I almost dropped the bucket of water when the massive wave swallowed one of the islands Roberts was pointing at so brazenly, grinning as if he had been waiting for it. At that moment, a sharp sense of dread made me extend Search V and check.
My worst fear confirmed:That was the last island still standing across the entire map.
It was nearly the same width and length as Taurus' terrain, but now flooded down to the very last drop. Suspended between an ambient sea and a literal ocean beneath us, it concealed the floor boss. The data finished downloading. I wouldn't waste a single second.
[Incarnation: Cancer]Small, agile, nearly indestructible—but only on its upper shell.Abilities:• High-pressure water jet• Gigantification of its claws
Both abilities grow stronger the less visible land remains.
Current State: 4/4Water jet velocity: 900 meters per secondPressure: 50 PSIClaws: Can grow up to ten times their size and exert up to 2 tons of force when closing
Recommendation under current conditions: RUNProbability of success in direct combat: 0.15%
Simply put—
We were screwed.
—What the hell are you staring at so hard?
Captain Roberts had slipped in behind me. I was certain he couldn't see my system, yet his eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if trying to decipher my movements reflected on an invisible display.
—I… have information on how to face Cancer.
—You're insane —he said flatly, shrugging with a resigned smile—. If you want to die, go ahead. But you should know those islands vanished because of that miserable crab.
—This is the third time we've faced Cancer —said the sailor with fish-like eyes and pubic hair on his face—. There's a reason we're still together.
—Listen, recruit —Roberts cut in—. That thing is my Moby Dick. I'm not leaving until I kill that crab. But you? No combat abilities. It's impossible. I'm sorry. And honestly… it's impossible for me too. I raised my star to level three just to have a chance, but I guess I was just unlucky with my crew.
—Stop talking nonsense and listen to me.
The captain kept his arrogant smile, but at least he stopped talking.
—There's a 15% chance we can win. Just follow me. I know we'll find its weak point.
I lied.
0.15% is not 15%.
It is what it is: less. Much less. Far, far less than even a single percent.
But this time, I had another plan.
Not one I was proud of, but…
I would have to betray the team.
I would have to stab the sailor when he was distracted—the nameless sailor that not even Roberts addressed by name, as if…
—And who are you, exactly? —I asked bluntly—. I need to know my companions' abilities if I'm going to form a strategy.
—Oh yeah? Well, I don't know what kind of magic you're pulling, but I'm not telling you shit! —the sailor shouted.
—Children, children, stop fighting or we'll—shit.
In an instant, moving with the agility worthy of a seasoned sailor, Roberts leapt from the deck to the helm.
The battle had begun—silently.
Roberts was no amateur.
He remembered that era with a mix of nostalgia and disgust. Being a sailor was his passion; being a pirate, his fate. He never liked it. He tried to distance himself from the image of vulgar pirates with ostentatious brigantines, ornate hats, and exotic feathers—but no matter what he wore, he was still a filthy pirate.
Maybe that's why he lost his fear.
He grew accustomed to daily life. To sowing terror, winning, escaping. But deep inside, he just wanted it all to end. That's why his fight against the HMS Swallow wasn't just an exchange of cannon fire—it was a desperate scream to dull his exhaustion.
Too bad he never considered that a stray piece of shrapnel would tear through his neck.
That was when he arrived at the Nexo.
A new chance at adventure. At challenge.
And when he reached Cancer, he fell in love.
That endless sea with no land. That perfect place to sail forever.
The first time, he was swallowed by the wave.The second time, he met the crab head-on.And the third time—this time—he finally had his star.
His legacy, level three:
The Royal Fortune.
His ship.His girl.
The vessel that had followed him into this world so they could sail together for eternity.
A star useless in eighty percent of game scenarios—but to him, his ship was everything.
When he met the fish-eyed sailor, he considered killing him. Instead, he tested him—and discovered his utter uselessness. He became a hostage. A trump card.
If the crab ever gained the upper hand, he'd use that man as bait.
That was the plan.
But the appearance of Mr. Nobody changed things slightly…
—Grab onto whatever you can!
A violent turn of the wheel.
A movement so abrupt and unnatural for a ship that it reminded him this wasn't his true vessel—just an imitation, a reflection of what his ship once was.
Still, if the Royal Fortune had always brought him victory and fortune before, then it would do so again.
With a single sweeping motion of his arm, cannons extended along both sides of the ship. Starboard and port lit up in a vivid crimson red.
—FIRE!
He roared at the top of his lungs, unleashing blazing bursts of flame into the sea.
Pointless?
Maybe.
Passionate?
Without a doubt.
Only one thing drove him to keep firing: his love for the sea. For that feeling that had kept him a pirate all those years.
Yes—he was addicted to adrenaline.
The same rush he felt the first time he stepped onto a ship.When he was captured.When he fought for his life.When he seized his first vessels.When he faced the British Navy head-on.
Yes.
He was an adrenaline junkie.
—Rise up, you bastard!
As if Cancer had heard Roberts' screams, a massive claw surged from the depths.
If there was any way to describe it, it was like two mountains colliding—or two halves of a ship slamming together at port.
Roberts didn't hesitate. He fired.
No damage.
The claw withdrew, only to emerge again—this time from bow to stern. With a near-ghostly maneuver, the ship slipped out of the impact zone and fired again as the claws nearly shattered themselves upon collision.
This was it.
This was what he needed.
—It's under us!
Mr. Nobody's shout was not ignored.
A captain never ignores his crew.
The claw didn't open sideways.
Like a waterfall appearing before the Royal Fortune, the claws split open from bow to stern.
A sadistic grin spread across Roberts' face as he found himself outmatched by his Moby Dick.
There was no escape.
…Or so he thought.
Suddenly, his mind began drawing vectors, radii, and circumferences. It was as if he could see his ship in three dimensions.
—This is your doing, isn't it, stowaway? Fine. I trust your command. For now—you're the captain.
—Now!
As if Roberts' body were being controlled by someone else, he slammed the helm, spinning it wildly.
Normally, this would only tangle the rigging and cause a catastrophic accident—but in a world where maritime logic was abstract at best, the ship began spinning in circles as both claws closed in, positioning themselves perfectly on either side—port and starboard.
And with a violent order, accompanied by a smile of pure ecstasy, Roberts poured all of his remaining NEX into his ship.
The Royal Fortune unleashed its fury.
It was as if two massive bombs detonated at the base of two mountains.
Everything shook.
The explosion was so immense that the ship itself was engulfed in the blast. Tristan, the fish-eyed sailor, and Roberts threw themselves to the deck to avoid the shockwave ripping through the sails.
But it had been worth it.
The claws were shattered.
As if the sea itself screamed, the Incarnation of Cancer emerged from the depths with one claw missing, bleeding profusely—a massive surge of blue blood spilling into the ocean.
Roberts stood tall, victorious, staring at his wounded enemy.
—What are you waiting for?! We've got more where that came from!
Enraged, the emissary plunged back into the sea—
Ready for Round Two.