SAMURAI

Chapter 11; The Pirates

    Without a friend exchanging words, I sat down a little away from the wheelhouse. I moved more towards the center, not just below the bollard screen. Who knows, the logs break when I am immersed in another realm. The waves began to come and go. My body swayed as if a baby was lulled into a swing of a carriage, floating lightly. My eyes closed. My breath regularly counted every absorption. I was drowning once again in the delights of transcendence.

    A few minutes after my soul left the body, the sound of a sailor scream from the stern startled me.

    "A ship is approaching!"

    Another sailor voice near the wheelhouse continued the warning. "A ship is approaching!"

    The deck turned crowded. The seven crew members ran at the stern. The captain rushed over to him. His forehead furrowed, his mouth pursed with displeasure.

      I stood looking for the most corner place near the wheel. My hand reached the back where Moroshige's sword stuck. The black bundle Masashige gave me tightly hugged. My instincts told me that the approaching ship was no ordinary merchant ship. In the middle of the night in the swaying waves that were high enough, merchant ships would not approach just to greet other boat owners.

    Our visibility couldn't make it through the night. The lighting from the ship's lights was not enough to break up the thick fog. As the front end of the ship approached from the starboard side, a commotion and shouts were heard one after another. Fluttering black flag with golden skull image.

    "Pirate! Pirate!" the captain shouted, followed by another sailor.

    “Hurry up and wake up all the passengers! Tell the merchant to hide. Get the samurai swordsman on the deck!"

    I grumbled. It's good that the captain plays orders. Even though samurai could play with their sword, they were passengers on this ship. We were the kings. We had to pay too. But, when there is an attack we were also asked to fight.

    A shouted scream rang out. The commotion from the lower deck was accompanied by rapid footsteps climbing upwards. There were sixteen samurai and seven crew members plus one captain. Depending on how many pirate members would come, the battle would be determined. Cheers faded from the ship with the golden skull flag. The closer the cheers got, the louder we got.

    “Expand all screens! Speed up! " shouted the captain from the wheelhouse.

    Full fluttering screen cloth. The wind was rushing against the fabric, making a crackling sound. Like a chariot being pulled by hundreds of horses together, the ship sped away leaving the golden skull flag. The screams of curses faded away.

    Sixteen samurai who were already prepared with their hands on the hilt of their swords relaxed their grips. All of the samurai's eyes were fixed on the pirate ship that was getting away. Crew members hang from mast to mast, from sail to sail, correcting the slaps and folded fabric.

    The sigh of relief did not last long. Slowly, then it hardens. The tip of the flag that had shrunk was starting to become clear. Pirate ships sailing as if flying could catch up. All eyes were on the stern. The golden skull image is getting clearer. Getting closer and closer. At the distance they had predicted, an anchor eye followed by five cascading anchors was ejected.

    The samurai and crew ran away from the stern to avoid the sharp metal tip of the anchor that pierced the wooden walls of the ship. Five anchors gripped, pulling him closer. The speed of the ship is stuck. The cheers were getting bigger.

    The crew and the captain cried out in despair. They tried to change the direction of the ship. However, instead of advancing, the ship was reversed, moving backward. The pirate ship pulled the samurai transport ship following the direction of the ship.

    My hand holds tight to the ship wall. I shifted my body away, pressed against the ship wall. My mouth fell open when dozens of bodies plunged into the sea from the pirate ship. They were as if dozens of arrows were released from the water. Going fast through the tomb, then appearing to the surface like a flying fish.

    That was not enough, the bodies rose from the surface of the sea, threw somersaults in the air over the parapet, and planted their feet firmly on the deck. For the first time in my life, I saw this way of swimming. Without realizing it, my tongue clicked in admiration.

    The pirate ship and the ship we were on was approaching perfectly. The friction between the wooden walls let out a shocking scream. Following the dozens of flying fish that treaded earlier, without warning or shouting challenges like a samurai duel, the topless bodies of a pirate ship crossed the deck of our ship. Soon dozens of pirates filled the deck of our ship. They shouted with triumphant laughter while holding swords, machetes, and large axes.

    Without any words of negotiation, thirteen samurai and eight crew members including the captain welcomed the pirates' challenge. The metal clinked.

    Immediately a shout from the owner of the slashed body opened the course of battle. In a matter of tens of breaths, blood gushed down the walls of the ship, rushing down the deck.

    Just as I thought, Goemon was no ordinary samurai. His right hand flashed with a s***h of the long sword, his left moved swiftly to block with the short sword. The fan is tucked under the kimono. His steps were light as if he was dancing in the direction of the approaching attack. The light yellow haori kimono fluttered in the wind. 

