050. Zaratann 1
Swoosh. The Kraken extended a tentacle toward Bin.
"……."
Bin, almost instinctively, reached out his hand as well.
A slick, slippery texture. The briny scent of seawater stung his nose.
Bin was utterly bewildered by the Kraken's inexplicable behavior.
"……!"
Unlike its somewhat repulsive tentacles, the creature's expression was gentle. It was hard to believe this was the same monster that had just demolished the Gold Tooth pirate crew moments ago.
The Kraken's bright, curious eyes scanned Bin's body up and down.
"Kruu. Kruu."
It let out its signature low rumble, furrowing what passed for its brow. It seemed to pity the gashes on Bin's back.
A tentacle gently turned Bin's body to inspect the wounds more closely.
The Kraken lifted Bin's arms and one leg at a time, checking for any other injuries.
Bin, his face stoic as ever, met the Kraken's yellow eyes and spoke.
"I'm fine."
Only then did the Kraken's massive maw split into what looked like a grin.
Bin eyed the suction cups on its tentacles and muttered to himself.
It's friendly enough, but……
Bin's bemused expression didn't last long.
Codic and Ront approached from the opposite side of the ship.
Swoosh—
Codic, in his gust form, opened his mouth the moment he reached Bin.
"My liege, are you alright? Where do you think you're touching?!"
Codic bellowed at the Kraken's audacity.
One of its tentacles was wrapped around Bin's shoulder.
To Codic, his liege's shoulder was an impossibly lofty peak, untouchable and sacred.
Yet here was this newcomer draping a limb over it, turning the sky yellow with rage.
"You oversized, pint-sized freak! How dare you lay a hand on my liege's shoulder…… Get it off him now!"
Codic scolded the Kraken.
Bin felt nothing beyond the slick sensation, but Codic was losing it.
With his thick right arm, Codic grunted and pried at the tentacle.
"You pest! Off with you……!"
Swoosh.
As the tentacle slipped from Bin's shoulder, Codic's expression finally eased. It was as if some grudge lodged in his ribcage had finally settled.
But then the Kraken placed its tentacle right back on Bin's shoulder.
It clearly didn't mind Bin at all.
Codic exploded at it again.
"What the— you slimy sea rat, how dare you touch my liege's heavenly shoulder……!"
The Kraken's tentacle rose and fell on Bin's shoulder repeatedly.
Codic fumed at this insolence from the massive beast……
While the Kraken treated it like simple play, chuckling in amusement.
"Kruu. Kruu."
As the two carried on, Bin's face grew darker by the second.
What's with them and my shoulder……?
Ront, who had followed Codic, looked at Bin with concern.
"You alright there……?"
He seemed worried. Bin had taken on a horde of pirates single-handedly, after all. No way he could be unscathed.
But Bin's expression was calm.
"Of course."
With the power of the 1st-grade monster Bellatan coursing through him, a few gashes on his back and arm were nothing. Unlike before, the wounds were already healing.
Ront gazed at Bin in admiration.
The more I see, the more astonishing he is. Keeping his cool in a situation like that……
It had been perilous. Without the Kraken's intervention, survival wasn't guaranteed.
Yet Bin remained utterly composed. Ront found it incredible.
Before he could calm his nerves, Bin stepped forward.
Thud. Thud.
Leaning on the left railing, Bin watched the wrecked Gold Tooth ship.
Bodies littered the splintered deck.
His lips curled into a smirk as he surveyed them.
"These will make fine recoveries."
At Bin's words, Codic—who had grasped his intent—rushed over instantly.
It wasn't that he'd heard; his ghostly instincts had kicked in.
"My liege, you called?"
Codic always knew when to play his part perfectly.
Bin nodded toward the floating corpses in the sea.
Codic understood at once and raised one hand.
"Rejoice, you lowly scum."
A black cross emerged from the golden ring on Codic's right hand.
As it spun counterclockwise, an eerie phenomenon unfolded.
The pirates' corpses on the shattered ship rose unsteadily.
The power didn't extend to their skin, leaving it sagging loosely.
Among the revived, Gold Tooth stood out the most.
He gawked at his dangling flesh and shouted.
"Wh-what the hell is this?!"
A natural reaction. He'd never experienced anything like it in life.
Gold Tooth inspected his body, then clacked his teeth together.
