"Are you sure you want to do this? Because if something goes wrong tomorrow, I'm not sure we'll be able to back you up."

It was about seven in the evening, and I was sitting in the village's small marine garrison. After my challenge to Hudson, I had gotten a few hours to myself to consider what I had done. A duel at high noon...what possessed me to go with that level of dramatic? I had to be out of my mind, having a duel right in front of the whole town. There was just so much that could go wrong, from innocent people being caught in the crossfire, to the pirates getting excited and attacking everyone. On top of that, I had backed myself, and everyone in town, into a corner. I realized almost as soon as Hudson had left that if I lost this duel, I would be giving these pirates a huge confidence boost, and effectively dooming the whole town to whatever they wanted to do to them.

I knew that wasn't a good way to think about the situation. A good swordsman should never plan for defeat, after all. Still, it stuck in the back of my mind, and I was not able to totally ignore it. Maybe I still had something to learn about thinking like a swordsman.

In any case, I didn't have a lot of time to think about it. After I sat down with my dinner in the evening, I was suddenly interrupted by three marines approaching my table through the tense, quiet bar. For a moment I was worried that I had broken some kind of law, because you never know with these people, but I was instead invited to speak to the base commander, a man by the name of Lieutenant Genghisis.

If I hadn't known better, I would have took Genghisis as the kind of man who could handle this situation himself. He was about two feet taller than me, and his sheer bulk made him seem like he could have just knocked the pirates aside. His face was adorned with a black, stringy mustache, and his navy uniform was accentuated with a fluffy helmet topped with a spike. He was an extremely intimidating man...yet as far as I could tell, he was just as terrified as the townsfolk.

So the two of us sat there, in the captain's office, it's walls adorned with swords and images of the sea, all while Genghisis tried to explain his disappointing answer to me.

"I don't understand," I responded, leaning back in my chair a little. "This town is supposed to be a major crossroads. Why is the marine garrison so small?"

"So many problems," he growled. "Captain's away, being inspected or something. Figured he could take his ship from the harbor, given that this area's usually pretty safe."

"Wait, inspected?" I asked. "Did he do something wrong?"

"Not him, no." Genghisis, explained. "Problem is, he had contact with someone who did. Turns out this other marine captain...Morgan, I think... got caught for absurd levels of corruption, and the Captain had a whole bunch of correspondence with him. So he got called away to be questioned, and we got left in the lurch."

Well, that was good to know. Morgan's defeat at least gave me a benchmark for figuring out when this was.

"But, I mean...you still have plenty of men, right?" I pressed. "You could probably fight off the pirates if something goes wrong."

"The pirates, maybe," he explained. "Their captain, no. Look kid, I know I'm a stationed officer, but trust me, I've been around enough times to know when something is above my ability. That captain...I'm telling you, he stinks of Grand Line terror. My men are just flat out not equipped to deal with something like that. Normally we'd have to try anyway, but...well, you honestly seem like a better hope on this whole thing."

"I can't take on the whole crew at once." I retorted.

"And you won't have to," he quickly explained. "Like I said, I'm pretty sure my men can handle the crew. But you'll need to take out Hudson yourself, if we're going to have any chance. Really, this whole duel is a pretty good way to keep 'em all from causing trouble in the meantime. We can handle this...we just need someone to clear the monster out."

I agreed to the rest of the plan there, not wanting to tell this very unsure commander about the doubts running through my head. A lot of this was rising on me. I knew it would be, but I had been hoping for a little more support from the town's defenders. I tried not to be mad at the lieutenant, but it was difficult, given the enormous pressure pressing down on me. Putting my life on the line was one thing, but being this whole town's last hope was something else entirely.

In the end, no matter how much confidence I had, or how well I had done, I could not deny that I did not know how tomorrow would go. Yes, I had taken down Hudson's men and lieutenant without much trouble, but I had also seen a man lift up and shatter a gunboat. Strength wasn't the only factor in who won a battle, but it certainly helped. In my very first real duel, I was going to fight an actual metahuman, and knowing that the path I had chosen meant I should expect things like that did very little to diminish the apprehension.

And on top of all of that, there was another problem. What would I do if I won?

I...had never taken a human life before. Of all the ways I had trained, I had not been prepared for doing that. Of course, I didn't have to kill Hudson tomorrow, the Water Blade's tenets specifically stated that one should not use more force then one needs. But the problem was, Nahaje had also taught me that I was seriously risking my own life by not committing to what I was doing. And all of that left a terrifying question...was I ready? No matter how right I was, could I follow through? Or would I hesitate, and in my hesitation doom everyone I was protecting?

