This chapter was edited by Gladiusx.

FFN does not have Strikethrough (which denotes an in-universe correction) so I will be using this -Example- instead to denote it

Logbook Entry #4

Another day, another page in my -diary- Captain's Logbook. This time not a lot of interesting things happened compared to the previous two entries where I covered the monster attacks and Rachel's birthday along with the in-depth conversation we had with Lionel on what to expect at our destination.

It is Wednesday, September 10th, 1513. Ten days have passed since my first entry and our departure from Ogygia. Now, we are rapidly approaching the New World. Traveling nearly -3000 miles- (Ugh gotta stop with the imperial measurements) 4000 kilometers by boat in under two weeks… it's quite frankly insane by mortal standards. Even in this world, Lionel could not stop exclaiming how easy life would be to have me as his personal captain and take him anywhere in the world.

The dude was joking, I hope, for I have no intentions of being a glorified taxi driver.

We had finally found a suitable island to place a repeater for our radio system - many of the ones we passed by did not have a hill taller than a palm tree, but at last, we found a mountainous island that suited our needs. We could still -talk- communicate with Roxy after nearly 4000 klicks (boy, I'm liking that term I picked up from the Prince), -though- (Rachel has been teaching me how to write formally) albeit with less sound quality and the occasional static. It was still impressive, as I highly doubt mortal radio waves could reach that far… I think, I'm not entirely sure. Hopefully, this repeater will cover us for a similar distance once we are in the new world. I can't help but feel excitement and trepidation as we approach that infamous region of the seas; despite Lionel's constant warnings, I just could not fathom a sea that I could not navigate.

Was it arrogant of me? Perhaps so, but even in the Sea of Monsters, I could navigate my way. Still, after learning the hard way that Poseidon is no longer watching over me, I must exercise caution. Especially with our damned tail still incessantly chasing us. That strange water sprout had appeared once more over the horizon, yet we had just barely been able to outpace it. I decided against warning the rest about it, there was no need to worry them about something that may end up being nothing.

A few sleepless nights was a small payment for my crew's safety.

My Crew… it was strange to think of my friends as such, but I think I'm getting into my role of Captain quite well. I was so tempted to swim to whatever was chasing us and give it a piece of my mind, but that would mean I would leave the ship alone. In the Calm Belt. The sea with no wind and infested with monsters.

Man, this place sucked.

Anyway, the crew has been adapting well to life here. After a talk with Leo, I decided it would be a good idea for the rest of the crew to learn how to sail a ship. I won't always be around, fighting monsters and what not, but it was also a nice way to waste time. Tying knots, trimming sails, hauling sheets, working the helm… everyone got a turn to at least have an idea.

Calypso had also taken to teaching Reyna archery, even inviting me to it as well. Suffice it to say, she quickly took away the bow from me when I somehow shot the arrow upwards and backward to nearly nail Blackjack on his tail.

The damned horse would not shut up about it.

Still, I have other methods of ranged attacks. I'm not bad with a gun, but I find it too underwhelming compared to my other options. My Water Blades, as Gwen called them, were one, but I was always decent at throwing things. Javelins, knives, rocks… too bad those were practically useless against sea kings. Speaking of Gwen, she and Hylla had formed an easy friendship and are always seen training on the deck. I'm tempted to clear one of the storage rooms in the galley and turn it into a training room. We already have a gym, so why not more exercise rooms?

Hylla has yet to redeem herself in my eyes over her blunder, but the older girl did apologize for going behind my back and promised to do better. I still have high hopes for her, for she is the only one on the crew with experience in management and numbers. Someone will need to handle logistics and supplies when we go to port, but I don't want to seem like I'm rewarding bad behavior by declaring her our purser/quartermaster.

Anyway, I can tell that we will be arriving in the New World soon, or at least have a visual on the sea. Rachel is keeping watch, and hopefully, -we will–-

…

"Percy!"

