Chapter 9: Raging Sea – Part III

On the deck

Helen and some sailors were still searching for Poney. Suddenly, they saw Poney lifted her head above water.

"There!" Helen shouted. Two sailors jumped into the sea and bring Poney back to the deck with an immense effort.

Helen then covered a piece of blanket over Poney's body.

"Ah! Thanks." Poney felt warm.

"You did a good job, girl!" captain Rodrigo acclaimed Poney. "Just go and have a rest."

"It doesn't matter... I can continue!" Poney said confidently.

Suddenly, Poney heard Helen was shouting, "Poney! You are bleeding!"

"Er…" Poney then felt pain came out of her left arm.

Before Poney was going to do something, Helen grabbed her arm and began checking. She discovered an incised wound on Poney's left arm near her shoulder.

"You need disinfection!" Helen said seriously.

Few minutes later, in the clinic room.

Helen was bandaging Poney's arm. Her wound looks not so good to Helen.

"Poney, why did you do such a dangerous thing?" Helen said worriedly.

"Because we are friends." Poney replied, "I should protect you."

"I know you are a good girl, Poney!" Helen explained. She thought Poney was sorry for what she has done in the Imperial Assassination Division. "You needn't to do anything to prove that."

"But I still have to protect my friend!" Poney determined, "I have already lost many friends before, so I don't want to lose more."

"If that's Poney's wish, then I hope Poney can promise me that she will never work for the empire or be an assassin again, is that Okay?" Helen implored Poney.

"Errr…" Poney was contradicted. On one side was the new friend who may be able to help Najasho to take out the insect in his brain, on the other side was her empire that may be invaded by Western Country. Poney didn't know how to choose.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the bottom of the ship and the ship shook so badly!

"Ahhh…!" Both of Helen and Poney fell on the floor. "Wh…What was that?" Helen was afraid.

"I'm afraid the ship struck something…" Poney said. She suddenly frightened, "Maybe it was something struck the ship!" Poney realized the black shadow she saw under the sea.

Since then, the ship was tilted to one side.

Poney and Helen hurriedly hide under the bed. The stuffs on the shelf fell on the floor and glasses scattered.

"Er?" Poney suddenly stamped a dirty bottle, it was the one she wants to pick when Helen was making bed for her. She glanced the label on the bottle and was terrified.

"This is a kind of hypertoxic! It can only be found in black market. The Assassination Division used this, too. Why does Helen have it?" Poney was confused about this.

The door of the clinic room suddenly opened and Cleante came in. "We have to go now!" said the young apprentice of the carpenter.

Two girls then followed Cleante to the restaurant.

In the ship's restaurant

"Everybody hurries! The water came in!" A sailor shouted to everyone.

There were fallen shelves and broken trusses everywhere and people were in utter confusion. After they entered the restaurant, Helen hurried to rescue some passengers who got hurt. Poney followed Cleante and headed to an export to the deck. There were a large group of people there.

"Oh, No! The door of the export was blocked up!" One of them knocked the door heavily.

Then, a group of people lifted a heavy bench and tried to smash the door open. They struck the door with the bench. However, the door gave a loud crashing sound but didn't move an inch.

"Ah! It's useless!" the leader of this group of people said worriedly. "We have to find a way to open the door, or none is able to get out!"

"Wait a minute!" Cleante suddenly realized something. "There was an axe in the storeroom. I'll go and find it."

The young apprentice then hurried to the storeroom.

"Wait, let me go with you!" Poney was worried about the young boy.

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself." Said Cleante.

"Alright then, just be carefull!" Poney said to the young apprentice.

After Cleante left, Poney turned around and looked at the people who are trying to open the door. The door was shut tight, and they were unable to open it.

"Please, let me handle this!" Poney said to them.

"Are you kidding? How can you solve this problem?" People doesn't believe Poney because she was just a little girl.

"Let me show you." Poney went in front of the door and asked these people to step aside. Then she bowed a little bit and gave a strong round-kick!

Poney's kick made a huge noise and the door planks started sunken…

"Unbelievable!" All people around were amazed because Poney used her Shingu. It's called Yocto Bottoms, and it can enhance the user's lower body strength. Poney's kick was powerful because Yocto Bottoms gave her legs energy.

