Chapter 15: Unexpected Encounter

A week had passed since their journey began, and the Nautilus arrived near the waters surrounding the Organ Islands.

"Lilith, find us an uninhabited island where we can take a break," Noah said.

Lilith nodded. After a week of underwater sailing, everyone—most of whom had never been to sea before—was starting to feel a bit restless.

It didn't take long for Lilith to locate the closest island on the chart. It was so insignificant it didn't even have a proper name, only labeled as "Organ Island 52."

Three hours later, the Nautilus surfaced in a bay suitable for anchoring.

Once the crew disembarked, Noah sealed the Nautilus into a card with a casual flick of his wrist. His card space had recently been adjusted to be large enough to just barely accommodate the entire submarine.

"Brother, I think we're not alone on this island," Joshua whispered, squinting into the distance.

Noah had sensed the presence of others as they neared the island but hadn't mentioned it right away. "Just keep an eye on things. No need to tell the others yet," he instructed.

Joshua nodded, understanding Noah's plan, and held back from alerting the rest of the crew.

As soon as everyone set foot on the island, they let loose like wild horses, laughing and shouting as they stretched their legs on the sandy beach.

But suddenly—

Bang! A lead bullet was fired, aimed straight at Uncle Joseph, who had been stretching.

In the blink of an eye, Joshua used Soru, appearing in front of Uncle Joseph.

"Iron Body!"

Clang! The bullet struck Joshua's chest but failed to penetrate his skin.

The crew immediately went on high alert, some fumbling for their weapons in a state of panic.

Noah shook his head in mild disappointment. The crew's reaction left much to be desired.

"Who fired that shot? Get out here!" Vic bellowed from the front, his voice roaring towards the treeline.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Three more shots rang out in response.

Vic's body tensed, and the bullets bounced off him as if they had struck solid steel.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Ari fired back with his revolver, aiming at the direction from where the bullets had come.

Jay quickly reacted as well, conjuring a wall of graphite to shield the girls.

"Roar!" Uncle Joseph, momentarily stunned, let out an enraged bellow, beating his chest as his body swelled to over three meters tall. He had transformed fully into his beast form.

In one massive leap, he charged into the jungle.

Joshua and Anthony followed close behind, brandishing their swords as they dashed toward the enemy.

A few moments later, Uncle Joseph returned, dragging out a battered dwarf by the collar. The man's legs were trapped inside a large chest.

Noah immediately recognized him.

Chest Man Gaimon!

The dwarf was sobbing, pleading for his life between sniffles.

Noah, however, showed no sympathy. While Gaimon would appear to be harmless in a decade's time, his actions just now—shooting at Uncle Joseph—proved he had every intention of killing them.

"A pirate is still a pirate," Noah said coldly. "Everyone, take turns giving him a slash."

Ari, who despised pirates, didn't hesitate. He raised his pistol and fired, shattering one of Gaimon's arms.

"Ahhh! You scum!" Gaimon screamed in agony.

Mary, gritting her teeth, thrust her rapier into the pirate's leg. "That's for attacking us, you bastard! Die already!"

One by one, the others joined in, even Lilian and Lilith each delivering a stab.

Finally, Noah finished the job, decapitating Gaimon with a single stroke.

With Gaimon dealt with, Noah turned to assess the crew's performance. "Your reaction was terrible. Aside from Joshua using his Observation Haki to sense the threat, none of you noticed the danger until it was right in front of us. You weren't prepared for any potential risks."

He continued, "Just because we're on an uninhabited island doesn't mean you can let your guard down. These islands could harbor pirates, wild animals, or unknown diseases. If you stay this careless, it's only a matter of time before it costs you."

The crew hung their heads, chastened.

Noah waved a hand, softening his tone. "All right, just take this as a learning experience. Don't make the same mistake twice. Now, we'll split into two teams. Uncle Joseph, take Vic, Joshua, and Anthony to explore the island. The rest of us will stay here and set up camp."

"Got it! Let's move out!" Uncle Joseph was quick to lead Joshua, Anthony, and Vic toward the island's interior.

This time, they were much more cautious—perhaps even a little too much so. More than once, they mistook strange creatures for enemies, causing havoc as animals scattered in every direction.

Back at the campsite, Noah quickly cleared an area of the forest to set up their temporary camp. He then used his cards to release a small wooden cabin, along with supplies and cooking gear.

Lilian, Lilith, and Mary began preparing food, while Jay and Tommy chopped a large pile of firewood.

Meanwhile, deeper within the island's mountainous terrain—

Uncle Joseph and the others discovered Gaimon's hideout.

"Was this guy here alone?" Anthony asked, looking around the small cabin, noting the single bed and basic living supplies.

"Well, he mentioned treasure. What do you all think?" Uncle Joseph asked uncertainly.

Vic shrugged, grinning. "Simple. We search the area and see what we find."

"Agreed," Joshua nodded.

The group spread out from Gaimon's cabin, carefully searching the surrounding area.

It wasn't long before Anthony found something atop a platform on a nearby mountain peak—about a dozen wooden crates.

When they opened them, though, everyone exchanged puzzled looks.

"Empty?"

"So, it was a fake treasure after all."

"Or maybe someone beat us to it," Vic suggested.

Anthony scratched his head, puzzled. "It's strange. Even if someone took the treasure, why leave the crates behind in such an obvious spot?"

Joshua, catching on, furrowed his brow. "Yeah, it doesn't make sense. If the treasure was really here, this location is too easy to find. But if it wasn't, why go to the trouble of moving the crates here? It feels pointless."

"There's nowhere nearby where you could hide anything either," Vic added, scanning the area with a confused look.

"Who said there isn't?" Anthony crouched down, pulling a dagger from his belt. He jabbed it into the ground. "The dirt here is loose. How about we dig?"

Everyone grabbed their swords and began digging into the earth.

About a meter down, they hit rock.

"It's stone!"

"No, wait—it's been cut. Someone carved this. There's probably something under here."

"Keep going."

A few minutes later, they cleared away more dirt and uncovered a large stone slab, about four or five square meters in size.

Anthony slid his knife into the seam between the slab and the dirt, but the blade sank in several centimeters before hitting something solid. "This thing's thick."

"You guys step back. Let me handle it," Vic said, putting on a pair of alloy gloves. Focusing all his strength, he punched the stone.

"Iron Cannon Punch!"

The stone slab shattered into pieces, revealing a dark hole beneath.

"Hold up, Vic," Anthony warned, lighting a windproof lighter and holding it near the hole. Sure enough, as soon as the flame entered the opening, it began to flicker weakly. "Oxygen's low in there. We can't go down just yet."

After a moment of thought, Anthony added, "Vic, head back to Noah and grab two diving suits."

"Diving suits? Got it," Vic replied, already jogging back to camp.

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Also I am going on a break because of my exams but I will try to upload weakly. 

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