The weather around Exvo seemed pleasant, and Stussy was appreciating the time under the sun. Gerret came to her in a hurry and said, “Chief! A report from the first deck says that a monster is coming up. From what they’ve noticed, it’s a nanari, so they said they weren’t gonna attack it.”

Nanaris, also known as Ninetooths, were sea monsters that looked like a humongous snake with two fins running along the spine, all the way to the rear and beyond. They had no eyes or nose but only a mouth with nine sickle-like teeth inside. The myth about them was that they ate only dead, rotting, or toxic beings and rarely attacked a living being, so they came to be known as Oceanmaids. While most part of that myth might be considered real, nanaris not attacking living beings was generally believed to be false because, in the past century itself, there were countless cases of nanaris attacking ships, especially those of pirates, so much so that the marines gave these beasts the nickname ‘Piratemaids.’

“Nanari, huh…” Stussy sighed and got up from the floor. “Death is uncommon on this ship, but still, people eat all sorts of creatures, and there’s plenty of rotten food lying all around on many decks. I guess the scent this ship gives off must be enticing to a nanari.”

“This isn’t the first time, Chief!” said Gerett, looking visibly tense. “Since I’ve been working here, nanaris attacked our ship a few dozen times. I never understood why they aggressively attacked our ship when they could probably tell that there were living beings aboard.”

“I’ve fought nanaris before. They usually don’t attack the living, but if you go and hug a corpse and expect them to ignore you, then you’re just fooling yourself."

Gerett was startled. “S-Sorry, Chief.”

“If you can connect the dots,” Stussy continued, “it’s easy to notice that whenever they attacked the living beings, they chose those who would smell rotten, be it from not bathing or whatever. That’s why they often targeted pirate ships and scared the pirates to the point that they didn’t dare to sleep without bathing, even if it’s with the chilling water of the sea. Keeping dead fish lying around on the ship was also just as dangerous. It was because they forced sea travelers, especially the pirates, to take regular baths and keep their ships clean in the past, the marines mocked pirates by giving nanaris the name ‘Piratemaids.’”

“A-Ah, I see.”

“It’s here,” Stussy glanced to her left, toward the south, while the ship was heading toward the west. About a mile away from the ship, a mountainous creature rose out of the waters, flapping its spinal fins to fly through the air. All the workers visibly looked dismayed upon seeing that massive creature that would be well over two-hundred meters tall and forty times long. Each of its nine protruding sickle-like teeth was so big that numerous elephants could be barbecued on them. The spiraling black horn on its head, with its tip sharp like the tip of a spear, gave off a chilling aura like that of death itself.

The nanari forthwith sprayed a rain of greenish acid onto the ship, but the air barrier around the ship blocked all of it. As the acid fell into the waters, lots of escaping fish, sharks, and other sea creatures floated to the surface, while some still struggled to cling onto life as their bodies melted.

“That’s some amount of acid! Trying to tenderize flesh and bones, is it?” Gerett wondered.

The nanari drew air into its mouth, and the pulling force was so strong that all the floating fish were sucked into its mouth. However, it still couldn’t sway the ship’s course.

“It’s cleaning up after its own mess,” Stussy murmured.

Upon swallowing thousands of fish, the nanari whooshed through the air at a blistering speed, creating ripples in the waters underneath, and there was a drumming sound in the air.

“I-It’s coming!” the workers in the open space assumed defensive stances, but their hearts undeniably pounded against their chest. “W-Will it break through the barrier?”

Gerett was able to see better than the other workers. “Are those…” he swallowed the saliva once. “Hexagonal patterns on its horn?” His face lost a significant amount of color. “I-It’s a brillbeast, Chief. You should be careful—”

SHWOOOOHMM~!

A ray of brown light shot out of Stussy's palm and pierced through the nanari’s chin and came out from above and soared into the sky and blasted the white clouds away in the twinkling of an eye. The nanari pulled its tongue out as it screamed in pain. Its tongue also had a hole in it. It soon rushed back into the waters, creating large ripples.

A few seconds passed. The ripples died out, but there was no trace of nanari.

