"Ca...Captain?"

Kiku examined the man before him. This 'Antonio'. He had deep jade-green eyes that were looking down at him with amusement. There were curly brown locks beneath a feathered captain's hat. Tanned skin from being in the sun's embrace for so long. He was clad in a long red coat until he removed it and offered it to Kiku.

"Si. Now what brings you to the middle of the sea, foreigner?" he asked. Kiku noticed his thick Spanish accent.

"K-Kiku..." the man let out.

"Que?" The pirate gave him a confused look.

"My name is Kiku, Antonio-san."

Antonio smiled. "I'll call you Kiku so long as you address me as Captain Antonio. Alright?"

"Yes, An- I mean, Captain. As to answer your question..." Kiku tried to think back as to how he even ended up in the ocean. "I have no idea."

Antonio raised an eyebrow and looked at one of his crew mates. "Lovino, take our... guest to my quarters. We have some matters we need to discuss later."

Kiku was nervous as to what these matters were, but obediently followed the Italian into the depths of the ship.

As Antonio opened the door, he caught Kiku staring at the splendor the of the Captain's quarters.

Kiku was gazing at the objects around the room that seemed to come straight out of a fantasy. There were dully shining compasses resting atop maps that showed rich tropical islands. On the wall hung a shining axe. There were several large chests scattered across the room, full of what Kiku didn't know.

After all, his curiosity got him in this position in the first place.

The Asian turned his attention from the trinkets to their owner.

"Well," Antonio began. "We figure that you aren't a spy due to your strange attire." He gestured to the other's damp waiter's uniform. "So, what were you doing out in the water?"

"I told you, I don't know."

"Where are you from?"

"California."

Antonio tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows. "Donde?"

"America."

Antonio continued to stare at him until a thought occurred to him. "Oh. You mean the New World?"

New World? Kiku thought. It hadn't been referred to as that since the Exploration A... Oh my gosh. He suddenly felt faint.

"Kiku?"

"...C-Captain...What year is it?"

Antonio blinked. "What a strange question... The year is 1588."

Kiku felt himself slump in his seat. Antonio jumped to his feet to see what was wrong with his guest.

"Kiku?"

Over four hundred years.

He was back in a time over four hundred years before his own... This sort of thing was impossible, right? This was an occurrence that could only happen in his daydreams...Right?

"Kiku! What's wrong?" Antonio asked with concern clear in his voice.

"It can't be 1588!" Kiku said in a panicked voice.

"Of course it is." Antonio responded.

Kiku put his face in his hands. "How? How could this happen?" How could he get home? Back to his brother? To his life? He couldn't live in the past!

"How could what happen?"

Kiku looked back at Antonio. The man's eyes were full of worry. Why not tell him?

"I... I'm not from this time..." Kiku mumbled.

"What?"

"I'm not from this time," Kiku said a little more loudly. "I'm... I'm from the future."

Antonio just gave him a blank look.

"...You drank the sea water, didn't you?" the pirate deadpanned.

"I'm telling the truth!" Kiku said.

Antonio crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Prove it."

Prove it? Kiku thought. How do I prove it? Wait... perhaps...

"Do you still have the bottle of wine I had when I came on board?"

"Yes..."

"Could you please go get it?"

Antonio gave him skeptical look, but went out of the room to retrieve the only evidence Kiku had. Once Antonio returned, he had the bottle. Kiku examined the date on the the bottle. It was old by the standards of Kiku's time, but it was certainly a year late enough to convince the pirate.

"The date. Look at the date."

Antonio stared blankly at the front of the bottle. Then his jade-green eyes widened. "Dios mio..."

"Do you believe me now?"

The pirate nodded. "How did you come here?"

"I told you, I don't know."

"How are you to return?"

Kiku didn't say a word. For a while, neither of them said a word. Both thinking over the answer to that question.

"How about... how about I assist you?"

"A...Assist me?"

"Of course." Antonio smiled. "'Captain Antonio Fernandez Carriedo and the boy from a distant era'. That sounds like a legend for the ages. Why would I pass that up?"

Kiku smiled back. "It's a deal then, Captain Carriedo."

Bri here, I'm sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoy our little collab project. See you next time~