TW: This chapter contains mentions of abduction and torture. Nothing too extreme but Jimin is tortured in the beginning.

***

"Not so feisty now, are you?"

Jimin grunted, swallowing the pain that exploded in his ribs. The sonofthebitch packed one hell of a punch. He'd give him that.

"The python is mine." Spittle flew from his mouth. "And so are you."

Jimin's face whipped to the side with a cracking sound at the force of the slap. It was a miracle his jaw didn't unhinge because of the blow.

"Coward," he spat, earning a punch to his gut.

His ribs ached and he was sure it'd bruise. Jimin didn't remember the last time he took a beating from someone. Probably never because he was the one who always handed others' asses to them. There was only one in this entire world that Jimin would willingly allow to toss him around but this bastard wasn't one. And for that, he'd pay dearly.

"Who's gonna come for you, huh?" The bastard kneed his stomach.

Jimin doubled over in pain. The chains dug into his skin from where he pulled at them. His knees gave out and he cried out as the chains holding him up tugged a little too hard that he feared his shoulders might dislocate.

Ah, he badly needed a drink or two. He breathed through his nose and clenched his jaw swallowing the pain when the bastard grabbed the gold chain he always wore around his neck. Jimin growled when the bastard tugged at it forcefully and when it wouldn't budge, he unclasped it unceremoniously, admiring the craftsmanship.

"And why do you need this for?" He dangled the sapphire heart stone in front of his face like a fucking pendulum. "I think I'm going to keep this as a souvenir."

Jimin snarled. "Gimme that!"

"What's so special with this, huh?" The bastard laughed. "The mighty Park Jimin of the Pythons has never been seen without this." He inspected the intricate jewelry with gleaming eyes.

Jimin saw red. The bastard was right. He was never seen without the chain ever since the priceless artifact was gifted to him. So much so that it has become a part of his identity.

Jimin's breathing was ragged and heavy. "Ye don't wanna find out." He chuckled.

"Ah, come on, I have all the time in this world," the guy taunted. "Might as well make it entertaining while I torture you slowly to your death."

Jimin scoffed. "Ye don't know what ye're playing with."

"Don't I?" The man grabbed his chin in a tight grip, his blunt nails digging into his cheek. "Gonna carve your face, Park Jimin." His captor traced the prominent scar on his face with a vicious smile. "Gonna make you scream and see how ferocious you're going to be when I do that."

"Feck ye!" He spat the blood onto the floor.

Before he could punch him again someone hurried inside.

"General!" The scrawny messenger boy panted. "You have a missive from the capital."

Kang Minseok, the most vicious and ruthless general of the Eastern sea wiped his face with the back of his hand. It was clear he badly wanted to finish what he started, but he couldn't keep the messenger from the capital waiting.

"I'll see you soon, Park."

With that, he pivoted on his heels, leaving the underground prison with the clack of his boots.

Jimin sagged against his chains. The fucking scoundrels had ambushed him in a mercenary village. They were surrounded with no means to escape and Jimin was shot with a sedative that rendered him useless.

He'd woken up to find himself strung up in chains and under Kang's custody. He knew what awaited him and he wasn't afraid. He just didn't want to die in the hands of some spineless coward.

Kang and Jimin didn't have a good history. A few run-ins they've had in the past were all ended in bloody violence. Jimin left that scar on his face when he caught Kang in a compromising position, trying to force a woman who danced in the streets for a meager income.

He left that as a warning. Jimin only regretted leaving him alive. Kang's men were closer and it was risky. Besides, he didn't want the entire king's army chasing him around the ocean. Not that it was any different now. They let him be unless or until they crossed paths.

His entire body ached and his throat was parched. The room he was in smelled stale and of urine. He scrunched his nose and tried to breathe through his mouth.

Every breath he took hurt. As he looked around, he realized no one was coming for him. The crew must have left as soon as they received the message. As was the code. He couldn't blame them. Jimin hoped at least his ship got out safely.

But why would Kang say the python was his? He frowned. He didn't get his hands on his ship, did he?

***

Loud cheers and shouts echoed through the night. The crew was a bit rowdy tonight and Jungkook let them be.

Their ship had just returned from a successful hunt through an archipelago of uninhibited and uncharted islands. It was by far his best adventure with hundreds of uncharted and unmarked reefs between them for a vessel to sneak into.

The weather hadn't been favorable and they had braved through a hurricane season, encountering forty to fifty-foot waves, heavy wind, and whatnot.

At one point in time, Jungkook even though this trip was going to be added to another one of their unsuccessful ones until they stumbled onto the sunken vessel that was carrying goods and artifacts from the 17th century.

Shipwreck sites were Jungkook's favorites. He loved scavenging them for treasure. The items they usually found were rare and sold for several gold coins in the black market. Oh, how much he wanted to brag about this trip tonight.

He stood on the crow's nest, his favorite place in the entire ship apart from the captain's deck of course. He eyed the funnel expelling the boiler steam and smoke, mingling with the night sky. Below on the upper deck, the party was in full swing.

His crewmates danced around the coffers filled with their loots, singing songs of the sea as taught by their ancestors. They'd thanked the sea goddess for the wonderful loot and continued home.

The Black Dragon was such a mighty beast ripping through the water and must be a vision to look at on a moonlit night. He'd heard several people sing praises about his fine vessel. He took pride in owning one of the finest and fastest vessels in all of the Eastern Sea that was armed to teeth. Not even the King owned such a beast.

There was a reason why the Dragons were the most feared pirates of the Eastern sea followed by the Pythons. There was simply no one who could match him. Well, there was one who came too close but they still came after the Dragons so...he wouldn't fret.