“I-It’s gone! It’s finally gone!” the workers began to exclaim in joy. “It got scared and ran away, haha! It got what it deserved!”

While the workers were relieving their stress through celebration filled with speaking in gibberish, Gerett looked at Stussy. “Is it dead?”

“Of course not. I only put a hole in one of its brains. It got spooked and left is all.”

“I-It has multiple brains?” Gerett was startled.

“Cool off. That thing came here alone, so it probably won’t resurface, but if it did, taking it down will require much more effort, though. Their kind is hard to kill. To our ease, they can’t fly for long, or they’d have also likely gained the title of Humanmaids. Robbing graves, killing those who don’t regularly bath, and you know how it goes. Anyway, we’ll be entering the Byinshi river soon, so get the fishnets ready.”

“Yes, Chief,” Gerett quickly replied. The Byinshi river was home for many tasty fishes, and it was a prosperous river that stayed well over a hundred kilometers wide even in summers and grew much broader during the rainy reasons. It was thousands of miles long and was also too deep for sunlight to penetrate its bottom, making it possible for all kinds of creatures to dwell.

Stussy started walking toward a tree and was slightly yawning. That nanari had a golden hook stuck in its mouth. I helped remove it, so it must’ve felt grateful, or it probably wouldn’t have left just like that. She put her hand gently on her abdomen. “I’m feeling a bit hungry, but I’m tired of eating the same sweet food again and again. I want to eat something spicy, but I’m not carrying any spicy food. What should I do?” as she was in a bit of a bother, a flash of memory reminded her of the food that Lirzod had left for her. “Let’s see what he’s packed in the bag,” she felt a teeny bit excited.

Did she just yawn? Gerett’s eyebrows raised in a convex shape as he watched her leave. It would have taken an entire country of hollows to defeat that beast, but she bullied that brillbeast while she’s still in a sleepy mood? For heaven’s sake, just how far is she ahead of me? He snorted in helplessness. I’m a martial like her and am climbing the ladder at my own pace, but it feels like there are infinite steps between us.

Meanwhile, on the twelfth deck, a particular fellow had grabbed some attention over the past hour or so.

Wearing an old, broken armor he had picked off from the roadside, Lirzod was running around in the streets, sweating profusely and breathing audibly. He got fleeting attention from people, but that was all he got as he looked for Sariyu. Their murmurs didn’t interest him anyway. “Just where is she? If she’s not on this deck, then…” as he was thinking, he just crossed a junction, but then came back to the center. Even though he was going in any direction, his feet were still in running motion, striking the same spot on the floor. His nose was also at work. “It’s faint, but this sweet smell—it's the special frankincense she uses. It’s definitely her scent. So it’s this way.” He picked up his pace and ran with haste.

After running for about four hundred meters, he slowed down and brought his breath back under control. “It’s getting hard to breathe with this heavy armor even though it’s quite loose. But this is the discomfort I’m looking for. Time to improve my endurance and respiratory capability!” he increased his pace again. “I feel like I’m growing stronger, but so does the wolf in my belly.” After going for about two hundred meters, he slowed down once more. “Haha, I’m glad I found this armor. It’s quite heavy. It must weigh at least thirty kilos. Since it’s going to help me with training, let’s give you a name. Let’s call you ‘Mentor’ Solid. Let’s see how many steps I can cover in one run.”

About a hundred and seventy minutes later.

Lirzod’s breath was no longer under his control, and his running form was all over the place. Sometimes his speed was so slow that even those who were hurriedly walking beside him overtook him, and some people even giggled at him, wondering what he was up to. Sometimes he was fast enough that people who followed him eventually gave up at some point.

“24, 914.”

“24,915.”

Even though his lungs were hurting, Lirzod kept going, while counting the steps aloud, trying to pronounce the number clearly. Though he didn’t look like he was focusing on his run, his body seemed to be running on its own, given how tired yet casual of an expression he made.

“28,145.”

