Thanks for the invitation. I'm in Type-Moon, inheriting the legacy of Zi-O.

"...What is this?" Captain Drake was not a Heroic Spirit after all, and had never seen such a sight before. "This power...who exactly are you!" Raising his flintlock pistol, Drake's expression grew increasingly astonished. "Don't tell me...an organization that observes celestial phenomena would have this kind of combat ability."

“…Sigh, but the problem is you’re actually right.” Nian Zhuo shrugged, his hands holding rocket-like weapons that looked somewhat comical. “After all, we really did come from Chaldea…and because we’re so strong, we can only observe celestial phenomena and stuff like that.”

“Of course, all of the above was a joke.” Nian Zhuo’s face became serious. “My name is Nian Zhuo, and I am just an ordinary heroic spirit.”

“Nian Zhuo… ah.” Drake swung his twin pistols in a perfect arc, his gaze playful. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this thrill and excitement. How many surprises can you bring me this time?”

Without another word, the two figures charged at each other again in the next second.

The thrusters on his legs spewed out scorching steam as Nian Zhuo maneuvered the rockets on either side of his hands toward Drake.

"Ha...!" The high heel landed on Nian Zhuo's rocket, sparking as it struck. Drake then kicked hard, using the recoil to leap back into the air and create distance. His dual pistols began to spew forth intense flames once more.

With his arms outstretched in front of him, Nianzhuo felt a constant colliding sensation coming from his arms.

With a powerful swing of both hands, the resulting gust of wind and steam knocked down all the projectiles still flying behind.

"Hmm... but it seems my armor can still be used like this." With a click, the rocket armor on Nian Zhuo's left arm suddenly fell off, leaving only a rocket on his right arm, which looked a bit awkward.

What was even more surprising was that the rocket armor that had fallen to the ground spewed steam and took flight on its own, circling around Nianzhuo and blocking all the incoming bullets.

"Wow, it can be used like this!" Nian Zhuo looked at the rockets flying around him with great surprise. It was originally just a sudden idea of ​​his, but he didn't expect it to succeed unexpectedly. "Then, this will allow me to fight with 100% strength!" He couldn't help but get excited and shook his right arm, which was still covered by rocket armor.

Steam emanated from every part of his armor, making it resemble a large, scorching machine.

"Hah... Ya ya ya!" This time, Nian Zhuo took the initiative to attack. With the rocket armor surrounding and protecting him, he only needed to charge straight at Drake!

The second time, the sound of metal clashing was heard.

Drake's pirate sword was still in her hand, constantly clashing with Nian Zhuo's rocket armor.

Sparks and explosions rang out continuously, which was astonishing enough on its own.

However, both of them were completely absorbed in this extraordinary duel.

After all, for both of them, the other was a rare enemy they were encountering for the first time.

"A warrior with strange weapons...!" While brandishing his sword, Drake didn't forget to pull the trigger of his flintlock pistol, but it was blocked by the rocket armor surrounding Nianzhuo as a defense. "Seriously, it's been a long time since I've had a battle that excites me like this...! This battle is more precious than those insignificant treasures!"

The same applies to mental defilement.

The pirates' attacks were chaotic, but each strike was also forged through the crucible of battle.

Faced with such a technique that disregards all routines and relentlessly pursues results, Nian Zhuo was completely immersed in the battle with Drake.

Drake swung his sword, then rolled to dodge Nian Zhuo's rocket armor, drew a second flintlock pistol from his waist, and pulled the trigger again at Nian Zhuo.

"...I feel like this is a bit unfair." Nian Zhuo reattached the rocket armor to his arm, feeling the waves of impact coming from it. "After all, Drake is probably just...human now."

Then let's end this battle quickly!

Having developed the desire to end it, Nian Zhuo's leg thrusters began to spew out scorching steam again.

"Go, Big Sister!!" The pirates continued to shout encouragement from all around, but Nian Zhuo's mind gradually went blank.

"With this one strike, let's end this conflict." He flipped the driver at his waist, and the purple characters on Zi-O's mask began to glow.

"—!" A sense of danger, as if locked on, enveloped Drake's body. "This is—!" Before he could even pick up the sword that had fallen to the side, Drake's two flintlock pistols flashed with a golden light.

"Finish Time—!" With the thrust of the leg armor, the two rocket armors on Nian Zhuo's arms suddenly detached.

Similarly, Drake fired a golden laser from his gun, targeting Nianzhuo's head.

Two rocket-propelled armored vehicles spewed steam and blocked Nian Zhuo's path of impact, actively meeting the two laser beams.

"Screech—!" A piercing scraping sound rang out as it collided with the rocket armor.

Similarly, the attack that should have hit Nencho was blocked by the armor, and Zi-O in the Fourze armor rushed out from the other side.

It's too late to stop your attack now.

"Looks like... I lost." Surprisingly, Drake didn't feel any sense of defeat. Satisfied, he also sobered up from his drunken impulses.

Nianzhuo's fist rapidly magnified in his eyes, but the pain that should have appeared was delayed.

—It stopped in front of her. The orange-yellow light on Nianzhuo's arm transformed into a gust of wind, blowing her hat off.

And her long, rouge-colored hair.

"Rider Rocket Punch—!" The driver at his waist signaled the end of the attack.

"How was it, Captain Drake?" Having deactivated his transformation, Nian Zhuo gently flicked Drake's forehead. "Am I, someone who came from an organization that observes celestial phenomena, satisfactory to you?"

"Well, it doesn't really matter. After all, our friendship is just beginning." With a chuckle, Nianzhuo extended his hand.

"Ha~ That was exhilarating!" Drake, having recovered, laughed heartily. "Your strength is truly sobering! This strength makes rum utterly insignificant." Staring blankly at Nian Zhuo's outstretched hand, Drake finally shook Nian Zhuo's hand back with a helpless expression.

"Since you dare to make friends with pirates, you should be prepared to die at sea at any time." This naturally earned him a knowing smile from Nian Zhuo.

"Of course."

Temporary team formation, celebrating friendship

"So...so strong...!" Mashu, who had been observing for the latter half of the event, finally reacted, looking at the figure shaking hands with Nianzhuo in disbelief. "She...she's alive, isn't she...?!"

“It should be…it should be right.” Although Mary was finally relieved after seeing Nian Zhuo win, she was still frightened by Drake’s final blow, and kept tapping the control panel with both hands. “But for some reason, there is a magical reaction on her body.”

“Maybe she’s a magician—or a born hero.” Mashu leaned towards the latter, staring blankly at Drake’s retreating figure. “Could I…be like her, stand shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Nianzhuo?”

The pirate crew members who had been standing outside the arena recovered from their shock and quickly gathered around Drake.

"Big Sister! Are you alright?" She looked him up and down, worried that something might have happened to her captain.

"Hahaha!" Drake's hearty laughter remained unchanged. He tapped one of his underlings on the head. "What nonsense are you talking about? Of course I'm fine! Alright, let's not talk about this..." With that, Drake dismissed his underlings and returned to Nian Zhuo.

"--I lost." Very decisively, she lowered her head and admitted defeat. "Kill me, torture me, or hug me, it's all up to you."

"Um... I don't have that need yet. -- Probably." Not understanding what a hug meant, Nianzhuo awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“Mr. Nianzhuo, I don’t think it’s necessary to answer her…that question.” Mashu pouted and pouted, nudging Nianzhuo’s waist with her elbow.

"Huh? Is that so? Well, there's nothing I can do about it then." Drake didn't take it to heart at all, still acting nonchalantly. "Anyway, a loss is a loss. I'll just listen to what you guys have to say."

After briefly observing the expressions of the three men, Drake stroked his chin.

“But you mean that, right?” He pointed in the direction his ship was docked. “It seems to me you want a means of transportation, right?” That made sense. Drake couldn’t help but smile knowingly.

“You are looking for something, but you are unfamiliar with this sea area. So, even though I am a pirate, you have no choice but to rely on me.”

“What we need is a captain named Francis Drake.” Nian Zhuo’s tone was serious as he corrected Drake’s words. “Besides, it has nothing to do with whether you are a pirate or not.”

"Huh." His tone and smile abruptly stopped, and then Drake turned his head away, his face slightly flushed. "...Hmm~ Oh~ Is that so?" But after a while, he returned to his usual self, his azure eyes fixed on the three people in front of him.

"So, what exactly do you want me to do? I lost, so I can give you anything except my life, okay?"

“…First, we want to understand the current situation.” Ritsuka stepped forward, meeting Drake's gaze directly. “So, please tell us. Specifically, where exactly is this sea area? Is it near England, or Spain? Or perhaps the Caribbean Sea?”

"Ah~ this, I'm sorry." Drake's face showed a hint of embarrassment, and his tone was somewhat guilty. "If we're talking about geographical location, if we really have to say, we don't know either."

