- POV General -

Night was beginning to fall on the western sea, yet a faint red light was coming from the sky covered with thick, heavy clouds. The world may have grown darker, but the blood on the main deck of the merchant ship was still visible, still fresh and bright. Yet it was silent as the seventeen people still alive were on the poop deck where a very peculiar spectacle was taking place.

"SO GENTLEMEN, who volunteers to play~?"

The young Captain of the Cerberus, the Hysterics, had been the only one to speak and act for several minutes before the eyes of her crew and the men of the ship. After everyone had managed to turn the tables, Hestia had punished the Lieutenant who had dared to hurt Kali. He was now on the ground, bleeding and with a broken jaw. She had succeeded in breaking him mentally and physically in a few minutes, but this was only the beginning.

Hestia was no longer a raging beast like before, but this version of Hestia was somehow much more terrifying than the previous one. Cunning, playful, sadistic, cruel, calculating, and hungry for despair, pain, screams, and blood. That sudden surge of strength from the gift seemed to have somehow intensified her mad, sadistic side that had brought everyone to this exact most...terrifying situation depending on your point of view.

"Nobody ?! Come on~ no one is volunteering to have fun among you eight ? Yet the Lieutenant and I are having so much fun, aren't we ?"

"Aaargh..."

The scene was quite atypical since a young woman totally disconnected from reality, smiling and almost sympathetic, was shaking eight silent and empty men. Everything could have really looked like a game if she wasn't wounded and covered in blood and if her eyes themselves didn't reflect madness. Yet Hestia seemed relaxed as her ever-silent crew watched the scene from a little further away.

The Captain, who had left her tricorn and coat a few meters away, suddenly approached the trembling men who could not help but close their eyes. As if they were hoping to get out of this horrible nightmare, none of them dared to answer or even look at her. Yet this was not going to stop Hestia, who had already begun to circle slowly around them like a beast with its prey.

"I promise we're nice fufu~ See, I'm not mad at all anymore so you don't have to be so TENSE !"

*CLACK*

"AH !"

As Hestia passed behind a round, blond-haired, rather young nobleman, she had slapped her hands on his shoulders suddenly causing him to cry out in fear. As she smiled, she began to massage his big, trembling shoulders gently as if nothing was wrong, to relax him. However, as the young blond woman spoke, she always tightened a little more watching for the slightest reaction from the man.

"I'm not mad anymore though but...if neither of you designate yourself then there I might get mad again. You don't want that, do you ? You don't want to end up like that poooor little Lieutenant of yours, do you ?"

"..."

"ISN'T IT ??? THE POLITENESS IS TO ANSWER !"

"AAARG ! Y-YES !!!"

At the moment Hestia had shouted suddenly, exasperated by the lack of communication, she had squeezed the merchant's shoulders and massaged them a little too hard. Not enough to break his bones, but enough to hurt him and get a hasty answer from him. Traces of blood came to stain his beautiful clothe but what preoccupied the man more than anything else was the woman behind him who in no time had become his worst nightmare.

"Oops ara~ See what you're making me do ? I, who promised to be nice. Sigh...how rude, I'm disappointed"

Letting go of the shoulders of the blond merchant, Hestia breathed to corroborate her words as if she didn't realize the panic she was causing. The truth is that she was perfectly aware of it but was enjoying every second taking the whole situation as a game of which she was the master. On the side of the nine men, her mood swings were like a minefield capable of sending you to certain death.

The soft voice that the Captain was using was actually hiding a palpable sadism and her calmness was what could be defined as "calm before the storm". In a normal situation her beauty and that seductive voice would have seduced them all but the opposite effect was happening. Her almost singing voice was like the icy wind that blew the unfortunate ones lost in a white hell before death took them away.

"Well, enough of this ! I'm bored and we're certainly not going to stay here for more than an hour knowing all what awaits you. You refuse the easy way ? Hahahaha...you'll get the hard way."

Suddenly, seeing that the "kindness" she was showing was not working at all, Hestia's tone changed to become even more icy, contemptuous and disturbing. Even her laughter did not bode well as she moved back to the still dying Lieutenant. Silently, the young woman grabbed the man's white hair before dragging him to the wooden railing of the poop deck, just above the main deck.

"So..."

*BAM*

"Mmmaaah !"

As if it were a broken toy, Hestia let go of the Lieutenant who crashed at her feet as she climbed onto the railing. Sitting balanced on it, her blood-red hair flying in the wind, she reached into one of her pockets and pulled out an iron box and a match. The young blonde woman's eyes were downcast as she calmly lit her cigarette, cracking the wooden end on the heel of her boot.

