On the pitch-black sea, a monster's corpse drifted with the waves. Just as it was about to sink to the seafloor, a steamboat two-thirds larger than the Rat sailed past.
A barbed net was cast down from the deck, easily enveloping it.
"Boss, look! I've caught a giant squid! See? Its tentacles are still moving."
"Squid? Pete, are you blind? Boss, I think it's a starfish!"
"Everyone, stand back. What's so interesting about a big octopus? Hmm... it looks tasty. Pete, send it to the kitchen and have the chefs prepare it well."
"No problem, Boss!"
When Charles awoke again, his head throbbed as if pierced by needles. His grip loosened, and an empty wine bottle slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor.
He didn't spare the glass shards scattered across the floor a single glance as he pushed open the door and walked out.
When the crew of the Rat saw Charles return with his usual cold expression, they all breathed a sigh of relief. A captain with that look on his face gave them a sense of security.
"Captain, we're back on the safe route. At our current speed of 15 knots, it won't be long before we reach port," Deep, the helmsman, reported to Charles.
"How's Bandage?"
"His wound is healing quickly, and his fever hasn't returned. Although he's still unconscious, he should pull through."
Hearing this, Charles's gloomy mood lifted slightly.
"Stay vigilant. I'll go check on him."
The captain was the only one on the Rat with a private cabin; the first mate, Bandage, lived with the others in the crew's quarters.
When Charles entered the quarters, he saw Bandage slowly opening his eyes. Charles rushed to his side.
"Don't move. Lie still. Your injuries haven't healed yet." Charles held him down as he struggled to sit up.
"Captain… Anna was a monster… She wanted to eat me…"
Hearing this, Charles's heart ached. He forced a faint smile and reassured him, "Don't worry. That thing is dead. It's all over."
"That… that's good…" Relieved, Bandage slowly lay back down.
"Rest well. We'll be home soon, and you will have completed your task."
Glancing at Bandage's empty trouser leg, Charles knew his seafaring career was over. No matter how skilled a helmsman he was, no ship would want a first mate with only one leg.
"Oh..." Bandage fell silent.
Charles wanted to comfort him, but he was never good at that sort of thing. In the end, he just patted Bandage's shoulder and left.
The rest of the journey was smooth and without incident. The Rat returned safely to the Coral Islands.
It seemed the followers of the Futan Sect had some sort of prophetic ability. Before the Rat had even entered the harbor, Charles saw a man he knew as Hook waiting on the docks with a large group of followers.
"Captain Charles, did you retrieve the Holy Relic?!"
When the Golden Futan Statue was lifted out of its wooden crate, Hook was instantly overcome with excitement. After gesticulating wildly, he led the other followers to kneel and kowtow before the statue.
"Where's my money?"
Hook scrambled to his feet and tremblingly pulled a piece of paper from his robes.
"This is the original contract. Quick! Give me the Holy Relic!"
Charles took the paper, and after confirming it was correct, he tossed the golden statue over.
Seeing Hook about to leave with the golden statue, a look of pure joy on his face, Charles frowned. "Hey, aren't you forgetting something?"
Behind him, the towering James stepped forward, carrying Bandage.
"Assistant Priest… I have… completed the mission…" Bandage reported weakly to Hook.
As if he hadn't heard Bandage, Hook's gaze fell to his leg. "What happened to your leg?"
"Eaten… by a monster…"
Hook jerked his chin, and two followers behind him moved toward Bandage, intending to take him.
"Well done, Bandage. On the next day of prayer, you will have the honor of becoming a sacrifice."
"Th-thank you, Assistant Priest…"
"What? A sacrifice?!" Horrified expressions appeared on the faces of all the crew members of the Rat.
Charles suddenly raised a hand, blocking the two followers. He stared intently at Hook and asked, "Is this how the Futan Sect treats its own people?"
Charles didn't want to meddle in the affairs of these lunatics, but he had been through life and death with Bandage. The slow-talking man was something of a friend, and he couldn't just watch a friend be thrown into the sea to feed fish.
"Captain Charles, within our sect, becoming a sacrifice is an honor in itself."
"If it's such an honor, why don't you take it yourself? Bandage is my first mate. He can't leave yet; he has duties to hand over." Charles shot James a look, and the large man carried Bandage back a few steps.
Hook looked anxious, as if the statue was more important than anything. He shot Charles a deep look before hurrying away.
"A cripple. If you want him, Captain Charles, he's all yours."
Once they had left the dock, Deep was the first to run to Bandage, shouting, "First Mate, what were you thinking? He was going to throw you into the sea to feed the fish, and you *thanked* him?!"
Bandage remained silent.
"Do you even know what it means to be sacrificed to the Futan God? Why did you agree to it?" Charles walked over and asked him.
If Bandage started spouting the absurdities of the Futan doctrine, Charles's next step was to have him committed to a mental hospital.
"I… I don't know. I feel like… I crave being sacrificed. I've forgotten so many things… I can't remember…" Bandage gave an unexpected answer.
After pacing for a moment, Charles stopped and looked directly at him. "Say no more. My new ship needs a first mate. Are you in?"
Bandage was silent for a few seconds. "But I'm missing a leg…"
"Just one. It's not a big deal. We can set you up with a chair, and you'll be able to steer just the same."
When Charles saw Bandage nod, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Having recruited his new first mate, he looked up at his crew, chose his words carefully, and then spoke. "You all know what's coming without me having to say it—we're getting an Exploration Ship. A ship much, much bigger than the Rat!"
Hearing their captain's declaration, everyone's faces lit up with excitement. Setting aside the prospect of finding a habitable island, the pay alone was a huge draw. The salary for the same job on an Exploration Ship was nearly three times that on a freighter.
As for the dangers that accompanied such great profits, the men who lived by the sea had never feared them.
"So, Captain, are we heading to the shipyard now?" Deep had just asked when he saw his captain shake his head.
"I'll handle the ship. You all have your own tasks. James, you're the new ship's Chief Engineer. For now, you need to find a way to recruit a First Engineer and a Second Engineer."
The muscular man, looking terrified, shook his head furiously. "No way, Captain, I can't… I really—"
"Don't tell me you can't find anyone. There are professional employment agencies at the port. You just have to go there and pick them out. This is your mission."
Charles paid no mind to James's protests, turning to the eager young man. "Deep, you're the sailor chief. Go recruit four sailors."
The boy showed no fear at the prospect of managing so many sailors; on the contrary, he was thrilled.
"Now I get to manage five people! This is so exciting!"
"Frey, with this many people, you won't be able to handle the kitchen by yourself. Go find an assistant chef."
"No problem, my Captain."