However, after Poney gave such a powerful kick, she then began gasping…

"My…body…is still thickness!" Poney put her hand on her chest and thought. She was hurt badly by Najasho who was controlled by a Gravekeeper in the last battle and unable to fight like ordinary time.

Poney turned around and looked at Helen who was saving the wounded. "No, I shouldn't give up like this!" She then turned back and kicked the door again.

"Come on! Good girl! You can do it!" The rest of people were rooting for Poney.

"Ah!" Poney suddenly fell on the ground. She had kicked for about 10 minutes, but the door still didn't open. Poney yawned and felt less energetic, she found not only her attacks got weaker, but also her durability decreased.

"Yocko Bottom! Come on!" Poney said and stood up again. She used all her power and gave the door a strong synchronized kick. The door finally broke and all things that blocked the door toppled down. The exit stairs are in front of everyone.

"Thank goodness!" Everybody began cheering.

"Everybody listens!" a voice attracted everyone's attention. They turned around and saw the second and third officer. There was a 5 rounds revolver in the second officer's hand and the third officer held a harpoon.

"Let women and children go first!" the second officer ordered. The passengers followed the order and they let Poney and Helen go first because they were young girls and Poney just saved all of them.

Poney and Helen came onto the board. What they saw was in total chaos. There was a lot of broken cases and barrel around the deck and sailors were trying to launch the lifeboats. The only good thing is, the storm became weaker.

Two girls then hurried to the first officer.

"First officer, what's going on here?" Helen asked.

"Sorry, girls…" the first officer lowered his head and said sadly, "we lost captain Rodrigo."

"What!? No!" Helen was shocked and tears came out of her eyes.

"What happened?" Poney was also surprised.

"After you and Helen return to the cabin, a sailor said he saw the land. Captain Rodrigo realized that we are not far from Catalpas Islands, so he ordered us to go to the east corner of the island. However, the ship hit a reef when we were almost arriving, then an accident occurred…" the first officer said and pointed his left. Helen saw a dead body that covered by a white sheet.

"Captain!" Helen shouted and run to the dead body. She then flung herself to the captain's body and started crying.

"Where was Catalpas Islands?" Poney asked the first officer.

"Let me show you." the first officer then took Poney to a sideboard. "There!" he pointed a direction to the sea. Poney took a carefully look and found some black shadows in a mountain shape appeared on top of the sea level. That's where the islands are.

"Are you really sure the ship hit a reef?" Poney asked the first officer in doubt.

"Of course!" The first officer replied for sure.

"Er…I have something to tell you." Poney hesitated, then told the first officer the strange black shadow with cigar type body and shining eyes.

"Poney, I have to let you know something." After carefully listening to Poney's report. The first officer turned around and looked at the people who scramble to get on the safe boats. Then he said, "we are not sure what that thing is, and we don't have any evidence to prove it attacked us. So please don't tell anyone about this, or it will cause chaos." The second officer reminded.

"Alright..." Poney agreed, but she still cannot relax her vigilance. Because Helen told her the humor about the cannibal monster living under Catalpas Islands. Poney was afraid that black shadow was the monster.

"You'd better go to take a safe boat with Helen!" The first officer said to Poney.

"Okay." Poney agreed and called Helen to go with her.

"One minute." Helen answered. She then bided farewell to captain Rodrigo's body. However, she seemed noticed something didn't make sense and became serious.

"And you! Go to take the safe boat if you don't want to die!" The first officer then shouted to the third officer rudely, because he saw him was holding his harpoon and looking for something in the sea.

The sea water filled the ship and the ship started sinking. More and more safe boats were launched into the sea and the ship's crew and some passengers paddle the boats away from the ship as fast as they can. The rest of passengers rushed pell-mell to the remaining safe boats. Although the ship's crew promised all passengers have a seat, some of them still jumped into the sea to escape.

But Poney and Helen were lucky because girls have priority to take the safe boat. They were sitting with many other passengers. Finally, all safe boats went into the sea and left the ship. The first officer stood on the head of a ship and after all the boats got together, he began counting the number of people.

"OK, is everyone on board?" The first officer asked.

"Wait a second, where is Cleante?" Helen suddenly found the young carpenter apprentice was missing.

"Oh, no!" Poney's eyes widened, she just realized that Cleante went to the storeroom to look for an axe.

"He is still on the ship!" Poney shouted.

"What!?" Helen and a lot of people were shocked.