I sighed as I headed back to my room. I knew that my best bet was to try not to overthink this fight, as if I silenced my instincts against an opponent like Hudson I had already lost. But it was hard not to, because he was far from the only thing on my mind. So much about this fight...I wondered if it would just fade away when we began? If when our blades connected, I could chase out all of these useless intrusive thoughts?

I lay down in bed, and thought about the pool and the cage. I imagined the slow, deliberate motions I made under water, trying to match the speed at which I did them above ground. I let myself imagine them as I drifted to sleep.

00000000000000000000

The next morning was a little confusing. As soon as I got up, I found myself stopped by almost every villager that I met. Apparently, news of my battle with Captain Hudson had spread to everyone in town, and they all felt the need to see me off before I faced him. The reactions were all over the place. Some of the people who approached me congratulated me, encouraging me to give Hudson hell. Others asked me not to fight, that there was no reason to throw my life away in a hopeless battle. One astoundingly rude man asked me if I was the one who was going to fight Hudson, and when I said yes, he stared at me for twenty seconds before dramatically and sarcastically saying he was going to skip town. In any case, any hope I had of walking into this fight with a clear head was basically gone.

The morning flew by as I prepared. I put on my freshly washed yukata, made sure that Sorahime was ready for my fight, and ran through my katas one last time. I had to be prepared for anything with this fight. Hudson's superhuman strength might have also meant he was difficult to cut, and I needed to be ready for that.

"Resistance exists in all things," I intoned as I slowly went through my forms in my room. "It can be accepted or it can be denied, but it must not be surrendered to. Should my blade stop, it is not because I cannot cut, but because the resistance is stronger than I am willing to cut. I am the master of my own edge."

I sighed. I understood what I was saying, but I still had not fully internalized it. In theory, a true master of the Water Blade wouldn't care how resistant their opponent is to being cut. But there was still a lot about it that I needed to figure out. I just hoped that I didn't still need to figure out something I needed to know to take on Hudson.

There was no point worrying about it now, of course. I had set a time, and I needed to follow through with it. I put on my bamboo hat, and walked out to the road leading out of town, getting ready to fight what might be my first duel to the death.

It was after I walked to the center of the street that I realized that I had gotten there a half an hour early. I considered going back in, but immediately realized that leaving and coming back in a few minutes would look just as silly as showing up too soon. So I stood in the middle of the street, waiting for my opponent. Around me, I could see the villagers getting ready in their own ways. Some of them slammed their shutters closed, while others peaked out through gaps in the windows, eager to see the result of the match. All of this attention...honestly, before I came to this world it might have made me uncomfortable, but now it felt almost calming. With everything at stake, seeing all the people I was protecting was almost fortifying. All of their eyes meant I didn't have the option of looking afraid, because I couldn't risk breaking the spirits of the people of the town. I steadied my breathing, waiting patiently for my opponent to arrive.

It didn't take him long to show up...him and his entire crew. I noticed the marines behind me tense up, and I immediately understood Genghisis's reluctance. All of these men likely wanted nothing more than to spread out into the town and start pillaging, and it was likely this duel that was keeping them here. The marines getting involved would turn this whole thing into a brawl, and there was no way that civilians wouldn't get caught in the middle.

The crowd of pirates started slowly parting in the back, as Hudson strutted up through them. Standing this close to him, it hit me just how big he was. He wasn't as gigantic as Kappa had been, but he still towered over me. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, a swagger in his step causing it to sway back and forth. He smiled at me, though his mouth was closed. I prepared to avert my eyes if he tried that trick with his teeth again.

"So!" he yelled toward me, "you haven't run away, like I expected you to! Very impressive courage, but ultimately a foolish mistake. None have crossed blades with me and lived to tell the tale!"

"Big talk," I answered back, shifting into a fighting stance. "But I don't see a man coming to fight a duel. I see one leading an army to battle."

"Of course!" he proclaimed, sticking his finger in the air. "But worry not, lady swordsman! They are simply here to observe our fight! After all, imagine an alternate universe where you can win. How would my men know you did if they didn't see it?"

"Point taken," I said, a venom in my voice. "So, they're all here, at least the ones you haven't killed. Are you ready to begin?"

"Almost!" he said. "Because it has crossed my mind that I have no assurance that you will not cheat, and that I will not be fired upon in the middle of our duel. Of course, such interference would not defeat me, but I feel it's important to show the cowardly marines here exactly what will happen should they interfere! Leek! Balgo! Set the scene! Lilac! Show them your power!"

