The swaying waves and the palm trees fluttering in the wind.
Anyone could tell this was a resort.
Just look at the atmosphere.
It felt like someone would burst out any second and hang a flower around your neck.
A faint, peaceful melody seemed to ring softly in my ears.
Bbyak!
Excited in the new place, Bbyak freely flew through the blue sky.
What about Toto and Choco?
They climbed onto the cube Somi had made and enjoyed a break.
Where the sunglasses came from, no one knew, but they were healing perfectly.
Somehow, they seemed to be having more fun than I was.
Should I just throw myself into the ocean water too?
First, let’s release our Mint.
Under the golden sunlight, I let the small, round Mint loose. Its short legs paddled awkwardly as it moved forward.
It seemed to enjoy the warm sunshine, making soft, bubbling sounds.
Bubbling!
Maybe because it was a turtle, it walked very slowly on the sand.
That very image somehow felt relaxed.
Step by step, it cautiously took its steps.
Arriving at the sea, the gentle waves swept along and turned into white foam bubbles.
I plunged into the emerald-tinged sea I had only seen in pictures.
But once in the water, Mint was like a fish in its element, or rather a turtle.
It freely swam through the water.
It even dived, then poked just its small head out and sucked water through its mouth.
Mint smiled brightly in the cool sea water.
Or maybe it just naturally looked like it was smiling.
What did it matter?
As long as it looked that happy, that was enough.
Was there anything else here?
I decided to explore the surroundings alone.
“Hey guys, please take good care of Mint. I’m going to take a quick look around.”
Bbyak bbyak!
Pachi pachi!
Bow bow!
Except for Somi, who was still in class, the other brothers replied not to worry.
Alright, then I’ll leave Mint with the good brothers and go check out the surroundings.
It was the perfect day for a pleasant walk under the warm sun.
Walking softly on the sand that puffed under my feet, I scanned the surroundings.
Tall palm trees and the refreshing sound of the waves.
Looking up at the transparent sky, it stretched endlessly.
The sky was so clear and bright.
Hawaii, the world’s best resort?
I wasn’t jealous at all.
Flying for hours, changing planes day and night…
Of course, if you flash your badge, you could get there quickly, but I didn’t like crowded places anyway.
But here, it was peaceful.
There weren’t even any footsteps of tourists.
This was a real resort.
I could enjoy the beautiful scenery and healing without worrying about anyone’s gaze.
Ah, in a place like this, I should be having a mojito.
Lying on a sunbed under a parasol with a mojito in hand.
Just the thought already felt so good.
I’ll buy some once I go out.
Of course, I have to invite the association folks and Solha too.
And Silpia, who will be living with us from now on.
As I thought about this and that, the end of the beach came into view.
But something felt strange.
White things were falling from the sky.
Snow.
Snow in such a warm resort?
It was so out of place.
But it was definitely snow falling from the sky.
Enchanted by the dreamlike atmosphere, I walked a little further.
A completely different scene from the beach I had walked along until now appeared.
A winter sea covered in white snow.
Listening to the crashing waves, the scene made me crave grilled clams.
And then,
“A pirate ship?”
An old pirate ship lay buried in the sand.
***
A shipwreck lying on the snow-covered beach.
At a glance, it was clear the ship had been battered by years of storms, broken here and there.
A weathered black pirate flag fluttered.
The mast was half-collapsed.
There wasn’t a single part untouched by damage.
What could this be?
Nothing particularly stood out…
Then, suddenly.
Creak—
Something inside just moved.
Could it be a person?
Impossible.
Until now, I had never met anyone not invited to the tower.
Moreover, there was no way anyone would be on this ruined pirate ship.
Still, I felt uneasy.
Maybe a ghost?
Usually, haunted bones dwell in places like this.
I had already met skeletons before.
No matter how often they could pop out, none appeared now.
Then,
Rustle.
Again, I felt something moving inside.
I wasn’t worried, so I called Bbyak.
Pyaram blew, and from afar, a red life form flew over.
Of course, it was Bbyak.
Always on point.
With my reliable companion, I cautiously checked inside the pirate ship.
I took a quick glance from a distance.
Nothing particularly visible.
Then,
Clack—
A familiar sound.
The noisy sound I had often heard in the graveyard.
The rattling of skeleton bones.
Wearing a black pirate hat, one hand holding a cutlass.
I counted eight skeletons at a glance.
The one with the eye patch seemed to be the captain.
At times like this, the big boss goes down first.
With a vigorous flap, Bbyak flew and smashed the skeleton captain’s skull!
Clack?
Startled by the sudden attack, the skeleton looked around in confusion.
Then it pulled out a cutlass and pistol and fired.
Of course, it was all in vain.
The pirate ship was cleared in an instant.
All remaining skeletons were defeated.
“There shouldn’t be any more.”
Still, it was best to be safe.
I carefully examined every nook and cranny.
Finally, I opened the last remaining captain’s room door.
Then.
Caw?
A white seagull sat, tilting its head.
Our eyes met, and the seagull hurried to flee.
But Bbyak quickly subdued it.
