"There be our prize dead ahead! We'll anchor here and wait our turn," Captain Depp announced to the passengers while stroking his braided beard. The waters had grown clogged with vessels jostling for position around the Saps. "Best settle in, the queue may take hours."
Yet waiting gave them an opportunity to observe the entry process. As they drifted closer, Hao watched intently as the first transports maneuverer into position near rubbery red tendrils snaking up a gnarled root mass from the unseen floor below.
The Blood Saps pulsed hypnotically with their interior cores glowing hotter than the smouldering embers of an active volcano. Concentric membranes rippled around each Sap's ovoid shape, distorting space around them like a lens.
Craning upwards, Hao could pick up on the vibe of crazy energy but he couldn’t entirely see it. Thus, Mentos informed him of the hazy outline of a Tokyo Palace mirrored in the sky above their chosen Blood Sap. The structure's battlements and twining spires seemed to warp and shift disconcertingly, never quite holding a solid form.
He pondered the mysterious link between the Saps and Palaces. What occult forces enabled these bizarre plants to bridge the divide between Crossblade's realm and the Inverse Domain? Hao longed to unravel their secrets, but this was no excursion for idle scientific curiosity. They had come here with a singular purpose.
Aboard the docked vessel, Hao watched keenly as an expert team erected an observation platform around the base of a ripe Blood Sap. They wore the sigil of the Optimum Bureau of Research and Development or OBRD. This scholarly organization regulated the careful harvest of Blood Saps by approved teams.
The researchers wielded an array of advanced equipment, shielded from the intense heat. With good coordination, they extracted small essence samples from the roots using tools resembling swords. Hao enhanced his Vibe Sense, observing how the samples resonated with a concentration of energy that could only be described as 'occult'.
"300... 325... peaking at 340 Thaums and holding," one researcher clinically assessed while reading an arcane measurement off flickering dials. "Blood potency level confirms this is a viable Gate anchoring a Palace. Notify the expedition team they're cleared to proceed once extractor tubes are inserted."
At their go-ahead, Raven leaned over the rail eagerly as the awaiting team of battle-ready raiders approached the gigantic Sap.
"So they just climb up and go inside that thing?" she questioned.
"Essentially, yes," Lanor confirmed, having memorized all available research during their preparations. "But the interior of a Blood Sap is inimical to human life, so extractor tubes must be inserted first to form a protected traversal path."
Sure enough, the researchers carefully pierced the glowing orb with several flexible tubes wide enough for a person to pass through. Glyphs etched along their lengths glowed as occult forces were suppressed within the tubes, rendering them temporarily safe for transport.
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Satisfied with the stability readings, the OBRD gave the approval for passengers to proceed. The burly team of raiders began ascending the knotted root system enveloping the base of the chosen Blood Sap. Hao tracked their progress with interest.
The Sap pulsated brighter as the first raiders neared the apex. With reckless courage, they stepped into the shimmering crimson orb one by one until the entire team had entered. Once the last person vanished within, a brilliant beam of red energy burst forth, lancing upwards to strike the hazy palace mirrored above.
"And off they go. The Palace runes will materialize entry chambers for them to access," Lanor explained when Ciara gasped at the sight. "Let's hope they survive to open the treasure room and make it out alive."
Her casual words were a sobering reminder of the immense risk and danger involved. Most who walked willingly into a Tokyo Palace's cursed confines never emerged again. Only the most skilled teams had any hope of defeating its otherworldly defenders and bypassing its fatal traps to claim the rewards within.
This procedure continued as more vessels took their turn, offloading teams until the chosen Blood Sap dimmed, depleted by so much energy drainage. The OBRD researchers promptly extracted the shrivelled husk and sank it for replenishment and selected another ripe Sap nearby to open next.
For now, the Dragon's Dowry maintained its position in the queue, awaiting its eventual turn. Captain Depp passed the time regaling his passengers with embellished tales of past escapades across Mirror Lake and beyond.
As he finished recounting a lively tale of tricking vicious Reef Lurkers into fighting each other, Depp's lively narrative was interrupted by an urgent transmission.
"Captain, come in! We have a situation developing," the voice of his first mate crackled over the communicator. He had taken another vessel ahead to scout their intended route. "You're not going to like this, sir. But Rector's ship is approaching your position fast!"
Depp stiffened, face clouding ominously. "That backstabbing shrimp Rector? What's he after now?"
The first mate quickly elaborated how he had spotted Rector's lavish cruiser headed straight for them at full speed, ignoring other vessels in its path. Furthermore, Rector had an infamous upstart accompanying him - the rogue mercenary VCM.
Hearing the news, Vicky slammed her fist on the rail. "That bastard Rector is after payback for tricking him last time. We need to lose him fast!"
Mentos wrung his hands nervously. "Oh no, I knew signing up with you lot was a terrible idea!"
But Depp had gone silent, his eyes were distant as though reluctant to act against his old acquaintance Rector despite the threat. So Polly flapped her wings, seizing the initiative.
"Captain, snap out of it! Hoist anchors and raise sails, now!" she squawked. "That scoundrel means to board us by force. Don't let sentimentality doom us all!"
Her shrill words broke Depp from his conflicted daze. He shook his head angrily, growling, "You're right Polly. That shrimp Rector has gone too far this time."
Barking orders, Depp swiftly roused his crew into action. They sprang to cut loose the anchors, unfurl the sails and rouse the engines. Along with the thrusters, a stiff wind caught the canvas, propelling them forward. "Faster!" Depp shouted.
The Dragon's Dowry rapidly picked up speed, veering sharply sideways to evade Rector's approaching vessel.
Scanning their rear, Hao saw they weren't gaining distance quickly enough. At this rate, the faster cruiser would soon overhaul them...