The Forgotten Tide: Rebirth Before the Pirate Era

The town was unusually quiet, the kind of silence that felt unnatural. Kaizen walked through the dimly lit alleyways, his footsteps muffled by the dirt road beneath him. His thoughts were a storm of questions—who were these people watching him, and why did they seem to know something about his past? He clenched his fists, the memories of his battle against the cloaked figures still fresh in his mind. The fight had been too coordinated, too precise. They weren't ordinary thugs or mercenaries. They had training, discipline, and most importantly, knowledge of something he didn't fully understand yet.

As he reached the outskirts of the town, he spotted a flickering light from a lone lantern hanging outside a small wooden shack. Inside, the faint murmurs of voices caught his attention. He recognized one of them—Liora. His heart tensed. He hadn't seen her since the incident at the docks, and now she was here, speaking in hushed tones with someone he didn't recognize.

He crept closer, keeping to the shadows as he listened.

"...We can't afford to wait any longer. He's growing stronger, faster than we predicted," the unknown voice said, laced with urgency.

Liora sighed, her voice heavy. "I know. But he's not ready yet. If we tell him everything now, he might—"

The floor creaked beneath Kaizen's feet, and both figures inside the shack turned sharply toward the entrance. Kaizen knew he had been discovered, so instead of hiding, he stepped forward, pushing the door open with a slow, deliberate motion.

Liora's eyes widened in shock. The man beside her, an older figure with sharp features and a presence that screamed authority, didn't flinch. Instead, he studied Kaizen with an unreadable expression.

"I figured you'd show up eventually," the man said, crossing his arms. "You're not the type to ignore a mystery, are you?"

Kaizen kept his expression neutral, though his muscles were tensed, ready to act if necessary. "I could say the same about you. Who are you? And what exactly am I supposed to be 'not ready' for?"

Liora looked away, clearly conflicted. The man, however, smirked slightly. "Straight to the point. Good. My name is Darius, and I know exactly what you are—what you were meant to be."

Kaizen frowned. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Darius reached into his coat, pulling out a folded parchment and tossing it onto the small wooden table between them. "Take a look for yourself. This is a record—an ancient text that predates even the World Government's existence. It speaks of those who bear the Mark of the Forgotten Tide."

Kaizen hesitated before picking up the parchment. The words were written in a language he didn't fully understand, but as he traced his fingers along the ink, something within him stirred. Flashes of images, voices long gone, whispers of a power buried deep within him. His breath hitched.

"This..." His voice was barely above a whisper. "What does this have to do with me?"

Darius leaned forward, his sharp eyes gleaming. "It means that your existence is no accident. You are tied to something ancient, something that the world has long since tried to erase. And there are those who would see you destroyed before you can uncover the truth."

Kaizen's grip on the parchment tightened. "So, the people who attacked me—"

"Were sent to test you," Darius interrupted. "To see if the power within you has begun to awaken. And judging by the way you handled them, I'd say it has."

Silence stretched between them, the weight of the revelation settling like a thick fog. Kaizen had always known he was different, but this? This was something beyond his understanding. He glanced at Liora, seeking some form of confirmation, but her somber expression told him all he needed to know.

He exhaled slowly. "And what now? Are you here to kill me? Or recruit me?"

Darius chuckled. "Neither. I'm here to offer you a choice. You can walk away, pretend none of this ever happened, and live your life however you choose. Or... you can seek the truth, embrace what you were meant to be, and face the forces that have shaped this world in ways you cannot yet comprehend."

Kaizen looked down at the parchment once more. He had always wanted to live a quiet life, to stay away from the chaos of the world. But deep down, he knew that was never truly an option. Trouble had always found him, and now, it seemed, his very existence was a part of something far greater than he had ever imagined.

He met Darius's gaze, determination hardening in his chest. "I'll find my own answers. But make no mistake—I won't be a pawn in someone else's game."

Darius smiled, a knowing look in his eyes. "Good. Then let's begin."