They say you should be active in life—get involved, take initiative, change your life, "make the most of your youth." As if effort is some magic ticket to anything you with for.
It's not. Most of the time, it just speeds up your collision with failure, and of course, its consequences.
The more you participate, the more chances life has to hit you where it hurts. Help someone? You become responsible for their mess. Speak honestly? Now you're "too rude", and people should avoid you. Try to connect with people? They either misunderstand you or expect things you can't give. Can't do it? Then you will be branded as a liar.
Honestly, the ones who can coast through life unnoticed—those are the real winners. No expectations, no drama, no emotional hangovers. They didn't "live to the fullest," but at least they didn't get chewed up by it either, and kept this miser life.
That's what I always knew, and of many things I choose to change, this one shouldn't be one of them.
However, like the many others I made fun of and ridiculed before, I did the same thing.
And also like them, when I failed and had to face the consequences, I also didn't like it…
***
"One last time.
Water? Check.
Canned Food? Check.
First aid kit? Check.
Life jacket? Check.
Life rings? Check.
Fishing rod? Check.
Compass? Check.
Flare gun? Check.
Flare ammo? Check.
Smoke flare? Check.
Handgun? Check.
Ammo? Check.
Second gun? Check.
More ammo? Check.
Shotgun? Check.
A harpoon? Check.
Extra water? Check.
Extra canned food? Check.
Clothes? Check.
Rowing oars? Check.
Gold Coins sack? Check.
Maxx coffee? Check. Well, I guess that is all."
I am checking on all the items in the inflatable boat that are needed for my upcoming voyage while holding a checklist and a pen in my hand.
All the boxes and bags were there, and everything was ready.
Taking a last look at the island and the cottage, I felt a sense of reluctance.
It feels like I am leaving home to study abroad and will never come back.
But there is nothing I can do, I have wasted a whole month on this Island. And I can't waste any more time.
Loneliness was messing up with my mind, and staying any more than that will affect my sanity.
'A shameful thing for a veteran loner like me to admit, but thinking about it now, I wasn't exactly alone all of these years back home.'
Komachi, my parents, and even my cat Kamakura were around me. And in my loner days at school, I interacted with Zaimokuza, even if I won't call him my friend.
Looks like in some way, both of us wanted some form of company in the end.
Even later with Hiratsuka-sensei, Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, Totsuka, Isshiki.
'I miss them…'
That's why, I have to leave the island, even with the risk involved.
My back is turned on the island, I started pushing the boat toward the water.
The boat is really heavy, it was fortunate that I didn't have to push it far, and the wet sand also helped.
With the boat already on the water, I climb up the boat and sit at the back.
Now that everything is ready, I take out the 'engine' needed for the boat.
I tried ordering the motor of the boat using the Box, but the Box refused to give it to me no matter what, so I had to improvise.
As I can't use rowing oars to row my way across the sea. Leaving aside the required physical effort, I will simply take years to reach anywhere.
But at the same time, I can't escape that I don't have an easy source of power to go far from the island.
Giving up here was an easy option, however, before that, I decided to experiment with something.
There is that kind of boat that you can move by pedaling like you are riding a bicycle, they are usually slow, but I want to see if I can use Hamon with it.
So I made a simple mechanism that works after a bit of trial and error. And when I used it with Hamon, a surprising result was available.
I get on my bicycle-like seat at the end of the boat and start pedaling.
Vroooooo~
Hearing the sound of the fan spinning and the boat starting to move was the sign that my journey had started.
Picking up a bit of speed, I started using and sending the Hamon all the way to the fan.
At that moment, the magic started.
From what I could sense and understand, a whirlpool started forming around the fan, creating a current that was pushing the water at a scary speed.
The boat was getting faster and faster, and soon I felt like I was moving at the speed of a bit slow car.
With a bit of a distance from the island, I open the compass to see the directions. Then using Hamon, I control the 'Hamon-Thruster' to change the direction of the boat and head toward the northwest.
I chose the west because I had no better option, I was clearly far away from any coast as there were no ships coming or going of any kind.
