The wind carried damp air as it battered the ship's hull and deck, while everyone aboard went about their duties.
Afterward, Xeno and Stanley roughly analyzed Senku's build and age.
Stanley had sharp instincts. Once he confirmed the approximate details Xeno had guessed, he paired them with his exceptionally keen powers of observation.
Even though Li Xiang deliberately kept Senku from turning around, Stanley still pinpointed Senku Ishigami's figure and appearance.
The scope's crosshairs settled steadily on the boy, who was looking down as he organized his lab equipment. Stanley did not hesitate, pulling the trigger decisively.
Whoosh-
A sharp whistle suddenly tore through the calm. The bullet ripped through the air at high speed, hurtling straight toward Senku's chest.
Everyone working on deck froze.
Senku reacted instinctively, jerking half a step backward and narrowly dodging the bullet. But it traveled too fast, punching through the thick wooden deck in an instant as it skimmed past his body.
Taking aim again, Stanley curled his lips into a faint smile.
Senku realized something was wrong. At that critical moment, the airflow toppled a nearby flour barrel. A large quantity of flour instantly billowed out, mixing with splashing water to briefly form a large mass of non-Newtonian fluid.
Senku used that mass of non-Newtonian fluid to absorb most of the bullet's impact, stopping what would otherwise have been a fatal shot.
But the metal bullet shattered into several sharp fragments that drove viciously into Senku's chest.
Agony swept through his entire body. Senku staggered back two steps and braced himself heavily against a nearby wooden crate to stay upright. Blood spilled uncontrollably from the corner of his mouth, and his face turned deathly pale.
Li Xiang, who had stayed in the cabin to organize supplies, immediately received the urgent news from a