Chapter 6: East Traders

In the end, we only stayed about two days in Riza.

After the little debacle with Suiren, we spent the rest of the second day getting supplies for our next voyage. And the crew would not stop teasing me about my 'date' with Suiren, and the fact that I thought she was a HE the whole time. I'll get back at them for this one day, I swear it…

Speaking of Suiren, despite the huge misunderstanding, she and I became somewhat of a friendly acquaintance. Apparently, the reason she even don on this male outfit is mostly because of her job and gender clashing. From what she told me, despite her great skill as a fighter and made a Lieutenant at a young age of 20, there are some in her branch that doesn't seems to take her seriously due to her sex. As such, she cut off her once long hair and bind up her chest and starts showing herself more of a male.

Got to say, she got moxy, that girl…

But from what I can gather from the crew and people around town, it also has the adverse effect of her being made one of the best bachelors of Riza. I wasn't the first one to has thought she was male at first glance with many woman who has came from outside the island making the same mistake and falling head over heels for her.

And it ends with same results every time, only usually with more additional anger and maybe a bit of confusion over their actual place on the attraction spectrum.

Anyways, on the second day, Sen decided let me have another day off, stating that we would be on land for one more day and I should make good use of that time to rest my sea legs. I ended up just helping the others with restocking supplies for the voyage, got to know a lot about the types of provisions and how to haggle for the right price.

I even got to taste Riza's speciality, fermented fish sauce. Can't wait for Gord to cook up some delicious meal with that!

Soon enough, we are restocked with all the necessary supplies and then some. With Silvia command, we raised anchor and set sail for a place called Temasek.

No idea what that place is, since Silvia refused to tell me and the other crew is keeping mum about it. There's not much to say in my guidebook either, just that it is a few clicks from Riza and just south of the Conomi Islands, along with the fact that there is a large port situated in it that houses a few dozens of ships at a time.

Well, whatever it is, I sure hope we don't run into anymore pirates on the way…

Just once is a little too much for little'ol inexperienced me…

Which brings us to right now, a week and a half into the voyage with me getting my shit beaten by Sen.

I tumble onto ground for the fifth time since we started our sparring training, a new wooden sword in my hand instead of a bamboo one. Sen walks up to me with a sigh and a shake of his head, "Still far from decent. But I got to admit, you are definitely improving. You manage to take advantage of the openings that I've left for you for once, and I didn't get to break your face at all!"

"Not sure if that's a compliment or…"

"Eh. Take it with a grain of salt." He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, "That's enough sparring for now. Take a short breather while I get the weights." With that, he walks back down to below the deck, probably to get the dumbbells he bought back on Riza. I've never thought I would be seeing those things in my training. Just looking at them reminds me of Zoro's own training methods. I wonder if I'll be able to do the same powerful moves as his'?

Being able to throw out a spiral blade cyclone would be awesome…

"Need a hand?"

The familiar voice of Kris calls out with a webbed hand reaching out to me. I wave him off as I got back on my feet. My stamina has been getting better of late, in compare to my super unfit self from my past life a couple of weeks ago. I am now able to go on a full circuit around the Silver Fang's deck twice without breaking a sweat.

Not to mention that I am able to use my wings to fly now! Well, more of hovering a few inches as Sen doesn't want me to get lost in the open ocean with a sprain wing. Still, that's one heck of an improvement on my part! I think I'm starting to get the hang of using my Devil Fruit powers.

Still can't find out how to breath fire, though…

Also, speaking of Kris, our relationship has improved a fair amount since we had that talk. He no longer just lurks around in the distance or just help me before walking away before I could strike a conversation. We are actually bonding for once!

We aren't that super close like me and Gord, but we are on relative speaking terms. He sometimes come up to me to chat, mostly about my training and the voyage, along with the news of some pranks on a few members of the crew that has caught the ears of our vice-captain and Lee is determined to find the culprit.

Not that he'll find him. I've made sure to leave no evidence of me doing it.