A strong smell of vanilla tobacco spread in the air and while Hestia took a big puff, a snake with blood-stained scales came to join her. Seth who had known how to put himself under cover to avoid any injury had come back sliding on the red ground soiling his beautiful white color. While he came to place himself on the shoulders of his mistress avoiding her wounds, Hestia raised her head by opening her eyes before talking.

"They're yours...make it quick, it will be dark soon. Surprise me."

The Captain of the Hysterics had addressed her crew herself this time as she stared intently at them with her now empty eyes. She hadn't said it very clearly but the message was clear and while it excited the boys, it made the girls tremble. Hestia simply wanted her crew to kill one merchant each, there were eight in all, exactly the same number of Hysterics on the ship.

Yet, they all looked at each other not knowing how to start, nor how to act despite the desire for revenge that they shared and that was bubbling in their veins. Their Captain had not gone completely mad and was keeping a clear idea in mind, using the situation as a test. Although her five friends had killed officers like her to save themselves from certain death, would they still be able to do it ?

Gradually the excitement and adrenaline wore off, but the psychological aftermath of the events had already begun to change the Captain. Although she didn't realize how hurt she was, her cruelty had reached a new level along with her gift. As hard as it might be for some, Hestia wanted them all to be together to end it all by staining their hands with blood once again.

Her crew had all understood this so only after a long minute of looking at each other, Edward was the first to move towards the merchant who was furthest to the left. He was then followed by Joe, Lucas, Mysie and Kali who were obviously much more hesitant. All of them were going to stand in front of one of the merchants who were still shaking just before Buggy and Douggy did the same.

"Please...please !!"

"D-Don't kill us..."

"P-Please !"

Faced with people other than the Captain, all of a sudden the seven men had found their tongues, begging in tears hoping for a little more mercy. They were pathetic, shaking, crying and sniffling as their expensive pants were soaked. Yet, as Hestia had ordered, Edward, Joe and Lucas were not to be softened by their situation and proceeded to get rid of their target very quickly.

"AAAARRRGGG !!!"

The Viking-like pirate, in one swift motion, thrust his spear into the abdomen of the first merchant, who had not seen it coming at all before suddenly letting out an agonizing scream. Still holding his weapon firmly in his hand, Edward slowly turned it around as the man screamed. He struggled as best he could, but the pirate's strength was far superior, which only made the pain spams worse.

Blood began to flow from his eyes, ears and mouth as a huge stain appeared on his clothes in the middle of his stomach. The merchant had shouted nothing and it is thus after having observed attentively each reaction of his victim that Edward finished him. With a sharp and powerful blow, he raised the blade of his spear to the sky, literally slicing the man in half from the belly in a spurt of blood.

"One."

Hestia had uttered this one word as she watched without a smile on her face despite her friend's fine demonstration. The stakes were much too high and so continued the killing of the merchants who only a few minutes ago were laughing. It was Joe's turn who was already moving towards his victim with a neutral look in spite of the pleas of the one who knew that his end was approaching.

"D-Don’t...I...aaarghdgmsqldm"

Without listening for a second, Joe ran his powerful hands over the man's neck, taking care to keep his thumbs on the eyelids of the man who had closed his eyes in fear. While the insignificant merchant was being strangled, his eyes were also crushed and forced into his skull inflicting an indefinable pain. The pirate did not move or sweat, letting the strength of his hands do the work.

*CROCK*

"Two."

With a dull, hoarse crack, Joe had just broken the neck of his target, dropping his body to the ground, his sunken eyes making him unrecognizable and frightening. Very quickly, like his two friends before him, it was Lucas who stepped forward brandishing his sword to deliver the final blow. His eyes were still red but clearer proving that his anger was still present despite the hesitation of a second that had shown.

Then, without thinking a second time, with a precise and quick movement, without putting too much force, Lucas pushed the whole of his blade into the trapezius muscle of the merchant. The death was almost instantaneous, clean and the result of his desire to finish quickly with this waste. Although quick, it was not without pain judging by the man's distorted face as he fell to the ground.

*BAM*

"Three."

Three merchants were now dead before the eyes of their colleagues and the helpless Lieutenant who was only losing his will to live second by second. If their death had been given without hesitation, it would not be the same for the continuation and Hestia knew it very well. After Edward, Joe and Lucas, it was the turn of Kali and Mysie, the two most sensitive of the group...would they be able to succeed once again ?

Squinting in the direction of her two friends, Hestia ignored the blood that was still flowing from her wounds, her attention completely taken. Kali was the first to take a step forward, her pistol in her hand, her hands slightly shaking. She had seen how the others had fallen and she didn't want to show weakness, let alone disappoint her Captain.

"Y-Young lady...you...you're not going to kill me, are you ?"

