Tracy and Helene

"This is an extinct volcanic island northwest of Toscarter Island, near the Gargas Archipelago."

Helene, who had spent years at sea and knew most of its nameless islands, explained from beside her.

Bracing against the suddenly stronger sea breeze, Angel narrowed her eyes and looked toward the island.

The Queen Anne's Revenge had appeared less than two nautical miles from the island. Even beneath heavy clouds and amid the sea mist, this high-sequence Beyonder could easily make out the coastline.

In a natural inlet, beside a fairly small pier, numerous ships of different sizes and ages had already moored. There were three-masted sailing ships with their sails furled, hybrid vessels equipped with both sails and smokestacks, and fast warships covered in armor plating to disguise themselves as ironclads. Angel stared, dumbfounded.

This is practically a ship museum. Who knows how some of those ships are still afloat instead of sinking? Very occult... As she grumbled inwardly, her gaze swept sideways, and she discovered more ships gathered offshore rather than docking. Some clustered in twos and threes, while others kept their distance from every other vessel, clearly unwilling to mingle with the "ragtag fleet."

Among them, she spotted the Golden Dream, sporting golden cannons and sails depicting gold pounds, gold horns, verl d'or, and other gold coins, keeping other ships away like an iceberg; the fleet of Vice Admiral Dusk, flanked by two slender, fast warships sailing close together as though in formation; and the Future, the unmistakable flagship of the Admiral of Stars, shrouded in mysterious starlight and accompanied by just one escort.

Most of them are familiar faces, or at least people I've met once. And why did they all bring fleets...

Angel's expression stiffened slightly. She instinctively glanced around her own empty deck and once again felt outmatched