"Water?" He passes to me a canteen, which I accepts gratefully as I sips down the ever-delicious liquid life, "Sen really hand it to you, huh?"

"He is the master for a reason." I stated as I returns the canteen.

"But you definitely have improved. You are actually swinging the sword properly instead of swaying it around like some lunatic."

"Was that how it looked like at the beginning?"

"Yup. Not sure if you are sword fighting or swinging a club around."

Ouch. That kind of stings…

"Looks like I still got a way to go before I'm a proper swordsman." I noted with a sigh.

"Don't you mean swordswoman?"

"I stand by what I said." Despite all appearance, I'm still mentally a man. And I will always be that way! Even if I have a sort of a 'crush' on Suiren before her big reveal… Damn this hormonal body…

"…Okay…" I can hear skepticism in his tone. People will be people, I supposed. Even if they are Fishmen. And speaking of Fishmen…

"I'm not sure if this sounds intrusive, but why is a Fishman like you doing on a merchant ship in the East Blue? Weren't you guys supposed to live in the Grand Line?" That question has been bugging me for a long time, but I'm not sure if I should even ask in the first place. I wasn't sure why I even asked now.

"…That is a little intrusive, I admit." Kris stated before leaning on the mast, "But I can tell you this much. Even Fishman has ambitions they want to achieve."

"And yours…?"

"…Coexistence."

That word create pause. Coexistence, that singular combination of letters has been a curse for his species for at least several hundreds of years. If I remember correctly, even now they are still trying to negotiate for a place for them on the surface, one where they can live peacefully without a threat of traffickers coming for them like hauling seafood.

I thought the only people that even considered such a thing are either already dead or back on Fishman Island in the Red Line. Never thought that there is one right here.

"That's… wow, just…" I sighs out as I rubbed scratched my hair a little, "This just went from like a 1… to a 100…"

"Well, you asked."

"I know, I know, I did. I'm sorry for even bringing it up."

"Break time's over!" Sen calls out, breaking the tense atmosphere with his somewhat cheerful entrance as carrying in his hands are five iron cylinder weights that are measured in about 10 kilos each, "Okay, Rein! Time for some cardio! Fifty reps, go!"

We both agree to not bring up the subject again. The doesn't stop me from wondering though…

Half a week later…

"Temasek sited on the southeast!"

Temasek, for being named after the ancient name of one of the smallest countries in my world, isn't really that small in comparison. It's actually quite large in terms of overall landmass.

For you see, Temasek is actually a collection of small islands that grouped together to form one big island. The sea between each island is narrow enough that you can call it a river and it wouldn't be incorrect. It actually kind of reminds me of the Sabaody Archipelago in terms geography. They almost identical with exception to the fact that Sabaody is a mass of giant mangrove trees that breathes out bubbles everywhere and not an actual landmass, not to mention a bit larger.

"Home sweet home." I heard Silvia stated out loud as she walks up to me who is leaning on the railings to look about the island; we are currently sailing in one of the 'rivers' to get to port, if I were to believe. And to add, there aren't any riverbanks along it; only steep cliffs the towers over the deck.

"Home?" I asked.

"Yup." She tells me, "Temasek is home for us merchant vessels. Those under the East Traders' umbrella, anyway."

"East Traders? What's that?" This is the first I've heard of this. You mean that the Silver Fang isn't just some merchant vessel? They're, we're actually part of some larger organization?

"They are the company we are employed under." She explained, "I said company, but it's more of a collaboration of multiple merchant crews to help each other gain profit and keep each other safe. Think of it like a legal pirate alliance."

"So… it's not actually legal."

"More or less. There aren't actually any legal bindings of this company's formation, but the World Government and the Marines all leave us to our own things. After all, in this era of piracy, if you are able to trade safely and efficiently in pirate waters, you're pretty much helping the World Government. Heck, we have the world of the Elder Stars to keep on doing what we do. We're not technically criminals, after all."

