Headed by a Snake

Chapter 649 Green Hat

?The color of Captain Krysaos' coat jacket was stained a deep green, so affected by the magic of the haunted isle. Without any additional effects, it would not be easily recognizable, even by another member of the Kingdom's Royal Navy.

...Tycondrius nodded in approval, pleased that Krysaos was beginning to look like an actual ship Captain.

"Oy! Oo' do you think you aaaarre?"

Krysaos turned to the voice as he was fitting his arms into his new coat's sleeves... then looked up at the copper-skinned Coral Boy standing over him.

He scoffed, looking to Tycon, "Get a load o' this guy. He doesn't look so tough."

Ishmael crossed his arms. It seemed that he, too, was not in agreement with Krysaos' arrogance.

Tycon raised an eyebrow.

The Coral Boy looming over Krysaos was larger and taller than his peers, and he wore wooden plates of armor fashioned from bent planks of wood. His wide face featured a heavy underbite, like an exaggerated caricature of an orc... and similar to an orc, he carried a large axe in one hand, covered in black, rotten blood. To complete his armored-warrior look, he also carried what appeared to be a wooden door strapped to his opposite arm.

...complete with a reinforced porthole.

« System, analysis. »

? System response: Iron-Rank Korallion Black Shield. ?

A defensive Class. That was interesting.

Tycon assumed the warlike Coral Boys preferred more offensive classes like Fighter and Berserker. Still, this particular Black Shield was likely to fight more recklessly than a human or dwarf with the same skill set.

"Eh? You seen tougher 'an me?" The yellow orc-- no, the coppery Coral Boy snarled.

He banged his axe against his wooden shield in an attempt to show dominance. "I'z da biggest and baddest Coral Boy on dis ship, 'umie."

Krysaos was staring at the Coral Boy's hat. It wasn't a Sea Wolf cover... but looked like something looted from one of the defeated undead privateers.

"We seen bigger," The small-by-comparison human chortled, "Ain't that right, LT? This guy'll piss himself when he meets Hades."

"Hades, Brother-Captain, is an orc," Tycon grimaced. "These creatures are not that."

"Orcs, Orkallions-- same difference," Krysaos shrugged.

That was not how species worked.

Ishmael tilted his head back, as if to groan, the golden spheres he had in place of eyes looking skyward.

The Coral Boy glared down at Krysaos, its eyes glowing blue as his mana simmered and boiled, "I'z Twelve of Twelve... and I'm da Cap'n of 'is ship. And if you'z ain't fightin... I'z gonna ask you'z real polite... to sod off."

Calm... but brimming with killing intent, Twelve of Twelve rested his large axe on his shoulder, his restless fingers dancing on the grip.

A strong voice. Clear and concise diction with the inclusion of an introduction. Setting reasonable expectations. Tycon appreciated the Coral Boy's professionalism.

"Look at me," Kryaos pointed up at the Twelve of Twelve, then two fingers at his eyes, "I'm the Captain, now."

Tycon rolled his eyes.

If this was how his crew mutinied against him, he no longer pitied him for it.

"NOOOO YOUUU AINNNN'TTTTT!!!" The Coral Boy... roared, the force from his Iron-Rank voice causing Krysaos to rear his head back and wrinkle his nose.

He didn't flinch-- he merely had his brow raised in surprise.

Tycon sighed and shared a tacit look with Ishmael. With a nod, Tycon placed his hand beneath his cloak on the hilt of his sword. He was certain his shadow was mirroring him.

"Wait, hold on," Krysaos grinned.

...Tycon narrowed his eyes. He... was fairly certain he saw his Captain's teeth sparkle, even with the weak amount of sunlight breaking through the grey clouds overhead.

"I'z waitin'," The Coral Boy's surge of hostility suddenly abated... which was absurd.

Krysaos had not expended a modicum of mana to activate any sort of spell... But still... Tycon had observed the gentleman's particular display enough to know he was utilizing... some sort of witchery.

"So what makes you the Captain?" Krysaos asked.

Twelve of Twelve glanced aside, his earlier confidence absent, "Well, I uh... the old Cap'n... he said we'z gotta listen to whoever's wearin' da most green."

Tycon grimaced upon the admission.

Sea Wolves were commonly the target of mean-spirited jokes and stereotypes, insinuating that they were incompetent buffoons.

...Granted, most were.

High-Captain Lang Hai had to draw simple diagrams more appropriate for young children and spend an unreasonable amount of time explaining battle plans to his crew.

However... 'The Captain wears green' was... remarkably simple and had great potential for mutinous disaster.

The Coral Boy was wearing... a leathery, green-colored hat, but due to Krysaos' earlier looting of an entire coat, it better behooved the unshaven human to be Captain-- as his earlier declaration.

"Yep," Krysaos nodded. "Thought so."

Ishmael made the motions for an exaggerated sigh before turning around. He unstuck the curved sword out of the dead Officer's body, then leapt off of the ship... likely to join the battle below.

"Gimme that," Krysaos pointed at the hat the Coral Boy wore.

"Here y'go, Cap'n," Twelve of Twelve did as requested, even dusting it off as a matter of politeness.

"Also, your new name is Bob," Krysaos mused as he adjusted his new Captain's hat. "Because you look yellow-ish... and you got holes in ya."

Tycon thought the Coral Boy looked more a... dark copper or... gold, even. But... if the Captain said it to be so, it was not something worth arguing.

"Aye aye, Cap'n."

All that and... Bob didn't even look upset.

Tycon would daresay he even looked... proud, pushing out his chest as he was.

He made a mental note to never underestimate whatever the hells the fates had gifted to Captain Krysaos.

With that particular ability, the man had the potential to be Tycon's most powerful ally... though he would have to keep him away from the female members of Sol Invictus.

"Instant and willing obedience to orders," Tycon patted the Coral Boy's shield arm. "Well done, Sea Wolf."

"Gehehe..." Twelve of Twelve's eyes shone with intelligence... and his mouth widened to a grin of jagged coral 'teeth', "Ain't nobody can f*ck wiv da Coral Boy Marines."

"Blood and thunder," Tycon grinned, offering his closed fist forward.

"Vict'ry at sea," Bob tapped his meaty fist against Tycon's knuckles.