– POV General –

"Quartermaster to you the honor."

Holding out her family's dagger to Kali, Hestia was no longer smiling and had a serious face as the young woman grabbed the weapon with a slightly trembling hand. It was her turn to swear on the flag of their crew but cutting herself was not easy. Noticing her friend's apprehension, the young blonde woman nodded her head and smiled softly as if to say "you can do it".

Seeing the confidence of her Captain, Kali took her courage in both hands before doing the same and cutting the palm of her left hand. Grimacing as she felt the pain, the young Quartermaster then took a deep breath, her thoughts quickly overtaken by the situation. Her mid-length brown hair danced on her shoulders with the wind while her coffee-colored eyes gradually took the same seriousness as Hestia's.

"I, Kali Deimos hereby swear to fulfill my duty as Quartermaster and to assist my Captain in all the trials of this new life. Courage and loyalty will be my watchwords and may I walk the plank if I forget them for even a second. No one will be able to sway my loyalty to you, my Captain, and if they dare to try I'll make them eat dirt. By my blood, I swear here and now to protect what we have built and what we will build in the future."

Finishing her sentence, the young woman in turn walked over to the flag lying on the beach before placing her mark on it. Thus, a smaller handprint made of blood was now right next to Hestia's. Without saying another word, Kali stood up before walking towards Lucas who was right next to her. At this moment, the young Captain did not show it but had been fascinated by the words and presence of her friend.

Never before had Hestia seen Kali with such a serious, determined face and solemn courage. It may have seemed like nothing, but her sincere words had made her heart tremble and the young blonde woman now kept them engraved in her mind. However, she did not speak and continued to watch as her little brother grabbed the Hellfires' dagger to take his vows.

The young man was obviously the tallest at 2 meters tall and as Hestia looked up to look into his eyes, they had changed. Usually a deep brown, they were now a beautiful red and like the brightest of blood, reflected the white rays of the moon. Proving that he was deep in thought and serious, Lucas finally stepped forward before speaking in a clear voice.

"I, Lucas Deadrose, on the pirate blood that runs through my veins, promise to follow my companions to Hell if need be and fight by their side. Captain...I will be your right hand man, your brother in arms, and I will never abandon the search for our mother until she is found. Let my blood be the proof of my determination, my loyalty, and let them throw me to the sharks if I don't prove myself worthy."

As he had said those last words, his red eyes turned slightly pink as he mentioned the place Diana had in his heart. While he didn't call Hestia "big sister" often or Diana "mom", deep down they were the ones who had taken care of him after his parents died. So Lucas had spoken from the heart, not caring at that moment what words he used or what color his eyes were.

His head was held high, his long brown hair moved with the cool evening wind and after Kali, it was Lucas who had amazed Hestia. Once again, his words resonated deeply within her and despite her neutral face, her eyes were filled with stars. He had placed his mark to the right of his brand new Captain and in that moment, Lucas had officially become the First Mate of the one he had sworn to follow to the end of the world.

Three handprints were already on the beautiful flag representing the Captain, her Quartermaster and her First Mate, first in line. Hestia Hellfire, Kali Deimos and Lucas Deadrose had taken their oaths, but three others had yet to do the same. Acting like his friend, the young man, his hand still bleeding, was now walking straight towards Joe who was already reaching out.

Still dressed in a perfectly fitting kimono, very clean and perhaps even too well dressed for a pirate, Gentlemen Joe Newgate was ready. He was ready to take the oath of office as Sailing Master which, like his friends, had been passed down through the generations in his family. His right hand was extended towards Lucas while his left hand was wedged in the opening of his kimono at chest level.

"Thank you."

Grabbing the dagger of the Hellfires whose blade was already soaked with the blood of his three friends, the man with silver-blond hair stepped forward in turn. Despite the fact that he was older than Hestia by two years, Joe had always seen her as his leader and the Captain under whom he would serve as Sailing Master. From an early age, she had managed to rise to the top of his esteem despite her personality.

However, appearances should not be taken for granted, because although from the outside their personalities seemed very different from each other, Joe and Hestia had many tastes in common. Women, alcohol and meat were part of it and they had sworn to taste the delights that the world could bring. So it was with blind confidence and great loyalty to his Captain, that the man finally spoke.

