A Sky Map Hidden in the Ship's Keel

The grain ship sailed out of the lighthouse waters, and Mia immediately slipped into the hold.

Each time the compass came within a foot of the keel, its blue needle trembled faster.

When she reached the center of the hull, the needle pressed flat against the dial and stopped moving entirely.

Mia tapped the outer side of the keel.

"Stop. The thickness of this wood is wrong."

Lorne crouched down with an oil lamp.

"This ship has been in service for nine years and had its hold repaired twice. If something had been hidden in the keel, the shipwrights should have found it long ago."

"They only patch cracks. They wouldn't dismantle the main beam."

Mia took out a fine drill and bored three small holes along the edge of the planks.

The drill bit struck something hard after entering half an inch, producing a crisp metallic sound.

Qi Hai rested a hand on his sword hilt.

"Could it be some kind of explosive trap?"

Su Hang pressed his ear against the wooden board.

"There are no gears inside. Open it."

Mia pried up a thin layer of wood along an old repair seam, and blue light leaked through the gap.

Embedded within the hollow layer was a two-foot-long silver-gray metal plate, its surface covered in cloud patterns.

The compass needle rose through its copper casing and pointed directly at the center of the metal plate.

Lorne reached out to take it.

"Don't touch it."

Mia stopped him, first using a cloth to wipe away the salt stains around the plate's edges.

A row of tiny characters gradually emerged beneath the cloud patterns. Their strokes were curved, and even their arrangement differed from the writing of the Blue Sea.

Her breathing quickened.

"This is an ancient script from the White-White Sea."

Su Hang looked at the white wings on her back.

"How much can you read?"

Mia traced the patterns as she deciphered them.

"Not much. When I was little, I lived on an unnamed cloud island. The old people there sang these characters."

"The High-Wind Layer, the Sinking-Cloud Layer, the Spiral Windway... and the Rising Sea Current."

Qi Hai frowned.

"A nautical chart?"

"Not a route across the sea."

Mia laid the metal plate flat on a crate and raised the oil lamp higher.

Seven layers of cloud patterns corresponded to different altitudes. Fine lines linked each layer, and some areas were marked with spiraling arrows.

"It records the sky."

Lorne stared at the wave symbol at the very bottom.

"How does a ship get up there?"

"The Rising Sea Current can blast seawater and ships into the sky together."

"Choose the wrong time, and the ship will break apart in midair. Choose the wrong wind layer, and even if you make it up, you won't find the cloud islands."

Mia pointed to the center of the metal plate.

There, a city surrounded by rings of clouds had been carved into the surface.

Six curved patterns hung above the city, their ends connected to a drum-shaped symbol.

"An old man once sang a line: the lost city holds the sky's fire. When the Thunder Drum sounds, the White Sea opens its gates."

The system screen abruptly appeared.

[High-weight fortune fluctuation detected.]

[Direction: distant high altitude.]

[Related information: lost city in the sky, lightning, altar after destruction.]

[The fate loop has not yet been completed.]

[Current distance is too great. Unable to lock onto the exact location.]

Su Hang stared at the words "lightning."

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

A Logia power capable of changing the landscape of an entire sky had already entered the range of Fortune Perception.

The system continued displaying prompts.

[Recommendation: Host should proceed there as soon as possible.]

Su Hang raised a hand and dismissed the screen.

Qi Hai noticed his expression.

"You know what's there?"

"A power that would make the World Government hunt me down again."

"Then when are you leaving?"

"After the trade route is established."

Lorne thought he had misheard.

"You just said that power would draw the World Government here."

"If someone else might find it, shouldn't we leave immediately?"

Su Hang tapped the keel.

"If we leave immediately, what are we using to get into the sky?"

"If this grain ship gets caught in one Rising Sea Current, how many pieces of wood will be left?"

Mia answered seriously.

"If we're lucky, three."

Su Hang pointed at the Sky Map.

"We only have one weather observer, one ship, and not enough fresh water or repair materials."

"Charging at fortune the moment we see it is just rushing to our deaths."

Lorne lowered the oil lamp.

"You want to establish an escort route first."

"From Graystone Port to Greenleaf Island, then connecting Frostleaf Town and Deerskin Town."