So I was in some kind of isolated water or far away from any coast. Moreover, from what I remember from the world map, most of the landmasses are in the north of the globe, and if I am going to choose whether to go east or west, I choose west because I was hoping that I am in the Pacific somewhere close to Japan.
About ten minutes later, the island has disappeared from my view, and something tells me that this is a bad idea.
But I heed no mind to that, I can't stay on that island any longer. I have resources that are enough for a long time, so I should be okay.
'Or I hope so.'
—A few Hours Later—
I stopped pedaling to rest my legs, drank some water, and ate two cans of canned food.
Using the Hamon, I should be good and ready in half an hour. But something is worrying me.
Because I was pedaling for a long time, my legs felt like they were only pedaling.
I should stop and walk for a while to lose this feeling, as I use the bicycle every day to go to school. But in the middle of the sea, where should I walk?
Then the idea hits me, I can use Hamon to walk on water—albeit not to larger distances— but that should be enough for a walk around the boat to move my legs probably.
After resting and sensing that I am fine again. I stand on the inflated round edge of the boat, taking a deep breath and readying my Hamon.
Knowing the concept already, I tried it before on the island. There is no need for me to hesitate.
splash
splash
Hastily, I take my first few steps and start walking on water.
But just when I was happy that the miracle happened-
SPLASH!
I fall flat in water, when my leg lags because of the difference in the movements from pedaling and walking. Causing me to lose balance and fall flat in the sea.
Swimming back to the boat, I climb onto it using Hamon as it is hard to climb back up by yourself.
Once I am on the boat, I change my wet clothes and dry myself so as to not catch a cold in the middle of the sea.
After drying myself, I stretch for a bit and try again while wearing swimming clothes this time.
splash splash splash splash
My legs do not lag again this time, and I managed to continue walking probably.
'Walking on water, definitely not a ninja thing.'
Finish a few short laps around the boat and return to the boat triumphantly.
Returning to the boat, I changed my clothes to a dry spare and hopped on my seat to start pedaling again.
—A day after I left the island—
There is still nothing in sight, no ship, no land, nothing. Just the vast expanse of water.
I continued to paddle toward the north-west, and the speed was still kept the same that I started with.
Honestly, I have no Idea if what I am doing is right or not, or if this speed is okay for seafaring.
For someone who is stuck alone in the sea, I discovered that my knowledge about seafaring is fatally lacking.
To tell the truth, if it were not for the Box, I would be dead 500 times already if not more.
Why am I saying that? It is because I discovered that it gets really cold in the sea in the evening. From what I understood, it is not that the water was really cold or anything, but the wind combined with the water cooling down made that deadly effect.
All I prepared for the night sleep at that time was a sleeping bag, a cover, and that's it.
I had to get some kind of a tent with a foldable frame that can be connected to the frame I made for the boat's 'engine'.
It worked fine as it took most of the wind while keeping me warm.
From the looks of it, I will be adding more things to the boat while I am in the sea, I hope I don't confront an impossible problem.
The second day at sea.
I was pedaling in the middle of the sea as usual while looking at the sea through a pair of binoculars.
Every now and then, I look through them to see if there is anything in sight, and so far, there is nothing.
No ship, no boats, no rocks, no land, no island, nothing at all.
I am now wondering where the hell I am? And became more and more convinced that this was a very bad idea.
'Hope nothing bad happens.'
—The third day at the sea—
I started noticing that my break times became shorter and my pedaling time increased.
Looks like all the labor that I am doing is now working in my favor somehow.
It is strange, a month ago, if someone had told me that I would be paddling in the middle of the ocean to save my life, I would say they have a big imagination and they should start helping Zaimokuza write his stupid novels, maybe there will be a hope for him.
But now, looking at me doing it made me feel bizarre.
Just what happened? How did I get here? Why an island out of all of this? And where the he-
'Stooop!'
The stress is getting to me again, I need to distract myself with something.
With all the water around me, there is nothing that can distract me better than food.
I can open some of the canned food I have, but I want something delicious.
No hesitation needed, I take the Box, open it, submerge it into water, close it when it is filled, take it out, and then open the other side.
In there, a huge plate of yakiniku, miso sauce, and a bowl of ramen were waiting for me.