"That's really not necessary," I protested. "They aren't going to -"

Anything else I was going to say was lost in a wave of sound. Two pirates - likely the ones he called out to, started pounding a pair of drums in a rapid beat, and if any voices could roar above that, they were quickly drowned out by the blowing of horns from somewhere in the back. Apparently, Hudson had decided to bring a whole band with him to this fight. That...was bizarre, especially for the East Blue. The commander's words rang again in my head. Maybe Hudson was some monster from the Grand Line, looking for easy prey in the weakest sea.

As the music played, several of the pirates pointed their swords in the air, and began waving them in circles, stomping their feet and howling war cries in tune to the beat. Lilac looked...somewhat less excited than the rest of the crowd. I guess he looked like he was bored, or incredibly frustrated, like he had something better to be doing. I don't think I'd ever seen someone with that level of malice in their eyes before. Still, as the music reached its crescendo, he pulled out his long, curved blade. Then, with a flick of his wrist, more blades appeared. As best as I could tell, it worked kind of like a fan, and now five blades stuck out of his single hilt, splayed outward like half the petals of a flower.

Taking this as a signal, several of the pirates notched arrows, and fired them into the sky. As they did, Lilac leapt into the air, ricocheting off the nearby buildings. He swung his sword, and the blade closed together like a pair of scissors, slicing an arrow in two. Landing on a nearby roof, he leaped again, and cut another. He kept doing this, over and over again until every arrow was destroyed, none of them even hitting the ground. The music stopped as he landed.

So, Lilac was pretty skilled, then. I was pretty sure I could handle him, but his power gave me a measurement of how hard Hudson would be to take down. In short, Hudson was clearly a massive showoff, but likely very dangerous to command the loyalty of this man.

"Well, then!" Hudson yelled out, posing with his fists on his hips. "I don't suppose any of you marines or fine citizens want to join in our brawl now, do you?"

No one said a word. But then, no one was ever going to. I sighed, and tried to look unimpressed.

"Your pirates," I said, "are great dancers. But I'm not exactly sure what that proves to me. I mean, the duel is between the two of us, not me and them."

"What it proves," he responded, his chest puffed up with pride, "is that you are alone! No help is coming, and your only chance of victory is the impossible chance of defeating me, Handsome Hudson, captain of the Hudson Pirates, in one on one combat. No one would dare spring a trap on me now! In fact, I suggest you just give up! I promise I'll be merciful!"

"Yeah, wouldn't actually have it any other way," I said, shrugging. "So, does that mean you're done? We can start?"

"We certainly can!" Hudson bellowed. "Let us begin…"

"Great."

"...with our Warrior's Pedigrees!"

"What."

"You do not know the Warrior's Pedigree? For all the skill you showed yesterday, you must be truly inexperienced. Everyone on the Grand Line knows that true warriors cannot begin a duel without a list of their deeds and accomplishments being stated first!"

Oh, what fresh hell was this?

"I have NEVER heard that before." I said. "Yeah, fine, I just started out, but that sounds...there is no way that's true."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I do things properly," he proclaimed. "I will only have this battle as a duel if we follow the sanctified laws of one on one combat practiced by the greatest of champions on the sea!"

Is this what it was going to be? Was my whole life going to be people shoveling idiotic lies at me, and me having to just take it because the only way I can tell them they're wrong is by citing a manga that never existed?

"Since you claim to be a beginner, your Warrior's Pedigree is done. As such, I shall begin mine." Hudson squared his shoulders, and began his speech.

"In the farthest corners of the Grand Line, it is said that a bounty is the clearest way of seeing one's strength. But I tell you that it is a lie! For how can a bounty accurately represent the power of one too strong and unyielding to leave survivors? It is in this world that my story begins. As a mere lad of five, I remember my first victory. It was against a mighty serpent, one so big that it could eat a house! My childhood home, to be specific. But it was no challenge to me, for as it slithered forward to go about it's vile business, I took in my hand my father's sword, and cleaved it right in half! That was how I discovered my superhuman strength, and was the beginning of a long and storied career of-"

I was flabbergasted. What was this? Why was he doing this? How dedicated was this man to wasting both of our time? I had expected stupid when I set sail. I knew this world was ridiculous. But this was far from the kind of stupid I had prepared for.

