One Piece - Cruel Sea

The sea raged like it hadn't for years. Again and again huge waves piled up and collapsed over the small excursion steamer. The captain and crew had their hands full keeping the steamer on the water. Nevertheless, preparations for an evacuation had been initiated. Most of the passengers ran around headless and screamed or sat on the benches and waited for their death. Shocked and abandoned by the will to live.

Lightning bolted towards the steamer, struck the upper deck and started a fire. “FIRE!” The captain looked nervously at his compass. "We have strayed far too far off course. Thompsen, you take over the steering wheel. Make sure that we get back on our route." The captain's deputy nodded and stood behind the wheel. The captain himself slammed the door open and ran to the upper deck. The fire had reached devastating proportions. Almost the entire upper deck was already destroyed and the flames ate their way inexorably through the wood of the floor."You have to put out the fire immediately! Otherwise the boat will drown us!" The sailors let out a loud "Aye, aye!" sound before they, armed with hoses and buckets, declared war on the fire.

Meanwhile, thick smoke spread below deck and caused many of the passengers and the crew to collapse in agony. Coughing, gasping for air.

“Get the passengers out of here!” The captain shouted as loudly as he could. However, he could hardly counter the whistling of the storm and the roar of the sea. Most of the guests had come on deck. The smoke still stung her eyes and many of them still could not breathe. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Another wave broke over the steamer. The boat swayed dangerously and everyone knew that the next wave would mean the sinking of the "San Molidan". "EVERYONE TO THE BOATS !!!" Captain Lanford motioned for all of his crew members to leave the steamer. The guests rushed to the lifeboats.Without thinking, they jumped into the boats, knocking down other passengers just to save their own lives. "There's still room here! Come on, Captain, the boat can't be saved!" A sailor waved Lanford over, but the old man shook his head. He was holding a child in his arms. It might be about four years old. It froze all over. The little dress stuck to the girl. She wore a small white sandal on her right foot. She must have lost the other shoe below deck. Her long, dark hair was clung to her small, round face in tangled strands. "Papa. Mama," she whispered, crying. Captain Lanford handed the little girl into the boat. “You must cast off now, sailor.” His voice was little more than a whisper. The man nodded, but his eyes betrayed his real thoughts. He didn't want to leave his captain on the steamer. “THAT'S AN ORDER !!!” The old man loosened the ropes of the boat and let it down with a jerk.All he heard was the clap of the lifeboat and the shocked shouts of the passengers, then another wave broke in over the "San Molidan".

"TARAAA !!! Tara, where are you?" The young woman dragged herself through the large viewing room, coughing. There were people everywhere. Their faces showed the agony they had suffered in the last minutes of their lives. She started to cry. "Oh God, Tara. Please say something. Please, I want you to live. DO YOU HEAR ME?" The smoke grew thicker and thicker. She pulled a handkerchief from her daughter's kindergarten bag and held it to her mouth. "TARA !!!" Suddenly someone pulled her arm. It was someone strong because she almost believed he was going to rip her arm off at any moment, he was tugging at it so hard. The stranger let go of her on deck. She rubbed her watery eyes and looked into a familiar face. "You? What are you doing here?" The man smiled briefly at her, but his gaze searched the ship."Where is she?" He asked. His voice was sharp. “Where's Tara?” Tears welled up in her face. She shook her head, sobbing. “I don't know.” She swallowed. A certainty formed in her mind that she would never accept. "I can't find her. Please, please help me find her." At that moment the steamer's bow broke. The two were thrown across the deck. The railing came dangerously close. “I've got you!” The young man held her hand tightly. "I'm not letting go of you!" He whispered. His muscles tightened with each passing second. It had been washed over the parapet by the sea water that flooded the steamer and now hung between the ship and the sea. “You have to find her, Zorro.” Her voice was cracked, she was crying and the swordsman knew that she had made a decision. "Our ship is behind this boat. I'll take you to the others. Then I'll look for Tara." The young woman shook her head.Why didn't he want to understand? "You have to look for her NOW. You have to look for her or she will die." He saw the determination in her eyes. Saw that she wanted to go this way. Had to go. To save her daughter. "LET ME GO, ZORRO !!! FIND TARA !!!" Her fingers slipped out of his hand. She fell. Towards certain death. But she smiled. "HARMONY !!!" With one last attempt he wanted to grab her, but he missed her by a few centimeters. "I love you, Zorro. Take good care of our little one."

"TARA !!! TARAAA !!!" - "She is not here." The captain of the "San Molidan" opposed the swordsman. Zorro gasped breathlessly. Only the thought of her kept him on his feet. "You're looking for the little girl, aren't you? Tara. Tara Love." - "Yes, * pant * where is she? TELL ME!"

"Papa !!! Papa, you are daaa!" Beaming with joy, Tara ran towards her father. The swordsman crouched down, took her in his arms, wept. "Where's Mama?Is she on your ship? "He shook his head. Captain Lanford was standing behind him. He was crying too. He was the last to leave the ship. But he still hadn't done his duty." Mom isn't here, Tara. "Zorro's voice was hotter. He couldn't tell her she was dead. He JUST COULD NOT !!!" What is it, papa? Why are you crying? "The little girl looked at him questioningly. Her father looked up at the sky. The sun began to dry his tears." I should tell you that she loves you. Mama loves you! "