He flinched at the excited shout followed by hurried footsteps, cursing slightly as his hand shook and he ended up scratching off a couple of words. Turning at the sound of the door barging open, he glared at Rachel's overly exuberant face, not at all fazed by his annoyance.

"We're here! I can see the New World!"

His eyes widened, and Percy quickly pocketed Riptide as he grinned at her. "About damn time! Let's go."

Together, they rushed through the corridors, the rest of the crew checking on what the rush was about before following them anyway. Soon, the whole crew was on the bow of the ship watching with trepidation as the clear early morning skies, and the slowly rising sun from the east abruptly ended.

Far to the north, about a hundred or so miles away, dark ominous clouds marred by flashes of lightning could be seen.

"Wow, it's so jarring to see clouds after a week of clear skies." Reyna's voice came from above him; the girl was hanging from the rigging as she looked at the approaching storm with a spyglass before grinning. "I think I can even see cyclones and maelstroms!"

"Cyclones! Why the heck do you sound so excited?" Hylla groaned as she accepted the offered spyglass and followed her sister's gaze.

"At the risk of sounding redundant and annoying, I must remind everyone not to underestimate this sea." Lionel's voice struck like a whip causing the younger Latina girl to flinch. Percy turned to the Prince, finding him sweating anxiously as he gazed at the distant clouds. "I have never been in the New World, but I have been in the Grandline for a few weeks during a royal visit. It was terrible."

A simple word, yet given with such conviction that even Rachel lost her excitement and gulped nervously. If the Prince's intent was to spook them, then he had succeeded.

"Alright, everyone." Percy clapped his hands, gathering their attention. "We have about two hours or so until we arrive. Make sure everything on deck that might be blown off or damaged is either secured or stowed away, and dress for stormy weather. We will continue north for another hour once we are in the New World before we veer north-east towards G-14. That should be enough time to bypass that hurricane, but I have no idea how large it actually is. Could be a few miles, could be a few hundred, so whatever happens, follow my orders."

Within minutes, everyone was busy making sure his orders were carried out. The chairs and tables they used for picnics were stowed away, all unattended cordage was untangled and secured, the cannons on the deck had their wheels locked, their barrels covered by tarps, and tied with chains to the deck. The gunports were double-checked to be sealed with no leakage, while the cannons in the gun deck were similarly secured. Any ordinance and gunpowder were returned to chests that they loaded down the hold, along with any barrel and anything that may become a debris, before sealing the hatchway. Rachel, meanwhile, rushed to the entertainment room to make sure nothing fragile would be in danger despite Tyson assuring her that would no longer be an issue.

The cyclops had mentioned that the Sally Jackson had a gyroscopic stabilizer system that helped keep it steady in rough weather, but it was untested. Now that they had sailed for a few days, Tyson had managed to calibrate it, yet the red-headed girl retorted that it was still untested against storms and she was not one to risk her movie collection.

Percy was busy with the most tedious task yet: making sure Blackjack's stall was cleaned and the walls had no cracks or leaks.

"You missed a spot, boss." the Pegasus snickered before yelping as Percy splashed him with water. "Hey, not cool, man. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to fly with wet feathers?"

"Nope, never get wet unless I want to. Now, shoo so I can thoroughly clean up and seal these holes." The holes in question were the shape of a hoof, and it did not take a genius to guess who the culprit was.

"…Sometimes, I hate you so much, boss."

Percy merely chuckled as the pegasus flew up to the crow's nest, most likely to whine to Reyna about how mean he was. The girl had asked Tyson to enlarge the crow's nest just for this occasion, and now it was large enough for Blackjack to roost in like an oversized vulture.

Soon, he was hammering away as he covered the damage to the stall and before they knew it, they had left the Calm Belt behind without any fanfare… aside from the hurricane-level winds that would have torn their sails away if he had not furled them. The smaller mast and beams were also retracted to avoid any damage, but Percy could instantly tell that the Sally Jackson would not come out unscathed from this.

"Get down to the galley," He roared at Rachel and Hylla, who had just finished strapping the ordinance chest of the stern gun to the deck - having had no time to stow it in the hold. "I'll handle the ship, just get down!"

