Between Sea and Sky 614

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"Woo... Woo..." The red alarm above our heads spun and flashed a frightening glow. In the narrow corridor, the Navy soldiers in white shirts scrambled toward their battle stations with rapid steps.

On the bridge, the duty officer stood with his hands behind his back and chin raised, overlooking the deck at the bow. The sailors there were quickly gathering the clothes drying on the ship's railings.

Drying clothes and sheets on warships is actually a naval tradition among various countries—whether during the age of sailing warships or the era of ironclad battleships.

It was only after warships were equipped with specialized drying facilities that this practice of airing out laundry gradually declined.

Moreover, to accommodate this airing of laundry, naval warships would sometimes utilize the masts to hoist ropes, much like setting sails, to sun-dry a large number of sheets and bedding at the same time.