With green hair, an emerald thorn necklace, the robes of an Earth Mother priest, a delicate face, and eyes harboring a hint of madness, "Admiral of the Stars" Cattleya quickly identified the man before her as the "Empress" from the Tarot Club!

Gehrman Sparrow, wearing his half-high silk hat, nodded lightly at Quinn:

"Welcome, Quinn."

Quinn smiled brightly but complained,

"Why did the Hunter only say 'to the right'? It was so vague."

He effortlessly flipped over the railing and stood steadily on the deck, his white priestly robes dripping water.

Gehrman placed his hat on his chest and bowed slightly,

"Apologies, Quinn, I’ll be clearer next time."

"Then I’ll forgive you next time."

Quinn rolled his eyes but smiled.

"I just arrived as well," said Cattleya, standing nearby. The harmony between the two made it difficult for her to join their conversation.

Gehrman pointed at Cattleya with his eyes and introduced her,

"This is 'Admiral of the Stars,' Cattleya, the owner of the 'Future.'"

Quinn immediately looked over. Cattleya nodded at him and said,

"Welcome, Mr. Quinn."

"Y-you’re welcome!" Quinn stammered, surprised that this mature woman dressed like an astrologer was "Admiral of the Stars" Cattleya, and he hadn't greeted her properly!

Flustered, he pulled a small box from behind him and handed it to Cattleya,

"A small gift, a token of my respect, I hope it’s not too much trouble."

What is this... Cattleya was puzzled by the demi-god’s gesture of giving a gift right upon meeting. Feeling it would be impolite to refuse, she accepted it. A quick glance revealed it contained a doll-like object, radiating complex spiritual light.

Is it a magical doll or some extraordinary item? So generous... Cattleya thought. She said to Quinn,

"Mr. Quinn, let me show you around the 'Future.'"

"Great!"

Quinn’s eyes lit up. This was his first time aboard a legendary pirate ship, and one with extraordinary abilities at that!

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Cattleya felt a moment of discomfort but led the curious Quinn into the cabin.

The sailors’ eyes followed Quinn, making him a bit uneasy as he glanced around the "Future."

Quinn noticed the deck, masts, and cabins were inscribed with mysterious runes. With his knowledge of ancient alchemy and mysticism, he could tell these runes formed a large ritual magic.

A man in suspenders and a white shirt awaited them. He was in his thirties, strong, and covered in thick body hair. Quinn almost wanted to ask, "Aren’t you hot in that sweater?"

Seeing him, Quinn's eyes widened in surprise,

"Frank Lee!"

The man was equally delighted,

"Quinn Free!"

They hugged each other tightly, their chests making a loud thud. Quinn exclaimed,

"Frank, I thought you had been judged!"

"I’m alive and well."

Frank's face wrinkled with a big smile. Eager to show Quinn around, he said excitedly,

"Your arrival is the best news I’ve heard all year! With you here, our experiments will surely have breakthrough progress!"

Hearing this, Cattleya’s face changed drastically, turning pale. Panic flashed in her heart, but Frank had already pulled Quinn away. Cattleya reached out to stop Frank but was too late.

Cattleya closed her eyes in regret. I hope they don’t destroy the ship... she thought.

...

"This is our first mate on the 'Future,' Heath Doyle."

"Hello."

"Hello, hello!"

"And this is the bosun, Nina."

"Cutie~"

"Y-y-y-you hello!"

Frank hurriedly introduced Quinn to the crew, then swiftly toured the ship before heading straight to the lab.

Bang! In the dim laboratory, Frank shut the door, and Quinn eagerly rushed to the workbench,

"Frank, show me your results!"

"Hehehe, you haven’t changed a bit!" Frank proudly pointed to a tank covered with a black cloth, "Inside is my latest experiment! Fish with red wine for blood!"

"Frank, you’re a devil!" Quinn pulled off the cloth, nearly pressing himself against the tank, observing intently.

Quinn and Frank had been partners in crime in the Earth Mother Church, sharing a mutual fascination with bizarre things. They were often punished together, although Frank, as the instigator, usually received harsher punishment.

After watching for a while, Quinn frowned,

"Frank, these fish don’t seem to have reproductive abilities."

"What?" Frank rushed over in shock.

"What’s going on?" he murmured anxiously, his brow furrowing.

Quinn pondered and asked, "When hybridizing, where did you focus the nurturing ability more?"

"The grapevine that produces the red wine."

"That’s it." Quinn clapped his hands, "If you focus on the plant part, you might have to plant the fish in soil, which isn’t suitable at sea."

"You should focus on the fish part to retain more animal characteristics."

"But I can’t direct the ability onto animals or control it so precisely," Frank said, troubled.

Quinn thumped his chest confidently, "That’s why I’m here!"

"Hahaha, right!" Frank’s smile returned. He continued,

"But now isn’t the right time for experiments. It’s already late."

"Your room is next to the captain’s cabin, beside Gehrman Sparrow’s."

Quinn nodded,

"Let’s go."

Frank led Quinn onto the deck, up several flights of stairs, and into the captain’s cabin. He pointed to the back,

"That’s it."

Quinn made a confirmation gesture, took his luggage, and tiptoed into his room.

In the next room, Klein watched Quinn’s actions through his spiritual line, smiling secretly.

After a quick wash, Quinn lay on the bed, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. Reflecting on the day’s events, he suddenly thought,

Gehrman’s personality is so similar to “The World”…

It shouldn’t be…

The world isn’t that small. Forget it, time to sleep…

"Goodnight, Makka Pakka."

He mumbled, commanded vines to turn off the light, and buried his face and hair under the blanket.

Next door, in the deep darkness, Klein silently smiled,

"Goodnight, Upsy Daisy."