"I'm going to find him!" Poney couldn't wait any longer. She took off her jacket and decided to swim back to the sinking ship.

"Poney wait!" Helen was trying to stop her, but it was too late. Poney had already jumped into the sea.

"Poney…Please be safe!" Helen said worriedly. She closed her eyes and prayed for Poney's safe.

"Yocko Bottom! Please!" Poney released the Shingu's power and swam quickly to the ship. On the way she looked around and see if the strange shadow is nearby, but she found nothing. It seemed that the monster was gone.

Poney finally swam near the ship. She caught hold of a rope and climbed onto the deck. Poney went into the cabin and found that the floor were cracked and most of the walls were collapsed.

"I remember the storeroom was…at the corner of the stairs leading to the bottom cabin at the back of the ship!" Poney thought. She then ran quickly to the back of the ship.

There were broken containers and scattered glasses everywhere on the floor. Poney was going barefoot and those sharp fragments injected into her soles and blood came out.

"Err!" Poney endured the pain and jumped over those obstacles, she finally arrived at the storeroom. Luckily the water didn't flooded this floor.

"Cleante!" Poney opened the door of the storeroom. What she saw made her scared. Cleante was held down under a huge shelf. His lower body was totally stuck. There was one axe holding by his right hand. Blood came out of the young boy's forehead and he had already lost consciousness.

"Oh, no!" Poney was afraid. She then went next to the shelf and tried to lift it. However, it was too heavy that Poney couldn't even move it an inch.

"What should I do?" Poney felt helpless. The sound of water came behind her and she knows that the storeroom will be flooded in a few minutes.

Suddenly, the ship shake so badly and Poney fell down on the floor. However, she opened her eyes and found she can dive into the gap under the self. Since then, Cleante woke up.

Po…Poney, I…I found the axe in the tool cabinet…However…the self suddenly fell down…I…" the young apprentice said weakly.

"Don't worry." Poney tried to comfort him. "Here, let me help you."

Poney then dived into the gap and paralleled with Cleante. "Let's try to prop the self up."

"Okay…" said Cleante when he was ready.

"Err…Come on!" Poney and Cleante used all their power to prop the self with their back. "Yocko Bottom! Please…" Poney then released more power of her Shingu. Finally, the self started moving up.

"Ge…get out of here!" Said Poney after she found the gap is enough for Cleante to escape.

Two of them then move out quickly. The shelf fell on the floor and created a big noise…

"We…we made it!" Poney fell to the floor on her knees and grasped. She was nearly exhausted.

However, before they were trying to do anything, the down suddenly opened and water came in like flood!

"Ah!" Both Poney and Cleante were flushed by the strong wave.

"C…Cleante!" Poney yelled the young apprentice's name, she opened her eyes and found she was underwater. Poney knew that the whole level was flooded, but she couldn't find Cleante.

"I have to find him!" Poney said to herself. She then swam out of the storeroom and headed to the restaurant.

"Where is that boy?" Poney looked around and searching for the young apprentice. She lifted the overturned tables and chairs, swam over the messy bar counter, but she couldn't find him.

Back to the safe boats…

Helen and several sailors were looking at the sinking ship worriedly. They couldn't wait to see Poney and Cleante come back. Later, the storm came down and safe boats can sail in the sea, so the first officer asked to clear a safe boat to go back to rescue Poney and Cleante.

"Please let me go, I want to help Poney!" Helen entreated.

"Let me command." The third officer said rudely.

Few minutes past, a safe boat was ready and Helen and four sailors include the third officer started rowing to the ship. The third officer still took his harpoon with him.

Back to the ship…

Suddenly, Poney heard a knocking sound came from the kitchen.

"Could it be Cleante?" Poney thought and swam to the kitchen.

After Poney entered the Kitchen, she saw Cleante was cutting the chimney with the axe. Poney then realized it's a way to escape. She then swam next to the young apprentice and asked for the axe.

Poney took the axe from Cleante and began cutting. They finally created a hole and both of them swam into the chimney trough that hole.

There was no water in the chimney and Poney and Cleante can breath. They climbed up and came out of the chimney and stood on the deck. Poney looked around and found the ship tilted badly and the body distorted so serious that nearly break off. They have to escape as fast as possible.

