Preface

We are about to run aground

After a long day of work, the sailors finally welcomed a rare moment of relaxation. On the large three-masted sailing ship named "Siz", they lit torches.

The wind has become more wild

A figure stepped onto the deck, clad in valuable beast-skin boots, with a mane of fiery red hair that shone brilliantly even in the night. His narrow, deep blue eyes narrowed slightly, exuding an imposing presence as they sparkled with a sharp light. His high nose and jawline were as perfect as a sculptor's masterpiece. When the tall and handsome man arrived on the deck, the sailors, who were as flustered as ants on a hot pan, instantly fell silent in the face of this sudden situation.

The career of our sailors resounds in the storm

Under the leadership of this giant three-masted sailing ship with three decks, the entire massive fleet following behind also collectively changed direction. Dozens of enormous vessels, guided by this leading large three-masted ship, sped towards the cliff area, which sailors have always regarded as a devil's territory, at a breathtaking pace

Unfortunately, after the other party saw him smile, the murderous intent in their eyes intensified

... ...

... ...

The man, while speaking, raised his head thoughtfully to glance at the cockpit, and thereafter no longer looked at those standing on the deck. He took steady steps, exuding a murderous intent as he made his way up to the second deck under the watchful eyes of the crowd

He slightly squinted his eyes, peering through the rain-blurred view ahead, directing his gaze towards the cliff area. Then, with a forceful motion of his hand, accompanied by the veins bulging on his pale skin, the helm was abruptly turned in one direction—at the same time, the ship, which had been advancing at full speed in a straight line, suddenly swerved, twisting at a forty-five-degree angle in the storm where no one could stand firm.

gun turret

Carrying my goods and my dreams, leaving my hometown, yo hey

I just ... ...

Accompanied by a feeble voice, a tall figure leaning against the ship's railing, almost blending into the night, lazily stirred.

Young man with black hair: "... ... Yeah?"

Half an hour later, the originally calm sea surface was suddenly stirred up by a strong wind

... ...

... ...

Thus, Captain Barcelloro decisively abandoned the idea of "keeping monkeys"

latrine

The young man with black hair leaning against the ship's railing let out an ambiguous sigh. He slowly brought the delicate long pipe, which had just been lit and was now flickering with a dim light, to his lips and took a puff. Milky white smoke escaped from the corner of his mouth. He paused for a moment, then suddenly voiced a sound of confusion, and raised his head to look at the sky

After taking two steps, the path was abruptly blocked by a solid chest—sweat poured down like a waterfall from the pale face that looked as if it belonged to a ghost. The young man with black hair raised his head and bravely met the gaze of the man who was half a head taller than him, who was now looking down at him with an expressionless face.

However, from that point on, whenever a certain person was mentioned, Raymond would affectionately refer to him as "Monkey".

My woman has appeared in my dreams, yo hey

Captain! Captain Barceloro! The wind is too strong, the anchor cannot hold!

Above, the storm howled with a wailing sound reminiscent of a devil's cry, more intense and unrestrained than before. However, at this very moment, the fleet that had completely entered and was firmly embedded between the cliffs suddenly fell silent—despite the raging storm overhead, they could only feel the biting wind sweeping across the deck, while the hull remained entirely stable due to the natural cliffs' support.

The young man with black hair blinked, and the next moment, he looked at the handsome face in front of him, which was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and let out a sincere and loud "ugh" sound. Then, without any mercy, he vomited all of his breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snack onto the other person's solid and enticing chest.

Where is that monkey

Amidst this chaos, no one noticed a tall and agile figure swiftly navigating through the storm, making its way up the mast and cutting through the fray of the first deck, like a monkey, it climbed up to the second deck.

Hey!

Report to the captain! First Officer Raymond has gone down with the hold crew to inventory the cargo

... ... Then, has it fallen into the sea?

At this moment, everyone: "... ..."

His complexion was as pale as a ghost

In mythology, the creature "Ziz" appears alongside the sea monster "Leviathan" and the land giant "Behemoth" in ancient texts, symbolizing a giant bird representing the sky and freedom

The oppressive heat and humidity on the sea during the day finally fell silent along with the last rays of the setting sun at the horizon. The salty sea breeze blowing from the north carried a hint of refreshing coolness across the surface of the Babylonian Sea— the sky was dark and heavy, as if God had overturned a bottle of deep blue ink. It was an unusually tranquil midsummer night without stars, yet the peace was shattered by a massive fleet slowly emerging from the sea mist.

On the deck, the sailors who had been crying out for their fathers and mothers just a second ago were left dumbfounded

At that moment, the rotten wooden door leading from the cabin to the main deck was kicked open with a loud bang—amidst the tremendous noise, a tall figure appeared before everyone.

As Captain Barobasero of the entire fleet was frantically directing the crew in an attempt to escape from this sudden misfortune, a young man with long black hair, dressed in a disheveled and careless manner, stealthily slipped into the cockpit like a thief. Inside the cockpit, a muscular sailor was straining with all his might to control the wildly spinning ship's wheel. When he heard the sound of the cockpit door being opened, he instinctively paused and turned his head slightly. However, he only had time to catch a glimpse of the approaching figure of the young man with black hair before he was swiftly struck on the back of the neck, causing him to lose consciousness with a clean and decisive roll of his eyes.

And thirty seconds later

Non-deck personnel, return to the hold, a storm is approaching

"Huh? Captain Dad, it's raining and thundering, bring in the clothes." The young man with black hair tapped his smoking pipe against the ship's railing, and amidst the swirling ash, he turned and walked towards the deck, which was still immersed in a scene of song and dance.

