Chapter 259: Complexity

Few days went by like a flash, visiting Kingdom to Kingdom by the seas, the children waving to the locals whenever they get a chance to see, and most of such children, barring Solomon, would try to instigate fights against other pirates, if anything than for sole enjoyment. Along such traversal, the group would steadily learn about Harvard's new gift, sparing such knowledge to the Captain and the First Mate, letting them slowly see such effects occur. With one pirate ship, Harvard would summoned Bumble, watching as the arrows it fired from its stinger-like arrows to transform the structure into a honeycomb-like chasm, having bees and wasps escape and invade the buccaneers that dared tried to oppose him. With another, Harvard summoned Theia, taking the aforementioned shape of a planet, complete with its own atmosphere and gravity, dragging away and crushing the crew amidst its wreckage. With a third, Harvard summoned Cocytus, taking in the souls of the departed crew members and blasted it down with a white ray, lighting the ship ablaze and watching the people within it abandon ship. With a fourth, Harvard summoned Fibonacci, creating a spiral-like pattern within the middle of their ship, drilling away at its center and causing it to sink. He would be less than enthusiastic with this monster, being reminded of his own experience in such drills.

Whether by summoning mummies and doing mummification by Pharaoh, or triggering a hero-like complex on the crew into attacking each other by Mordred's influence, it became very clear what was the key difference between his own cards and this new gift: Complexity. Such monsters he summoned, despite being simple on the surface, had a more complex mechanism on each and every one of their functions, some of which he would need to study even more of to maximize their potential. Each day, Harvard would cast out one of his new monsters, whether it would be through the waters themselves as target practice, or incoming enemy pirates that dared approach the ship. Each night, Harvard would draw up small pictures on what he's seen, as well as looking through the spells he holds to see what they can do, whether as a Fusion Material for himself, or as a standard strategy to use in a pinch when they're brought out. The more he investigated this, the more his friends took notice and pitched in their own idea, slowly being wrapped within this web of complexity, with more and more interest being involved. Zazel would suggest such ideas on the monsters standalone, whilst Stolas would suggest ideas whenever Harvard wishes to use them as a personal fusion for himself. Solomon, meanwhile, garnered ideas on using such a fusion with other monsters, as well as certain spells that work alongside with it.

As the boys strategized, Anne and Teach would watch over, being almost impressed at how much they were willing to prepare before using it as a real method to fight back, taking time to analyze and utilize them. "These be t'ah new kids we's workin' to protect? They be more than likely to protect us at this rate, eh, Anne?" Teach would comment, still keeping his cheery manner.

"And to think people underestimate them..." Anne would add. She couldn't help but be reminded of something. Something that Teach would notice, shifting his usual, jovial expression to a concerned, yet father-like tone. It has been ages since he's properly gotten himself in such a position.

"He be just like 'im, aye?" He'd ask, catching Anne off guard and being a bit nervous. She would adjust her wild, fiery hair slightly, before being able to make a response, her voice nearly choking up at the idea of hiding away valuable information to the children.

"...You don't think tha-"

"They'd understan', that much I'm sure of."

"...Heh, Alright. It's been....a long time, honestly. To think he'd be on the island."

"Well, that just be t'eh way most pirates be behavin'. No matter how much we pillage and plunder, we's got each other."

Anne couldn't help but give a small smile to the Captain, before changing topics, still being just as nervous. "So...you're still serious about what will happen, right? If you're gone?"

The Captain gave a simple chuckle to her question, almost raising his voice and catching their attention. "Did I eva' lied to you, Anne? You're me first mate for a reason! You's has the experience and tenacity as mines, whilst havin' the strength and knowledge of ye lover. If 'nyone deserves t'ah be captain of me girl, it'd be you. I put you there on me will, I did, and I don't regret it for a secon'. You'd be a great captain one day, that I can assure yah."

Anne simply sighed as she looked back towards the children, watching them still give such ideas. "This reminds me so much of when he came to me, though. Every day, he would find a new rhyme or a new game. Every day, we'd play it. Every night, he'd ask me to see how to incorporate it with his style. If I didn't knew it any better...I'd believe him if he said that boy was my son." She'd joke, gesturing towards Harvard.

"I wouldn't be shocked either, Anne. Hell, I's even believe he'd be related to that rascal as well." Teach would quip, pointing his metallic hand towards Stolas, with the two laughing to themselves at the hilarity of the situation.

"Well then...Thanks for bringing me here, Captain. Hope you have a good rest, whenever you get the chance. Come morning, we're seeing him again soon on that island...Calico Jackawok."

"You's thinkin' he be tryin' to protect his jewels?"

"Duh. We're pirates. It in our nature to keep what we take." With that, Anne made her away to her own barracks, sleeping on a hammock, awaiting for the new dawn. Teach simply kept an eye on the children, before making his way back up to the ship's steering wheel, going full steam ahead on his voyage.