This "coup" had been much easier than he'd imagined.
He had the propaganda from the exploration team members who returned with him to thank for that, as well as the former captain's parting threat before death. No one would remain loyal to a leader who wanted to eliminate them. Knowing which way the wind blows is a basic human survival skill.
And Shi Ming was both the hero who had saved everyone on board and someone who had awakened his abilities on the island. The new captain could be none other than him.
At the bow of the wandering ship, Shi Ming stood in the captain's spot and summarized the extra spoils from the recent exploration of New Island.
1. A Gold-level canoe-style wandering ship, already in his possession, currently sitting unexamined in the warehouse.
2. Two S-rank awakened abilities.
3. Three different reward packs from the system: a [Weapon Pack], a [Supply Pack], and an [Info Pack]. The supply pack contained food, water, a few bottles of medicine, and emergency medical equipment. The [Info Pack] contained intelligence about this world.
4. The system's recovery was at 99%. Only 1% remained until it was fully restored. It also seemed that upon full restoration, it would grant Shi Ming an additional ability. He just didn't know how to max out that final one percent.
5. Most importantly, Shi Ming had broken free from the Celestial Net Chip's control.
As long as that chip was implanted, one's fate was in the hands of others. But Shi Ming's life and death would not be controlled by anyone.
Fate could only be held in one's own hands.
The only disappointment was that the trump card he'd found on the former captain's body—the one that allowed him to turn intangible—was a single-use item.
After leading the crew to finish gathering supplies, the wandering ship slowly set sail. 'It's like I really cucked the captain this time,' Shi Ming thought. He hadn't just taken his ship, but his crew and slaves, too. Now he didn't even have to find his own grunts; he had his own faction right off the bat. 'Although, their loyalty still leaves much to be desired.'
He massaged his temples. He could finally relax a little.
...
The happiest person on this ship wasn't Shi Ming.
It was the bald slave.
'I just casually called him Big Bro, built a little rapport, did him a small favor, and ended up latching onto a total badass!'
'More than a badass!'
'The new captain! The king of this ship!'
'From what the returning exploration team members said, this Big Bro took out the former captain, an Awakened, in just a few moves. He even saved the other team members' lives in the process. Now they're all so grateful to him, you can see the loyalty written all over their faces.'
'I wonder what it feels like to have power thrust upon you like that.'
'But I've got a feeling my own good days are about to start.'
'Based on the bond we forged through hardship, I shouldn't have to be a slave anymore, right? I'll at least get three square meals a day.'
'Heh heh.'
As he lost himself in thought, a trickle of drool escaped the corner of the bald slave's mouth.
His mind drifted back to that celebratory lunch: large chunks of canned beef, glistening sea-rice... 'If only I could have another meal like that,' he thought, 'that would be the life.'
...
On deck, Shi Ming felt the sea breeze rustling his hair as he gazed out at the distant Endless Ocean.
It was nearly dusk. The setting sun cast a golden, shimmering light across the calm surface of the sea, as if it were plated in glittering gold. The sight made Shi Ming recall a time from his past life, a mission on the ocean. Back then, he'd had teammates and partners, and had lived through another series of heart-pounding years.
In the blink of an eye, everything had changed.
"Captain."
A crewman respectfully approached from behind and stood to one side, looking as if he had something to report.
"What is it?"
Shi Ming turned to look at the former exploration team member, a man nicknamed "Stone Pillar."
As one of the survivors, Stone Pillar had been zealously spreading the word of the former captain's crime—his plot to silence everyone on board. He embellished the tale, painting Shi Ming as a hero who refused to bow to fate, acted courageously for justice, showed no fear in the face of danger, and awakened his powers to save them all.
But most importantly, this hero who had saved the ship had also awakened his own, even more powerful abilities. He had finished off the crazed captain in a flash!
He was nothing short of the wandering ship's savior!
With the former captain dead, there was no one left to argue what was right or wrong.
