A couple of days passed on the boat without any significant incidents. Carpy, ever vigilant, took care of any demons that dared approach from underwater. As a result, we didn't have to engage in many fights, and I had to admit, these were the best couple of days I had experienced in a while.

At present, we found ourselves in an empty saloon on the ship. Taking advantage of my position as one of the leaders, I had cleared out the area, although I couldn't deny that it was an abuse of power. Nonetheless, it didn't seem like a major issue since there were several other similar establishments available on the ship.

Feeling a surge of energy, I hopped onto a table and playfully swung my arms around. All the booze levitated and formed a ring around me.

"Then it all changed when the Booze Nation attacked," I declared dramatically.

Gem and Agon burst into laughter, while Anika wore a smile on her face. Sei, on the other hand, shook his head and tried to appear nonchalant, but even he couldn't hide the smirk that tugged at his lips.

"State your name, tyrant!" Gem called out, joining in the playful banter.

"I am the Booze Lord!" I proclaimed with enthusiasm.

"That's kind of unoriginal," Agon snidely remarked, earning himself a blast of booze to the face in retaliation.

Not wanting anyone to feel left out, I shot three more blobs of alcohol towards them. Gem gargled as it hit him, attempting to drink it all, while Anika bashfully looked away, her head and hair drenched in alcohol.

Sei conjured a small mirror in front of his face, deftly capturing the blob of alcohol within it. Then, he manifested another mirror behind me, but the alcohol halted in mid-air before it could reach me.

"You're gonna get it now!" Gem hollered, his shadow surging and elongated paws emerging, grabbing cups and bottles and hurling them at me.

I laughed heartily at his futile attempt, as a shield of booze materialized around me. "Heh, you fool! I am the invincible Booze Lord!"

Agon joined the fun, laughing as he jumped onto another table. "Then I shall be the Hero who defeats the Booze Lord!"

"No, you must first master the four elements," I quipped.

Confusion clouded Agon's expression. "What?"

Anika chimed in, breaking the tension. "Then I shall be the lady who was kidnapped and forced to do degenerate things in the castle by the Booze Lord."

Any joke Agon and I were about to make instantly died down as everyone in the group turned their attention to Anika. Her cheeks reddened, and she mumbled, "I mean... I wouldn't mind being the Booze Lord's second-in-command or something."

The mood was momentarily dampened, but we swiftly resumed the festivities, with Agon and Gem getting absolutely drunk beyond belief. Although I suspected Agon's drunkenness might be more imaginary or an act, considering how difficult it was for him to get intoxicated with cheap alcohol.

Even Yamata No Orochi had to consume a river of alcohol from the Sake Mountain to feel even the slightest tipsy. Heck, he might have even faked being drunk too. After all, the manga hadn't delved into the depths of the ultimate-class demon's mind.

Also, alcohol could technically be considered poison, right?

After the reunion party, I invited everyone back to my room. It was a big room with plenty of space, and I thought it would make them feel more comfortable having someone they could trust nearby.

I supported Gem by putting his arm over my shoulder and guiding him along as he muttered nonsensically.

Sei did the same for Agon, who appeared to be fast asleep. As we entered my spacious room, it felt like something straight out of a five-star hotel. Even my bathroom alone was larger than most people's rooms on the ship.

Anika scanned the room with an almost stalker-like curiosity before turning to me. "You have a sauna in your bathroom?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't plan on using it."

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There was even a jacuzzi, but I didn't pay much attention to those trivial luxuries. Instead, I helped everyone settle into their own king-sized beds and arranged a couple of small foldable beds from shelves in the corner.

Sei glanced at the camera screen, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I didn't notice any cameras on the ship. Is this a special function of the ship itself?"

"Well, the entire ship is a magical item, so who knows? It could also be someone else's special ability," I replied casually.

"Last time we were all on a ship together, there was a murder mystery,” Anika chimed in, standing unusually close to me, her arm almost intertwining with mine.

Youngsters nowadays really had nerves of steel. When I was her age, I could barely muster the courage to talk to my crush.

...