The sailors looked at each other in confusion. As everyone began to shake their heads in fear, Captain Barcelloro cleared his throat: "Have you checked the cabin?"

This is a massive fleet consisting of one Silton galleon, five four-masted ships, ten armed merchant ships, eight round ships, and fifteen light sailing vessels, along with several dozen ordinary vessels. This fleet is equivalent to one-third the size of the Silton Royal Navy, carrying a cargo of porcelain, spices, and silk that departed from Seville. At this moment, it is maintaining a perfectly safe parallel distance from a towering cliff area, slowly sailing towards the Vatican located along the coast of the Babylon Sea.

Waves crashed against the hull, and the salty sea water mixed with rain poured down from the sky, completely soaking the sailors' thin summer garments on the deck—this large three-masted sailing ship seemed like a frail boat swaying helplessly in the middle of the ocean, caught in a storm far more immense than imagined

He smiled obsequiously

Amidst the wailing and howling on the deck, the sailors stared wide-eyed, seemingly dumbfounded, as their ship struggled to navigate through the cliffs. With a resounding "bang," the bow of the ship crashed into the crevice of the cliff! The massive rock wall scraped against one side of the hull, causing the entire ship's side to emit a creaking sound under the unbearable weight. Fragments of stone, accompanied by rainwater, fell from above, and the entire vessel was being squeezed as if it were about to be crushed alive. The sailors lamented in despair, crying out for their parents, while the middle-aged captain standing on the deck turned pale with fear.

Set sail and embark on the journey, yo hey

"Raymond! Where is Boss Raymond?"

How can one defecate when it is so shaky

I just came up from there

The crowd on the deck was bustling with activity, as the well-trained sailors, who just a moment ago were immersed in the aroma of wine and the revelry of song and dance, were now already in their positions, hoisting sails and dropping anchors in preparation to face the impending unusual storm!

While pondering whether he might be too heavy-handed and cause others to roll their eyes, the young man with black hair reached out and grasped the wildly spinning helm. Strangely enough, as soon as that helm was gripped by his hands, which appeared much weaker and paler in comparison, it suddenly became quiet and obedient, as if it had encountered a masterful dog. The young man, who had abruptly entered the cabin, was able to control the helm with just one hand, something that the muscular sailor had been unable to manage even with both hands.

The first mate certainly did not keep a monkey, nor did the captain. In fact, Captain Bartholomew once wanted to have a pet, but First Mate Raymond declared: there can only be one idle pet on board, either a certain person or a monkey

In the cargo box

"Report to the captain, the first mate is still in the cargo hold. He has already anticipated that you would order full speed ahead, and is now ready to organize the crew for the cargo throw!"

"I... I need to use the restroom," the young man with black hair stammered, realizing he could not evade the situation. "As I passed by the cockpit, I saw the pilot had fainted. Oh dear, it might be seasickness, so I kindly offered to help—right before he fainted, he instructed me to make sure to steer the ship into the cliff area, so I..."

......

Listen to my command: Three, two, push, rotate the winch, release the anchor chain, prepare to drop anchor at a depth of one hundred and ten feet!

Raymond arrived at the cockpit door on the second deck, raised his foot as if to kick it open, but at that moment, the cockpit door was pushed open from the inside by someone

The vessel suddenly came to a halt

The Babylonian Sea in the year 1488

A chorus of curses suddenly erupted on the deck, yet the young man with black hair in the cockpit curled his lips in a smile, a dissonant tune spilling from the corners of his mouth

A young hoodlum stumbled out from inside... no, a young man with black hair.

He cannot enter

Yet in the shadow of the deck at the stern of the ship, where the bonfire had not been lit, sparks suddenly flickered to life.

Ah, I am so damn dizzy, it feels like it's going to take my life—when will we finally reach land

Raymond scanned the faces around him, and when he asked his question, his voice was deep and magnetic

"The driver is eating feces ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"

"--Heave anchor! Full speed ahead, leave this storm area--Where the hell is Raymond?"

An empty pale beer barrel rolled from one end of the swaying ship to the other, accompanied by the chaotic and tense sound of "bang bang bang" footsteps. The first drop of rain, the size of a soybean, fell with a "plop" onto the deck. Above the deck, someone shouted, "It's raining!" This voice broke through the sky and pierced the clouds as if it had reached the ears of the Almighty Himself, and suddenly, a torrential downpour began!

On the upper deck, people were shouting at each other in a cacophony, trying to outdo the storm in volume—although the crew remained relatively calm, any seasoned sailor knew that the orders coming from the captain were fraught with danger. If the area covered by the storm was too vast, it was highly likely that their ship, along with its crew and cargo, would be capsized and swallowed by the merciless sea before they could navigate out of the storm's reach

"Are you going to block the cannon's mouth?"

In the sky, dark and heavy clouds gradually accumulated and rolled, followed by a flock of seabirds flapping their wings and chirping as they flew over the nearby sea surface, where unnatural waves rippled. Upon closer inspection, it was a large school of fish hurriedly swimming by... The scene before the young man with black hair caused him to slightly squint his eyes, which appeared exceptionally bright even in the darkness.

......

My goodness!!

July, night

On the deck of the Sizz, a vessel symbolizing boundless freedom akin to the vast blue sea, the sailors not on duty tonight are drinking fiery whiskey or light beer, gathering around the rising bonfire to sing and dance joyfully. They praise the fine wine in their hands with their songs and celebrate their bountiful homeland and the beautiful wives waiting at home with their passionate dances. As time gradually passes, some inebriated sailors are assisted by their companions back to the cabin to rest.

I hope so, and I appreciate your kind words

"......Raymond, please do not remain silent; your silence makes me very anxious. When I become anxious, I feel as if I might also get seasick."