    After taking the life of one attacker, he moved away in search of other prey. The dandy samurai didn't seem to want to stain his silk fabric with the blood spurting from the stab marks and the blade of a sword.

    Another movement that caught my eye was in another's samurai. A handsome Samurai. Still young, about the same age as Goro. His movement was agile. His hands were strong and fast when cutting or slashing from right to left. Both feet firmly planted on the deck, stepping in a hexagonal motion with a two-handed s***h.

    Each time he made a move, three to four attackers collapsed at once with their bodies gaping. His swordsmanship was different from other samurai swordsmanship. Like a combination of two swordsman ships, not rhythmically one, two, three while striking, but jumping up and down with different beats.

    It was as if the incessant rain was pouring down from the sky, after one wave of attackers who landed lost their lives, another wave of attackers followed. Other plow ships approached and flattened the walls of their ships. Not only from the stern, from the right and left the anchor points penetrated the ship's wall.

    Before the crunch of two wooden walls rubbing against each other, dozens of topless bodies joined in a crushing somersault to the deck. The fighting became more intense. From the start, I decided not to interfere. This was not my battle.

    After hiding the sword and black bag hidden in a fish storage box, I curled up in a dark place. My eyes were tight watching the course of the battle. The deck was full of bodies lying and dozens of fighters killing each other. The waves of pirates were endless.

    The deck of the ship was too small to accommodate the fighters. The fight spread to the lower deck, then flowed into the room. The fishy smelled of blood spread with the fish. The screams of pain mingled with the great-grandchildren of seagulls.

    The waves of the sea seemed to approve of the battle, shaking the ship to a roll, pouring the lifeless bodies into the ocean. The fierce shark smelled blood. The collection of fins hitting the ship's wall also enlivened.

    In a matter of hundreds of breaths, the samurai began to feel overwhelmed. The captain and crew were dead. Even if the samurai survived, no one could carry the ship to its destination. Of the thirteen samurai, only seven remained. The samurai looked exhausted. Including Goemon and the young samurai. 

    According to my calculations, soon their energy would run out. The attackers were still arriving to replace their comrades who died. Give up or go home without life is the only option there.

    Two more samurai died with their heads hanging open. Only five samurai left. The dandy samurai was getting more and more overwhelmed. Goemon's kindness strengthened my sense of humanity. I knew, throwing myself into battle costed life. After all, the debt of gratitude must be paid, even though the creditor would soon be dead. I decided to dive into the battle hole. 

    I grabbed the short sword my teacher gave me. I'm ready.

    Before I could even jump into the middle of the battle, five samurai collapsed in a flash. A large fishing net made of strong twisted roots fell into a trap. The bodies of the five samurai were like trapped fish, rummaging on the deck with sighs. The swords slipped from their grasp. A cry of victory along with a bloodthirsty roar drew near. Axes, machetes, swords raised. In two breaths, the bodies of the five samurai would become sashimi.

    "Don't kill them!" loud and harsh screams stopped the sashimi feast.

    The sound of dissatisfaction stopped when a huge, gigantic figure like a giant leaped from the ship that was flagged with a golden pattern without the aid of a rope. The distance from ship to ship is approximately ten meters. Lightly he lifted his heavy body as if an empty sack. When both of his feet pressed on the deck there was a loud crackle of wood as if it had been crushed by tens of kilos of iron.

    “Let them live! We take it to headquarters!" he shouted giving orders.

    As if bewitched, dozens of killing intent receded. The pirates sheathed their weapons, captured five samurai while occasionally beating them. Five samurai were tied together on one mast. The remaining twelve merchants who were still alive were herded from the ground floor. Before being tied with their hands and feet, they had to work shoulder to shoulder to lift the bodies that had become corpses and throw the bodies into the sea. Sharks feast on fresh meat.

     It was not enough to stop there, they had to clean the deck and walls of the ship from the sticky blood, scrub it until there were no red dots. After working hard, the traders' whining asking to be released was ignored. They will become slave labor that can be bought and sold. If they were no longer productive, just killed and threw their body into the sea.

    "You, you, you! Take this ship! "

    After giving orders to some of his subordinates, the big, tall figure that could only be seen by his hair, bounced back towards the ship. I hold back. The hijacked ship moved slowly following the ship with the golden skull flag. 