Caw caw.
Struggling was useless.
Who does a seagull think it is, flapping in front of an immortal phoenix?
I immediately dealt a stinging punishment.
Only then did the seagull calm down.
Then a new system message appeared.
[You have subdued the owner of the ruined pirate ship.]
[You now own the ruined pirate ship.]
[Ruined Pirate Ship] An old pirate ship. Without an owner for decades, this ship had been taken over by the seagull captain Gallow.
[Pirate Seagull]
[Rank] D-C+
[Preferred Food] Small crustaceans
It was a familiar named beast I had never met before.
Seagull captain.
I now understood the reason for its name.
It was probably the pet seagull of the captain we had fought before.
He must have given it its name.
Now, the seagull guarded the ship in place of its deceased master.
Caw caw.
Gallow, with a sad expression, shared its story.
It had once been a well-known pirate around here, Captain Marcus’s pet seagull, Gallow.
But one day, while sailing near an island, it was attacked by an unknown beast.
A huge monster.
A massive tentacle from the deep sea struck the ship, sinking it instantly.
That was how it ended up here, tossed by fierce waves.
The crew who cared for Gallow suffered serious injuries and eventually turned into skeletons.
The sea’s curse.
The spirits trapped on the island with nowhere to go became monsters.
But several of them, including Gallow, were still alive, guarding the ship.
Now, it no longer remembered its old master’s face.
It just couldn’t leave a place it considered home.
Listening to Gallow’s story, tears welled up.
What a touching story.
A seagull guarding a ship, unable to forget its master.
Bbyak chirped comfortingly to Gallow.
This wouldn’t do.
It must have been so lonely until now.
I decided to welcome it as a new resident.
“Here, eat this.”
I handed over a small fish and patted its back.
Eat this and forget everything.
Let’s live happily from now on.
Gallow’s body began to shine, sparkling with emotion.
Evolution.
The seagull captain who had waited so long for a new master.
It found its owner who would live with it for life along with Bbyak!
Its ragged feathers were now neatly groomed.
The pirate hat it wore looked even more majestic.
At that moment, alongside Gallow’s evolution, the ruined pirate ship began to revive.
The holes patched themselves, the broken parts lifted back up.
And then.
Swoosh—
The once unrecognizable pirate flag fluttered in the wind.
A black phoenix painted on the sail.
A skull with black hair.
A familiar image.
It was me and Bbyak.
This ship had accepted us as its new captain.
The dilapidated pirate ship floated lightly into the air, then started moving toward the sea.
Soon, the pirate ship had regained its former shape.
The grand sound of the ship’s horn echoed as it prepared to set sail!
***
Bubble bubble—
Baby turtle Mint.
One of the Four Guardian Beasts summoned from Dimension 10,459.
Mint escaped from the gate while humans on Earth 10,459 were at war.
If the phoenix symbolizes purification, the turtle symbolized protection.
The guardian of the sea.
But by the time Mint appeared to the world, it was already too late.
Humanity had crossed an irreversible river.
After endless conflicts, a nuclear war broke out.
The land and sea became polluted, turning into places where no life could survive.
At that moment, Mint made a decision.
If it couldn’t protect, then it would destroy.
It burned everything down.
The already broken humanity stood no chance against the adult turtle.
No matter how advanced their technology was, most of it had already been destroyed.
Thus, humanity of Earth 10,459 perished.
But Mint had used too much power.
Polluted land and sea.
Exhausted, it took a rest.
That’s why the forest where the Elves live was able to flourish.
Then, reacting to Bbyak’s power, Mint woke from a long sleep.
However, after the battle, Mint had lost all its power.
It reverted to its baby form.
Because of that, it could no longer stop the disease spreading throughout its body.
The disease suppressed by the power of the guardian beast spread everywhere.
It should have been doomed.
But a new master showed it mercy!
Thanks to that, now it was only the baby turtle Mint who had lost all its past powers.
Still, it was clearly an S-rank guardian beast.
It freely roamed the vast sea.
Its swimming speed was so fast that no brother could beat Mint underwater.
Enjoying peace, it dived deeper into the ocean.
There were so many colorful corals.
Tasting the multicolored corals, playing with sea creatures it had never seen before.
Tropical fish, starfish, crabs, conchs, and more.
Everything was fascinating.
Its original home had only ruins and polluted waste.
Time flew as it wandered underwater.
How much time had passed?
Mint had come quite far from the island.
Just as I was about to turn back before the brothers got worried, I turned my head.
I saw something.
Old ruins of a building.
Just looking at it gave a mysterious feeling.
Something was present.
Holy and noble.
Definitely an amazing item to find.
Without hesitation, Mint headed for the underwater ruins for its master.
Then.
Amid the collapsed debris, something flashed.
A giant octopus.
A huge monster disguised by the surrounding environment swung its tentacles toward Mint!
Startled, Mint quickly dodged.
If it had been even a little slower, it would have been in serious trouble.
At that moment, I felt my master’s presence from afar.
Mint shouted toward the octopus monster.
“You stay right there.
I’m coming to you, master!”