Year 1513
La Fortuna rocked gently over the endless expanse of blue waves. After their adventure in Kurohana, the Freebone crew—Bastien, Arthur, and Nara—took their time at sea to recover their strength and tighten their camaraderie.
The day began with cheerful shouts as Bastien and Arthur trained on the front deck. Bastien led the exercise with fiery enthusiasm:
"One hundred push-ups! I want to see those muscles sweat, Arthur! Slack off, and you'll end up as a flying skeleton!"
Arthur, panting heavily, grumbled, "Fifteen should be enough, Captain!"
But Bastien only laughed mockingly and jumped into position for sit-ups. After a hundred reps, it was time for some light sparring. Wooden sticks clashed like dueling samurai. Arthur tried to sneak an attack from behind, but Bastien quickly turned and teased,
"Almost got me, Arthur! Were you aiming for your captain's rear?"
Arthur gasped between laughs, "Blame my old man's reflexes, Captain! Still buffering!"
Meanwhile, Nara was busy at the makeshift "emergency kitchen" in the back corner of the deck. She mixed eggs, fish, wheat flour, sea herbs, and citrus fruits to whip up fish omelets and whole wheat bread. Fresh orange juice was kept in bamboo flasks. The scent of spices drifted through the air, so tempting that even the fish in the bucket started to jump.
Bastien paused his training and called out, "Break time, Art. Nara's got food ready!"
Arthur dropped his stick eagerly. "Good call... This body needs fuel! Or else I'll turn into the skinniest Freebone skeleton ever!"
Nara placed down a mountain-high plate of omelets and chuckled, "Eat neatly. If the pelican sees this, he'll crash the ship just to snatch it!"
After breakfast, the crew moved to the ship's side, preparing their fishing gear. Bastien and Arthur grabbed homemade nets—crafted from bamboo and light metal—and wooden spears. Nara brought along a bucket filled with clear seawater to hold their catch.
"First to catch the biggest fish wins!" Bastien challenged, flipping the net dramatically.
Arthur immediately fumbled with his, but instead of catching fish, he got tangled up in the net himself. The whole mess hoisted him up like a struggling land dolphin.
"ARGH! I'm the catch of the day!" Arthur shouted, half-submerged.
Bastien helped pull him out while laughing. "Well, at least we won't need extra soup tonight—you can be the stew!"
"This ocean's cruel, Captain..." Arthur groaned, thrashing free.
After the laughter died down, Bastien and Arthur managed to haul in several silver groupers.
Nara cheered, "Yes! Fresh sashimi ingredients!"
As noon approached and the sun blazed overhead, the trio returned to the center deck to test Bastien's latest inventions.
Sovet Slingshot
A simple yet clever design: two wooden planks bound with rubber strips, firing small arrows tipped with mild sedative poison. Bastien took aim at three wooden boards while Arthur kept track of accuracy scores.
The first arrow missed completely, stabbing into a backup propeller.
"GAH! That's my spare parts stock!" Bastien cried.
Harmonic Folding Knife
Made from scrap ship metal, it folded neatly into a pocket-sized blade. Bastien threw it at a target with an exaggerated ninja leap.
Arthur clapped in admiration. "Impressive, Captain! You look like a firecracker seller trying to show off!"
During a break, Nara handed Arthur a cup of juice. He took a big gulp—then immediately shrieked,
"My tongue! It's like drinking a squeezed sea monster!"
Nara sighed dramatically, "Patience, Your Highness. Tomorrow, I'll brew you sea-melon juice instead, so your belly won't start a rebellion."
Later, Bastien set up a small leaderboard titled "Freebone Leaderboard" in the middle of the deck:
Bastien: 3 arrows on target
Arthur: 1 "special" arrow (hit the target and the mast)
Nara: 0 (but awarded bonus points for cooking recipes)
Arthur squinted at the scoreboard.
"Wait, how come recipes count? I want a bonus too! At least for snacking!"
Bastien laughed, "Empty bellies lead to battlefield collapses, mate. Recipes are our secret weapons!"
As the sun began to dip, Bastien pulled out a battered wooden guitar. He strummed the "Ballad of the Freebone," leading Nara and Arthur into song:
"Hey ho, across the endless sea,
Bones unbound, no burden, no fear.
Through storms we dance, hearts running free,
Together forever—we'll never disappear!"
Arthur added a funny verse about missing teeth—"Sailor's Gap Song"—while Nara banged on cups to create a beat.
After the final notes faded, the three sat quietly, gazing over the vast, shimmering ocean.
Bastien whispered,
"Freedom isn't about running away. It's about choosing what's worth fighting for."
Arthur patted his back, grinning,
"And we fight together. No chains, no ties—just like our name, Freebone."
Nara raised her cup with a smile,
"To freedom... and to my spicy soup tomorrow!"
Their laughter echoed over the calm sea.
Aboard the La Fortuna, countless adventures still awaited—full of smiles, laughter, and the spirit of the Freebone.