"And it's situated here, in Temasek?" I am now really intrigued. It's starting to sound like the British Empire's East India Company of 1900s. A trading company that hold its very own well-armed militia. That would explain the cannons.

"It was born here. But before that, let me tell you more about Temasek." She explains, "This place has an interesting geographic formation. The island itself is made out of several smaller islands, three in total, with each island having its own town with a port. We're actually heading to one right now."

As she said that, something can be seen in the distance. A wooden structure that resembles a gate, a fenced balcony is build in on the top that seems to has several what looks like to be Swivel guns build into the fence's and cannons mounted at the sides, all pointing outward towards the river that we are entering. On said balcony are two people, guards from the local militia if their lack of uniforms but packing some decent bullet protection says otherwise.

"Signal!"

At the captain's command, I heard someone pulls on something as the flag's strings. Looking up past the sails, I notice that under the white flag is now a red triangular one.

The guards on the gate seems to take notice, as he looks to be talking into what I presume is a Den Den Mushi, the snail 'phone' of the One Piece universe. That reminds me, I better look to getting one. You may never know when you'll need to call someone. A few seconds later, the wooden gate slowly opens up, the current seems to have picked up as we increase in speed slightly.

Sailing past the gate, we soon enter into a larger body of water and I am once again amazed by the fact that this is definitely not Earth.

"Welcome, to Port Fiore!"

I mean, where on earth would you get an archipelago of four landmasses that has a lake-sized clearing of sea that has three ports that faces each other?!

The clearing of ocean we sail into is large, and I mean LARGE, the size of a lake. Around it is clearly three island-sized landmass that made up part of the archipelago, large towns build along the shores with holes dug into the cliffside that surround the back of each town that looks like a rocky apartment complex. Talk about ingenuity. There even seems to be a somewhat of a lift system with the use of pulleys and weights that lead all the way to the top of the cliff.

The buildings of the towns themselves aren't that remarkable, though, just the standard white brick buildings like the ones in Loguetown and Riza with a few a story higher than the others. The ports themselves are pretty large, looking capable to dock eight ships no problem; little rowboats too are visible about the docks. There are already a few ships docked in, all about the same size as the Silver Fang if a bit bigger or smaller.

In the middle of the sea/lake, there is the fourth island, although the term island seems to be a little incorrect. It's more of a large platform of stone and wood with several buildings of stone and wood sitting on top of it which in turn is sitting/floating on the salty waters, with a few row boats seemly docked to it.

I've heard that the islands of this world can be… out there, this one doesn't seem possible in our world. I mean, what are the odds of three islands being so close to each other that the sea becomes a river?

"Take her to port, Sam!"

"Will do, captain!"

Our boat turns sharply, but not swerving at all, as it makes its way to one of the three ports available. Now that I took notice, there are some merchant ships that has a coloured flag under their normal ones, similar to how our flag pole is right now. Heck, the ships that are docked in the port we are going to all has the same red flag. I wonder if the red flag is a symbol of some kind…

"After we dock, I want you to come with me, Rein." Silvia calls out to me with a smile, "There's someone like you to meet."

After docking, Silvia leads me into a large white three story building a good distance away from the docks, but close enough that its view of it won't be blocked by anything. It has blue roofs that cover its windows and on its top floor is a balcony where a flag flutters freely in the ocean wind. A bright red flag.

Okay, what's the deal with the red flag?

A couple flight of stairs later, we made our way into a room, one that has the window view of the docks and all its ships. The room's interior is pretty decked out in nautical charts, books filled the bookshelves nailed to the wall and stacks of paper piled on a wooden desk that stood close to the window. Behind that desk sat a young lady writing on a sheet of paper with her feather-pen, one with a modest and yet sensual bodyline. She has long orange hair that she tied in a braid with a bronze-shaded ribbon tied in the end, don in a beige shirt under a brown vest that seems to push up her boobs for some reason and a long black skirt that reaches down past her knees with her feet clothed in white stockings and black lace shoes.

