chapter 14

As the morning sun rose, the group stood in front of their completed pirate ship, hearts brimming with excitement.

"This is it! Our pirate ship!"

The ship was a striking dark-red, two-masted vessel about 50 meters long—a medium-sized beauty built for adventure.

Two days prior, they had moved all their supplies onto the ship. Now, in the soft glow of dawn, they guided it from the hidden cave to the coast.

"Of course! This is the dream battleship I carefully built!" Gray boasted proudly. "It's been upgraded from the original design, with enhanced power for high-speed sailing even without wind. There are three cannons on the bow, with the main gun capable of adjusting its angle to cover a full 180 degrees ahead. The stern also has a main gun covering 180 degrees. I was thinking we could add more cannons to the sides—"

"I told you already," Rhodes interrupted, waving a hand dismissively, "we don't have enough crew to operate that many cannons. These are enough."

"Fine, fine," Gray muttered, cut off before he could continue his enthusiastic spiel.

"All aboard!" Rhodes called.

"Yo-ho, we're setting sail!" Pekin and Xiaqi shouted, racing toward the ship.

Nia leapt into the air and landed effortlessly atop the mast. "This is way better than my old wreck of a boat."

"ROOM—"

A blue light flashed as Luo used his powers to teleport himself, Rhodes, and the others onto the ship. With a flick of his wrist, he dropped a small stone and teleported Pekin, who had somehow been left on the shore, back aboard.

"Take care of her!" Gray said to Rhodes, a rare serious tone in his voice. "This dream battleship is my masterpiece."

"By the way, we still need a name for the ship," someone pointed out.

"Let's call it Polar! This ship will be our home on the seas," Rhodes declared.

"Polar—what a great name," Gray said, nodding. "Take good care of her."

As Gray gazed wistfully at his creation, Pekin reached over and tapped him on the head.

"Don't tell me you're so exhausted you've gone brain-dead, old man."

"You probably overworked yourself," Xiaqi added.

"Wait a minute!" Gray suddenly exclaimed, looking around in confusion. "When did I get on the ship?!"

"You just noticed? You're an idiot," Nia said, hopping down from the mast.

"Captain!" she called to Rhodes. "Where's our pirate flag? We need to raise it!"

Rhodes smirked. "Not yet. We just left the island. We'll raise it when the moment's right—when all eyes are on us. That's how you make an entrance."

"Hoist the sails and set sail!" Rhodes commanded.

"Got it!"

Pekin and Xiaqi raised the sails while Bepo grumbled his way through hauling up the anchor. The Polar began to glide smoothly through the water.

As the ship moved farther from shore, the group waved goodbye to Dr. Wolfe, who stood on the beach watching them go.

"Goodbye, Wolfe!"

"Thanks for everything!"

"You'll hear about us in the papers soon!"

"Don't forget to collect our bounty!"

Wolfe waved back, his eyes moist with emotion. These children, whom he had cared for like his own, were finally starting their own journey.

"Live happily," he whispered.

---

As Feiyan Island disappeared into the horizon, the group shook off the bittersweet feelings of parting. Pekin and Xiaqi were already perched on the ship's edge, fishing lines in hand.

"Wait! Why did I leave with you?!" Gray suddenly shouted, realizing his situation.

"His brain really is broken," Bepo muttered.

"My brain is not broken, you oversized white bear!" Gray shot back.

"Stop whining," Rhodes said. "You're our partner now, aren't you?"

"Partner?" Gray blinked in disbelief. "Me? I'm just... me. Can I really be a pirate with all of you?"

"Of course!" Rhodes replied with conviction. "This ship isn't just your dream battleship—it's our home. We trust you to take care of it."

Gray's expression softened, and then a spark of excitement lit his eyes. "In that case, I'll make sure the Polar stays in top shape! And this voyage will give me a chance to test its performance and fix any design flaws. One day, I'll use what I learn to create a ship that surpasses Pluton!"

As his enthusiasm grew, Gray suddenly froze.

"Wait! I didn't bring my notes! All my designs and ideas are still back at the lab!"

"Don't worry," Pekin said, walking by with a large fish slung over his shoulder. "We moved all your stuff to your room last night while you were passed out."

"To celebrate our maiden voyage, let's have a feast!" Rhodes announced, holding up a massive fish.

"You just knocked that fish unconscious, idiot," Luo said with a deadpan expression.

"Don't sweat the details!" Rhodes laughed.

And so, the Polar set off on its first journey, with laughter and dreams carrying its crew forward into the vast unknown.

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