The two girls nodded gratefully and hurried down. They might have said something, but the winds were so strong and loud and so sudden that no sound came from their mouths. Calypso stood by the helm, unperturbed by what must be at least Category 2 winds. She waved away Gwen when she called out to her from the door behind her; Percy could see Leo peeking his head behind his knight before they both shut the door.

Now, all who remained was Tyson, who was holding onto a reticent Reyna as they made their way down the rigging, and Blackjack, whom Percy did not worry about. Such winds and rain were merely an annoyance to the mythical creature, and he would be useful as their eyes on the crow's nest.

Finally, it was just him and Calypso on the deck. Normally, such a thought would have sent his heart racing and his mind coming up with many ways they could have some fun with their newly found privacy. Unfortunately, Percy could barely stay on his feet as he focused on keeping the ship going northwards while instilling his will on the wind and the sea, trying to soften its blow against the Sally Jackson.

Even now, the entire ship groaned from its hull, the rigging, and reinforced mast. Strangely, Percy could feel the ship was merely taken aback by the sudden hurricane yet was eager to show its mettle against the wrath of nature. He grinned, feeling like the Sally Jackson could read his mind; what were storms and rough seas to the Son of the Sea God?

Apparently, just another victim to be sunk to the depths. Percy did his best to work his magic, but it was easier said than done, as the very sea fought him at every turn. The Calm Belt truly earned its name considering how easy it was for Percy to control it. It had not even been ten minutes, and he was already missing the tranquil yet monster infested waters of the Calm Belt. The sea almost welcomed any gesture he did, whether to form waves or whirlpools, winds or clouds - it was child's play.

In the New World, however? The waters here embraced the very core of what the Sea represented: unrestrained, unfettered, ill-tempered, and resisting any form of subjugation.

Yet, Perseus Jackson was the Demigod of the Sea. The storm sent deluges of rain on him, so much so that any of his friends would have been swept overboard easily like some of the barrels and chests they could not stow in time, yet that only served to energize him. No sea could resist his will or desires for long, and as a freak waterspout burst out of the ocean a couple of miles away and aimed right for the Sally Jackson, Percy roared as he swung Riptide. A smaller sprout erupted where he aimed the sword and intercepted the oncoming missile of water, deflecting it away to crash barely a hundred feet behind them.

"Percy, whirlpool up ahead!"

Calypso's warning resounded in his mind as if she hammered the words into his brain instead of shouting them. He swiftly raised his hands as he turned the ship well away from the oncoming whirlpool. There was no fighting against something like that, for even if he could win the contest of wills against the ocean, he would most likely be blindsided by some other unexpected attack.

"Percy, rogue wave coming from the south!"

Once more, the words rang in his mind, and he realized his lover was speaking telepathically.

"What do you mean the south? That's towards the Calm Belt!"

Even as he roared, he realized there was no way she could hear him. They were barely moving in the storm, just doing their best to keep the ship floating and heading relatively north. That meant the Calm Belt was barely a few leagues behind them, yet a rogue wave from there?!

Gritting his teeth, Percy closed his eyes to sense his rear, only to find that his lover was correct. A fifty-foot tall wave was coming fast, and with the Sally Jackson crossing its T, they were at serious risk of capsizing.

The demigod rushed back to the helm and flipped on the intercom, "HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!" It was the only warning he could give his crew before the ship lurched as he lifted the sea below it skyward with another waterspout before turning the whole thing 90 degrees to port, just in time to hijack the rogue wave and ride it north.

Straight towards a massive maelstrom. It was almost like the sea suddenly ended, and a vast chasm appeared out of nowhere, with a sinkhole several thousand feet deep.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!"

It took everything he had for Percy to force the wave they were riding to maintain its structure. He fed it more water, causing it to keep its height even as it cleared the chasm and would have fallen onto the maelstrom, except the Sally Jackson continued going as a massive tendril of water carried them as far as possible across the abyss. Thankfully, it was barely enough for the dying wave to fling the boat that extra few hundred feet just past the maelstrom.

