough to fill a small town.

I didn’t know if the Megalodon survived. But judging from the ability I used, no fish or monster could’ve survived that. And if they did, I would commend the monster’s tenacity.

Everyone who saw the aftermath of my magic had their mouths wide open in astonishment. Even Captain Israel was left with shock, as she froze and stared at my figure in mid-air. The spell I activated didn’t come from me. I stole it from the pirate, which was the one she used to shove the shark away. As luck would have it, I also didn’t receive any injuries or side effects from casting those spells. I recalled that even Azure had wasted her energy despite conjuring such a minor ability. And yet, I felt nothing. I showed that my system was superior to the rest of them, and I had an overpowered ability that I should flaunt to others. If several more people knew what I could do, who knows how many enemies could study my skills and use them against me?

Thankfully, Azure and the others who could swim grabbed us by their shoulders and went to the ship. Azure undid my ties and threw me back onto the deck with the two pirates who couldn’t swim. We used a ladder to ascend the vessel. Some pirates even went for the duo and revived them, only to realise they were still alive and well. I heaved out a sigh, knowing what had happened. But eventually, everything turned out well, and we survived the ocean’s tempest.

It was over.

The clouds above us disappeared, and the sun shone upon us. Our eyes welcomed the clear picture of the vast body of water, and the sail persisted, stretching onward for a new adventure. These pirates did a perfect job keeping the vessel at bay. They were experienced. Thankfully, the cabin where I last saw my sister was left unharmed despite the savage typhoon. And these pirates protected her and the room.

But not for me. The moment I tumbled on the deck, Captain Israel finally drew her sabre and pointed the sword’s tip near my neck. She was behind me. One wrong move, Captain Israel could cut my nape without remorse and regret. I must watch my words if I still wish to see the light tomorrow.

“What’s wrong, Captain Israel? He’s the one who saved our comrades’ lives! Why do you wish to kill our saviour?” Azure asked.

Everyone mumbled the same thing, unsure what to do. But it seemed that these pirates wouldn’t trade their loyalty for one man’s life. Nonetheless, I was the one who saved those six pirates. If I hadn’t cast my spells and kept myself, which I could, Captain Israel’s comrades would’ve already bitten the dust and left this forsaken world.

Captain Israel slightly touched my neck using her sabre and wounded my body. The blood dripped from the cut. And the crimson fluid continued flowing from my neck down to my body, warming and cooling my skin at the same time.

And then, I returned Captain Israel’s gaze and uttered, “What’s your plan? You heard the ladies?”

“Even with this sword, you still dare to talk, Arata Kazuto,” she continued.

“Believe me, princess. I’ve faced guns and more people than what you can think. As long as I can protect my sister, I don’t mind facing an entire army to save her.”

“Interesting. What an interesting man you are; a very courageous and honest individual who will relentlessly protect the person you love or have the most. I admire you, Arata. You never cease to surprise me. That’s why I took you under my wing.”

“Who exactly are you? And why did you come here in our world?” Captain Israel continued, still with a devilish smile painted on her face. “What kind of treasure do you seek, you rascal thief.”