"We're back, Tio." Silva greeted, which seems to have startled her as she threw her pen up in surprise. Luckily, she is able to catch the pen before it hit the floor with a sigh before turning to us. "Oh, welcome back, Silvia." She greeted back with a smile, "I take it that the trade with Riza went well?"

"We have plenty of beri from the barter to build an entire new ship." The captain places a new sheet of paper onto the desk, the young girl picking it up to have a read, "Plus, we manage to acquire a new contract for a supplier in Loguetown. Quality wheat for the bakeries that it supplies. Does the wheat farm in Pao has any space for one?"

"No, full from another contract by Bronz if I'm not mistaken…" Tio noted, placing the paper aside, "But I think the one in Miang is freed up for one more."

"Another one? Bronz sure has been busy of late."

"Who can blame him? His family just gotten bigger."

"New kids?"

"Triplets."

"Damn, his sperm must be potent to pregnant his wife that many times. What is it, the sixth?"

"Yup." She giggled, before noticing my presence, her glaze causes me to involuntarily flinched. "Who is this young lady?"

"Oh, almost forgot." Silvia gestures to me, "This is Rein, Sen's new disciple. They both has been recruited as our ship's newest guards."

"Sen is back?" Tio noted in surprise, "That is rather shocking. He's almost impossible to pin down without some miracle happening. How did you find him?"

"Run into him, actually." The captain laughed, "Standing right outside of a lingerie store, said he needed to train her so I suggested my ship. We get protection, and she gets a place to train. It's a win-win."

"Lucky…" She muttered, before turning to me, "Well then. Rein, was it? Welcome to Temasek. I'm Tio, head of the East Traders' Food Division."

"Food Division? What's that?"

"The East Traders are divided into three divisions." Silvia explained, "Each one is responsible for one type of trade that we deal in. We deal with food products, fish, meat, milk, and so on."

"There's another that deal with lumber, steel, cloth, the more materialistic stuff with exception for gold, silver and gems; and another that deal with weaponry; guns, swords, the like." Tio added on, "We are all separated into our three ports here."

"Oh! Then the red flag represents our division in this port?"

"Yup. Red for the red of meat, easy enough. Then we have beige for wood, and grey for our weaponry. Makes it easier to distribute our goods that way. No worry for any mix up."

"But enough about us." Tio stated gesturing to me, "What about you? How did you come under the tutelage of Sen? From what I remember, he never had any disciples before."

"Well, it's a little complicated…" I wonder how should I tell them about my situation. What should I disclose to them? …Oh, I know. "I was stranded in the open sea, nearly drowned before he rescued me."

"Stranded? How were you stranded? And why?"

"…I… don't really remember…"

"Amnesia?"

"…Yeah…?" Well, I'm not completely wrong on that. Technically, I don't know anything-well, anything not related directly to the Straw Hats anyway, about how this world operates at its core that doesn't involve pirates and marines killing each other.

Tio turns to Silvia, who shrugs her shoulder, "Sen said the same thing. Finding her in the open sea, I mean. I didn't know about the whole Amnesia thing."

Oh, so Sen didn't tell her EVERYTHING, huh? Good to know. It would be dangerous for such information to leak out to the marines OR the World Government. The last thing I need is Smoker on my ass with orders to catch me for the Five Elder Stars because they want to use my knowledge for their own agenda of dictatorship.

"Oh, and Rein used to be a dude."

…Seriously? As much as I want to hold on to my own masculinity, saying that I was gender-swapped is something I don't want just any person to know!

"Ah… Ivankov's doing, then?" Tio asked.

"Nope, not them." Silvia stated, "They are still confined in Impel Down the time Sen found her-um… him."

"I really wish to not talk about that part of my life, thank you very much…" I let out a groan in response.

"Oh, apologies." The head stated with a bow of her head, "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories like that."

"It's fine… it's fine…"

"Anything else about him I need to know?" Tio asks Silvia.

"Anything else… oh yeah! He has a Zoan Devil Fruit, a… Dragon one, if what Sen told me is correct… Isn't that right?"

