Once the ship steadied a little, Werther hurried out of the bedroom and ran toward the Control Room on the first deck.
By the time Werther stepped onto the deck, the seawater had reached his knees. The moment Anita noticed the water beneath her feet, she tried to climb onto his head. But the rope binding her held her in place, leaving her squirming wildly against his chest.
In the driving rain, Werther could barely see what lay ahead. He dared not use Observation Haki, either. With the rain and raging waves interfering, it would do him no good.
When Werther felt the girl tied to his chest start thrashing about, he slapped Anita on the backside.
"Hold still. This isn't the time for jokes. If things go badly, we could both die here today."
Anita usually had three retorts for every word Werther said, but this time she didn't talk back. She even nodded, then burrowed against his chest and hid like an ostrich.
Werther had never imagined the short walk from the bedroom to the Control Room could be so difficult. He silently congratulated himself ten thousand times for rebuilding the ship. The old one would have capsized long ago, and they would probably already be at the bottom of the sea.
At last, Werther found the Control Room door by feel. He opened it, slipped inside, and shut it behind him.
Sight was almost useless in a storm like this. Rain and waves had nearly formed a wall of water. All he could see was pale blue seawater and white foam, with visibility down to ten centimeters even when he shielded his eyes with his hand.
Once inside the Control Room, Werther left Anita tied to him. It was more dangerous for her here than outside. The