"I, Gentlemen Joe Newgate, proudly bow before my one and only Captain today to prove my allegiance. I swear to live only for the crew which is like a family and to fight by your side without ever losing sight of our goal. Hestia, no...Captain, may your name shake the seas of the whole world and may we taste the best rum and the most beautiful women of this new world!"

At his words, Hestia had raised her head slightly in silence as a small knowing smile appeared on her beautiful face. She stared at her friend with eyes as piercing as her snake's as she nodded her head. At her signal, Joe cut his left palm without hesitation, dripping his blood on the already stained blade. Then he stuck his palm on top of Hestia's….he was now part of the crew.

There were only two people left, Edward and Mysie, who patiently waited their turn while they watched their comrades do it. The atmosphere was still solemn, and while the six of them had the moon and stars as witnesses, Edward's turn had come. Joe had handed him the dagger but as he was about to speak, Hestia raised her hand meaning she wanted to say a few words first.

"First of all...thank you Edward for your hard work on this beautiful ship that is so far ours. And thank you all for all you have accomplished so far because without you none of this would have been possible."

Edward nodded, his long hair and red beard moving in the wind, cutting his palm clean off, even before he spoke. His blood ran down to the white sand and yet he still did not open his mouth, watching his hand carefully. Then, after a few seconds, the young man would finally raise his head to take his own vows as Master of Arms and Carpenter in his own way.

"I, Edward Hartvigsen, swear to stand by your side no matter what to destroy all those who stand against us. I will kill for you and put my spear and axe at your service Captain. Oh and I will repair our ship as many times as I can and I know that with cunts like you, there will be damage. I swear it on my pirate blood and warrior honor."

"Obviously fufu~"

The young man usually not very talkative and preferring a few words to a whole sentence, had surprised his friends with his surprisingly long speech. However, this moment was very special, unique because it marked an important step in the life of a pirate. Finally stepping up to the flag, Edward placed his hand on top of where Hestia had placed hers, making it official that he was a member of the crew.

"You."

Having risen to his feet very quickly, the red-haired, barbaric-looking young man had approached the last one to be sworn in, who was none other than Mysie, within seconds. Unlike all the others, her parents were not part of Diana's missing crew, but that made no difference. Her thirst for adventure also ran in her pirate blood and although she was only embarking as a bard, her friends were happy to have her by their side.

"I, Mysie Kortlein, promise to follow my Captain and crew across the seas and always make sure they are in a good mood. I...uhh...I promise to make them smile, laugh, sing and even dance so that our joy never dies. I seal these promises with my blood...no wait...ahem...let my blood be the proof of my loyalty and dedication. Ah yes that's better !"

At the end of her sentence while Mysie had provoked the instinctive smile of her friends with her childish side that she had every day, she grabbed the dagger. Unfortunately, her hand slipped and instead of aiming for her left palm, it was her wrist that would be cut. In an instant, Edward still beside her would react very quickly, catching the dagger right on the blade with his injured hand, uttering only one word.

"Bad."

"I-…"

"Sigh....Please remind her it's a blood pact not a death pact"

Joe had slapped his forehead with his right hand as he watched the young woman act under the small snickers of Lucas and Kali who had seen it all. Sulking slightly, Mysie snatched the dagger from Edward's hands while glaring at Joe who was smiling. Cutting her palm like all the others before her, not without a little squeak, the beautiful redhead with amber eyes put her mark next to Kali's.

Getting up slowly before turning shyly towards Hestia, she walked towards her new Captain to hand her the dagger belonging to her family. On its blade, the blood of the six members was still flowing and instead of wiping it off, the young blonde woman approached an ivory bowl placed right next to the chest. Inside was the strongest liquor to be found at the Raven known as "Cursed water".

Placing the tip down just above, the drops of blood fell into the clear liquid like ink into water. Gradually turning pink and then darker, the alcohol now contained the blood of the six who had just taken the oath. Withdrawing the knife from above the cup, Hestia, without hesitation, brought the blade to her face before licking off the remaining blood that stained it.

"Good."

Raising her vibrant eyes to her crew members again, the young Captain licked the last drops of blood from her lips before looking at Kali. Understanding at once, the young Quartermaster would step forward to pick up the cup and step back in her place. The next moment, she carried it to her mouth before taking a throat not without grimacing in front of the power of alcohol and its iron taste.