"...in the eye, if you can believe it! I let the sea king live, but from that day on it's depth perception was a lot poorer. Unfortunately, it's cries of pain summoned all nine of it's gigantic brothers! A ruined eleventh birthday to be sure...or it would be for anyone else! But me, I relished the chance to -"

This could not all be arrogance. There was no way anyone was so lacking in self awareness. So...could he be stalling? If so, why? He'd agreed to this damn duel. It suddenly began to occur to me that all of this could be some kind of trick, some way to make me distracted. Perhaps there were more pirates then I had thought, and some of them were robbing the whole town while everyone was fixated on this ordeal. Or worse, maybe Hudson had no intention of playing fair, and he was waiting all this time so that one of his men could line up a shot on me. I scanned the crowds and rooftops around me, but there was no hidden sniper, at least none I could see.

"...up into the air! I knew I would have nothing to fear, of course. Black John Mumfry was a terrible foe, to be sure, but little did he realize that throwing me so high above his head accomplished nothing but helping me set up my unstoppable Dynamite Lightning Dive attack! So, faster than he could see-"

Maybe this was a devil fruit. I mean, I knew that jumping to that conclusion was a habit I should try to avoid, but who knew? Hudson had already blinded me in some way I still couldn't figure out. He could have some kind of Devil Fruit that made him stronger the more he boasted and bragged. If that was the case, it meant I should just attack him. But doing that would mean that I broke the rules of his stupid duel, and he'd likely order all of his men to attack if I couldn't finish him in one blow. Hell, they'd probably do that even if I could, and I didn't like my chances of stopping all of them at once.

"Of course, Captain Snakestache didn't know who I was at the time. He might have been a big fish in the East Blue, but was no match for a true warrior like myself. So, as he drew his sword, determined to strike me down in a jealous fit of rage! But before the blow was struck, I clasped my hands around his neck and throttled the life out of him! It was at that moment that I knew my long, silent sojourn had come to an end, and it was time to show the world who I truly was. So I took his crew for my own, and with my brilliant tactics, we've been looting all around the coast as we please. Soon, my notoriety will have grown to a point that we'll be able to take to the Grand Line again, and then the world will know the name of Roy Hudson!"

With that he stopped talking. Some of his crew cheered, and I almost cheered as well, because this likely meant he was done talking. I had lost track of time, but it had felt like he was talking for hours. Even though my leg was starting to cramp from standing still, I was glad I hadn't been sitting, because I would have definitely fallen asleep.

"So," I asked, as the cheering died down, "is that everything? Have you suitably dazzled us all with your life story?"

"Yes...yes, I think so," he responded, nodding. "If there is anything else, it's likely below my notice."

"Awesome." I said, smiling a tense smile at him. "So...are you finally ready to fight?"

Hudson was silent for a moment. He stared at me, as if he was trying to figure out how ready I was. I wanted to scream at him that I'd been ready since before the musical presentation, but I held my tongue. But when the silence was finally broken, it was not by his answer. Instead, it was by the sound of my stomach growling.

I had eaten a good breakfast. I wasn't actually looking at the clock, but had he really been talking for that long?

"Hmm," Hudson mused. "Is it past two o'clock already? We should break for lunch!"

Screw appropriate force, and screw my compunctions. I was going to kill this man.

0000000000

"How much of that story do you think is true?" asked a frightened Marine soldier sitting next to me.

We were sitting in a small restaurant. Hudson and his inner circle of officers had come in as well. As far as I could tell, they had actually paid, or at least Hudson had paid. I think that his crew was as confused by Hudson's erratic behavior as I was. Or they would be if I was confused. I was mostly just mad.

Here's the thing: while I wasn't really sure how tough this fight was going to be, that didn't mean I was worried about starting it. Circumstances aside, this was still an important first for me, and I really wanted to get it started. I had trained for years to develop my skills, and I had an opportunity to use them in defence of other people. And yet, here I was, eating a thick, hearty stew, watching my supposed opponent stuffing his face and laughing, like none of this mattered. I was something beyond irritated.

I think the only person in the room as unhappy as me was Lilac. Again, I felt that I needed to keep an eye on him. This one had the look of a killer about him, and every moment he waited he looked like he was trying to keep himself from just indiscriminately stabbing people. Certainly, I was impatient too, but the bloodlust I saw in him made it clear to me that winnin would not necessarily make the crew back down. I was starting to realize that I had to win in such an overpowering manner that none of them would dare do anything but retreat.

Though, at the rate we were going, I might have just needed to wait until Hudson passed out from everything he was drinking.

"I have no idea," I finally answered back, rolling my eyes. "I was barely listening to it. I'll say this, if he fights as much as he talks, I might be in some serious trouble."

