https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-35-Singing-and-Dancing-in-the-Storm/12608101/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-37-Not-a-Single-Decent-Bone-in-My-Body/12608106/
Chapter 36: The Ghost Ship
Chapter 36: The Ghost Ship
Even as the hot pot came to an end, no one touched the 'egg dish'.
"This is too wasteful," Lily remarked, picking up a charred piece and popping it into her mouth before Sage could stop her. He watched, helpless, as she chewed and swallowed.
"Are you alright? Do we need to get to a hospital? Anyone know healing magic? We need a ship doctor!" Sage shouted.
Of course, there were no hospitals out at sea, though there might be some sort of floating hospital that Sage had never encountered.
The crew he had gathered were mostly fighters, with no knowledge of healing arts.
"What's the point of a doctor?" Lily asked, puzzled, as she stuffed the remaining burnt food into her mouth, a look of bliss on her face.
Perhaps... it tasted good?
Sage instinctively glanced at Reneetia.
"Was it really that tasty?"
Reneetia blinked, picking up the egg dish in front of her. She first sniffed it cautiously with her small nose, ensuring there was no strange smell, before taking a gentle bite. Her lively eyes then began to tremble.
In those eyes, a myriad of emotions flashed by—shock, panic, and then nostalgia. Finally, like a Buddha who had attained enlightenment, her expression turned to acceptance, then to a spiritual emptiness, before the light in her eyes faded away.
Like a puppet, Reneetia held out the half-eaten egg dish to Sage, her tone flat as if she were reciting a line, "Sage, this is really good. You should try it too."
Sage took a step back and shook his head. "I've overused these kinds of low-level tricks."
Lily turned to Reneetia and asked, "Renee, aren't you allergic to eggs?"
"Yes, I am," Reneetia replied.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she loosened her grip and fell backward, passing out.
Sage broke into a cold sweat at the sight.
He didn't know if she was allergic to eggs or not, but one thing was clear—this dish was disgusting.
"Renee! Renee!"
Lily rushed over, shaking Reneetia by the shoulders. She turned to Sage and asked, "Sage..."
"It's fine, it really is an 'allergy'. She'll be fine after she comes to," Sage waved his hand, his expression turning serious as he faced Lily. "Lily, that was too much!
"Huh?" Lily replied, confusion written across her face.
"How can a navigator be cooking in the kitchen? Don't do this again in the future!" Sage exclaimed. "You're an executive. Apart from your own duties, you can enjoy the same privileges as me. Don't do meaningless things like this that will squeeze the living space of your subordinates. If you take on every task, that's just being a workaholic! No matter if you're a pirate or not, you can't be a workaholic in life!"
It wouldn't do to say that the food was terrible and that such a young girl had suffered at their hands.
After all, she was one of his crew, and the first to follow him on his entrepreneurial journey. He would be understanding about this, and at least try to be tactful in his response.
"Captain Sage!"
Ajin rushed in, his voice excited. "We've spotted an island!"
Even though they were in the midst of a banquet, someone still had to keep watch. Two pirates were randomly selected to take turns manning the control room on the third floor, with another two on standby to rotate in.
Ajin had gone up an hour ago. Though he was the combat squad leader, he didn't seem to consider himself on the same level as the executives, diligently performing every task befitting of a pirate.
In his eyes, the executives were special.
Lily was a navigator and the first to follow Captain Sage, so naturally, she was an executive.
Reneetia, despite her young age and recent entry into the pirate crew, was a Devil Fruit ability user and the creator of their massive ship. Thus, she was also an executive.
As for himself, apart from combat, he was useless.
Even in battle, he was still learning from the techniques Captain Sage taught him, and he had a long way to go.
"An island, you say?" Sage inquired, his eyes lighting up with interest.
Sage walked over to Reneetia and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, shaking her vigorously until she woke up with a gasp.
"Wow! I just saw my master; he was kindly waving at me and offering to take me to find better materials for building treasure ships. The oceans there are all different, emitting a strange blue aura," Reneetia said in a daze.
"That's the ocean of hell. Don't look at it next time! Lily," Sage said, giving her a light knock on the head as he turned to face Lily.
Lily nodded and found a window, using a telescope to focus on the island they had discovered. "Sage, we're here. It's the Kingdom of Shallow Sands," she confirmed.
...
The Kingdom of Shallow Sands was not an island nation but a small coastal country located on a stretch of land in the northern sea of the Eastern Sea. There were several countries on this land, and the Kingdom of Shallow Sands was just one of the smaller ones.
The country's terrain consisted mostly of shallow sands covered in sand, with few ports nearby. Instead, one could see large sand houses made of sand on the beach, and many fishermen using nets to catch fish on the sandy shore.
One of the fishermen, upon noticing the approaching dark clouds, was startled and shouted, "A storm is coming! Be careful, everyone, run inside, don't let it sweep you away!"
"No, wait! Look, there's a ship out there!" Another fisherman narrowed his eyes, pointing at the storm beneath the dark clouds, his voice trembling. "There's no one on board!"
Amid the gloomy sky within the raging storm, a flash of lightning illuminated a massive black ship drawing closer. The enormous vessel showed no signs of damage, looking as pristine as if it had just been built, yet there wasn't a soul on deck! Not a single person was visible in the crow's nest or on the broad deck, and there were no signs of damage or crew.
"A ghost ship!" The fisherman cried out in terror. "It's a ghost ship from hell! They're here to take us away, run for your lives!"
Legends of ghost ships were prevalent among the seas, and each region had its own unique variations.
There was the legend of the 'Flying Dutchman,' a ship doomed to sail forever without returning to its homeland.
There were also tales of ghost ships rising from the depths of the sea, accompanied by monstrous sea demons.
And now, there seemed to be yet another ghost ship, this one emerging from the heart of a storm, adding to the myriad of ghostly vessel stories.
As the massive ship drew nearer, the fishermen along the shore dropped their nets and fled inland, but their speed was no match for the swiftly approaching darkness. Soon, the entire sandy region was engulfed in shadow, and the wind and rain lashed down, turning the surroundings pitch-black.
The huge ship came to a halt at the shallow sandbar.
A deafening thunderclap rang out, and a flash of light revealed a fisherman who had been running slowly. He turned to look and saw, beneath the unmistakably empty ship, several golden lights shimmering on the sandbar. In the glow of that light, a row of figures appeared, slowly approaching.
"Ghosts!" The fisherman screamed in terror, his eyes rolling back before he fainted.
Sage moved forward, and as he did so, the jewels and gold ornaments on his body shimmered in the lightning. He listened for a moment, then looked around. "Where? Where are the ghosts?"
Ghosts at sea?
Perhaps there was no such thing, or maybe there was a Devil Fruit ability user nearby?
"It's so dark, and with our sudden appearance, they might have mistaken us for something else," Sage mused.
In the driving rain, Lily's hair became soaked, transforming her usually curly locks into straight, golden strands. The rainwater clung to her clothing, outlining her exquisite figure.
Sage furrowed his brow, stroking his chin as he pondered the situation. Finally, he shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm a pirate, not a dead man."
(End of Chapter)
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