    The lined anchor that drilled the sidewall of the ship was pulled back. The screen was fully expanded. The speed of the ship was getting faster. I'm still ducking, hiding in the fishing nets. I could at the right moment throw myself into the sea, grab the lifeboat or swim to the nearest island. 

    Instead of looked for safety, I let myself be carried away by a new journey of life. I've explored many islands. I have visited many lands. However, it's only a pirate island that I've never explored. Adrenaline tour that was a pity to miss.

                                                                                        ****

    The Iki archipelago formed together with four small islands that surround it; Harushima Island, Nagashima, Oshima, Wakayajima. Each of the islands was not more than one kilometer wide. According to ancient stories, the islands were formed due to a devastating tsunami that hit Iki Island which split Iki Island into four small islands and one large island.

    It was said that from the past until now, each of these islands was ruled by pirate clans from generation to generation and never got along. I didn’t know which island ruling pirate clan attacked the ship we were in. From the marine map, I had made of the islands that would be the target of the Ilkhanat troop attacks if my guess didn’t miss, the ship was moving towards the island of Oshima.

    And, my guess this time was right. I waited until none of the prisoners remained on the ship. Five samurai were carried with their hands tied behind their backs. Twelve sobbing weeping male merchants walked quickly behind them. 

    Now and then, a member of the pirate who had lost his friend took his revenge on the backs and chests of five samurai with the butt of the sword. Their leader's orders were clear; Let them live! Samurai prisoners would be brought into custody for assimilation with other prisoners. Traders were immediately led to forced labor.

    The east was beautiful. A tinge of color decorates the sky of the island of Oshima. Soon the sun began to reveal its nose. Autumn soon passed, tread slowly towards winter. The night would be longer than the day. The branches and twigs shed all the leaves. The chill of the early morning broke through the plank walls, making my body shiver. The priest's clothes were already soaked.

    A dilemma awaited. Came out with the sun with the risk of being caught, or waited for nightfall with the risk of being tormented in the damp, wet and cold. I decided to choose the second option. The afternoon would pass quickly. Meditation could not be done sitting in a box. The only waylaid the body with both arms and legs straight parallel like a corpse. I closed my eyes, nose, and ears. Full concentration by uniting the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and all organs of the body in one order.

    As Bokku Shigen taught me, my body started to warm up, my soul wandered, my brain was temporarily still. From morning till evening, I will live in death and die in life.

    Towards evening, as if there were bells on my head, my brain came back to life. My eyes immediately opened according to the time I wanted. My nose stung the stench. My stomach moaned with hunger. I opened the box door. Slowly I moved my limbs. Wriggled for a moment, then sat up.

    I 'slept' in the fish and nets storage box. A putrid and fishy smell spread from the rotting guts of the fish. Caterpillars and maggots feasting on my side. The sword and bundle of black cloth were still hanging at my feet.

    From behind the slit of the board, the sun looked out of shape. Day turned to night, the sky was bright full of stars. The sea breeze was blowing quite hard, bitter cold. Slowly I came out of my hiding place. In a bent position, I took off all the priest's clothes, replaced them with black pants, black clothes, black headgear, and leaving only a pair of eyes.

    Masashige's shirt fit my body. The black shoes made of silk also fit comfortably on the feet. The sword Moroshige gave me to attach to my back. I took out all the contents of the bag. Thirty-two metal shurikens of various shapes: Five fists of sharp nails, rope tipped at an anchor, five small knives, two claws in the hand, and two claws on the legs for climbing. Masashige taught me seriously the use of all the weapons lined up in front of me. During practice, one missed equal twenty excruciating repetitions.

    The contents of the bag I put into the pockets that were behind the black clothes. Slowly I crept along with the ship. There were no guards. The blood and fishy smell on the deck disappeared without a trace. The wooden walls were left with holes over from the anchor attacks. The anchor was firmly stuck at the bottom of the beach. 

    From the shoreline, the ship was about fifty meters apart. Large ships with various flags lined up five meters. At first glance, I counted about fifteen ships. It was too dark to know the image on the flags flying the masts of the ships. At least there were five different flags.

    All ships were left empty without guards. Oil lamps flickered from each ship. From the deck where I stood there were dozens of fire spots burning. Great white smoke rose. I could hear the screams of wings along with the humming drum and wind instruments. Wow! They had a party.

    Five pirate flags gathered in one island party together was a rare occurrence. They were human beings without rules. Facing just one pirate group has been difficult, now five groups are gathered at once with an estimated number of hundreds. It could be in the thousands. Raiding their base at this time was an act of half-insane recklessness. But I've decided. The image of adrenaline tourism had attracted all my desires.