On the pitch-black surface of the sea, the corpse of the monster floated aimlessly with the waves. Just as it was about to sink into the depths, a steamship, two-thirds larger than the Rat, sailed by.
A large net with barbed hooks was thrown down from the deck, effortlessly ensnaring it.
"Boss, take a look, I've caught a giant squid! See! Its tentacles can still move."
"Squid? Pete, are you blind? Boss, I think it's a starfish!"
"Clear out, what's so interesting about a big octopus? Hmm~ it looks tasty, Pete, send it to the kitchen and let the chefs do their thing."
"No problem, Boss!"
When Charles regained consciousness, his head throbbed as if pricked with needles, and his hand loosened, causing an empty bottle to smash into pieces on the ground.
Ignoring the broken glass scattered on the floor, Charles pushed the door open and walked out.
When the crew of the Rat saw the indifferently expressioned Charles return, they all breathed a sigh of relief, feeling secure with a captain who looked like that.
"Captain, we're back on the safe route now, and at our current speed of 15 knots, it won't be long before we reach port," Deep, steering the ship, reported to Charles.
"How's the bandage?"
"His wound is healing quickly, and he doesn't have a fever anymore. Although still unconscious, he should pull through."
Hearing this, Charles's heavy mood lifted slightly.
"Don't let your guard down, I'll go check on him."
In the entire Rat, only the captain had a private bedroom. Like everyone else, the first mate lived in the crew's rest area.
Upon arriving at the cabin, Charles saw that Frey slowly opened his eyes, and he hurried over.
"Don't move, lie still, your injuries haven't fully healed yet," Charles instructed, holding down Frey, who struggled to sit up.
"Captain... Anna is a monster... she was going to eat me..."
Hearing this, Charles felt a pang in his heart, but he forced a reassuring smile on his face, "Don't worry, that thing is dead now. It's all over."
"That's... that's good..." Frey, relieved, lay back down slowly.
"Rest well. We'll be home soon, and you'll be able to complete the mission."
Casting a glance at Frey's empty trouser leg below the bandage, Charles knew his seafaring career was over; no ship would want a first mate with only one leg, no matter how skilled at steering.
"Oh..." Frey spoke no more.
Charles wanted to offer some comfort but wasn't very good at it. In the end, he patted Frey on the shoulder and walked out.
The rest of the voyage went without further incident, and the Rat safely returned to the Coral Islands.
It seemed as if the Futan Sect followers possessed some sort of clairvoyance; before the Rat even entered port, Charles saw Hook, along with a large group of followers, waiting there.
"Captain Charles, did you get the Holy Relic?"
As soon as they saw the Golden Foutan Statue taken from the wooden box, Hook became uncontrollably excited, and after dancing around, he and the followers knelt before the statue for a worship session.
"Where's my money?"
The ecstatic Hook quickly stood up, trembling as he fished out a piece of paper from his chest.
"Here's the original contract, quick! Give me the Holy Relic!"
Charles took the paper, checked it for accuracy, and then threw the gold statue over.
Watching Hook's ecstatic face as he held the gold statue and prepared to leave, Charles frowned. "Hey, have you forgotten something?"
The tall and burly James came forward, carrying Frey.
"Assistant Priest... I've... completed the mission..." a weak bandaged figure reported to the Hook.
As if he hadn't heard him, Hook's gaze fell on his legs. "What happened to your leg?"
"It was... eaten by a monster..."
Hook tilted his chin upward, and two followers behind him approached Bandage, intending to bring him back.
"Well done, Bandage, the next prayer day, you will have the honor of being the sacrificial offering."
"Tha... Thank you, Assistant Priest..."
"What? Sacrificial offering?!" All of the crew aboard the Rat showed terrified expressions on their faces.
Charles suddenly raised his hand, stopping the two followers. He stared at Hook and demanded, "Is this how your Futan Sect treats its own?"
Charles had no desire to meddle in the affairs of these fanatics, but he had been through life and death with Bandage. This slow-paced guy was half a friend to him, and he couldn't stand to watch a friend thrown into the sea to feed the fish.
"Captain Charles, within our Sect, becoming a sacrificial offering is an honor in itself."
"This honor, why don't you take it yourself? Bandage is my first mate, and he can't leave yet. He needs to hand over some matters." Charles signaled James with his eyes, and the big man retreated with Bandage in his arms.
Hook seemed a bit anxious, as if the statue was more important than anything else. After giving Charles a deep look, he rushed to catch up.
"A cripple, Captain Charles, if you want him, I'll hand him over to you."
Seeing them leave the dock, Deep was the first to rush to Bandage, exclaiming loudly.
"Mr. First Mate, what are you thinking? He's planning to throw you into the sea to feed the fish, and you actually thank him?!"
Bandage remained silent.
"Do you know what it means to be sacrificed to the Futan God? Why would you agree?" Charles stepped in front of him to ask.
If Bandage spouted the nonsensical doctrines of the Futan Sect, Charles was ready to send him to a mental hospital for treatment.
"I... I don't know, I seem... I long to be sacrificed, I've forgotten many things... I don't remember..." Bandage's answer was unexpectedly startling.
After pacing back and forth, Charles stopped and, looking at the eyes hidden behind Bandage, said, "Don't say anything else. My new ship needs a first mate. Will you join?"
Bandage stayed silent for a few seconds, "But I have no legs..."
"It's just one missing, no big problem. A chair can serve just as well for steering."
Seeing Bandage nod, a relieved smile appeared on Charles's face.
Having recruited a new first mate, he looked up at his crew, pondering before announcing, "I know without saying, we're going to have an Exploration Ship, much bigger than the Rat!"
At the Captain's shout, everyone's faces lit up with excitement. Aside from the benefits of exploring and settling on new islands, just the salary difference alone for the same positions—between merchant ships and exploration vessels—was astronomical, nearly three times as much.
As for the dangers that come with such vast benefits, these sea-faring men had never been afraid.
"So Captain, are we heading to the shipyard now?" Deep asked, only to see his Captain shake his head.
"The ship is my problem to sort out; you have your own tasks. James, you're the Chief Engineer of the new ship; find a Chief Engineer and a Second Chief Engineer during this time,"
The brawny man, scared stiff, started to shake his head continuously, "No, Captain, I can't... I really—"
"Don't tell me you can't find any—the port has professional agencies; just go and choose. That's your mission."
Charles didn't listen to James's explanation and spoke to the restless young man, "Deep, you're the sailor chief. Recruit four sailors."
Hearing he'd be managing so many sailors, the young man showed no signs of intimidation, but rather extreme excitement.
"Now I get to manage five people! This is really exciting!"
"Frey, with so many people, you can't handle the kitchen alone. Find an assistant chef."
"No problem, my Captain."