"It's just…" the marine continued, "There are actually people like that on the Grand Line, you know? I've heard stories of pirates who can cut ships in half, and slay giant sea monsters with a single blow. Maybe...I mean, he could be like that."

"I've found," I explained, "that people who can do that kind of thing don't need to spend hours talking about it. I'm not saying this is going to be easy. I'm just saying that he was that powerful, I'd probably have already lost."

"Ah, what a filling meal!" Hudson bellowed across the room, slamming his mug on the table. "My compliments to the chef. In fact, when I win this battle, I might not even rob this place!"

"So," I asked, my teeth gritted. "Are you good now? Do you need to use the bathroom? Wash your hands? Anything?"

"Oh, don't you worry, lady swordsman!" he proclaimed, approaching me. "I'm utterly ready to fight. But...we may have another problem."

Oh no no no goddammit no…

"You see," he explained, "when I agreed to the duel, it was at high noon. And I do not need to tell you that it's not high noon anymore. What kind of swordsmaster fights a duel at...half past three? No, we'll have to reschedule."

"RESCHEDULE!?" I yelled, all pretext of calm gone. "I...you...it...the only reason we didn't fight at noon was because you stalled so much! Are you kidding me!?"

"Oh, calm down," he said, sitting down next to me. "I just want this battle to be worthy of both of us! We'll have our rematch….hmmmmm...tonight! At Midnight, the witching hour!"

I opened my mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. I was sure he had a devil fruit now, one with a power that exhausted people.

"Fine." I finally said, quietly and tensely. "But we're not going to do it in the village. We'll do it on the mountain overlooking town, under the moonlight. And we'll do it on the rocky side, so no ambushers can wait there."

"Of course, who do you think I am? I'll see you there! Men, let's go!"

As the pirates filed out of the bar, I slumped in my chair. If I was going to have to wait until midnight, I was going to take a nap first.

0000000000000000

The ascent up the mountain wasn't terribly hard. I felt grit and silt slide under my shoes as I walked, but my footing was careful enough that I wasn't at any real risk of falling. I had to give it to Hudson, it was beautiful. The moon, which I had concluded was just bigger in this world, was bright and full, and it reflected off the sea in a way that made it look like it was glowing.

As I climbed, I kept my eyes open for potential assassins. At this point, I was relatively certain that Hudson was going to play this straight, but with all the nonsense he had pulled earlier today, I wasn't taking any chances. So I rested my hand on Sorahime, and with each step prepared to defend myself.

Eventually, I reached a plateau, one I had remembered from my morning run two days ago. I had never actually told Hudson where on the mountain we were going to meet, so seeing him standing there should not have been a great surprise to me. He stood there, in the moonlight, his hand upon his sword. His face was...hard to describe. He looked like he was worried about something, but trying to mask that worry under a wave of bravado. The result was that his confidence from earlier today had waned. I wondered if it had just been the time alone that made him think about this, about the implications of a duel.

"I thought you wanted this duel to be in front of witnesses." I said, squaring up across from him. "I figured the audience would be smaller, but I didn't really expect you to come alone."

"When you're as famous as I am, miss," he said, taking a stance, "you don't need your deeds to be witnessed to make them echo across the world."

"Then why did...you know what, no. Nevermind." I said. "I'm not giving you another excuse to stall. My name is Shimotsuki Kuina, and your days of threatening these people are over."

"Kuina," he mused. "That's a pretty name. But I fear I know a far more beautiful one. Allow me to introduce you to my truest love, my shimmering salvation...I give you...Joyeuse!"

He drew out his sword, and it was pretty impressive looking. I had learned a few things about swords while I was training, and I'd like to think that I could at least identify when one was a piece of garbage. This blade, however, was of true quality. Despite its flashy, ostentatious hilt, it looked masterforged, a long, glittering sabre glinting in the moonlight.

I drew Sorahime in response. Regardless of how much I wanted to get this started, I was not going to strike first. Hudson clearly had the advantage in strength, and I meant to use that strength against him. I held out my blade in a defensive stance, and carefully watched him. I had learned that the slightest tense or twitch could indicate when someone was going to attack, and I was going to catch it before it happened.

My focus, however, was unnecessary.

Hudson did attack, likely after realizing that I wasn't going to begin, but it was not the kind of thing that I needed to read subtle movements to notice. He charged me head on, his sword dramatically cutting through the air in a way that telegraphed itself perfectly. Stepping out of the way of it was so effortless that I was almost sure it was a feint, but as I dodged, there was no followup.
Any cockiness I had, however, was lost when I realized that his wild swing had chopped down a dead but thick tree behind me.

