CHAPTER 123

At a critical moment, Caesar appeared, his imposing presence making an unforgettable impression on her. His sheer aura of dominance left her no choice but to follow him.

By a twist of fate, she ended up joining the Caesar Pirates as their musician. What the crew didn't know—what they had never suspected—was that this refined and dignified musician, whom they assumed to be of noble descent, was, in fact, a princess in hiding.

"It sounds much better than Ark of Proverbs. I thought our new ship would bear that name," Eli mused with a grin. He had thought of several names while overseeing the ship's construction.

However, his limited education made it difficult for him to come up with anything truly grand. Every name he considered felt either too overblown or utterly ridiculous.

"Does anyone have objections to '200'?" Caesar asked, though his tone suggested that objections were neither expected nor welcome. "If not, this ship will be called Caesar Rex."

Silence followed, then a series of head nods. No one disagreed.

"Then it's settled. From today onward, our new ship will be Caesar Rex!"

"Applause for our newest crewmate—the Caesar Rex!" Caesar's grin widened as he initiated the applause.

With the ship officially named, it was time to gather supplies. Though the Caesar Rex was structurally complete, it lacked the essential resources needed for a long voyage.

"Let's begin preparations," Caesar ordered. "First, daily necessities—everyone, list what you need. Second, fresh water storage—the ship has large tanks in the hold, but we'll need to fill them.

"Beyond that, we require additional provisions:

Navigation tools, including cartography instruments and celestial calculators.

Medical texts, surgical tools, and supplies.

Musical instruments, sheet music, and books.

And of course… the prized specialty of this island."

"What specialty?" Lily asked curiously.

Caesar smirked. "Salt."

"Salt?"

"Yes. But not just any salt."

At his words, the crew exchanged puzzled glances.

"Is it different from ordinary sea salt?" someone asked.

Caesar nodded. "You'll understand once you taste it. Yakexi, you're in charge of acquiring it."

Yakexi pounded her chest confidently. "Leave it to me! I've been planning to stock up on this salt for a while. A real top chef knows the difference!"

With that, the crew split up across the island to gather supplies. Unlike other pirate crews, they weren't in dire straits financially, so they had the luxury of acquiring everything they needed.

Yakexi, rather than purchasing personal essentials, made a beeline for the cookware stalls, gathering finely crafted pots and pans. Then, she headed for the spice market, securing more than forty different seasonings. Finally, she bought several tons of fresh produce and meat from the local markets.

Meanwhile, Regina, Wei Na, and Lily took care of daily necessities, while Gnaly and Brad focused on acquiring additional resources.

The sheer volume of goods required multiple trips back and forth, stretching the process across several days.

Finally, with the last of the supplies secured, the Caesar Rex was fully prepared for launch.

On the day of departure, Caesar and his crew stood aboard their vessel, waving farewell to the shipwright who had overseen its construction—none other than Tom, the legendary fish-man shipwright.

"I put a lot of work into this ship," Tom said, his voice carrying both pride and warning. "Take care of it. Treat it well."

"We'll be back someday," one of the crew called out.

Caesar smirked. "If time permits, we'll return."

"Then go on," Tom said, grinning. "Set sail, and let the world know your name."

A silver gleam flashed in Caesar's eyes as a surge of willpower enveloped the ship.

With a burst of energy, the Caesar Rex lifted from the water momentarily before settling into the waves with a mighty splash.

The crew cheered as their ship officially took to the sea.

However, as they sailed into open waters, the skies darkened. The wind howled.

Barely half an hour into their voyage, a monstrous tsunami loomed before them—an enormous wall of water, more than a hundred meters high, racing toward the ship.

Seeing the incoming wave, the crew members stiffened in awe.

"It's massive," Hades murmured, eyes wide. "Tom was right. No wonder they call this the Tide of the Gods."

"If it were an ordinary ship, it'd be torn apart instantly," Lily muttered, her voice tinged with both fear and admiration.

Standing at the bow, Brad smirked. "Think we can take it head-on?"

His words sparked a moment of tense curiosity among the crew.

The Caesar Rex was no ordinary ship. Built from the legendary Adam Tree, it was said to be stronger than iron yet flexible enough to absorb heavy impacts. Combined with Tom's masterful shipbuilding techniques, it was a vessel unlike any other.

But was even this ship capable of withstanding a force of nature?

Gnaly stepped forward, his expression unreadable. The roaring waves reflected in his sharp eyes.

"It's just a tsunami..." he muttered, gripping the hilt of his blade.

His heart pounded—not with fear, but with the thrill of the challenge.

He had never cut through a tsunami before.

But today, he would try.

In a single fluid motion, he unsheathed his sword.

The massive wave bore down on them.

With a sharp breath, Gnaly swung.

A crescent-shaped slash of energy burst from his blade, surging toward the monstrous wall of water.

The crew watched, anticipation thick in the air.

"Let's see if he can split the sea itself," Hades chuckled.

The next moment, blade and tsunami collided.

The outcome?

Yet to be seen.

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