“Not yet. My limbs can still move. I can’t give up yet!” Lirzod was trying to squeeze out the last bits of strength, but with every step, he was leaning forward. After a few more steps, he felt used up the rest of his energy. His head leaned forward even more.

“What’s that kid doing? Trying to lick his own feet while running or what?” a fat bypasser regarded.

“Pfft,” the fat man’s companions couldn’t control themselves from bursting out into laughter.

“Not yet,” Lirzod took a deep breath through the nose. Not yet! His chest and stomach expanded to their max and supplied the much-needed gas to all his muscles in a jiffy. Even though his head was tilted, his eyes were on the path. And he felt a surge of energy coursing through his body, starting with the heart. He gained strength in his footsteps, and his speed suddenly picked up. It seemed as if a translucent wind-shield formed before him. He went fast enough that a fat man’s wig flew off.

“My wig!” the fat man ran after his wig, whereas his companions now laughed at him.

“W-Who was that? He’s running like a horse!” some people could only wonder in astonishment as Lirzod whooshed past them.

However, Lirzod’s speed slowed down after he covered about half-a-mile. Even though he was spent and his body was faintly giving-off vapors, he kept going to finish the goal that was so close. Thanks to his persistence, he was able to get into a touching distance to his goal.

“29, 998. 29, 999. 30,000.” Before taking another step, he collapsed headlong; however, as he was falling, he saw some yellowish thing on the floor. “Eek! Don’t tell me that’s…” he suddenly brought his arms out and landed on his palms, then with a great effort rolled to the side and avoided crashing in cat poop. “Ah! That was close. I almost smelled a cat’s ass.”

Even while running, he had come across this trouble, especially at the corners, but thanks to those recent experiences, he managed to finish the run without falling prey to the open traps.

Currently, after such a long run, his body was burning hot, and sweat was on every inch of his body. His eyes slowly shut, wanting to take a long rest. Even though his eyes were closed, there was a pleased smile on his face. “That was a solid run. The ending sprint felt really great this time.”

“There he is!”

“Thank Goodness. I thought we lost him!”

Suddenly, a group of ten men of all sizes and shapes, with veils covering their faces, came running to him. Some held Lirzod down while the other searched him, still panting. Clearly, they had been following him for some time. Lirzod’s mouth was forced shut, and he felt so lacking in energy that he couldn’t fight back. One of them kept punching in his face, to knock him unconscious, while the others kept doing what they’ve come for.

“He isn’t carrying anything.”

“Look carefully.”

“The pockets are empty.”

“He’s not wearing any jewelry, either.”

“Looking under the armor, and there’s nothing.”

“How can this be? If the information is correct, didn’t this fellow win a lot of money through bettings? How come he doesn’t have a single coin on him?”

“Did you check the underwear?”

“Uh, this guy doesn’t have one.”

“What?”

“What a waste of time!”

“Tch, maybe we’ve come a bit too late. There’s nothing we can do when luck isn’t on our side. Let’s go.”

“Wait, shouldn’t we ask him?”

“Ask him what, you idiot! You couldn’t even punch him to sleep. Let’s get the hell out of here already!”

Just as fast as they came, they began to leave, and one of them kept complaining about how he stepped on cat crap.

“You damn robbers,” Lirzod barked with all his strength. “Don’t ever let me find you!”

Though they heard him, they acted like they didn’t and soon vanished from sight.

“Tch,” Lirzod wasn’t bleeding anywhere, but his forehead was bruised. He was still on the floor. “What timing! I couldn’t even breathe in peace.”

After twenty minutes of resting in the middle of the street, he got back to his feet, which still felt quite rigid. All the rooms in that street were locked, so he looked for a spot where no one was watching and then emptied his bladder. “Aw, this is the worst part…” Peeing gave him burning sensations, so vividly as if he was leaking out lava. “I thought I wasn’t running under the sun, but still, I’ve run a bit too much, huh. I must hydrate myself soon. More than water, buttermilk would be better, but I doubt I can get it here. At least some tap water should do for now. No, wait, there’s free drinking water at the voting hall if I’m correct. I have some work left there anyway. So I guess I’ll head there.”