And right on course to crash into a massive tornado…on the fucking sea! It was so massive and powerful, it could not be called a waterspout anymore. A water tornado that, for some fucked up reason, was sending giant icicles everywhere.

Percy turned to his lover, who mirrored his incredulous look, "This will be a very long day."

.

.

.

Percy was mistaken. It did not end up being a long day.

It was a long three days!

"Ahh, finally, sunlight! And it doesn't sound like the end of the world anymore!" Rachel exclaimed somewhere far away, but Percy could only groan from where he was laying on the deck. "Damn, Perce. You look terrible."

"Gee, you think?" He groaned with his eyes closed, enjoying the first bit of sunshine in three days. "What gave it away?"

"Well, for one, you're drenched." He could feel the red-headed nightmare crouch by his head as she poked his cheek, her voice softening greatly. "You did great, Captain. I speak on behalf of the crew when I say, we're very proud of you."

Percy was too tired to even dry himself, let alone raise his head and look at the girl. Every muscle and tendon in his body hurt, and he felt like he was coming down from a sugar rush - the only reason he was still awake was the dampness sticking to him, barely giving him enough energy to function. Must be the lack of rain, for while he gained immense energy and power from rain or when he was in the sea, it all came crashing down on his mortal body afterward.

"… How's the crew doing?"

"Don't worry about them," Rachel snorted as she grabbed his hand and lifted him off the deck, allowing him to lean heavily on her for support. "We made ourselves busy, Tyson had several projects he needed us for at the forge. By the way, Calypso looked so aggrieved when you sent her away after the first day. I've never seen her pouting, actually pouting, like a child who got sent to their room by their parents. But that was a good call, for she quickly collapsed asleep for the whole day. She must have been wiped out as well."

Despite his bone-deep exhaustion, Percy couldn't help but chuckle along, only for a yawn to escape from his lips.

For three days, he had remained awake as he fought through the endless hurricanes, maelstroms, cyclones, waterspouts, sea tornados, blizzards, and even a couple of volcanic eruptions. He fought tooth and nail to keep the ship intact as they braved the insane sea they found themselves in. While the rain energized both him and Calypso, his lover did not gain a similar boost from the sea. Many times, the deck got utterly drenched with seawater from rogue waves splashing on them, or that insane stream that shot into the sky far too close for comfort and nearly crushed them when it returned back to the surface.

Never had he been so tested against the wrath of nature before. Never had he remained awake for so long either, without a moment's respite to even eat anything; all he had for sustenance was rain and seawater.

Yet Percy persevered. Navigating the ship around difficult obstacles, riding rogue waves, fighting with the very sea to bend it to his will!

The safety of the Sally Jackson and her crew was all the motivation he needed to keep going - the constant energy rush from the water certainly helped, even if he had started feeling his body failing by the end of the second day.

Finally, on the third day, they broke through and had a moment of respite. Percy grinned to himself, before frowning as he realized… they had barely traveled a couple of hundred miles since they left the Calm Belt; a far contrast to the regular pace they had when they left Ogygia.

He groaned in disappointment at the lack of progress.

"Are you alright, Percy? What am I saying, of course you're not alright! Let's get you to sleep, the rest of us can handle the navigation from here."

Percy broke his musings as he looked up, finding the rest of the crew already on deck busy with chores. Calypso was right in front of him, placing her hand on his shoulder and instantly drying him; he realized she was the one who spoke. The Prince was manning the helm and gave him a nod when he caught his eye, before shouting orders at the rest of the crew for proper sailing procedures. Tyson and Reyna were unfurling the sails, while Gwendolyn was coaxing Blackjack out of the crow's nest where he had remained hidden for the past three days - someone will have to clean up after the horse.

"Just get some sleep, Captain. We can handle it from here." Hylla called from where she was dragging new canvas to repair parts of the sail that were torn by the large icicles that nearly tore the ship apart. "Think of it this way, the sooner you rest, the sooner you can return to form in case a sea monster attacks."

