Chapter 1: Chapter 1 "The Establishment of the Black Stone"
Somewhere in the East, there's an empire feared by many to this day. However, it wasn't always this way. Come, sit, my dear friend, and let me tell you the story of the Empire of the 4 Winds.
Believe it or not, your old man was once a proud sailor for the 4 Winds. I was the captain of the St. Michael back then. I was referred to as Captain Ishikawa or "The Know-it-all Captain." Now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure that was sarcastic. But even if it was sarcasm, they weren't wrong by all means. I did know it all. I mastered multiple jobs and tasks. Some say I could man the St. Michael on my own, but of course, I couldn't do that. I'm still just one man, and that's where your uncle Austria comes in!
Back then, he was Dr. Austria. He was also called "The Doctor Who Calls Upon Death." Not a very good alias for a doctor, isn't it? Your uncle was the first to enlist the moment the Emperor of the 4 Winds called upon my service. You see, the world back then was different. Pirates roamed the seas and took over lands that worried the Emperor enough to call upon your old man. And when he did, your uncle was already in line, waiting to be let on that fine vessel.
Our mission was simple: to capture as many hostiles as possible. Hence, why the whole 3rd level was made for research, storage, aid, and prisoner holding. Overall, that floor had 20 brigs that could hold up to 4 people each, meaning at full capacity, 80 hostiles could be kept until we returned to home base.
And so, our first quest was underway. A pirate's den had been formed near the Empire, and we were sent to deal with it. We had to face, at most, 10 pirates who mastered the Seadog profession. Strong bastards that used shaved-down logs as weapons. We managed to beat them all, luckily for us and for you because if we had died there, you wouldn't be here listening to me right now. Moreover, you wouldn't even exist. Ahem, anyway, that's when your uncle and I realized that we needed a bigger crew.
A Master Cadet and a Master Doctor armed with only an iron sword and a revolver wouldn't last long in these conditions. And so, off to the tavern, we went. That's where we met your Auntie Max, a tough girl who could knock your teeth out If she wanted to. Back then, she was but a small-time boxer, starting fights and winning bets. She wasn't that hard to win over. She fell head over heels for your uncle within a matter of seconds. Lucky bastard. But there's only so much three people could do, and we didn't have any cash to hire anyone from the tavern. And that's when it hit me: my genius sister Zeth Ishikawa.
She not only excelled in her studies but also knew how to manage a sword and shield. She'd found a way to become a royal guard, but she's made it clear quite a few times that she hated the job. Apparently, the Empress is not very good company. So, your old man figured he could get her on board, and I was right. We got her on board. And so, a four-man team with nothing but a ship and a dream decided that they would try and clear out that pirate's den in a week.
By day four, there they were, face to face with the royal tamer gone rogue. I'm sure you've heard his name, Jiro Takahashi, the tamer who'd been pushed to the edge by the Empire. After he was laid off by the Emperor, he lost it. He decided to start a large band of pirates nearby, and once they grew enough, he'd strike and take over. But the newly formed Black Stone Pirates wouldn't let that be.
Keep in mind that we had to use the name "pirates" because we didn't really know what else to call ourselves. Anyway, he calls upon his strongest tamed creature, a creature so terrifying it still haunts me to this day. That creature was… a green slime. I see your disappointment, my dears. Trust me, we were more disappointed than you were. Your Uncle Austria just had to shoot the poor thing right on the core, and it was gone, reduced to atoms. The poor bugger.
At this point, Jiro knew his bluff worked, and he called upon his real trump card. This time he called upon a large ghost, the spirit of the recently passed Knight Captain Gibbons. We were shocked to see this. The team panicked because we had no cleric with us at the moment, so we had no way to deal holy damage, which is the only form of damage spirits can even feel.
In a desperate fit of fear, your Aunt Max grabbed her small vial of holy water from the lace on her neck and crushed it in her hands, dealing a blow that landed directly on Knight Captain Gibbons' chest, leaving a smoking hot dent on his chest plate. And perhaps it was luck or divine intervention, but with that, the poor Knight Captain could finally rest. Jiro, the rogue tamer, left with no creatures to attack us with, and so he admitted defeat and surrendered himself to us.
However, I had other plans for him. If he could summon spirits and tame them, he'd make a fine addition to the team. And after an hour's worth of negotiating, Jiro Takahashi was now a member of our ranks.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone