Out at sea, Trunks's black ships sailed confidently, their sails filling the horizon, his men chanting his name. On the other side, Lamour watched from afar, his giant ship cutting through the waves like an ancient monster, his eyes blazing with silent fury.
But the sea, as ever, grants no one complete dominance.
On the horizon, a new ship appeared, its white sails adorned with black stripes, and a finely engraved emblem on its prow: a tiger's head roaring amidst flames.
"Sir... it's Lucchini's ship," one of Trunks' men said, staring.
The air froze. No one had expected that name to appear now. Lucchini, the Italian pirate who had disappeared two years earlier after Trunks had destroyed the Sicilian fleet in a bloody battle. He was said to be dead, or to have fled to the Western Isles. But now, here he was again, with his long black hair, his sharp face, and eyes like two tigers stalking their prey.
He stood on the prow of his ship, raised his long sword, and shouted in a booming voice:
"Tronix! I've come to repay you. The sea hasn't forgotten what you did… and neither have I!"
*
Tronix smiled coldly and said to his assistant, Marcus:
"Lucchini… the Italian tiger. I thought I buried him with his fleet."
"Apparently, tigers don't die easily," Marcus replied.
*
As for Lamour, he stood on the deck of his ship, watching silently. He wasn't concerned with the animosity between Trunks and Lucchini, but he knew that any conflict between them would weaken them both… and that was what he wanted.
He said in a low voice:
"Let the tiger attack the wolf… and I'll reap what's left."
*
The battle broke out.
On one side, Trunks' organized fleet, with its cannons and armored ships.
On the other, Lucchini's fast ship, moving like a tiger evading its prey, striking and disappearing.
Lucchini's strikes were precise. He didn't attack directly, but struck the edges of the fleet, slashing the ropes, setting fire to the sails, and then quickly retreating.
One of Trunks' men said, "He doesn't fight like a pirate... he fights like a hunter!"
Trunks angrily replied, "Stop him before he makes me look like an amateur!"
*
At a crucial moment, Lucchini's ship approached Trunks's flagship. Lucchini himself leaped onto the deck, sword in hand, and shouted, "This isn't a sea battle... this is a battle of honor!"
Trunks faced him head-on, his sword gleaming, a defiant smile on his face.
Trunks said, "Honor has no place at sea. The sea knows who survives... and who drowns."
Luchini replied, "Then let's see who survives."
A fight broke out between them: quick strikes, precise movements, sparks flying with every collision. Both were skilled fighters, but Trunks fought with a burning heart, while Trunks fought with a cool head.
*
In a flash, Trunks struck Luchini's shoulder, but the latter flinched and leaped back to his ship, leaving a blazing fire on Trunks's deck.
"Coward!" Trunks shouted.
But Marcus said, "Not cowardly... but intelligent. He wanted to leave a mark, not die."
*
Luchini withdrew, his ship rapidly moving away, but his voice echoed across the sea:
- "This is just the beginning, Trunks... A tiger never forgets!"
*
That night, Trunks sat in his cabin, staring at a map of the sea, and said in a low voice:
"Lucchini… Lamour… and now Linus. The sea is full of wolves and tigers. But I will be the fire that burns them all."