A massive yawn broke out of him in reply, and Percy finally relented; despite his extreme hunger, he was far more sleepy, and eating could wait. He barely remembered what happened next as he leaned heavily on Rachel's shoulder, but before he knew it, he was in his comfy bed and snoring away.

P*O*D

Hours later

The Titaness

Calypso stroked her lover's tired face as she and Rachel visited his quarters; they had dropped him off a few hours ago before returning to deck to help with the repairs and sailing. Percy still wore the same clothes he had over the past few days: a black shirt and a pair of tough jeans that were in need of repair from the damage they suffered. At least they were dry, though they had to throw away his destroyed sneakers and socks. It was a neat trick she had learned from Percy, yet she had never needed to use it before. Calypso giggled as she stared at his tired face and subconsciously licked her lips; he looked so scrumptious now. It had been a long day, and she was due for a break herself. Maybe she could join him for just a–

"Let's get back on deck," Rachel whispered and Calypso turned to her at the suddenly urgent tone. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the redheaded girl reading Percy's logbook. "I have a bad feeling."

The simple phrase had Calypso's eyes widening before she nodded seriously and followed her out, though not before she shouldered four arrow quivers from her workroom and closed the doors. She had spent a lot of her spare time fletching arrows with help from Tyson and Reyna, the young girl having taken to archery like a fish to water, along with other projects the Cyclops required her help in.

Still, if there was one thing the Queen of Ogygia had learned to trust, it was the veracity of their oracle's instincts.

And that was what Rachel was - the rarest among the rarest of Clear-Sighted Mortals. One who was also a natural seer, who, despite being untrained and could not control her powers, was still incredibly perceptive.

They exited the galley to find the rest of the crew hard at work. More like young Lionel trying his best to give directions to the inexperienced crew.

"Ready about – now. Prepare to tack!"

"What's tacking again?"

"We discussed this, Reyna," Gwen replied to her younger assistant - the female knight had abandoned her weapons and arms in favor of more practical work clothes. "We need to head east, but the wind blows from the northeast. So, we zigzag the boat to catch the wind."

"Oh, gotcha. Tacking in the sails!"

"Tyson! If you would please, mainsail, haul! Braces, haul!"

"Aye, Helmsman!"

That's when they appeared near the Prince from the door behind the helm, letting him know they were ready for assignments. Calypso whistled for Blackjack, the Pegasus roosting in the crow's nest, though perhaps they should call it his personal nest now that his stall was ripped apart - Percy had been aggrieved when his repairs didn't last a few hours into the hurricane.

"Miss Dare, please join Hylla and tell her we need to trim the sails to catch the wind. On my mark, when I call to Tyson."

"Aye, aye, helmsman." Rachel grinned with a mock-salute, her earlier trepidation forgotten, before she rushed to where Hylla was waiting by the sheets.

"Let go and haul! Trim the sails!"

As Calypso waited impatiently for the grumbling pegasus to wake up, having not heard her whistle and received a mental knock to his head instead, she watched as the crew adjusted the sheets and braces to set the sails correctly on the new tack. They turned to a south-eastern heading to fill the sails coming from the north, once the sails were full, Lionel shouted one last time.

"Sheet home the jib and staysail. Bring her close-hauled on an eastward course. We will see if we could rest by that island in the distance."

The island was small, even smaller than Ogygia. It was still about a dozen leagues away, yet they could see it thanks to the mountain jutting out in the distance. It felt like fire to her senses, most likely a volcano, and there were many rocks surrounding the island, like teeth on a monster's jaw.

Calypso was not experienced in matters of sailing yet she was sure it should not have been possible for a crew of six to sail a ship of this size. Then again, none of them were normal people, and Lionel seemed to know what he was doing. Nevertheless, it took them the better part of the day just to get used to the ship and its quirks. No matter how strong or superhuman they were, it was just not efficient to sail a ship with so few hands.

