The ship creaked and swayed under the gentle rhythm of the waves. Salt-laden wind whipped across the deck, tugging at ropes, hair, and every loose strap of gear the group carried. Sora leaned against the railing, arms crossed, squinting at the endless horizon. A week of relentless training had left his body aching, but for now, he just wanted to breathe.
Rin, on the other hand, had clearly never learned the meaning of subtlety. He sprinted across the deck, tripping over barrels, vaulting over crates, and yelling at the top of his lungs, "The academy! The academy! We're finally moving!" His energy was a hurricane in human form.
Sora groaned. "…I already hate this."
Lucy, arms folded and face deadpan, let out a slow sigh. "Rin… try not to die before we even leave the coast."
Rin saluted with exaggerated precision, nearly toppling a stack of barrels. "Yes, ma'am!" Then, without warning, he somersaulted into a coil of rope. "Wheeee!"
Sora pinched the bridge of his nose. "…Why am I brothers with this idiot?"
Before anyone could answer, the hatch to the lower deck exploded open with an almighty crash. Out flew a figure in full, chaotic glory: messy white–haired sticking out in every direction, a coat three sizes too large flapping wildly, and boots that sounded like marching drums when he landed. He hit the deck with a dramatic thud, rolled once, twice… and then sprawled flat on his back, arms flailing like a ragdoll.
"…Oof."
Sora blinked. "…Who… is this?"
Rin clapped gleefully. "He looks fun!"
Lucy's hand went to her forehead. "Every story has one. Brace yourselves."
The white-haired figure groaned, flopped sideways, and scrambled to his feet. "I am—wait, where am I? Did someone throw me out? I demand an explanation! Also—is this… the ocean? Why is everything moving?"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "…I don't think this is going to be simple."
Rin's grin stretched impossibly wide. "I like him already!"
Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose. "I regret everything already."
The white-haired guy flung his oversized coat dramatically and straightened with a flourish. "I'm Luke Star, by the way! Please, everyone, admire my entrance!" He struck a pose, chest puffed out. "Was that theatrical enough?"
Sora muttered under his breath, "…I hate it already."
Luke ignored him entirely. "Now, where is the captain? The deck? The emergency rations? Wait—are there rats?!"
Rin laughed so hard he nearly fell overboard. "He's amazing!"
Luke pointed suddenly at Rin. "And who is THIS, the hyperactive one? We will be best friends, obviously. Clearly destined!"
Rin puffed up. "Yes! Yes, we are! I like you already!"
Luke nodded solemnly. "We shall conquer… uh, the journey! The voyage! I mean, let's eat snacks!" He sprinted toward a pile of supplies, tripped over a rope, and slid headfirst into a barrel.
Sora pinched the bridge of his nose again. "…Just shut up."
Lucy muttered from the railing, watching the spectacle, "I wonder if I should have stayed in town…"
Luke finally emerged from the barrel, a tangle of rope fibers and splinters, bowing to an invisible audience. "HA! Survival achieved! I am the greatest at everything, as clearly demonstrated!"
Rin leapt next to him, high-fiving him. "Yes! Let's do everything! Adventure! Academy! Snacks!"
Sora groaned, staring at the ocean. "I am trapped with man-children."
Luke vaulted onto a rope, swinging dangerously across the deck. "Trapped? Nonsense! We are free spirits! FREE!"
Rin bolted after him. "I CAN! I CAN!"
Sora muttered, "…Fools."
Lucy just shook her head. "This is going to be a very long trip."
Meanwhile, Luke performed acrobatics with the rigging, hanging upside down, pretending to duel invisible sea monsters, and narrating heroic exploits in the voices of multiple characters at once. Rin eagerly joined, doubling the chaos. Sora remained at the railing, silently calculating how many times they could accidentally hurl themselves overboard. And all the while, the wind carried a faint, salt-scented promise of a journey so absurd, no serious plan could survive its sheer magnitude.
The Next Day
The morning sun glinted off the waves, but peace had clearly forgotten this ship existed. Sora rubbed his temples. "Why do I feel like today's going to be a disaster?"
Luke Star, a whirlwind of barely-contained energy, sprinted past him, arms flailing. "SORA! MOVE!"
Sora squinted, spotting a group of scruffy, panicked thieves tumbling across the deck like a pile of wet logs. The ship had somehow become a battlefield, and they were losing.
"What did you do?" Sora yelled, barreling toward one of the thieves and shoving him hard. The man flailed, screaming as he went overboard.
Luke, already climbing the mast, shouted something about "sea monkeys" and "giant sky sharks"—nobody could understand a word.
From the rail, Sora noticed the real problem: Lucy and Rin, cross-legged on the deck, giggling hysterically while holding mugs that smelled strongly of alcohol.
"That's… water, right?" Sora muttered to himself. "Right??"
Rin hiccupped, waving cheerfully. "We're… fine!"
Lucy swayed dangerously, tipping her head back. "It's… so calm…" Her calm was clearly not shared by the ship, which was now being thrown about by the ongoing chaos.
Meanwhile, the thieves, realizing the captain had passed out in his cabin, panicked further. "The ship! We control the ship!" one of them screamed.
Sora and Luke exchanged a glance. "Not on our watch," Sora said, barreling toward the helm. Luke bounced alongside him, leaping over ropes and crates as if gravity were optional.
The moment their hands touched the wheel, chaos erupted. Luke yanked too hard while Sora tried to compensate. CRACK. A loud snap echoed as the helm split clean in two, sending crates, thieves, and the already-tipsy Saints tumbling across the deck.
"Uh… we may have… broken it?" Sora muttered, holding one half of the wheel like a trophy.
Luke grinned, waving the other half. "Look! I did exactly what you did!"
One thief screamed, sliding across spilled alcohol. Another barreled into a rum barrel, which exploded, drenching Lucy and Rin in a sticky shower.
Sora pinched the bridge of his nose again. "I swear… if we make it to the Academy alive…"
As the ship lurched dangerously and waves slapped against the hull, Sora pushed another thief overboard. "You're lucky the ocean's big enough."
Above all of it, the sun gleamed innocently, mocking the two boys and their self-made disaster, as laughter, chaos, and absurdity promised a voyage unlike any other.