"Over there!" Helen saw Poney and Cleante. Their safe boat had arrived at a place not far from the ship. All of the sailors started shouting to Poney and Cleante.

"That's Helen! They are coming to rescue us!" Poney found the safe boat and began happy.

"How…how can we get there?" Cleante felt difficult about the distance.

"Let's jump." Poney said happily. She then took off the last life buoy and put it on Cleante's body.

"Now come onto my back." Poney bowed down and carried Cleante. "We are going to jump!" Poney said and ready to launch her Shingu's power.

Suddenly, the floor under Poney's feet cracked! The ship's body broke in two, and Poney and Cleante fell in the crack.

"No! Poney!" Helen was scared. All the other sailors were afraid, too.

Poney struggled to stick her head out of water, and found she was in the ship's cabin. Cleante was not far from her. He was so scared and struggling to swim. The cabin was full of water, if they don't escape quickly, the sinking ship will took them both under the sea!

"Let me help you!" Poney swam to the young apprentice, their hands held together tightly.

"We have to get out of here quickly!" Poney said and looked around. She suddenly saw a crack not far from them on the left. They can swam out of the ship trough the crack.

"That's the exit!" Poney pointed the crack. Both of them started swimming towards the crack.

"Ah!" Poney suddenly stopped and couldn't move. "What was that?" She felt something grabbed her feet. She then dived into the water and looked what that was.

"No!" Poney found her feet got entangled by some thick ropes which made her unable to move. She then came to the surface of the water and looked at Cleante sadly.

"What's wrong?" Cleante found Poney didn't look so good.

"You go first, I will come after you!" Poney let Cleante to go first.

"But…" Cleante didn't want this, but Poney pushed him away from her before he could do anything.

"Go to the safe boat and find Helen!" Poney shouted to the young apprentice.

"I will come back to rescue you!" Cleante answered and turned to the crack.

After Cleante left, Poney then dived into the water and tried to untie the ropes on her feet. However, the ropes were so thick and tight and cut Poney's fingernails.

"Yocko Bottom! Please…" Poney then tried to launch the Shingu's power, but Yocko Bottom's energy was out…

Poney was unable to free herself. The ship was sinking faster, if Poney cannot escape, she will sink into the sea with the ship. She realized the axe she used to cut the chimney and repent to abandon it. Poney then looked around and try to find anything sharp that can cut the ropes.

On the safe boat…

Because the sinking ship will create some dangerous whirlpools. Helen and other sailors had to row the boat a little further from the ship. They waited and waited…Suddenly, they saw Cleante swam out of the ship.

"There!" Two sailors saw Cleante. They both jumped into the sea and swam to the young apprentice.

"You are safe now!" The two sailors brought Cleante back onto the safe boat.

"Cleante, where is Poney?" Helen found Poney wasn't with him and asked.

"Please! Save her!" Cleante said weakly, "Poney was stuck in the ship!"

"Oh, no!" Two sailors then turned round and decided to swam back to rescue Poney. But the third officer stopped them.

"Take a look at the ship!" The third officer said strictly.

"Oh, my goodness!" The sailors understood what the third officer means.

On the ship…

Poney gave up trying. She couldn't find anything that can free her. The ropes entangled her feet are as tight as shackles. Poney knew she was totally stuck in the ship, and she lost all hope.

"I really want you to come to rescue me again. I just…hope to see your face once more…Najasho…" Poney said to herself, tear came out of her eyes. She looked up at the sky through the broken ceiling. Now it was nearly morning, and dawn was beginning to show in the east.

The water surged over Poney's head and the dark began surrounding her. Poney took her last look at the sky and closed her eyes.

The ship had sunk. Left nothing but some of her wreckage on the surface of the sea. Helen stood at the front of the safe boat, looked at where the ship sank in a kind of frozen way. She waited for a long time, but didn't see Poney came back.

"We have to go now." The third officer came and said to Helen.

"Poney…Poney…"Helen repeated Poney's name. Tear came out of her eyes…She suddenly kneeled down and began crying.

"Poney why? Why don't you come back?…" Helen cried painfully. Cleante was crying with her, too.

"Don't worry Helen. That girl was a hero. I believe she will be okay." A sailor tried to comfort Helen.

"Leave me alone!" Helen refused the sailor's comfort. "Poney…you promised to be my friend. I…I don't want to lose you!" Helen cried sadly.