With a fresh reminder of how strong his blows were, I went on the defensive again. Fighting him was mostly footwork, as I wasn't going to try to block one of those powerful swings unless I had to. He swung, still in wide, sweeping arcs, and each time he did I slid out of the way, cleanly avoiding his attack. I started to wonder what his plan was. As mighty as his attacks were, I was never in any real danger of getting hit by him.

"Horizon Cutter Slash!" he yelled. He lifted his sword above his head with both hands, and tried to bring it down on my head. And as I stepped out of the way, still with plenty of time to spare, my confusion grew.

So, here's the thing...Named attacks actually work here. I remembered it had been one of the sillier, tropier parts of the manga, and I always had attributed it to how broad and straightforward the storytelling was. But it was more than that. For whatever reason, attacks literally hit harder when they're vocalized. Just saying that sounds ridiculous, but during my training I actually tested it and it turned out that my techniques were not as effective when I didn't indicate them. This wasn't to say that one had no chance if one didn't scream out their attacks like a Dragon Ball Z character, but in my experience the benefits of doing so outweighed giving your attacks away. See, you're not so much announcing your attacks before they happen as you're reaffirming them as they happen.

The point is, that is not what Hudson was doing. When he spoke, he was doing this little...pose? Dance? It was hard to tell. Point was, his already clumsy blows were now even easier to avoid, and I had no idea why.

Then I noticed something else. When I dodged his attack, I had taken the opportunity to move behind him, to get out of the way of his rampage. But as I did, his attack direction did not change. He just kept swinging in the direction I had been before, wildly and without direction. As it became clear that he wasn't going to turn toward me, I took a closer look...and I realized that he really was swinging blind. And that he was doing this because his eyes were closed.

It was at that point that I decided that I needed to stop overthinking this fight. I could assume that whatever the hell he was doing was part of some larger technique or strategy, or I could just take it for what it was. Whatever he was doing, I could see dozens of problems with his form, and I was going to try to exploit them. In a single motion, I lunged forward at his totally unprotected side, and in a single motion, sent his sword flying into the air. His eyes shot open, just in time to see his precious 'Joyeuse' impale itself in the ground far out his reach. Before he could run to get it, I had knocked him to the ground.

"Wait!" he yelled as he tried to scramble up, backing away from my blade. "Miss Kuina, there's no need to get hasty!"

"Yeah, well, there was no need for you to kill that guy on your crew either, was there?" I asked, advancing on him. "I have no idea why you bit off so much more than you can chew, but if you think you're going to -"

"GET AWAY FROM THE CAPTAIN!"

I wasn't going to kill him, obviously. A disarmed opponent, desperately retreating from me on all fours...I was probably going to just knock him out and turn him in for his bounty. Apparently, though, the young man I had somehow not noticed hiding behind some of the jagged rocks didn't get that. I had no time to get out of the way as someone lept out from behind me, trying to pull my hands behind my back.

Luckily, neither his grip or his hold were very impressive. I drove my elbow into his chest, and as I heard him gasp for air, I flipped him over my shoulder. As he hit the ground, I gripped my sword in both hands, pointing it at his throat.

"No, no, no, stop!" Hudson yelled from the ground. "He has nothing to do with this!"

"Yes I do, captain!" my ambusher yelled. "There's no way I'm going to let her kill you!"

"Pavel, I told you to stay out of sight, I had this under control!" Hudson bellowed back, and before I could tell both of them to stop yelling I froze.

Pavel?

I looked down on the person my sword was pointed at. At first, he seemed somewhat familiar. But when I looked closer, I noticed there was a hand shaped welt peeking out from his collar, one that I immediately recognized.

"Stay down," I said, staring directly at the pirate I was sure had been killed yesterday. "I'm going to have a word with your boss." I got off of him, and walked back over to Hudson.

"Congratulations!" he laughed nervously. "You are the first warrior to ever defeat me. Granted, I was going easy on you, but you should still be proud of what you have-"

"Start talking now," I said, glaring at him. "You've been wasting my time all day, and if I find out this whole thing is some stupid game-"

"It's not! It's not!" he stammered as I approached. I stopped, letting him talk, but still staring hard at him. After catching his breath, he spoke.

"Okay, look," he began. "My name is Roy Hudson. I'm not a swordsman. I'm not really even a pirate. I'm...well, I'm an actor. An actor in way over his head. And I need your help."