Taking it out, I devour them one by one, totally forgetting about my circumstances.
—The fourth day in the sea—
BANG!
I am being surrounded by sharks.
What happened, and why are they after me? I don't know?
But the sharks in front of me now are very big, each one is almost half the size of the boat.
While the boat is not big, it is not small either.
BANG!
Using the shotgun in my hands, I shoot at the first unfortunate bastard.
I can see the color of blood tainting the water, and the shark's movement starting to slow down.
CLICK—CLACK!
Not stopping for a second longer, I aim at the next one and take the shot again.
BANG!
CLICK—CLACK!
BANG!
My mind was prepared for this for a while now, going to the sea and meeting the sea predators was a common thing.
This is why I prepared countermeasures.
Knowing that I can't use normal pistols because they are not that strong, and only something like a shotgun has enough power.
But they only shoot small projectiles they call birdshot and buckshot, which can damage my boat if I am not careful and will not kill the target…mostly.
Shotguns also have an ammunition type they call a slugshot, which shoots a one big projectile, basically transforming the shotgun into a small hand cannon.
CLICK—CLACK!
BANG!
CLICK—CLACK!
BANG!
Which is why the gun I am using right now is a shotgun with slug bullets, I definitely didn't get this idea from one of Zaimokuza's trashy novels, but from a documentary film about how to kill the dangerous wildlife.
'Yes, these documentary exists, they have to.'
CLICK—CLACK!
BANG!
Killing the third shark, I quickly leap onto my seat and start pedaling and using the Hamon at the same time.
Rooooooooooo!
I run away from the crime scene, hoping that the sharks become scared and are distracted by them.
From what I know, sharks can be very cruel with each other. Let's hope that is true.
A few minutes later, I see no sharks around, but I gave no heed and continued pedaling at full force.
—The sixth day in the sea—
After what happened with the predators of the sea and the uneventful day of seafaring aimlessly in the wide expanse of salt water, I finally saw something on the horizon.
I had no idea what it was, but it is something above the sea level, at least.
The more I pedal towards it, the bigger it becomes, the more happy and hopeful I become.
There is something, something other than the endless water in damn place.
Only for my hopes to be crushed.
It was neither a land nor an island nor even a ship.
'It is a rock.'
A big rock that is protruding out of the water.
Climbing it, I see that it has a bit of a flat surface, but that's it.
Looking around with the binoculars, nothing came into sight.
Before my hopes are dashed, an idea came to my head.
'Don't rocks like this usually appear near the landmasses?'
I had no evidence or source for that, but with my situation, I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Getting off the rock to ride the boat and circling around it from afar, I see nothing around.
To not waste any more time, I continue heading toward the north-west, hoping that I could be close to land.
—The tenth day in the sea—
Bad news, I was not close to the land.
Leaving the rock behind, I kept going on the sea, hoping to find any kind of land or anything at this point.
However, after four days, I found none of that.
Then, what is the good news?
Well, there aren't any, only the worst news.
Raging waves are hitting the boat, filling it with water, pushing and pulling it.
Violent wind was not giving me any rest either, if I don't stay close to the boat, I will be swept away with many of my things already swept away.
Staying close to the boat was not helping either, as the waves were filling it with water, so I was basically in the water.
It was a storm, a storm that would sweep me sooner or later.
Using the Box to get two big oxygen tubes for diving, I wear them on top of my life vest.
The biggest problem for me is drowning. If I drown, I will die, and that's what I am hoping to avoid, as I know I will definitely be swept by the waves, and I will lose the boat sooner or later.
Looks like I am going to die here.
'Why did I leave the island?! Only to die in the middle of the ocean?!'
It was a wrong decision. Looking at the raging storm and the huge wave in the distance that is going to swallow me, leaving the island was the wrong decision, no matter how I look at it.
And now, I will have to pay the price for it…
…
A/N: With this, the Prologue should be completed! The next time will be the start of Hachiman's Voyage! albeit not a pleasant start...
By the way, I have stocked my Patre0n with a few chapters! So you can check my Patre0n for some extra early Chapters!
patre0n /ColdColt
Anyway, Thank You all for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!
Have a nice day!