As they got the ship sailing, adjusted for the wind, and controlled the sails and rigging, Calypso could not help but compare the slow progress to what Percy could do with nary a thought.

The Immortal Witch shuddered to imagine what would have happened to the crew if her lover had not been here to control the ship over the past few days. She might have a high affinity with water, but she was by no means a sea deity; the first waterspout they encountered would have sunk the ship if not for Percy. Still, her senses told her this was a good ship, and as Calypso laid her hand on the rails, she could almost imagine the Sally Jackson preening at the compliment.

Shaking her head, she noticed an equine head peeking out from the crow's nest to look at her.

"Come, Blackjack. I may have need of you soon."

The pegasus landed in front of her, shaking his wings and body of excess water. "Ugh, I hate having soggy feathers."

Feeling pity for the horse, Calypso touched his head and willed all the water on his body to be sucked out and formed a ball of water in her hand that she threw overboard. "Better now?"

"Hell yeah! Need a lift, boss lady? I'm your horse."

Before she could do more than giggle, a worried shout came from the sails, and Calypso turned to find Rachel hanging like a monkey as she pointed at their starboard side.

"Something is coming this way. It's spewing water everywhere!"

Staring out over the sea, Calypso saw a strange waterspout blowing out to the skies. It reminded her of something she had seen a long time ago in Lord Oceanus' halls.

"Keep sailing east." She quickly tightened the pegasus' saddle, strung her bow, secured the quivers to the saddle, and mounted him. "I will take care of our pursuer and meet you at that island."

"Understood," Hylla dropped down from the sails to stand before her with a determined stance. "You can count on me to protect the ship, my lady."

"Hang on, you plan to fight off a monster of the New World? Alone?"

Calypso turned to Lionel at his exclamation. Even Gwen looked worried, yet she simply smiled at them.

"I am far more powerful than I look."

There was no need to assure them more, her actions shall speak of her strength. With a nudge of her knees, the pegasus flapped his powerful wings, and within seconds, they were in the sky, flying toward what she was certain to be a daunting but not insurmountable foe.

In less than a minute, the pegasus covered the ten kilometers of distance between the ship and the monster. And what a monster it was!

They were several thousand feet in the air, and Calypso could clearly see the silhouette of the massive behemoth underneath the waves. It must have been at least a few thousand feet long, and a thousand feet around. It had stopped in place, clearly sensing her presence somehow, which suited her just fine as long as it remained away from the ship.

Just as she was deciding how to lure it out of the water, a waterspout blew out of the sea aimed right at them. Blackjack dodged it, and Calypso instinctively notched and drew an arrow, focused on forming a rune of speed at the tip of the arrow, and a rune of destruction on the rest of it, before releasing it with an air-splitting snap.

The arrow flew faster than those metal bullets that the rest of the crew used in their fancy guns. It sent shockwaves in its flight as the speed rune tore apart the friction of the air, smashed into the waves and created a tunnel before the destruction rune activated with an explosion at the dark silhouette underneath. For a split second, Calypso saw several angry yellow eyes glaring at her before they widened at the arrow that appeared almost instantaneously in front of its scaly head.

An earth-shaking roar resounded from the depths before the monster breached the surface in all its glory. Calypso had another arrow in hand but froze as bullets of water blew towards them, Blackjack dodging them frantically before they paused and beheld the monster.

"Hey, uh, boss lady? I know I'm awesome and all, but I don't think even I can beat that!"

The monster was a strange one, to say the least. It looked like a massive sea serpent, not too dissimilar to the colony that attacked them a week ago, yet its vaguely serpentine figure had more to it than meets the eye. The giant turquoise head had two sets of maws, one large with a smaller one above it, with rows of sharp teeth. Two pairs of eyes were set beside each maw, one of them bleeding profusely from her arrow, in addition to a larger pair on the forehead and one more at the sides of its head for a total of eight eyes, now seven.