I nodded in response while Tio raises her eyebrow in both confusion and disbelieve. "A DRAGON Devil Fruit? Are you joking? What are the chances of a freaking Mystical Zoan dropping into his lap?"

"Oh, he's not." Silvia stated pointing at me, "He can prove it too. Rein?"

I shrugged my shoulders before let myself change. Since the whole debacle with Galley, I managed to fasten my changing speed so to not get taken by surprise and get shot without my bulletproof scales. I can now change any part of my body with just a thought that took less than a second to do. Great improvement, if you ask me. Already coming up with a name for a dragon-fist punch attack.

I felt my back ached a little before the feeling of my two wings sprout out from under my jacket, spreading to its full length to my relief. Ever stretched after crouching for about half an hour or even moving after standing still for more? Well, stretching my wings is just like that.

Tio's eyes widen to sizes I didn't know a human eye could go to before jumping up from her seat, which causes a chain reaction of destabilising the stack of paper next to her that she then tries to safe which she tries to save only for her knee to hit hard on the table's leg which then invited a scream of pain, she starts hobbling on one feet while holding her bruised leg while the stack of papers tumble and the sheets all scattered across the room.

Okay… I know this world is a manga in my world, but for such a manga-istic thing to happen in front of me like that? Talk about… actually, I have no idea what to compare it to…

"Ow…" She hissed before turning to me, "I…I see my doubts are unfounded…"

After that initial shock, Tio starts explaining to me about the contract between me and Silvia, and the whole serving one ship event.

There are many things that I need to take note of. First of all, my services are only paid if I worked in tandem with Silvia in any of the Silver Fang's voyages and will be based on the profit gained from the trade. There are a few rules on ethics like not do anything that will demean the entire company's image, as well as not leaking secrets about the company's doings to others. After that, there is the issue of documentation which I have to give them my details for recording purpose which translate to me writing at least three pages of personal information for her.

Never thought that getting recruited into a ship would involve so much paperwork…

Once all is said and done, she welcomed me to the company and then debriefed us on our voyage before letting us go. After that…

"To a successful voyage and fat pay-checks all around!" Silvia proclaimed with her mug raised high in the air, "CHEERS!"

"CHEERS!"

I found myself in a bar somewhere in town where my captain has dragged me to meet the rest of our crew for a night of celebration and drinking. It is a simple bar, one of wooden floors, table and chairs, with waitresses walking about serving drinks and food to customers while the bartender stood behind his counter filling up mugs of alcohol for them.

Everyone is cheery and having a grand time, all drinking and making noise, some choosing to get into drinking competition for reasons that basically means that is a dick-measuring contest. Heck, I see Lee drinking some guys AND girls to the ground, and he is on his FIFTIETH mug!

"…Does this happen often?" I asked curiously as I looked at my mug of distilled beer if the smell tells me otherwise.

"Every time we return from a successful trip." Gord replied, "But mostly if we manage to get quite a fat profit out of it, since it means we get more rest time."

"I see…"

"What are you doing just talking?!" Silvia shouted sliding up to me with her arm around my shoulders, her face tined red and her breath smell of alcohol, "Drink up! You're not a kid, right?!"

"Well…I'm not that thrill about drinking-"

"Oh, just shut up and drink!" She laughed as she chugs her mug dry, letting out a satisfied sigh and burp, "We sailors are proud to drink and drink to be proud! Why do you think 'A Drunken Sailor' even existed?!"

"I don't think that's why it exists in the first…"

"If you are worried about hangovers and all that jazz, don't bother." Sen calls out as he chugs on an entire BARREL. How he manages to convince the bartender to give him one, I do not know nor do I want to know. "Zoans are infamous for their improved physical abilities as well as health, and I've heard that dragons are notorious drinkers."

"So, alcohol has no effect on her?" Gord asked.

"Precisely."

Huh… no hangovers or drunk escapades even if I drink the bar dry…? Fine by me! With that, I down my first mug of beer and demanded refill. I'm going to drink till my heart's content!

