Tiểu Sử & Cốt Truyện Tướng
Ata was a new immigrant, and like many others, he was on the hunt for gold. To fulfill his dream, he willingly started to work in the city harbor. An endless stream of traders and merchants stop in this city to rest and recharge, making it part of a prosperous trade route. Ata was strong and willing to endure hardships. He earned enough to not only meet his basic needs but also have some disposable income. However, Ata's diligence became a threat in some people's eyes. Who told him to work this much? In due time, the laborers who relied on dock work for their livelihood-especially the elderly-would be starved by Ata's diligence. As the kingdom had passed a series of policies to protect the rights and interests of immigrants, a group of tough, disgruntled men did not openly confront Ata, but instead quietly ambushed him in the alleyway he regularly passed through. "You guys better not start any trouble!" Facing this group of ruffians, Ata immediately greeted them with his fists. Moments passed, and a black-and-blue-faced Ata finally came into an agreement with the ruffians sprawling messily on the floor. He came here to earn money and not to risk his life. Furthermore, after exchanging fists with these men, Ata developed a sense of camaraderie with them-indeed, the friendship between men is sometimes inexplicable. And so just like that, the Ata who arrived alone and joined this group of misfits and took on all the jobs in the harbor. At the same time, he was also confident enough to negotiate a pay raise with the employers, thereby filling his money pouch to the fullest. "These days are so... hic!" Deep in the night, with a bottle of ale in his hand and a toothpick in his mouth, Ata stared at the night sky and felt a complex mix of feelings. It's not that he was dissatisfied with the life he had. But, his dreams were always filled with the sound of the waves... After agonizing over it for a long time, Ata finally revealed his heart to his brothers. "So you're leaving us!?" Zak glowered at him, his coarse red beard still stained with ale. Ata glanced at him and felt guilty; he could only bite the bullet and whisper: "I didn't come to this land only to do hard labor my entire life." Zak smashed the bottle in his hand, and the brown liquor splashed all over Ata's face. "So, are you looking down on our brothers who are doing these hard labors?!" The crash of the bottle pierced through the hustle and bustle of the tavern, causing the bartender to immediately turtle his neck in and hide underneath the liquor cabinet. Customers saw the situation and hurried out the door, but some who were unafraid stared at the angry bull-like Zak and Ata, who had no choice but to play the bullfighter. Who gave them permission to watch this scene? Without Ata's input, several brothers stood up and "asked" those few nosy onlookers out of the tavern. Now there were no outsiders in the tavern. Ata licked the liquor on the corner of his mouth, and his warm gaze suddenly changed to two sharp eyes glaring at Zak. The tavern's atmosphere grew heavier, and the burning fireplace seemed to visibly cool down. At the peak of that silence, Ata suddenly burst out laughing. Then, Zak also laughed with him. The laughter quickly infected everyone in the tavern. Ata hit the table with his right hand, stood up abruptly, and scolded with a smile. "If this were before, you would already sprawl on the ground!" "Oh, you still know how to bring up the old times?" Zak exclaimed provokingly. "Come come come! If I don't outdrink you till you collapse today, I will change my name to Lil' Kitten!" The next day, the residents heard about the incident in the tavern, and from that day on Ata, who always liked to swagger around the city, was never seen again. Someone swore that he saw a bunch of dock laborers that night, carrying a body and disposing it into the sea. Amidst the swirling rumors, Ata actually followed Zak into a fishing village nearby. "If you want to go out to the open sea, as a brother, I can't stop you. But let me ask you a question: Do you know sailing? Or have you thought about how big of a ship do you want to buy, how many crewmembers you are going to recruit?" That night, among the snoring of brothers who were partying in the tavern, only Ata and Zak, both of them still evenly matched in drinking, chatted while drinking their liquor. Facing Zak's interrogation, Ata found himself speechless. So heeding Zak's advice, Ata decided to follow the fishermen on their trips to the sea so that he could learn crucial maritime knowledge and at the same time further fill his coffers. The captain had promised the crew that any loot that each person acquires during the adventure is their own to keep-and Ata was confident that with his own affinity to water, diving deep into the sea to collect a few large pearls is not that hard. He was born for the sea. Working so hard for so many years in this city was all for the sake of saving enough money so that he could buy his own ship and set sail to find the ocean of his dreams: Azure waters, white and soft beaches, endless corals under the sea, clumsy sea-turtles, arrogant long-legged crabs, gorgeous jellyfishes... "Come. Put this on." While Ata was lying on the side of the ship daydreaming, the captain, with his fake leg, limped towards him and threw him a set of smelly sailor clothes, a sticky and slimy eyepatch, and a rusty cutlass. Ata came to his senses and discovered that the entire crew had already put on similar sailor outfits, with their faces covered by various headscarves masks, and face paint. Ata was stunned. He found it difficult to connect in his mind the people he saw before him with the good and pleasant fishermen from before. "What's this for?" Under the gaze of the crewmen, Ata dumbly put on the clothes he'd been given. The captain grinned, revealing a golden tooth. "I found a big fish. Get ready. We're going to work." "Ah! Blast this memory of mine!" The captain, who had already turned away from Ata, looked back absentmindedly. "I keep forgetting to tell you: We're fishermen only when we are in the village. Out in the open sea, we have a new identity! The real work will begin soon, so pay attention. And for heaven's sake, don't let anyone see your face! But don't worry too much. Zak and I are old acquaintances. I'll be keeping an eye out for you!" The captain pointed at something behind Ata's head. There was a skull-and-crossbones flag waving in the wind. "So our new identity is..." "Pirates!"