The people who had remained on the ship had been marginal crew members to begin with—unimportant and untrusted—so they naturally accepted the coup. Besides, most of the ship's original management was dead, leaving a serious leadership vacuum. Now, whoever was best at sucking up would have the easiest path forward.
They might even be able to snag a position!
That was a truth they understood well.
"Captain," Stone Pillar said, "we've got a lead on the intelligence you had us gather about the former captain."
"Oh? Tell me more." Shi Ming's interest was piqued.
"According to the former captain's assistant, this wandering ship didn't originally belong to him. It was affiliated with a former Wokoku organization called the [Black Society]."
"During the late Flood Era, Wokoku didn't have the capability to construct a King-level Wandering Ship. They only managed to build two General-level ones, which they named [Renhuang] and [Black Society]. Because of the country's geographical location, it sank much earlier than others, forcing them to begin their Wandering Era sooner than most nations."
"The former captain answered directly to his uncle, Great Wilderness. Every year on June 18th, he would meet Great Wilderness at a fixed location and hand over eighty percent of all acquired resources. In return, he would receive points that could be exchanged for high-level rewards on the General-level wandering ship."
This was the general gist of what the former captain's assistant knew.
They had no access to any deeper secrets. Only by examining the captain's highly confidential correspondence could one hope to learn more.
Shi Ming recalled the first time he'd seen the captain. He had been using a transparent pen to write on some strange-looking stationery. At the time, Shi Ming had wondered, 'Can you even send letters at sea?' Now that he thought about it, there must have been some special method.
"June 18th, you say? What's today's date?" Shi Ming asked.
Stone Pillar paused. "It's July 20th."
"I see."
"Pass the word. In twenty minutes, all survivors on this wandering ship are to assemble in Cabin 1 for a meeting."
"Yes, Captain."
...
In Cabin 1, Shi Ming had long since changed out of his crude burlap clothes and into a relatively well-fitting sailor's uniform he had found in the captain's office. He had found quite a few other good things in there as well.
Of the more than sixty people originally on the ship, only twenty-three now remained.
Time had been short, so he hadn't yet memorized every crew member's name and face. Even so, his sharp gaze made each of them feel an imposing pressure.
'This new captain... he's so powerful!'
"Now that I am the new captain, I will take Chunyi's place and fulfill the duties of a captain!"
"I ask you,"
"what is the first rule on this ship?"
Shi Ming's gaze swept over every crew member.
"The captain's command is absolute law!"
they all chanted in unison.
"Good!"
Shi Ming nodded.
"I will provide you with resources, food, and even opportunities to advance. I will ensure every one of you lives better in this apocalypse than the crews of other ships. In return, you must fulfill your responsibilities!"
"This wandering ship lost many good people during the exploration of New Island, but I believe that every single one of you here is capable of doing even better! From this day forward, there will be no more slaves on this ship. All slaves and sailors are now equal crew members. New exploration and logistics teams will be formed as quickly as possible. Furthermore, I will offer up a vial of [Sea Beast Blood] to give our most promising crew member the chance to become an Awakened!"
GASP—
Many of the crew gasped. The previously silent cabin instantly erupted with excitement.
A vial of Sea Beast Blood!!!
'Did we hear that right?'
This was the incredibly precious Sea Beast Blood, capable of turning someone into an Awakened!
Before this, not even the ship's second-in-command, the first mate, had been granted such an opportunity. And now *they* had a chance?
Many of them were skeptical, until they saw Shi Ming pull out a small bottle with their own eyes.
It was a collectible he had found in the captain's office: a spare vial of "Deep Sea Black Shark" blood. The former captain hadn't even been willing to use it on his most loyal first mate, and now it had fallen into Shi Ming's hands.
The murmuring in the cabin ceased completely. In an instant, countless fervent gazes were locked onto Shi Ming's right hand.
There wasn't a single person there who didn't want to become an Awakened.