"You don't deserve any kind of mercy from me. On your knees."

Seeing there a way out, the merchant who was sitting on the ground tried to coax Kali by playing on her heartstrings, making himself more miserable than he was. But it was without counting the love she had for her friends whom she saw as a family and which gave her the strength to be brave. Despite the difficulty of this action, despite the shock that would be formidable afterwards, the trembling young Quartermaster was determined to finish it.

*BANG*

As the man knelt down to show his good faith, the young woman with tanned skin pressed the barrel of her gun to his head before firing. A few seconds later, she found herself on her knees, panting, trying by all means to get air into her lungs. Kali had succeeded, she had executed a defenseless man for the first time as a Cerberus pirate.

"Four."

A small smile had appeared on Hestia's face as she was proud of the courage and determination her Quartermaster had shown. She was shaking and on her knees, but although shocked, like her companions, at that moment...she had grown up. Only Mysie and the two brothers remained, and as she turned her head, her eyes had not yet landed on her friend when an unexpected sight occurred.

"AAAAAAAAAAH !!!"

The young bard with the flaming hair, had pushed a cry while throwing herself on her victim a dagger which she held with her two hands. She didn't give anyone time to realize what was going on as she was already stabbing the walker without stopping at the chest. Mysie had tears in her eyes, which reflected great courage and self-control, but also a great panic.

"B-Bunch of bastards ! *Sniff sniff*...Die already !!! D-Die! *Sniff sniff*...hurry !"

Under the very surprised look of her friends, the young redheaded bard stabbed again and again the man who was obviously already dead, while stammering some words. It was a real carnage and it was easy to understand that Mysie had preferred to run straight into the wall in order to succeed rather than to think. The scene was even almost amusing and as she finally calmed down, just like Kali, fell to her knees before vomiting on the deck.

"F-Five...pppffffHAHAHAHAHAHA~"

*CLAP CLAP CLAP*

Suddenly, Hestia's voice rang out loudly as she laughed at the sight she had just seen, which was more than unexpected. She couldn't help it, she was proud of what Mysie had just accomplished but her cute face made the scene much funnier than expected. Jumping from the railing and having resumed a more cheerful air, the Captain applauded with a smile before resuming, addressing particularly the two young women.

"You girls are amazing. I didn't think you would *COUGH COUGH* aaarg..."

"CAPTAIN !"

Unfortunately, she had not finished her sentence when a stream of blood began to flow from her mouth as she coughed, holding her stomach where she was badly injured. Using natural energy was very exhausting especially the first time and the injured and livid Captain had reached her limits. Her vision was becoming increasingly blurred, the pain was beginning to reach her brain and within seconds she was tilting forward.

*BAM*

As the voices of her companions became more and more distant, the first drops of rain came sliding down her pale cheek, crushed on the ground. Hestia wanted to move, she wanted to finish what she had started but her body was not responding anymore, much too drained of its blood. So it was under a setting ground and a torrential rain that the Cerberus Captain lost consciousness under the worried eyes of her crew.

"CAPTAIN !!!"

______

This day had begun in joy and good humor under the sun to end in anger and blood under a driving rain and a scarlet sky. What the Hysterical crew had just experienced for the first time was something very strong that had only strengthened their bond. So powerful that they would never forget their first fight on the ocean where they almost lost everything.

On the western seas, on the sloop named Cerberus as night fell, seven people, a snake, two tigers and a cat were gathered around one, lying on the deck. Hestia lay there, the driving rain having washed away all the blood that stained her, in critical condition and mostly unconscious. The whole crew was there, worried and waiting for the young Captain to wake up after these crazy events.

Once the adrenaline subsided, the anger subsided, the sadness and fear disappeared, the crew on their ship was deeply affected. This event, so intense and full of emotions, would remain engraved in their memories and whether they wanted it or not, it had changed them. The eight naive pirates who had left Coven Island were no more and had given way to a group aware of the risks and what they could lose.

Never again would they let themselves be fooled like that and never again would they show mercy to those who would do them harm. Hestia Hellfire, who was the most sadistic of them all, had been the most affected and what she didn't know was that the Lieutenant had been the first to say two words in particular. This nickname that would one day be known to the whole world, the one that would make many sailors and pirates tremble: Insane Devil.

Something had changed in them and the Hysterics, who had all shown great courage and loyalty, would be the first to witness this change. They had grown, this fear and rage had made them grow in strength and so this day marked the beginning of their life as pirates and...even if they didn't know what it had in store for them, they were ready.

Yet, one thing was for sure, as the blood red sky turned to a deep black with only the moon shining brightly behind a shimmering rain curtain, everyone understood what it really meant...to be pirates.