As they entered the familiar territory, he couldn't help but wonder how the Pythons would react to this news. Oh, he couldn't wait to rub this onto his rival's face when they met again. After all, he knew Jimin had been searching for this particular shipwreck for years just like him. What they achieved was no easy feat. Many had given their lives trying to find the site.

He chugged his drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. After being in the sea for months, he couldn't wait to be on land again. As much as he loved the sea, he missed the land too. All those fresh meat and wine...His mouth watering just at the thought. Ah, he couldn't wait.

It was in the afternoon the next day, he noticed a lone clipper approaching their ship from the starboard side. Jungkook jumped from his position, looking through his spyglass, and lowered it with a frown when he noticed the Python flag.

"Captain!" His quartermaster Namjoon appeared on the deck. "Python's clipper is approaching us."

"Stand down," Jungkook instructed, though he couldn't help wondering what the Pythons wanted from the Black Dragons. "Stay on guard," he added as an afterthought.

They were rivals for ages. Though they had called upon a truce and no longer drew blood, they didn't mingle. But Park Jimin of the Pythons was never one to send out a clipper like this.

He climbed down the stairs that led to the upper deck from the captain's deck and hurried toward the clipper. His crewmates had already thrown a lifeline, attaching the clipper to the ship. He recognized the sailor immediately.

"Taehyung..." he greeted the breathless sailor stumbling onto his deck with a disheveled look. Behind him was Hoseok who was looking disheveled just like him.

"We've been lookin' for ye everywhere," Hoseok panted.

Dread filled Jungkook and his jaw clenched involuntarily. "Where's Python?"

"Taken," Taehyung panted, licking his chapped lips.

Jungkook's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Taken?" He took a threatening step toward him. "What do you mean it's taken? Where's Jimin?"

"Kang Minseok," Hoseok added in a dreadful tone. "Ambushed us and took Jimin. Confiscated our ship and this is all we got."

His pulse thundered in his veins. "And how did he do that?"

Taehyung shared a look with Hoseok. "Drugged us. We were sailing through the Western Islands when some of our crewmates fell sick. Our surgeon was also among the people who were infected. It looked contagious so we hurried toward the nearest port in Damyang to hire a physician."

"The disease was spreading fast on board so the captain suggested the healthy ones find a place in the village to stay until we can travel again. Only a few sturdy ones stayed back," Hoseok added.

"We didn't know he was a privateer. Fecker!" Taehyung hissed.

Jungkook clenched his jaw. These things were unpredictable. He knew of Jimin's history with Kang Minseok. In fact, the man was such a pain in the ass ever since he took charge of the Damyang province. The pirates actively avoided the province recently, but if there was an outbreak on board, Jimin would have been desperate to get treatment since the next village was at least two weeks away and the majority of his crew members wouldn't have survived until then. Still, it was shocking that Minseok managed this.

"The place be crawlin' with the king's men when we came back from the village," Hoseok said.

"Kang has Jimin," Taehyung repeated. "He's holding him and the majority of our crew hostage in Damyang mercenary village." He swallowed. "He will kill him."

Jungkook's jaw clenched. "Oh, no, he won't," he growled. His fist clenched around the hilt of his sword. "Only I get to kill him."

When Jungkook first met Jimin, they were twelve. Two curious children just at the cusp of teenage, exploring the small island they stopped by to load supplies. It was a neutral zone for all the pirates. A no-fight zone.

Jungkook always loved this island. It was peaceful here and the air was so fresh. He liked to explore alone, imagining himself as the big, bad pirate just like his father was. All his friends were the children of his father's crewmates and they were busy with something today.

He skipped to his favorite spot on the island, excited to be here once again only to pause when he saw another black-haired boy standing in ankle-deep water, inspecting a rather beautiful and colorful conch.

Now, Jungkook was a possessive person. He didn't like sharing. The word didn't exist in his vocabulary. Be it food, his toys, or whatever he laid claim on. So his little self wasn't pleased to find another boy in his secret haven.

"Hey," he yelled. "Ye shouldn't be here."

The boy spun on his heel, big, round eyes widening and his hands automatically going to the dagger hilt that was strapped to his hip.

"Who are ye?" The boy tilted his head to the side, his posture stiff and ready to attack.

"I'm Jeon Jungkook of the Black Dragons." Jungkook puffed his chest. "This is me place."

The boy looked around with an amused smile. "As far as I know, these are neutral lands." His small fist clenched around the conch. "No pirate has a claim here."

"I do." Jungkook stepped forward, eyes narrowing at the challenge. He wasn't one to back down. "I don't like ye being here. Leave."

The boy crossed his hands across his chest and cocked his head to the side with a cocky smile. "Make me."

Thus began the epic story of their rivalry. It didn't help that they always ran into each other during these pit stops and in mercenary villages. Years passed and both grew up becoming adults, but that didn't stop them from engaging in petty fights or bickering like two unruly kids.

Sometimes they argued, most times they fought and drew blood, but no one got in between them. Their crewmates had long since given up on them, seeing no point in intervening because...Jungkook was possessive.

One day someone made the mistake of intervening and hurting Jimin in the process. Jungkook had cleaved the bastard to the brisket in front of everyone saying only he could hurt Jimin. Yeah, he was just possessive, even when it came to his rival.

Climbing the stairs to his deck, Jungkook yelled, "Ahoy, me hearties! All hands on the deck!"

There was a flurry of activities and soon he found his crewmates looking eagerly at him for his instruction.

"Let's get this!"