Let's Name the Warship

What should the warship be named? This was a very serious question.

[Conqueror], [Dauntless], [Vanguard], [Victory], [Revenge], [Alliance]?

[Navigator], [Voyager], [Explorer], [Guardian], [Wanderer]?

[Miracle], [Wind of Freedom], [Fate], [Legend], [Noah]?

[Harmony], [East Wind], [Hope], [Lucky], [Dawn]?

[Titan], [Leviathan], [Abyss], [Ship of Theseus]?

When it came to ship names, Ian's mind conjured a vast array of options, drawn from reality, mythology, games, and more.

Naming it Fate? It was related to the Fate Card. Ian felt a slight aversion, a sense of his own secrets being exposed.

The Ship of Theseus, also known as the Theseus Paradox, was a philosophical puzzle from his past life concerning identity and change. If an object's constituent parts are replaced, is it still the same object?

Why did Ian feel exposed again?! He was caught in a philosophical quandary of self-identity!

After much thought, Ian decided it was best to let Wawa choose or name it itself, as Wawa was a living being with its own thoughts.

With this decision, Ian immediately grabbed paper and pen, listing dozens of names he could think of. He also consulted Milta for his opinion, adding a few more.

At this moment, Wawa, whose attention was often drawn to Ian, overheard their conversation.

Two eyes, the size of mung beans, appeared on the ceiling of the dining room, staring intently at Ian's actions.

Ian noticed Wawa's movement and smiled, glancing at it. He spread the paper on the dining table:

"Wawa," he said, "your nickname is Wawa, but you need a name for public use. This name will be known by many, and it will surely make you famous throughout the Sea of Miracles."

"You can choose one from here, or come up with your own."

"Wawa…" Wawa blinked, indicating it understood.

The paper, gently lifted by Wawa's Spirituality, floated in the dining room: "Wow…"

Under Ian's tutelage, Wawa understood most common languages, but it clearly didn't grasp the meaning of many names on the paper. For instance, Leviathan and Titan.

Ian explained each one. Milta watched with great interest.

As Ian communicated with Wawa, he realized Wawa was clearly uninterested in things related to human emotions, such as Hope, Dauntless, or Explorer.

Titan, in many myths and games, referred to the primordial gods, signifying power and immense size.

Leviathan had multiple meanings, appearing in various myths, legends, and games, generally referring to the most powerful sea or void creature. In his past life, in the book titled Leviathan, Hobbes used the sea monster Leviathan as a metaphor for a monarchical state.

Upon hearing the explanation of Leviathan, Wawa nodded enthusiastically.

However, Wawa's reasoning made Ian both amused and exasperated, as the other names simply didn't sound like the name of a living creature.

Furthermore, Ian could sense that becoming the most powerful magical creature was Ian's expectation for Wawa, and Wawa's own requirement was to constantly fulfill Ian's expectations.

With a complex expression, Ian reached out and gently stroked the wall. Unknowingly, I have become your entire world.

Leviathan… it didn't sound bad either.

The next morning, Ian handed Milta a roll of blueprints, a list of supplies, and a large bag of Gold Coin.

"Milta, take these blueprints to Paradise Port and find someone to make several ship flags!"

"Also, according to the list, go to the Bounty Hunter Guild and purchase these supplies. Buy anything else you think might be useful on the ship."

"And," Ian observed Milta, who had grown significantly taller and carried himself with a different aura after becoming an extraordinary. His clothes no longer fit.

"Buy yourself a few new outfits."

Since Milta had stepped into the extraordinary, Ian had taken the time to impart common knowledge and various information about the extraordinary. Now, by assigning him tasks, he would gradually become capable of handling things independently.

The money bag contained several hundred Divine Grace Gold Coin. Milta, seeing so much money for the first time, was a little excited. A sense of trust filled him.

"Understood, Captain!"

Milta slung his Alchemy Flintlock over his shoulder and set off with enthusiasm.

Ian smiled slightly. Trust was one aspect, but another was that no matter where Milta was, he could sense his location through the spiritual connection in his Spirituality and could end his life at any moment via the contracted projection beneath the tree crown.

"The Whaling Group is almost disbanded?!"

"Most captains have joined the Poderia Navy?!"

"The Whaling Group is leaving, tomorrow?!"

Milta brought back not only supplies but also news that caught Ian completely off guard.

The Poderia Navy had finally succeeded in forming the Fourth Fleet, almost without shedding a drop of blood. They were currently recruiting heavily in Paradise Port.

Such a significant event couldn't have been accomplished in just a day or two. Ian only learned about it after the dust had settled, indicating his information was severely limited.

Ian suddenly recalled Lia's unusual expression that day. Perhaps she didn't want to implicate him, especially since even the powerful Abigail could only endure and leave.

"Yes, how could she leave the Whaling Group at this time? Abigail needs her now, to handle various assets and prepare for the relocation."

"It's good that she's leaving. The remaining strength of the Whaling Group is still a dominant force at sea."

Ian chuckled, "Now we're friends, Commander Abigail, because we have a common enemy."

"How long until the ship flags are ready, Milta?"

Milta immediately responded, "At the earliest, two days. It requires multiple layers of printing and dyeing, Captain." Milta knew of Ian's relationship with the Whaling Group and had been waiting quietly nearby.

"Too long. Add more money! By noon tomorrow, the 12th of the 7th, they must be done. Rougher work is fine. If you can't do it, find someone who can."

Ian looked north with a determined expression, "We set sail tomorrow noon! Storm Cape."

Milta's expression turned excited, "Understood, Captain!"

The people making the ship flags were ordinary folk skilled in dyeing and weaving. Adding more money had an immediate effect.

The next morning, two ship flags were delivered to the tower, their craftsmanship decent.

Ian and Milta began the final preparations for departure.

Both regular gunpowder and Alchemy Gunpowder were sealed and moved to the thicker bottom hold of the Leviathan.

A 24-pound Alchemy Cannon was mounted at the bow and stern. Six 18-pound Alchemy Cannons were lined up on the main deck, all covered with rain tarps.

Unlike other sailing ships, Ian's cannons were not deployed on the sides of the hull. Instead, they followed the layout of large battleships from his previous life, all deployed along the centerline on mounts that could buffer recoil and rotate 360 degrees.

While the number of these cannons seemed small, they were Alchemy Cannons with longer ranges. And the moment naval combat began, all cannons could fire on the target simultaneously from any angle.

However, due to a lack of gunners and Wawa only being able to operate two cannons at a time, most of these were currently just for show.