As hours passed, most of us began drifting off to sleep. However, Sei and I had agreed to take the first watch, at least until Anika woke up. She had looked slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be on watch duty with me.

Just as I was lost in thoughts of teenage romance and wondering if Anika might become a yandere if I wasn't careful, the ship suddenly shook. It was a slight tremor, similar to what a wave might cause. However, this ship was a magical item, impervious even to a tsunami. It was created by a man who had sacrificed his own lifespan, consumed by his obsession with the sea. There was no way anything naturally occurring could shake this thing.

"Wake everyone up," I ordered.

Sei nodded and conjured a mirror. "This will take you directly to the deck."

Having a teleporter on board was incredibly convenient, but first I grabbed some of the stacks of talismans I had laid around the room. Stepping into the mirror, I felt an instant transition, as if I had teleported. There was no lag or sensation of being submerged in dark waters this time.

Sei's mastery of his special ability had clearly grown. However, I had no time to marvel at his powers as the ship suddenly came to a jarring halt.

The deck was already crowded with exorcists, some of whom were acting as barrier masters, creating a translucent coating around the ship. This vessel was our lifeline in these treacherous seas, and repairing a magical item of this size would be no easy task.

Ord seeped out of me, attempting to send a signal to Carpy. I was worried about him, who was underwater and might be injured. Unlike the people on this boat, Carpy was my lifeline if the ship was destroyed.

Even if the ship was moving fast, it would still take another week or two. In this world, the sea was extremely dangerous, and people rarely traveled by ship unless necessary.

"What happened?" asked the Strength Exorcist, as he walked onto the deck with an axe the size of a horse cart resting on his shoulder.

"We are under attack, sir" responded one of the exorcists aboard.

Standing alongside the Strength Exorcist, I leaned over the rails, and a small splash of water landed on my face. Water serpents emerged from the water, their smooth blue scales, yellow eyes, and rows of sharp teeth on display. Their heads, as big as horses, poked out of the water.

Water serpents were high-class demons and highly dangerous in water. They were evolved versions of water snakes and usually shot drill-like water shots with powerful piercing abilities. What made them even more treacherous was their ability to hide effectively in water.

Though they were formidable water demons, their power significantly diminished on land.

Although there were over a dozen water serpent demons, they shouldn't have been able to halt the ship. They shouldn't have been able to bypass Carpy either!

With a mental command to Carpy, the water around the serpents shifted, transforming into sharp blades that swiftly moved towards their necks. However, before the command could be executed, the blades stopped just an inch away from touching the water serpents' necks.

What? These snakes shouldn't be able to surpass Carpy's control over water!

The water blades trembled, as if two opposing forces were battling for control. At sea, Carpy and I had an advantage over anyone else. However, it also meant that the sea was teeming with powerful water demons. Unlike on land, where demons were regularly eradicated, here they were unlikely to be harmed unless they killed each other, which led to an infestation and that was why most people in this world didn’t travel by sea.

As the number of demons increased, cannibalism became inevitable, and some demons developed a taste for their own kind. This posed a grave threat to anyone who encountered such creatures, as most demons could grow stronger by consuming each other, unless they reached a bottleneck.

Suddenly, a coppery smell wafted from the sea, causing me to instinctively cover my nose, fearing it might be some kind of poison. However, I quickly used Perfect Me to detoxify myself, realizing there was no poison in my system as the technique deactivated almost instantly.

The water churned and turned a deep shade of red, accompanied by a tremendous splash as a colossal creature, resembling a shark with crab-like legs, burst out of the sea.

"Pull up the sails! Stop the ship before we capsize!" shouted the Kuro Clan Head.

Yet, all his words were drowned out by what I saw next—a deluge of blood raining down from the giant creature's wounded body. Carpy hung limply, his neck clamped in the monstrous shark demon's jaws, its sharp teeth piercing deeper and drawing more blood.

Carpy let out a feeble whimper before his body slumped lifelessly.

"Fucking hell!" I gritted my teeth, anger surging through every fiber of my being. "Perfect Me!"

‘Order: save Carpy!’