You glided stealthily along the shore, with only the top half of your head daring to breach the water's surface, seeking refuge behind a weathered rock.

Intrigue coursed through you, compelling you to steal glances at the figure perched upon a nearby boulder. You recognized him well, a notorious bounty hunter—his reputation preceding him even into the expansive embrace of the ocean.

This marked your inaugural encounter with a human, particularly a man—a species known to the merfolk as adversaries, thanks to the lingering threat of pirates traversing the seas. Though he wasn't precisely a pirate; rather, a relentless pursuer of them—an association that tethered him to their world.

As you observed him in silence, you couldn't help but discern his affinity for alcohol. Evident in the way he indulged in a swig, lost in his own thoughts. Unbeknownst to your senses, he held an acute awareness of your presence, though choosing silence over acknowledgment.