The monster roared again, causing a large frill to expand around its neck, giving it an even more fierce appearance. Its entire body was covered in dull green scales along with the occasional brightly colored reef that grew in the gaps between scales. Extending from the frill's tips were a dozen tentacles that extended down to its body, giving it an unexpected ranged attack, while six shorter yet thicker tentacles floated lazily above its frill, near the base of its head. Calypso would have to keep an eye on them as they swayed agilely, bony hooks and barbs traced each tentacle as they ended in wicked-looking claws.

It was as if someone crossbred an eel, a squid, an octopus, and a wingless dragon before enlarging them to the size of a mountain. This creature would give even the most vicious of monsters back home pause, yet Calypso could not help the wide grin that bloomed on her face.

"It has been a very long time since I've battled a worthwhile foe." She notched her arrow before gazing at the thing's head, not sure where its face would be yet she knew her voice would reach it regardless. "I am Calypso. What is your name, serpent?"

The monster roared in rage, and Calypso blinked, not understanding much, aside from two words. Child Murderer. Her grin melted away to a pensive frown before nodding.

"I see, it was your children that we were forced to kill that day. I doubt anything I say would convince you we meant no harm and that they were the ones to attack, yet I will still offer you a chance; back away. Return to your sea, and we shall not need to–"

A bullet of water was spat from the smaller mouth, causing Blackjack to veer sideways. Calypso chuckled; the creature had chased them for a thousand leagues for a chance at vengeance, so it behooved the Queen of Ogygia to grant its desire for battle.

"So be it, we fight!"

Calypso drew her bow and released her arrow, just as the monster sent its tentacles at them. This time, the arrow was deflected away from its head by one of the shorter yet thicker tentacles, causing it to crash on its frill with an explosion. Calypso had used the same double runes on the arrow, yet the explosion that would have been enough to turn a hellhound to dust, had barely done a thing to the massive monster.

Calypso clicked her tongue; it appeared she would not be getting any more free shots, especially with the half a dozen tentacles protecting its head. The only apparent weak points were the eyes and perhaps the mouths, yet despite how large of a target they were, the Immortal Witch doubted it would be easy to get another hit on them.

Blackjack dodged away from a limb that flew at them swiftly, so close that Calypso could see her dull reflection in the sharp barbs along its length. Her eyes widened when the tentacle bent and tried to attack them from the rear, only to eat an arrow that blew a hole through it. As the monster flinched, Blackjack flew further away to give her a chance to shoot her arrows from a distance.

From there, the pegasus and his rider played a dangerous game of dodging the bladed whips as Calypso shot arrow after arrow at the monster. They had to contend against not just the whip-like tentacles but also the water bullets the monster spat out. It was a mystery how the monster could spit out so much water, yet it did not matter.

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to deal any more significant damage with her bow and arrow, Calypso switched to her trusty staff, morphing the blunt Celestial Bronze maces into sharp blades. She defended against the writhing tentacles, waiting for the monster to overreach before slicing at an offending tentacle, her staff suddenly extending for the extra reach.

The beast roared as, with a thought, her blade grew red-hot and managed to cut deeply into the barbed flesh before the tentacle withdrew. It nearly dragged her with it if not for Blackjack flapping strongly enough for her to tear the blade through the rest of the tentacle and slice it off a third of the way to its tip.

Calypso did not get the chance to celebrate as all eleven of the remaining tentacles thrashed at her in retaliation.

"Up, Blackjack!"

The pegasus did not need an invitation and threaded his way through the attacking tentacles. So fast and agile that Calypso could do nothing but hold on to the saddle for dear life. She was embarrassingly out of practice and had never even ridden a horse in her life before Percy arrived. Yes, there were horses on her island, gifted to her by the gods, a few of them were even personally delivered by Poseidon, yet she never fathomed they could be used for battle aside from dragging chariots.

It was Percy who suggested a few days ago that she try flying and shooting from horseback - citing some warriors in the past managing to conquer the world through that technique. It may appear like she knew what she was doing, but there's a reason Blackjack had no reins, headstall, or collar. He only had a saddle and stirrups, just the bare minimum to hook her quivers on something and to keep her balance.

