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- Game, set and match! The winner is Emeraldas!
Poor Ishikura never stood a chance against the pirate lady, who apparently handled ping pong paddles with the same frightening precision as gravity sabers.
The friendly tournament at the ryokan had grown increasingly lively as the evening went on, perhaps because every point scored, regardless of the player, was immediately celebrated with a sip of sake.
- Next up is… Tochiro versus Marina!
Cheers and playful complaints filled the room.
Harlock watched the scene quietly, leaning against the wall with faint amusement. Pirates and military officers sharing drinks and arguing over table tennis. What an absurd sight. And yet… somehow, nobody seemed to mind.
Tochiro protested dramatically while Marina accepted the paddle with suspicious confidence. Emeraldas looked entirely too pleased with herself. Somewhere behind them, someone had already begun arguing about tournament rules that did not exist five minutes earlier.
It was loud.
Warm.
Comfortably chaotic.
But as Harlock's gaze drifted across the room, something felt strangely absent. The atmosphere lacked a familiar presence. He frowned.
Zero.
The captain of the Karyu had vanished without notice. Harlock glanced toward the doorway. Now that he thought about it, Warrius had been gone for quite some time, half an hour at least. Odd. One would think a man so enthusiastically involved in every activity would never willingly miss a drinking game.
Curiosity finally got the better of him. Harlock quietly slipped away from the tournament and stepped into the corridor.
The laughter from the ryokan gradually faded behind Harlock as he stepped into the garden. It was a quiet full moon night, silver light spilling across the stone paths. A gentle breeze rustled through the cherry blossoms, sending petals drifting into the night sky. A ribbon of steam drifted behind a nearby hedge. Harlock rounded the corner—and there he was.
Zero sat beside an open-air footbath, sleeves loosely rolled and both feet resting in the steaming water.
For a moment, Harlock simply looked at him.
Then he softly cleared his throat.
- There you are.
Zero turned his head, mildly startled.
- Harlock.
His surprise softened into an easy smile.
- I couldn’t resist the warm water.
Harlock crossed his arms.
- I’m surprised you’re not taking part in the games everyone is playing.
Zero let out a small sigh, glancing back toward the ryokan where distant laughter still echoed through the night.
- Sometimes, a crew needs to have fun without their captain around.
- You underestimate how much they want to be around you. They look up to you.
- Mmh… perhaps…
He paused, then exhaled a quiet laugh.
- …but sometimes, a captain also needs to relax away from his crew.
Harlock hesitated.
- If you’d rather be alone—
- No.
The answer came perhaps a little too quickly. Zero shifted, looking faintly embarrassed by his own haste. His smile returned, softer this time.
- You can stay. I mean… between captains… it’s different.
Harlock quietly removed his sandals and lowered himself beside Zero, slipping his feet into the steaming water. Warmth spread pleasantly through tired legs.
Neither of them spoke. Moonlight shimmered across the pond before them, as they watched petals drifting slowly along the surface.
After a while, Harlock smirked.
- Booking a night at this ryokan was a good idea. Everyone seems to be having fun.
Zero glanced sideways.
- Are you?
Harlock blinked.
- What?
- Having fun.
The question came so simply that it caught him off guard. Zero rested his chin lightly against his hand.
- Are you having fun, Harlock?
The question lingered between them. The pirate relaxed back, his head turning to the sky.
- I’m not… having a bad time.
- Ah.
Zero’s shoulders shook with quiet laughter. Harlock shot him a look.
- Don't get carried away.
- I'll consider that a victory.
- It’s the best you’ll get from me.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching petals being lazily carried by the wind and falling into the pond. Harlock huffed softly.
- The blossoms will be gone soon.
- Hm.
- We should do that again next year.
Zero turned toward him, eyebrows lifted. Harlock kept his eyes fixed stubbornly on the water. For a moment, Zero simply stared. Then he chuckled quietly.
-…Yeah. Let’s do that.