As he was heading to the voting hall, he thought about Sariyu. “Where the heck is she? I’ve pretty much toured most of this deck but couldn’t find her. Focused on running, I forgot to track her scent, too. And then the robbers spoiled my mood. What a day I’m having. I’ve gotta do something to get my mind off them. Let’s just sing a song, describing a day on earth.” As he kept walking, he thought of a poem on the fly.

“The sun shows

The night goes

The wind blows

The river flows

The flower grows

And the heart knows.”

Lirzod suddenly stopped and bit on his fingers. “T-That sounded smooth. I must write it somewhere before I forget it! When I get back home, I’ll defeat both Primera and Duera with this single song!”

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the same deck, inside a specific room.

Big Nick was lying on the bed, looking as healthy as ever, but his mood, however, was down, and the bedsheet was still covered in blood. “Thank you for bringing a healer, Mr. Roseberry,” he glanced at the dark green-haired man in red clothes, sitting next to the bed. He had a red-colored diamond earring, and in one of his arms was a black dress. He looked like he was in his late fifties. “If not for you… I’d have probably lost my manhood.”

“I was on my way here anyway, so I just did what I could,” Roseberry replied, his hands resting on a walking stick. “You were so close to getting promoted but couldn’t control your hormones, could you? To think you lost to some random girl, that came as a surprise. Your reputation has taken a dent, Nick.”

"She took me by surprise,” Nick’s voice gave away how frustrated he was. “If I fight her again, I can win.”

“Are you sure? You still didn’t learn that martial art from Sean.”

“I know. But that shitty Sean is so stubborn,” Nick seemed visibly frustrated. “He doesn’t even teach his trainees any particular martial art but only teaches them some random techniques. It’s highly unlikely that he teaches me his main martial art even if I become his favorite disciple.”

“Goleol used to be one of the lesser-known bone-breaking arts many centuries ago, but it is certainly noteworthy. I don’t know where he got hold of those arts, but if we can steal it from him, then he can be disposed of, and the art will be solely ours.”

“I’m trying, sir, but I’m not sure if I’ll succeed. In any case, I don’t need to learn that art to take care of that red-haired girl.”

“Well, the girl’s matter is not of importance right now,” he glanced at Nick in a knowing gaze, “but the matter concerning your son, however, is.”

Nick was startled. “What do you mean?”

“Though you’ve suffered a humiliating defeat, it’s still not too late. Try sending the higher-ups a bloody gift.”

Nick frowned a little, for he understood what Roseberry was talking about.

“You can’t rise in the ranks without stepping over someone, even if it’s your own blood.” Roseberry narrowed his eyes, “Unless you show me some conviction, I can’t help you. I can only hope that you have an idea of how quickly you can change your fate once you climb another step on the ladder.”

Nick stayed silent, stress still taking over his mien.

“Anyway, I’ll leave your son’s matter to you. There's also another reason for my visit. It’s about...”

In the meantime, at the voting hall.

“Let me get in. I’ll kill that damn Sean with my own hands!” a peach-haired woman was barking at the guards, who stopped her from entering the hall. She had a red-colored diamond nose ring, a berry hat, and a green-colored crystal locket made out of two letters M and A.

“Calm down, miss,” the guards did their best to calm her. “We feel bad for what happened to your lover, but he entered Kitchen Wars out of his own volition.”

“Bullshit! Alix was a sick man. It’s your fault for letting him participate!”

“We’re sorry, but we can’t change what happened.”

“Just let me in!” she tried to force her way in, but the guards used their force and pushed her away. She fell on her butt.

“S-Sorry, Miss Meeka. We didn’t mean to do that,” the guards tried to apologize.

“You don’t need to be sorry. That’s in your nature. You men are either brainless or barbaric.” Meeka got back to her feet. “Alix was also stupid. He couldn’t bear with the illness.” Tears filled her eyes. “So he participated in Kitchen wars only to end his pain. But he’s at least different from you guys.” She clenched her fists. “You men are nothing different from monsters!” She attacked the guards with an avalanche of fists.

“How dare you call us monsters!” they blocked her attacks, but they received a few punches, and their mood greatly changed. “You bitch! Do you want to get hurt that badly?” Together they attacked and punched in her stomach, making her cough blood. “Not bad. You withstood our combined attack, but…” Without giving her any time to breathe, they attacked her again to silence her. However, something hard came in between, and both the guards ended up punching into hard metal. They shrieked and pulled their fists back, but upon seeing who interrupted their fight, they were surprised. “Y-You are… the one who won the Kitchen Wars competition.”

Meeka was surprised to hear that. She took a look at this person, who was wearing an armor that had a poem carved on its back.

The one in the dirty armor, Lirzod, turned around. “Are you alright, miss?”

“So you went to participate in that stupid game, too—just like Alix,” she couldn’t hide her frustration. “You men are all the same. You are all mindless morons, no, mindless monsters. How does it feel to win the event? Do you feel great?” she looked at him from top to bottom. “You must be feeling great.” She spat to the side, “Pftu, how pointless.”

Lirzod stayed silent for a moment. “Let’s say all men are as you say, but if all men are monsters, then what of their mothers?”

Meeka’s expression briefly froze. A second later, she frowned and looked down at the side.

“I don’t mean to hurt you, but…” Lirzod said with a heavy heart, “I feel like I have to say this. Before the contest started, one of the contestants came to me and told me that his girlfriend likes fish meat, so he wanted to surprise her by winning the contest.”

Meeka’s eyes slowly but surely enlarged. The sound her heart made also grew on her ears.

“I don’t know if it was your boyfriend or not,” as Lirzod was saying, her hands began to shake, “but from what I can tell, he surely wasn’t looking for a place to die.”

Meeka’s knees shivered, and she crumpled to the floor. Memories of the past kept flooding her mind. Alix expressed his wish to her many times that he wanted to treat her to a great meal before he drew his last breath. As someone who was suffering from a terminal disease known as Blackheart, he only had a few more months to live. No one really knew what illnesses caused this disease, but sometimes, children who suffered severe trauma tend to fall prey to this disease as they entered adulthood, and their heart would slowly shrink in size and eventually stop to beat. The more they got excited or exerted themselves physically, the sooner they’d die. It was a truly terrifying disease, for even laughing would lessen the patient’s lifespan. Meeka wanted to stay with Alix till his last breath, but she was shocked when she was informed of his death. She didn’t even get to see his body, for most of it was eaten away, and then the apology letter that Sean sent only infuriated her. She came from the twentieth deck to deal with Sean, but now, after knowing what Alix was up to, she was down in tears. “Why, Alix? Why did you leave my side for something like that!”

As she sobbed her heart out, the corner of Lirzod’s mouth turned down. A second later, he turned around and barked at the guards, “Why did you two make her cry?”

“Eh?” the guards were stunned.

“Don’t let a lady cry in public,” Lirzod hastily said. “Go help her.”

“W-Why aren’t you doing it yourself?” the two guards talked back.

“Shame on you two,” Lirzod shook his head and then turned around and closed in on Meeka before stooping down to her level. “I don’t know if it’s right of me to say this or not, but...” he scratched his jaw as he continued, “if you want to taste the fish meat that your lover fought for, then consider casting your vote. Then if your name comes up in the lottery, you’ll have it.”

Meeka slowly stopped crying. “I don’t want to have something that resulted in Alix’s death.” She stood and rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to stay in this place any longer.” Saying that she walked away in haste while continuing to rub her tears

Lirzod was vacantly looking down at the trail of tears. You take offense at all the warm feelings of the heart, and love may very well be what you loathe the most. You never change, do you, Death, the curse of curses, my sworn enemy? You always hunger for a dance on any bridge linking two hearts that love each other, even though... Lirzod placed his forefinger on the tears Meeka had shed. All you can do is destroy the bridge, not their love. A billion shames on you. He glanced at Meeka, who had already made some distance. Wherever he may be, I believe he loves you the same, miss.

After closing his eyes for a few seconds, he stood and leaked out a faint yet burdened breath before heading into the hall.