“Where’s that little girl?”
“She seems to have run to the first-class cabin at the front.”
“Idiot, why didn’t you go in and catch her?”
“Boss, I was scared. What if that fat guy was telling the truth? I read in the newspaper that the guy called Rougishu is a complete monster!”
“Coward! If there really was some big shot inside, why would they hide in their room? Go, show some pirate spirit, kick down the door, and drag that girl out to beat her to death!”
“Kick down… beat to death…”
“Exactly, with that kind of spirit. Remember, you are the most ferocious, ruthless pirate!”
Hearing the commotion outside, Robin bit her lip and squeezed under the bed.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
A pirate walked up to the door, ready to kick it open as instructed by his captain. However, a sudden dread made him hesitate, lifting his right foot mid-air. “Wait, maybe this is a bit rude. Perhaps I should try a more polite approach?”
“Ahem!” He adjusted his collar, retracted his foot, cleared his throat, and knocked on the door gentlemanly. “Excuse me, is anyone there?”
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
“Oh! My apologies for disturbing you!”
The pirate turned to leave without hesitation. His captain looked dumbfounded and asked, “Why are you back?”
“The room’s occupant doesn’t seem to be home. I’ll come back later.”
The captain felt his anger boil over and kicked the idiot pirate aside. “Move away, and watch how I do it!”
“Damn it, it seems like next time we recruit, we need to be more selective. Can’t have trash like this on board.” The captain walked up to the door, ready to kick it open, when he heard strange sounds from inside—solemn, majestic, yet indescribably sorrowful music.
For some reason, the pirate captain’s mind was flooded with memories as he listened to the haunting melody.
There were old people, children, women—all the familiar faces he had killed, their cries of despair still echoing in his ears.
The spirits of those he had murdered seemed to rise from hell, lamenting their unsalvageable souls’ torment.
Faces, familiar and strange, with bloody tears, clung to him, gnawing at his soul and flesh, pulling him into an endless abyss.
“No, no…”
“Captain, captain…”
The frantic calls of his men jolted the captain back to reality. Seeing no actual ghosts around, he sighed in relief. “Was it just a hallucination from stress?”
“Captain, your gun…”
“What gun… Oh, damn!” The captain realised he was aiming his gun at himself.
“God, this is freaky!” Cold sweat dripped from the captain as he quickly holstered his gun. Standing before the door now gave him pause.
“Captain, let’s leave. I told you, that Rougishu is a monster!”
“Are you kidding? You think I won’t open this door?” The captain steeled himself.
Bang!
“Damn it, what have I done?” Despite his mounting dread, the captain stepped inside as the peaceful music resumed.
Robin, hiding under the bed, tensed as she heard the door being forced open, wondering, “Why did it take them so long to come in?”
The pirate captain entered and saw a man with a ghostly mask, seemingly asleep in a chair. The captain’s courage swelled.
“This guy is Rougishu? He doesn’t look so tough. No weapons either. Was I scaring myself?” The captain relaxed, seeing Rougishu unresponsive. “Whoever he is, a bullet to the head will send him back to hell!”
Just as he aimed his gun, Rougishu’s eyes snapped open.
Those eyes, reflecting endless blood and cold death, made the captain believe he was facing a reaper from the underworld.
“Shh! Could you keep it down? The fourth movement is about to start.”
The captain nodded numbly, his finger on the trigger but unable to act.
The room was eerily quiet!
Robin, peeking from under the bed, was terrified by the scene—the pirate stood frozen, pale-faced and hollow-eyed, like a corpse.
Robin covered her mouth tightly and hid again, trembling with fear. “Am I going to die here, turned into an eternal wraith like the stories say?”
Robin felt a strange calm as the music shifted to a serene, ethereal tone. She almost forgot her pain and hatred, feeling as though she was back in her mother’s embrace.
Even the blood-soaked pirate captain seemed bathed in holy light.
The final movement was grave, heavy, and mournful.
Night enveloped the land; shadows filled the heart. In a void world, only death and silence were eternal.
Bang!
The captain finally pulled the trigger, but the gun was aimed at his head. His face bore a serene smile as if he had found redemption for his sins.
Robin, startled by the gunshot, realised she had been strangling herself. Without that sudden noise, she might have already been dead.
“This is your Requiem. I hope you like it.”
The sudden voice almost froze Robin’s soul. She curled up tightly under the bed.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Only when the footsteps faded did Robin relax. “A Requiem? Is this his ritual or sacrifice before slaughtering?”
Loneliness is humanity’s greatest enemy!
In the narrow space, Robin’s mind raced uncontrollably.
“Why did we both want to kill ourselves? Was it his power? But there’s no record of him having a Devil Fruit!”
“Or was it… his presence?”
“Wait, why is it so quiet outside? Could it be… they’re all dead?”
Too afraid to venture out, Robin stayed under the bed, unmoving.
As time passed, hunger, thirst, and fatigue overtook her, and she drifted asleep.
…
“This is too strange. Did they encounter a ghost ship?”
“Maybe they met pirates first, then those pirates were punished by the ocean’s ghosts!”
“Let’s leave quickly. I feel like the dead are staring at me. It’s terrifying.”
“Yes, this ship must be cursed!”
Hearing faint voices, Robin rubbed her eyes, dragging her starving body from under the bed.
“The dead have risen! The ghost has awakened!”
“Run!”
Seeing Robin move, the group of fishermen screamed and fled in terror.
“Am I alone again? But for him to kill so silently, that Rougishu is truly terrifying… if he is even human!” Robin muttered bitterly.
“Did he spare me because I resisted the urge to kill myself, and he didn’t want to make a second effort?”
“Either way, I owe him for saving me.” Robin knew someone as strong as him would have noticed her hiding.
“Aokiji, Rougishu, Rougishu…” Standing among the corpses, Robin looked out at the sea. “Must I become as strong as them to control my own fate?”
“Mom, Saul, you both said never to lose hope for the future. Is this what you meant?”
“Takai shi!”
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