"You don't even know this, yet you're making such a ruckus?!" Mashu's worldview was completely reshaped; the pirates' capriciousness was beyond her imagination.

“Yeah, right.” Drake said matter-of-factly. “Anyway, we’re not short of food and alcohol.”

"Good!!!" Drake's sudden, hearty shout startled Nian Zhuo and the other two. He stretched out his hands towards them. "Since I've surrendered, from now on, we're your partners!!" Drake picked up another bottle of rum from the table and generously hooked his arms around the necks of the three of them.

"Come on! Let's have a drink first!!" he said, flicking the bottle cap off with his thumb.

"Hey, wait..." Mashu struggled, trying to avoid the brownish liquid that shone in the sunlight.

"Alright, alright, alright, come on, come on." As the bottle opening drew closer, the character 'danger' appeared above the heads of Nian Zhuo and the others.

Of course, Mashu was the first to approach, looking completely panicked.

"Isn't this a bad idea?!" Mash looked at Drake's smiling face and became more and more panicked. "Oh no, wait, Mr. Nianzhuo, save me...!!" Mash's scream came.

"...Huh? What's going on with this reaction?..." At this moment, Mary, who was in Chaldea, suddenly looked at the big screen, and a somewhat puzzled voice came from the communication device in Mash's struggling hand.

"What's wrong?" Ritsuka asked curiously.

"No, it's nothing. It's probably just a malfunction." Mary's voice faded into the distance, as if she was going to troubleshoot the problem. "I'll go adjust it first."

Then, as Mary's footsteps faded into the distance, Nianzhuo and the other two were unable to escape Drake's clutches.

"If only I hadn't used the word 'friendship' on her... Ugh!" Nian Zhuo was filled with regret, and the wine poured into his mouth made him feel like he was about to burst into tears.

—Time passed, and dusk arrived.

In the camp, many pirates sat on the ground, and the campfire in the center was still crackling.

They surrounded Nian Zhuo and his two companions, each pirate holding a cup.

"Well then, guys! To our three newest companions, Nencho, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and Mash—" Drake shouted, then suddenly scratched his head. "Huh? You got it backwards, it's to celebrate us becoming their new companions—" He raised his glass, which was brimming with wine.

"Cheers!!!" As she finished speaking, the pirates around her also raised their glasses.

"Cheers!!" The sounds of chugging echoed everywhere. The pirates, who had regarded Nian Zhuo and the others as enemies that morning, now regarded them as their comrades.

"Now is not the time to do these things..." Mashu looked at the lively and exciting scene around her, feeling somewhat troubled.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, Mashu.” Turning her head, Ritsuka’s eyes were as if they were dead. “We have no other choice.”

"Please don't get used to it so easily...!" Mashu urged even more anxiously, "We must set sail as soon as possible to explore the nearby seas...!" Mashu's little lesson was about to begin.

However, he was interrupted again by someone who wasn't even a student.

"Look at you, all gloomy." Drake chuckled, hooking his arm around Mash's neck again. "If you keep acting like this, even treasure will drift away from you!"

“That’s not what I wanted to say.” Mashu tapped the table, meeting Drake’s eyes. “Since you’re willing to help us, then let us explain the situation—”

"Hmm? Oh, I know what's going on," Drake said with an "I understand" look. "This sea area is abnormal, right? At least, here you can see superhumans who can still be lively and energetic even if they are directly hit by cannonballs!"

“A Servant…!” Mash couldn’t help but become serious, waiting for him to continue.

“During my time as a pirate, I’ve experienced quite a few life-or-death situations.” Drake’s expression turned serious as he got down to business. “I can probably distinguish between the kinds of troublesome situations that seem impossible to handle. This sea area is very abnormal.”

“Sometimes I feel like I’m in a rainforest, but then it feels like I’ve suddenly sailed into the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea—” Drake looked up at the clouds in the sky, then gave up again.

"The ocean currents and winds are all a mess, to be honest, it's quite difficult to even set sail normally," Drake slowly revealed the information she knew.

"...Ultimately, there is no continent in this sea area. Nor is there the island of England."

"You have so much information..." Mashu was genuinely impressed, having initially thought the other party was just a capable pirate.

"Then, we plan to set sail again tomorrow." Drake looked around at his underlings and sighed. "It's not right for pirates to stay ashore forever. I need to find a small town and establish a base."

"Today was supposed to be a celebration before we set off... but you guys suddenly barged in." The scene around him was still lively, but Drake seemed a little lost in thought.