I blinked, before rising up from a bed with confusion in my mind. I'm in a room, a simple room with wooden walls and concrete walls painted a dull white with a window overlooking the town and the large sea that shows the morning sky and a wooden door that is closed tight. It has a small cupboard at a corner with a desk and chair next to it, the desk itself is of grey wood while the chair is more of a stool of light birch, my bag of belongings sitting snug on it. The bed I am sitting seems to have a white blanket with a soft mattress under it.

What… happened last night?

The last thing I remember was ordering another refill as I joined Gord in a choir of drunk sailors singing a really off-tuned version of Bink's Sake. Then I down my tenth… or was it fifteenth…? Anyway, I drank my mug and then nothing. Blank after that.

Did I… black out? I thought Sen said Zoan users can't get drunk!

But I guess he was telling the truth about the whole no hangovers thing, if my clear and not throbbing head is telling.

*Knock* *Knock*

"Rein, you awake?" Sen's voice calls out from behind the door.

"Sen? You there?"

"Ah, you're finally up!" He said in surprise as he opened the door and entered the room, "I thought you'll be out till this noon, but I guess Zoans are better in processing alcohol than normal people."

"I thought you said I can't get drunk?!"

"I didn't say that. I said that Zoans have improved health, not immune to alcohol!"

"Well, you should have been more specific!"

"I WAS specific." He groaned before giving me a glass of water which I accepted, "Drink up, and then meet me at the roof."

"Roof? Of what?" I asked, "And on that note, where am I?"

"The dorms for the East Traders." He explained, "Remember the cliffside with the windows and stuff?" I nodded as he continues, "We're on the third level of that. That being this place which is a large complex of rooms that are carved out and layered with concrete. The first to second level are mostly for residents and storerooms of the company. Third floor onwards are rooms dedicated for us sailors and our family, if we have any."

"And I am here… why?"

"Because you were assigned here. Tio just finished the paperwork for your mover and we were supposed to bring you here afterwards but then you drank too much and starts groping everyone-"

"Wait, what was that last part?" I asked fearfully. Oh god, what did my drunk-self do…?

"After you drank like your… tenth, I think? After that, you just start wobbling about with that misty eyes of yours and starts to molest pretty much everyone." He explained to my growing dread, "First you felt up Gord's butt, squeezed Silvia boobs, even motorboated Justin's cleavage. I think you rubbed Kris's dick through his pants-"

"Okay, okay! Stop talking! Please!"

"By the way, when I mean rub, I didn't mean hand-"

"Stop talking!" I let out a groan of embarrassment as I cover my now reddening face. Oh my god, why did I listen to his bullshit and drink like crazy! Three weeks in and I've molested my captain and my best friend… God, things are going to be awkward with them now!

"…If it makes you feel better, you passed out before you can pull down Kris's pants." He added on to my now growing list of embarrassing acts, I pulling my blanket over me in an attempt to hide myself. Why… why did I drink, why?!

"Oh, Sen. Is Rein up?"

Gord's voice calls out and I dug myself deeper under the blanket. Oh god, why is he here?!

"Ah, yes, he's here." Sen tells him to my growing horror as I heard footsteps coming close to the bed.

"Rein? You okay?"

"…y…eh…"

"Well…" I heard glass rubbing on glass before he said, "I made this for you. My special coconut smoothie. Great for hangovers."

"…so, you're… not mad…?" I asked worriedly.

"Mad? Oh please, I had worse done to me when I was in the marine!" He laughed, "You should see how stressed out our female officers can be. They are a different species when they drink!" I can hear him shudder. Must have been quite an experience, "Although you might want to avoid Justin for a while. She is still pissed at what you did and you do not want to see her when she is angry."

"What… about Silvia?"

"She's upset, but she is willingly to look past it since it was your first attempt. You might want to bring her a present next time you see her. I recommend the cinnamon rolls down by Bake Street a couple blocks from HQ."

