Third Volume – The Most Wanted Player
***
A few days later.
A black-sailed ship slowly docked in the harbor. It’s previous pirate flag was removed, and now it looked like an ordinary fishing ship.
“I suppose this is goodbye.” Leon said as he slung his backpack over his shoulder.
Zero nodded as he looked at the island with its beautiful, picturesque scenery. It was a truly breathtaking place, with flowers in high bloom and the sound of birds chirping in the distance.
The island was named Kingfisher Retreat, Leon’s home island.
“Are you sure you don’t want any of the treasures?” Zero asked, as the ship was full of Mars’ treasures.
“Yeah, I have no need for stolen spoils.” Leon said and smiled. “I am sure you’ll find better use for them.”
Zero nodded and put his fist forward. “Good luck. I hope your meeting with your parents will go smoothly.”
Leon looked at the fist and scratched his head cluelessly. “What is this?”
“Henri taught me this; it’s called fist bump, I think.” Zero shrugged his shoulders. “We bump fists; it’s basically greeting, celebration, or farewell.”
“Oh.” Leon formed a fist with his right hand and bumped it against Zero’s fist. “Good luck on your voyage.”
Zero nodded and crossed his arms as Leon walked down the gangplank.
After Leon’s feet touched the soil after a few days of being at sea, the black-sailed ship began sailing away, carrying Zero away to his next adventure.
As he saw the ship sail away, realization struck Leon like a sledgehammer. He was now truly free from the shackles of the ocean.
He then began walking down the harbor, the gentle breeze caressing his silver hair as he looked at the fishermen and their boats. He felt a sense of peace and contentment wash over him.
After leaving the harbor and walking down a path that was surrounded by flowerfields and trees, he found himself in a big town, where he could see the bustling streets and the vibrant colors of the buildings.
It was Kingfisher Town, named after the island. It was quite large and had a lot of activity.
The long vineyards with grapes and the lush green fields filled with crops were a sight to behold. They surrounded the town and stretched until the end of the island.
As Leon saw the townsfolk move on with their lives, his heart started beating faster. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over him.
The scent of the food wafting from restaurants, the chirping of birds, and the sound of children playing in the distance brought back memories of his time here.
After a while, he stopped beside a small park and sat on a bench. He looked towards the open fish store, with a gray-bearded man tending to the fish inside.
This man used to teach him to sail ships when he was younger. Without him, the Black Heart Pirates wouldn’t have a helmsman.
‘Everywhere I look, familiar faces pop up.’ Leon sighed and stood up.
It was finally time to return to his time and meet with his parents. He didn’t know how they would react to him being gone for so long.
‘They must’ve seen my wanted poster in the newspapers. I’m likely nothing but a pirate in their eyes, but I hope they’ll at least listen to me.’
Leon grabbed the backpack’s handle and left the park behind. He soon also left the town and walked down a long, well-maintained road towards the vineyards in the distance.
After half an hour of walking, he arrived at the gated residence with land that stretched for several hundred meters. It looked like a wealthy family lived there.
There was a nice-looking mansion built with vineyards surrounding the estate. The vineyards were lush and green, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of grapes.
In the gate, ‘Lambard Residence’ was written in elegant letters.
It was the place where he spent his childhood and formed many cherished memories. He always dreamed of returning to this place in his dreams, walking through the gate and running past the beautiful vineyard with the scent of grapes accompanying him.
Leon put his hand against the metal gate and softly opened it. He then walked through and between the vineyards.
He felt like he had a lump on his throat, and his heart was racing with nervousness.
This reunion made him more afraid than fighting against Mars.
After a short while, he saw a figure talking to a few servants near the fancy-looking mansion. It was his father, donning silver hair with a dignified smile on his face.
At that moment, the front door creaked open, and a beautiful woman walked out of the mansion, wearing a beautiful golden gown, but her face lacked some color, as if she had recently been ill.
‘Father, mother…’ Leon hid behind one of the grapebushes and looked at his trembling hand. ‘I cannot back away now. Get a fucking grip, Leon!’
Near the front door, Leon’s mother, named Amelia Lambard, softly spoke.
“Husband, the head chef wanted to ask what you might want to eat for tonight.” She walked to her husband and grabbed him by the hand.
“Anything is fine.” Leon’s father, Silver Lambard, said and turned to the servants, nudging his chin towards the vineyard. “Start gathering the grapes. They are already ripe and good for harvesting.”
The servants nodded and were about to go to vineyards to start gathering the grapes, but then they all froze in their spots as they saw a man with short, silvery hair walking towards them.
Only they were able to see him because Silver’s and Amelia’s backs were turned away from the man.
They were able to recognize him easily as most of them had worked with the Lambard family for 10+ years, and the silver-haired man bore a lot of resemblance to their master, Silver.
“Y-young master?” One of the servants muttered in shock.
“What did you say?” Silver asked with a pang of pain in his eyes, as that name alongside ‘Leon’ was still a very sore memory.
But then he saw all the servants staring in one direction, wide-eyed, their jaws almost hanging.
At that moment, Silver and Amelia simultaneously turned their heads around to see what had caught their attention. When they saw Leon walking towards them with a silent look on his expression, their breaths stopped for a second.
“L-Leon…” Amelia covered her mouth in shock after finally seeing her son after so many years.
She was speechless, unable to form any words. On the other hand, she was furious that her son took the path of piracy, but on the other hand, she was always worried that he might die any day, and they would never get confirmation of that.
“Leon, what the hell are you doing here?” Silver asked angrily as he stormed toward him. “There is no place for pirates like you in here!”
Hearing his father’s furious voice, Leon didn’t back away; instead, he dropped on his knees and placed his forehead against the ground.
“I am sorry!” Leon screamed, his voice traveling across the estate. “Please, let me just explain, father!”
Silver’s hand trembled.
He wanted to punch his foolish son in the face, but on other hand, he felt a rush of emotions flowing through him like an endless river.
“Why… have you returned?” He asked with a painful tone. “Did your pirating career not work out, and now you decided to come back home?”
Leon took a deep breath and started telling his story—the story of the Black Heart Pirates.