“Captain, is that a shark?” Dipp, curious, leaned halfway out of the doorway, straining to see the illuminated surface of the sea.

  Estimating the distance, Charles judged that the fin was nearly two meters long. He couldn’t discern the size of the creature beneath the water due to its concealment.

  “Just keep an eye on it. If nothing seems off, ignore it,” Charles tightened his grip on the helm. If it was merely a giant man-eating shark, it wouldn’t be too frightening; after all, natural creatures were far less daunting than other things lurking in the sea.

  Just as Charles thought they would pass by without incident, more fins emerged from the water, gathering together like a flock of sheep swimming towards the ship.

  As they approached, the sheer number of fins began to unsettle the crew standing on the iron ship. The fins circled around the vessel, and the towering ship's edge blocked Charles’s view.

  “Dipp, come take the helm,” Charles quickly moved to the edge of the ship to get a better look.

  The fins didn’t swim past; instead, they began to encircle the ship.

  It wasn’t just the Unicorn; glancing to the left at another exploration ship, Charles noticed fins swirling around it as well.

  “Why are the sharks swimming in packs? Shouldn’t it be dolphins that follow the ship?” Richard’s voice unexpectedly echoed in his mind.

  Nothing was more unsettling than a thought of something wanting to kill him lurking in his head.

  “Get out of my head! You promised!” Charles roared, startling Dipp, who was nervously at the helm.

  “T-That’s not what I meant! Captain, what’s going on?” Dipp stammered.

  With the voice in his head now silent, Charles grimaced at Dipp. “Tell the engineer to crank the turbines to maximum. We’re breaking free; we don’t have time to play with whatever these things are.”

  Thick black smoke billowed from the Unicorn’s smokestack as its speed surged, the sea breeze causing Charles’s sleeves to flutter.

  The fins seemed eager to keep up, but they couldn’t match the Unicorn’s speed. The steel hull crashed into them.

  The ear-piercing screech of nails on a chalkboard echoed from beneath the water, causing everyone on the ship to instinctively cover their ears.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Rather than a gruesome scene of flesh being crushed, the Unicorn jolted violently.

  Despite the chaotic moment, Charles’s objective was achieved; the Unicorn finally broke through the ring of fins.

  “What the hell! How can the fins be this tough? What on earth are we dealing with?”

  Charles rushed to the stern, looking back at the pursuing fins. As he spotted glimmers of silver metal attached to them, a horrifying realization struck him.

  Meanwhile, the fins surrounding another exploration ship began to rise, revealing a massive dark body beneath.

  A pure black mass covered in barnacles connected rows of fins. As the flesh quivered, the fins moved in unison.

  Charles’s mind raced. Those weren’t fins; they were teeth of some sea monster!

  The waves parted as a gaping maw, larger than an exploration ship, emerged before him.

  “Clang!” The massive teeth snapped shut, embedding themselves into the ship’s hull, the monstrous mouth preparing to drag the steel vessel into the dark depths.

  “Damn it! They’re trying to swallow that ship!”

  Charles dashed back to the cockpit, steering the Unicorn towards the other vessel.

  “Lily, prepare the cannon! Fire at whatever’s in the water!”

  “Got it! I’m on it!”

  With a swift command, the crew began firing cannonballs at the monstrous mouth, which was now fully exposed.

  As the cannonballs struck, dark purple blood quickly spread through the water.

  Despite facing a meal, the creature seemed reluctant to give up, pulling the ship with all its might. But Lily’s cannon fire left it with no chance to relent.

  Explosions tore through the beast’s flesh, and soon its massive, gaping mouth lay limp on the water’s surface.

  Charles blasted the horn, signaling the freed ship to follow him, aiming to rescue more vessels. The orange-hulled exploration ship quickly complied.

  With the rescued vessel in tow, Charles continued to assist other captains, more ships gathering alongside him.

  Of course, not every ship required his help; those daring enough to explore islands had their own skills.

  Several exploration ships managed to kill the monstrous mouth by various means, including Feilbaha’s Razor Wave.

  In total, seventeen ships successfully escaped the blood-stained black-purple waters and continued their journey.

  The crew on board cheered, relieved to have survived such a perilous encounter.

  While the crew celebrated, the captains were more contemplative. They hadn’t expected to encounter such a significant threat before even reaching their destination.

  Although no ships sank, some suffered severe damage from the creature’s assault, losing considerable cargo in the process.

  Charles gazed at the distant vessels, pondering for a moment before turning to the vampire sailor beside him. “Audric, go inform the other captains to gather on my ship. I need to assess their losses.”

  The vampire sailor nodded, unfurling his cloak and leaping off the ship, transforming into a bat as he flew away.

  One by one, exploration ships drew near, and captains of various appearances entered Charles’s captain’s chamber.

  As they settled onto the prepared benches, the captain’s room felt somewhat cramped.

  Charles wasn’t just idly seeking conversation; the resources of others at sea significantly impacted his own.

  In the harsh reality of the ocean, when supplies ran low, turning against fellow sailors was often a necessary choice for survival.

  If they could do that to their comrades, it was even more likely they’d turn on a temporary fleet like theirs.

  “Let’s start with you, kid. What were your losses in freshwater and fuel?” Charles pointed with his pen at the largest and most intimidating captain among them.

  “Charles, be polite! I’m twice your age!”