"Oh… And Kris…?"

"He's… a little surprised but he is willing to forgive you for your drunk behaviour."

I slowly crawled out of my little blanket den, accepting the glass from his hand, "Really sorry about last night."

"Eh, alcohol can do that to a person." He shrugged, "Just tell me before you start chugging, so I can run before you can do anything."

"Ass." I muttered, but I smiled regardless. What did I do to deserve such a good friend as Gord?

After drinking both Gord's coconut juice and Sen's glass of water (Which has a scent of lemon in it), my mentor brought me to the top of the cliffside residences.

On the top of the cliff, where the sun shines down on us, there is a field of nothing but grass stretching as far as to the edge of the island with a few small patches of trees scattered about. In the small bundles of trees closest the ocean, there are a few black notable barrels of iron cannons aimed right out towards the seas and a few positioned near the river where we sailed into yesterday along with a few large wooden watchtowers that has a bell and an antenna sticking out of the roof positioned close to them. They must be the defence and sentries that look out for pirates. I guess that's what it's expected for living in the Great Pirate Era…

"Nice place, isn't it?" Sen stated with a grin, "Open space, large enough for some great training. We won't have to worry about you falling into the ocean here."

"I… guess?" I shrugged my shoulders in response.

"Well, since we didn't have a chance to train it, let's work on your flying skills." He stated to my excitement. Finally! I've wanted to stretch my wings for a long time! What's the point of wings if I can't fly using it? "First thing first, spread your wings out. No need to go full half-dragon for this."

I nodded and let my wings sprout out from my back. "Okay. Next?"

"Next is…" He grabs onto my arm tightly, his eyes twinkle in a light that send shivers down my spine, "…First hand experience!" He then proceeds to toss me up into the air with a force that in the matter of seconds, I can barely see Temasek anymore.

Once I reach the pinnacle of my 'flight', I am reintroduced to gravity and starts plummeting back down. With the wind blowing into my face, I let out a scream in fear as I saw the ground coming ever so closer, if a bit slowly. Sen, what are you thinking?! Tossing me like that! I'm going to die at this rate!

Wait, I have wings!

I moved my wings and spread them out widely with the thin membranes pulled thin, the sudden increase in surface area forces me to slow down drastically from plummeting to somewhat gliding. I let out a sigh of relief from the possibility of not dying before noticing my surroundings for the first time now that I'm not falling to death.

Thanks to the lack of clouds, the sky is a clear blue with the bright sun shining down on me. I seem to be facing sea which looks somewhat clam with the rays of sunlight shimmering against the watery surface, making as if the water itself is glittering like a jewel.

Never in my life has a I seen such a view, and the very sensation of being in the sky like this. It felt… free, like the world was originally a prison and I have just broken out of its chains. Is this what birds sees all the time? This sense of freedom and… I have nothing else to describe.

"Nice view, isn't it?" Sen asked me

"It sure is…"

Wait, Sen?

I look at my right and there he is, floating somewhat next to me with two large red-scaled reptilian-looking wings sprouting from his back.

"Sahehehe. Surprised?"

…What?

…

To be continued…

Finished! Finally done with this chapter! You would not believe how much trouble it is to write this chapter! Especially with coming up with Temasek all together. Quite a hassle that is.

So yes, the East Traders. They are something that just came up out during my brainstorming on this chapter. Originally, the Silver Fang is going to be just some merchant ship that wander about trading goods with islands that it come across. But then I remember that trade doesn't really work that way, so I came up with a company, the East Traders. And yes, the name isn't the most creative but it still fits, right?

Also, yes, Sen has dragon wings too! Jeez, I wonder why? Those who came from my original (And quite badly written) fic, then you should know why.

On another note, I like to announce that I am also showing this fic off in .com too! Quite a place that site is, its readers are vicious in their reviews! Both this fic and the Fastest Hero Academia are also published there as well as .com!

If you have an account there, go take a read there too.

With that, I thank you all for reading this!