Clack!
The familiar sensation was a relief. His prized gold teeth were intact.
"Phew……."
Only then did he sigh in relief and survey his surroundings.
His bony subordinates milled about, dazed and mindless.
"How is this……?"
"Is this a dream……?"
Gold Tooth frowned at them. With their stretched skin, identifying them was tricky. He could only guess from their gear.
Then his gaze shifted to the Gold Force.
It was Bin who drew his eye.
And beside him, that ghostly skull caught his attention.
At the sight, Gold Tooth pieced it together.
He threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha! So you brought me back, eh? Foolish brat. I'll make you regret this choice to your bones."
His crew showed no defiance toward Bin.
Only Gold Tooth mustered the will to resist.
The strength of one's resolve varied with their power in life.
Gold Tooth pointed his golden hook at Bin.
"Come on, kid. Let's go another round."
His skeletal state meant nothing. He was just thrilled for revenge.
He added,
"Time to teach a greenhorn like you the sea's true terror once more."
His confidence burned hot. Death had erased any fear of loss.
The bony pirate captain's bravado was downright reckless.
Codic shouted at him.
"You ungrateful wretch!"
Revived with his own artifact, no less—and this was the thanks he got?
From Codic's view, it was absurd.
But Bin ignored Gold Tooth entirely.
Smirking down from the deck, he said,
"If it won't work, make it work."
Short and to the point.
A blue seal flashed on the back of Bin's left hand.
Unfamiliar still, but it obeyed his will.
Then it happened.
The massive Kraken approached Gold Tooth again.
Its demeanor toward him was a complete 180 from how it treated Bin.
Fury blazed in its eyes, killing intent pouring out.
Did instinct recall that prior terror?
Gold Tooth couldn't hide his dread.
"Kr-Kraken……!"
More tentacles emerged from the depths, one by one.
At the sight, Gold Tooth's legs rattled.
Had skin remained, cold sweat would have poured.
Ssshh.
Brown tentacles slithered between the ships.
Soon, one seized Gold Tooth by the legs, hoisting him upside down.
The skeletal pirate flailed his jaw and yelled,
"L-let go! Put me d-down……!"
Where was his earlier swagger?
His voice trailed off.
Codic glanced at him and asked Bin,
"My liege, shall we dunk this trash into the abyss forever?"
"……."
Before Bin could decide, the Kraken swung Gold Tooth's head toward the sea.
Terror-stricken, he blurted something unexpected.
"L-lie… liege?! Spare me……."
The words wouldn't come.
An awkward first for the term liege.
Survival demanded it.
Glancing at Codic beside Bin, Gold Tooth thought,
Looks like that skull got broken bad too. How rough was it that he ends every sentence with 'liege'? Met the unluckiest tough bastard……
Codic reacted first to the word, nodding sagely.
"Indeed…… You should've said that from the start."
Bin, however, wasn't pleased.
This one's lost it too……
But Gold Tooth's desperate will came through loud and clear.
Bin had never intended to kill him anyway.
As Bin willed his release, the Kraken surprisingly loosened its grip on Gold Tooth's legs.
Over time, Gold Tooth lunged at Bin repeatedly.
"Let's fight!", "Brat.", "Kid."
But each time, the Kraken appeared—and he changed.
"Sp-spare me, sir.", "Young master.", "L-liege."
Thus, Gold Tooth endured endless humiliation from Bin, far his junior in years.
Days later.
A fog-shrouded sea, dark as night.
A golden ship trailed a flock of giant sea turtles through it.
After days aboard, Bin briefly longed to set foot on land.
Then a massive island loomed ahead.
As it drew near, enormous eyes revealed themselves.
One black-filled eye rivaled a mansion in size.
Bin's group froze, breaths caught.
"……!"
"Wrooooaaarrr!!"
The beast's roar shook the entire ocean.
Ront gaped at its colossal form.
"Z-Zaratann!"
Everyone on deck stared in stunned silence.
"……!!"
Then a chill crawled up Bin's spine from behind.
He whipped around to Ront and shouted,
"Turn the ship right—now!"
Ront replied urgently,
"Too late to maneuver!"
Codic's face darkened.
The foreboding proved true.
With the Gold Force facing Zaratann head-on, the beast slowly opened its maw.
The crew's vision went pitch black.
"……!"