One by one, Lucas, Joe, Edward and Mysie drank in turn, the girls coughing after drinking and the boys smiling and proud to be able to bear it. Then, with only a bottom left, Hestia, who had been first to speak, now found herself the last to drink. As Captain, she represented the beginning and the end of this pact which was so important and which for them should not be spoiled in any way.

"Captain."

"Thank you."

Bringing the cup to Hestia, Mysie spun to return to her seat as the young blonde woman took a drink to close the ceremony. Taking a look into everyone's eyes, her serious look changed to a crazy smile that only she had the secret of. Finally bringing the last sip of alcohol and blood to her mouth, she drank in one gulp before closing her eyes and raising her head to the stars.

"Hahahahaha~"

Her golden hair lit by both the lights of the sky and the soft flames of the fire fell over her face as Hestia began to laugh softly. The day she had been waiting for had finally arrived and in just a few hours they would be leaving the island. Breaking the ivory cup with one hand, she tossed it over her shoulder before opening her eyes to find a sight intensifying her mad smile.

"To our Captain !"

Lucas, Mysie, Edward, Joe and Kali were all leaning forward, eyes closed but smiling, showing their loyalty one last time. Hestia may have been their friend, but she was now their Captain and for children of pirates, that title was just as important. Raising her arms to the sky and speaking in a determined, powerful voice, trembling with excitement, the young woman finally closed the ceremony.

"My friends ! Tonight, let us drink, dance, laugh and sing because tomorrow we will leave and travel the seas...together…as we promised. Never forget tonight when we all swore an oath and shared our blood making us a family bound by the same destiny !"

____

In the cove where the Hestia Hellfire crew's sloop proudly stood, the waves that rushed in, slapped against the rocks, came and went on the beach. The horizon was tinged with a soft orange, almost golden light as the morning gently dawned on Coven Island. A young woman wearing a long coat over her shoulders, tied with a silver chain stood there, looking out over the sleeping ocean.

She was alone but still accompanied by her white snake Seth, and seemed to be lost in thought as the time of departure was fast approaching. The dawning sun was shining in her gray-green eyes as she smiled at the thought of all they would experience. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young man of two meters appeared at her side looking at the horizon without a word.

Lucas Deadrose had joined Hestia Hellfire and without them even glancing at each other, they listened to the sound of the waves and the song of the birds announcing the morning. The sun was just beginning to shine and a magnificent spectacle was playing out before them, preventing them from speaking. Several minutes passed before finally, the young man with long hair opened his mouth to ask two questions.

"Say big sister, why did you choose this place for our pact ? Why didn't you do it in our den where we lived for ten years ?"

Lucas still hadn't turned his head to Hestia and was still looking off into the distance, waiting patiently to hear the answer the young woman had to give him. He had asked himself the question very early in the evening but hadn't found a moment to ask her, finding that it wasn't the right time. Smiling, without moving, the snake Captain then answered in a calm but amused voice.

"What better time than to gather where everything ends but everything also begins."

"Haha~ you're right."

"Lucas, today we are going on an adventure..."

"Mmmh...a new life"

The soft morning breeze blew and carried the unique, salty and singular smell of the sea, caressing the faces of the two youngsters who smiled. The departure was soon, hearts were beating fast, minds were excited and Hestia was probably the most impatient of all. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes as if to enjoy the moment while raising her voice once again.

"A new life is upon us, full of mystery, deadly danger and unforgettable encounters. For nothing in the world would I want to discover it with anyone but you and even if I got you into this crazy story...I would protect you no matter what...I would protect our future..."

"No Hestia..."

"We will protect each other..."

"Together..."

"Like we always have..."

"Umu."

One by one, after Lucas answered, Kali, Mysie, Joe and finally Edward also appeared from nowhere standing in a line beside her, facing the horizon. Opening her eyes slowly, Hestia didn't say a word as she smiled at the answer they all gave her. They were all there, all gathered in front of the last dawn they would see from this island that had seen them grow up and then see them leave.

Reaching out her left hand towards the rising sun bathing them in its light as if to catch it and putting her tricorn with her right hand, Captain Hestia with a radiant smile spoke at last.

"A new dawn is dawning for us, marking this moment so that it will be engraved in our memories. So I hope you are ready because today begins the first chapter of our story. Today begins the first day of the rest of our lives, my cuties~"