This journey took longer than Charles had imagined. After fifteen days, they still hadn't found the island with the key.
The island is not in a straight line. Sometimes it even circles crookedly on the seabed. Charles didn't go very far and instead wasted a lot of his time.
But no matter what, the Narwhal continued to move forward. After so much effort, it was impossible for it to end like this.
But the first mate placed a form in front of Charles, indicating that he had new troubles and they had no supplies.
He had made preparations before coming, and even reserved a lot of food and fresh water in case of emergency.
But no one knew that the island actually grew legs and moved away on its own.
"We have to... in order to go back... leave the supplies..." Bandage reminded Charles.
"I know, I know, let me think about it." Charles held the form in his hand, scratched his head and walked towards the captain's room.
Of course, Charles could go back and think of other solutions, but then several months would be wasted again.
After thinking for several hours with a frown in the captain's room, Charles finally came up with a solution.
"Look, we are now moving south at a speed of 30 nautical miles. If we take half of the return supplies to continue exploring, we can still explore for 23 days if we use them economically." Charles said to the bandage.
"But with only half of the supplies... we can't go back... unless... we kill... half of the people on the ship." Bandage, who was sitting in front of the desk, reminded Charles.
"Don't be impatient, look here," Charles tapped his finger on a small dot on the nautical chart that represented an island.
"Although half of the materials cannot allow us to return to Hope Island, it is enough for us to reach the island of the rope people. The colorful trees can be used as fuel, and the mushrooms and insects in the woods can be used as food."
"Since Salin, who was adopted by Linda, was able to live to the age of 25 on that island, it proves that there is enough food on that island. We can go to that island to replenish our supplies."
As Charles spoke, he began to draw the return route on the nautical chart.
When Bandage saw Charles say this, he said nothing, nodded, stood up and left.
The Narwhal finally stopped and continued to move forward. The crew began to eat the supplies they had brought back, but the quantity was not enough, and each person could only eat until they were 80% full.
As time passed, the Narwhal continued to swim forward along the traces on the seabed.
Normally, the Narwhal only sails on the sea surface, and its direction depends entirely on Dipper's occasional dives to confirm the target. After all, the sea surface is safer than the sea water anyway.
But even on the sea, there are constant dangers.
"Boom boom boom~!!" The deck gun fired violently, continuously bombarding a bright spot in the distance.
"Dipper!! We have some shells left! Now that it's not chasing us, let's get out of here!" Charles poked his head out of the cockpit and shouted to Dipper who was controlling the deck gun.
Dipper jumped down from the deck gun and ran over with a grin. "Sorry, sorry, I got so angry when I saw this familiar guy that I couldn't hold back."
Charles looked toward the side of the ship and saw a round-headed, vertical-mouthed monster that was twice the size of the Narwhal and covered in black mucus slowly sinking into the sea.
The tentacles covered with pustules all over the body kept twisting, making people feel very nauseous just by looking at them.
The fierce artillery shells almost blew its deformed body apart, and the black flesh and blood quickly expanded and merged with the sea water.
"Familiar? Have you seen this thing before?" Charles said, turning and walking into the cabin.
When Dipper reminded Charles of this, he immediately remembered that his former boatswain had been skinned.
It turned out that it was this ghost thing that hit their ship at that time, but now things are different. Today it wants to cause trouble on the Narwhal. It is unlucky today.
"Stop talking nonsense and go into the water to see if the Narwhal has deviated from its direction." Charles ordered Dipper.
"Okay!" Dipper said as he rushed out of the cockpit, jumped out of the boat, and jumped into the sea with a "splash".
Looking at the map on the wall, which represented the route taken by the Narwhal, Charles estimated in his mind how long the remaining supplies would last, and the situation did not allow for much joy.
Bandage, who was steering the ship, turned his head and looked at Charles. "This time when I return to the island... I plan to let my family... live in the center of the island... When the time comes... help me put on a show..."
Charles turned his head and looked at him in surprise. "So many things have happened to you. Are you really not going to tell them?"
Bandage gripped the steering wheel in his hand and said, "I don't know... how... to explain... but it's fine like this."
Charles nodded. "Okay, then I'll say that you made a great contribution in this mission and I'll reward you with a house in the center of the island."
"Thanks… "
"With our relationship, there's no need to be polite," Charles smiled.
Charles thought for a moment, then turned his head to look at the bandage again, "By the way, now it's just the two of us, I have something to discuss with you. If I really have the chance to return to the surface this time, I hope I can let you take the position of Governor of the Island for me."
Bandage's eyes narrowed, and he also understood what this sentence meant. "Are you planning to never come back?"
Charles thought about it and chuckled. "Not necessarily. If I get bored up there, I'll come down to see you guys. But...if I leave, someone has to take this position. You've done it for three years, so you're just right for it."
Bandage didn't say anything, but years of tacit understanding made Charles know that the other party agreed.
"Thanks."
"Our relationship... why are you being polite..."
Charles couldn't help laughing when he heard the bandage say the same words he had just said.
Time passed by little by little, and Charles waited for Dipper to come back, but slowly he began to feel that this time it was taking a little too long.
Normally, Dipper would be back within three minutes at most, but five minutes had already passed.
"Damn it, nothing will happen, right?" Charles said to himself as he walked out of the cockpit and looked at the dark sea.
Just as he was about to give the order for the Narwhal to dive, he saw his boatswain's fishman head popping out of the water. He looked very excited.
"Captain!! We found the island! It's right down there, and it's moving!!"
40-1=39
(End of this chapter)