The ship moved differently than land.
That was the first thing Vale noticed.
The deck rose and fell beneath his feet in a slow, deliberate rhythm, as if the sea itself were breathing. Every creak of wood, every tightening rope felt purposeful, alive. Nothing here was still.
Vale sat on a low bench near the inner wall, fingers curled tightly around the strap of his bag. His eyes followed the sway of a hanging lantern, back and forth, back and forth.
"This thing won't tip, will it?" he asked.
Papaya, the captain's assistant, laughed. "If it tips, everyone tips. No point worrying."
That didn't help.
Vale swallowed and shifted his weight. The pressure in his chest was still present—but altered. It no longer surged violently. Instead, it pulsed slowly, almost cautiously, as if whatever caused it was uncertain how to behave here.
Alfred noticed.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Alfred asked quietly.
Vale nodded. "It's… quieter."
Alfred's eyes narrowed slightly. "Good. That means you're paying attention."
Captain DD watched them from the upper deck, his golden hook catching the light. He said nothing as Papaya assigned work to the crew.
"Everyone eats when the bell rings," Papaya called out. "Everyone works. No exceptions."
Vale hesitated. "What about pay?"
Papaya grinned. "Food, water, and staying alive. That's the contract."
Vale blinked. "That's it?"
Captain DD's voice carried down calmly. "If you don't like it, you can swim."
Vale looked at the endless water surrounding them and quickly nodded. "No, that's fair."
The crew laughed lightly and went back to work.
Vale followed Papaya below deck, where crates were stacked neatly against the walls. Some were marked with symbols. Others were plain.
"What's in those?" Vale asked, pointing.
Papaya shrugged. "Everything."
Vale reached out absentmindedly.
The moment his fingers brushed the crate, pressure slammed into his chest—sharp, immediate, unmistakable.
He yanked his hand back, gasping.
Papaya turned. "Don't touch what isn't yours."
Vale pressed a hand to his ribs, breathing hard. "It just… reacted."
Papaya frowned. "Reacted how?"
Vale shook his head. "Never mind."
Alfred watched carefully from behind, saying nothing.
Later, during the meal, Vale tested it again—without meaning to.
A bowl of fruit sat between him and another sailor. Vale reached for an apple.
The pressure surged.
He froze mid-motion.
The sailor noticed and slid the bowl closer. "Go on."
The pressure vanished instantly.
Vale stared at the apple in his hand, heart racing.
Permission, he realized.
He didn't know how he knew. He just did.
Ownership here wasn't fixed. It flowed. Shifted.
The sea didn't recognize claims the same way land did.
Night fell quickly.
Vale lay in a hammock, staring at the low ceiling. The ship's motion rocked him gently, but sleep refused to come.
He thought of the town. The papers. The watch.
On land, ownership had snapped into place the moment he touched something.
Here… it hesitated.
Why? he wondered.
A noise nearby caught his attention.
Someone moving quietly among the crates.
Vale sat up slightly and saw a young sailor stuffing something into his jacket—a small metal tool.
The pressure in Vale's chest reacted instantly, sharp and alert.
The sailor froze, eyes darting.
Captain DD appeared from the shadows without a sound.
"Put it back," he said calmly.
The sailor's shoulders slumped. He returned the tool to its place.
Captain DD didn't raise his voice. "First warning."
The sailor nodded quickly and fled.
Vale stared.
"You didn't hit him," Vale said.
Captain DD turned his gaze toward him. "Why would I?"
"He tried to steal."
Captain DD's expression was unreadable. "From the ship."
The distinction landed heavily.
"Everything on this ship belongs to the ship first," Captain DD continued. "Then the crew. Then me."
He met Vale's eyes. "You take without permission, the sea won't punish you."
Vale felt the truth of it immediately.
"But I will."
The pressure in Vale's chest settled into something firm, almost respectful.
Later, Vale stood at the railing, staring out at the dark water.
"I think I understand," he said quietly.
Alfred joined him. "Say it."
"On land," Vale said slowly, "ownership is enforced by systems. Paper. Records."
"And at sea?" Alfred asked.
Vale exhaled. "It's enforced by people."
Alfred smiled faintly. "Now you're learning."
Vale clenched the railing. "Then my ability…"
"Is out of its element," Alfred finished. "Which is good."
Vale frowned. "Good?"
"If your power worked everywhere the same way," Alfred said, "you'd already be dead."
Vale didn't argue.
Near midnight, the ship shifted course.
Papaya shouted orders. Sails tightened. The wind picked up.
Captain DD stood firm at the helm.
"We'll reach the islands by morning," he announced. "After that, things get complicated."
Vale felt the pressure in his chest tighten—not painfully, but with anticipation.
"What kind of complicated?" Vale asked.
Captain DD smiled thinly. "The kind where ownership has teeth."
Vale stared out into the dark.
For the first time, he wasn't sure whether he was afraid of losing his power…
…or discovering what it could really do.