"Grain, medicine, and shipbuilding materials will travel along fixed routes. Merchant ships will jointly pay escort fees."

Qi Hai asked.

"If pirates show up, who fights?"

"I do."

"After you leave?"

"We train an escort team and choose people willing to take up blades."

"The merchant ships provide manpower, the ports provide supplies, and I provide unified signals and combat rules."

"Who commands them?"

"For now, me."

Qi Hai stared at him.

"Who can overrule you?"

Su Hang tossed him the Seastone Handcuffs.

"You."

Qi Hai caught the cuffs, metal striking against his palm.

"I don't want a pretty promise."

"Write down the escort rules. Conditions for opening fire, retreat order, priority for civilian ships—make all of it public."

"If a captain violates the rules, every merchant ship has the right to withdraw."

Su Hang added.

"One more rule."

"The escort team can't divide spoils among themselves. First, compensate for destroyed ships and cargo."

Lorne raised a brow.

"Will anyone still join under those rules?"

"Anyone who only wants to loot will just become the next Grayfin."

Mia had already copied the Sky Map onto paper.

She marked the seven windways one by one, then stopped at a damaged section beneath the city.

"Half of this part is missing."

"There's no date for when the sea current appears, nor the coordinates for entering the right wind layer from the East Blue."

"Can it be completed?"

Mia looked up.

"We need to observe high-altitude clouds in different seasons, and we need to find more Sky Island relics."

"If we can reach the White-White Sea, I might be able to recognize that city's name."

Su Hang wrapped the metal plate again.

"Starting today, you're in charge of weather observation. Give Lorne a list of whatever you need."

Mia clenched the copy of the map.

"I need three Cloud Gauges, one pressure-resistant balloon, and a rotor that can record wind speed."

Lorne pressed a hand to his forehead.

"We haven't even bought the ship yet, and you're already preparing to fly."

A sharp bell suddenly rang out from the deck.

One short, two long.

Enemy ships approaching.

All four rose at once.

Su Hang stuffed the Sky Map into a waterproof bag, while Qi Hai pushed open the hold door first.

In the outer harbor channel, seven ships formed a horizontal line.

Three flew the tattered flags of the Grayfin Pirates. The other four had removed their Marine identification numbers, yet 16th Branch standard light cannons sat mounted on their decks.

Lorne raised his telescope.

"Grayfin remnants, and Marines under Hawk who escaped. How did they end up together?"

Qi Hai looked toward the cannon positions.

"There were arms contracts in Hawk's private treasury. Someone got hold of weapons hidden outside in advance."

The amplified voice of a Den Den Mushi drowned out the waves.

"All merchant ships of Graystone Port, listen up!"

"The pirate Su Hang looted the branch's private treasury, stole sixty million Beli, and forced the chamber of commerce to forge the inventory results for him!"

The five merchant ships that had just been preparing to join the escort route began slowing down.

A captain shouted across the water.

"Was the treasury money really not taken?"

Lorne picked up the Den Den Mushi.

"The seals of all three parties are still at the lighthouse! Anyone can inspect them!"

The other side immediately sneered.

"The lighthouse is already under Su Hang's control. The so-called witnesses are all accomplices brought in by the Morning Bell Caravan."

"Anyone who dares leave port with him will be treated as a pirate accomplice!"

Two ships full of defeated soldiers fired at the same time.

The cannonballs did not target the grain ship. Instead, they landed on both sides of the channel, sending up columns of water and completely sealing the outer harbor exit.

The Grayfin remnants raised more than a dozen bounty posters from their bow.

The one in the center had no portrait, only a single line: Unidentified Rubber Ability User, attacked a Marine branch and plundered military supplies.

Qi Hai swept his gaze over the surrounding merchant ships.

"They're not in a hurry to fight."

"They want everyone to believe you stole the money first, then force the chamber of commerce to cut ties with you."

Su Hang walked to the bow.

"This is a little smarter than Grayfin's method."

Lorne lowered his voice.

"If even one merchant ship turns to their side, the escort route we just established will fall apart."

The cannon muzzles slowly rose, all of them locking onto the grain ship.

The amplified Den Den Mushi roared again.

"Hand over Su Hang, and the port lockdown will be lifted immediately!"