"Water Heaven Island, that's the name of the supply island," Charles said, studying the crude map of the island drawn by Kevin.

  Due to his status as a slave, Kevin had been kept in a cage on Water Heaven Island and hadn’t gathered much information. However, any information was better than being completely in the dark.

  He now knew that this island, only half the size of Coral Island, had been entirely occupied by pirates. Its overall shape resembled a crab, with the pirates' dock located between its two claws. The island was named Water Heaven because fresh water flowed down from the sky above.

  There were many pirates, and Kevin had seen thousands of them during his transport to the cage. They were not ordinary civilians but specialized ship robbers, each one a formidable fighter. Charles didn’t believe for a second that there weren’t any among them stronger than himself.

  This would be a hard battle. Yet, despite the looming crisis, Charles felt a calmness within that surprised him. At least the enemies on this island were fellow humans, and even the strongest adversaries were preferable to the unpredictable dangers of unknown islands. There was the potential for communication.

  “Bang!” The first mate walked in without knocking again, scratching his neck awkwardly. “Captain, the slave suddenly committed suicide…”

  “What?! Didn’t I tell you not to let him know about Shadow Island’s sinking?”

  Deep looked aggrieved. “How was I supposed to know who let it slip? If I find out who it was, I’ll make them scrub toilets for a month!”

  Charles sighed helplessly. “Let the doctor see if he can be saved.”

  “He’s definitely beyond saving; his brains are splattered everywhere. He suddenly grabbed a large caliber flintlock from Carrey and shot himself in the head. It happened too fast; he was clearly intent on dying,” Deep shrugged.

  “In that case, let the sailors hold a simple funeral for him and send his body to sea,” Charles waved his hand, signaling Deep to leave.

  Charles didn’t feel particularly sad about Kevin’s death, having just met him, but there was a tinge of regret. Especially when he thought about how excited Kevin had been to talk about reuniting with his children after so many years.

  This was Kevin’s choice, and Charles had no right to say anything more. Clearing his thoughts, he looked at the crude map before him.

  Although the island was dangerous, Charles also saw opportunities. After all, he didn’t aim to conquer the island but merely to find enough fresh water and fuel.

  Food was indeed scarce, but it wasn’t essential; as exploration ships, they could handle most things from the sea, and they could catch fish. Even if they suffered from scurvy due to vitamin deficiency, they could manage for a short while, as long as they reached the Land of Light.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Fresh water and fuel seemed simple to find but were challenging to locate. The quantity needed for seventeen ships was no small amount. Charging blindly to the dock at Water Heaven Island was out of the question; they needed to find the storage locations for fresh water and fuel.

  Looking at the rudimentary map, Charles felt a headache coming on. It would be difficult to locate anything based on this map.

  “It seems we need to send someone to infiltrate the island for intelligence…” Charles muttered to himself.

  Half an hour later, the captains gathered again on the Unicorn to hear Charles outline his further plans.

  “The situation is as follows: we need to form a small team to enter the so-called Water Heaven Island and find fresh water and fuel. Do any of your crew members have recommendations for this mission?”

  “I! I’ll join!” Fairbach was the first to step forward, as expected.

  “I’m a great swimmer and can perform some water manipulation tricks. If you take me, I can help everyone sneak into the island from underwater.”

  Though Charles was unsure why Fairbach was so eager, he accepted him into the team.

  “Alright, you’re in. Who else wants to join?”

  “I have a sharpshooter among my crew who never misses. Need him?”

  “I can join as well. My abilities are hard to describe, but in terms of battleship classification, I’m a fourth-tier.”

  “My woman can charm others and extract information from the pirates.”

  The captains were eager to volunteer, knowing that everyone’s lives were at stake. Having their own people involved gave them a sense of security.

  Quickly, Charles finalized the infiltration team: himself, Lily, a follower of the Light with a relic that granted temporary invisibility, a woman capable of charming others, and Fairbach.

  Since it was merely for intelligence gathering, the fewer people, the better. Each of their abilities would be useful for the mission.

  They certainly couldn’t just sail all seventeen ships directly to the island.

  As a lighthouse beam swept overhead, Charles ordered the selected members to board a small wooden boat.

  “According to plan, I’ll return in a day. Keep an eye on things here.”

  “Go ahead; I’ll hold down the fort here,” Kade said seriously, looking at Charles on the deck.

  At that moment, their alliance felt more solid than ever.

  As the wooden boat carrying four people and a bunch of rats was lowered into the water, Richard, the follower of the Light, expertly operated a gear-filled machine at the back of the boat.

  The bow of the wooden boat tilted slightly upward, and the rapidly spinning propeller propelled them toward the lighthouse.

  Charles wore a grave expression, while Fairbach seemed entirely unfazed, grinning as he leaned closer.

  “Mr. Charles, may I ask a question? Which island are you from? Is it from the Northern Sea region?”

  “I don’t know what you’re probing for, but now is not the time!” Charles snapped.

  Fairbach chuckled awkwardly and turned to the woman in black leather nearby. “Oh, you’re quite lovely. If possible, I’d like to wake up next to you.”

  Charles ignored them, his eyes fixed on the distant, hazy lighthouse.

  As they drew closer, a shadowy island emerged before them, with sporadic boats coming in and out of the dock.

  Apart from the scattered lights on the island, what caught Charles’s attention were the white lines cascading down from above—fresh water flowing from the sky.

  “Look at the volume of water; there must be a large lake up there,” Richard piped up again.

  Just as Charles was about to respond impatiently, a blinding beam of light suddenly swept toward them—that was the searchlight from another ship!