All the flying and dodging and instinctive dives and climbs were entirely from the pegasus, and the more they flew, the more Calypso realized that Blackjack was far more used to Percy's combat style than her own.

Finally, they managed to fly far above the ocean, nearly a kilometer in the sky, and float just under the clouds. Calypso shivered at the drop in temperature, the damp water that clung to her, and the strong winds buffeting her.

"Good job, Blackjack. You're an excellent flier."

The horse snorted, beating his wings harder as the monster blew another water bullet at them but they were far enough that it lost strength and the pegasus' wind blast scattered it. "You have a plan, boss lady? Or are we just going to whittle away at that thing from a mile away?"

"Tempting, and possibly, our only real option."

"Can't you just, I dunno, wave your hand and create a whirlpool around it or something?"

"I'm not like Percy, my dear pegasus." Despite the situation, Calypso giggled as she patted the stallion's neck. "I do not have any natural powers over the seas. Perhaps if I am close enough to work my magic, I could freeze it or restrain it somehow, but…"

"Squidward is too damn big, ain't it?"

"That it is–"

Something crackled on the saddle, and Calypso stared at the strange metal object that she failed to notice was attached to it. She quickly realized it was a comlink and hurriedly pressed on the button.

"This is Calypso, what's wrong?"

The sounds of gunfire and men shouting came from the speaker, causing Calypso to frown. She tried to call again but there was no reply, causing her to theorize the ship was under attack and someone had tried, and failed, to call her.

Calypso would have loved to fly back to the ship to check on the crew, but she knew the moment she did, she would bring with her an even worse adversary than whatever was attacking them. Speaking of…

"Don't look now, but big bad and mean looks like it's up to something!"

Calypso glanced down only to find the monster had submerged most of its body underwater and started to rapidly spin all of its tentacles and body. Her eyes widened when she realized what was coming, but Blackjack was faster than her as he flew even higher.

Just as a massive waterstream blew out of the water, hundreds of feet across and barely missed them as they flew away from it. It continued to climb for miles before finally breakin apart, causing the skies to rain seawater on them.

Calypso clicked her tongue. She would need to finish this monster first before she could think about returning to the ship.

P*O*D

Earlier

"Keep it steady everyone, keep the half sail. Once we catch that light breeze, we can rely on the rudders for the rest of the way."

A few cheers replied to the Prince as they followed his instructions, and just as he said, the ship caught the crosswind. Hylla sighed in relief as they finished the second tacking maneuver, and were now heading straight for the island.

"We should reach the island in half an hour. Feel free to rest and refresh, but prepare to be called at any moment."

Several affirmatives were given before everyone walked away to see to their matters. She spied Gwen muttering something about feeling naked without her armor, while the Prince fixed the helm with a locking pin and rested on a chair.

"Good job, sis." Reyna landed next to her as she dropped from the rigging, her younger sister had taken to heights like a monkey to a tree. "I'll go get us something to eat."

"I'll have a Dr Pepper, please." Hylla smiled as her sister chirped an, "Okay!" before skipping to ask the rest of the crew what they wanted. She caught Rachel staring off into the distance where their mistress had flown away. "Worried?"

"Slightly," her red-haired friend bit her lips as her green eyes stared off into the distance. The weather here was not as clear as the Calm Belt, yet the occasional beastly roar and the shadow of the massive silhouette over the horizon was unmistakable even through the clouds. "I know Calypso is strong, incredibly so, but she herself confessed that she was out of practice."

"I understand your worry, but we can only trust in her abilities. Besides," Hylla smirked, "Worst-case scenario, we would toss the Captain overboard to wake him and have him deal with any problem."

Her attempt at levity failed to lighten the mood as Rachel simply shook her head, "I would rather not overly rely on Percy. He is not our babysitter, we should be capable of defending ourselves if need be. Still, I can't help but have a bad feeling."

Hylla frowned as she acknowledged her friend's words. She herself was loath to act the damsel in distress, even if she understood the gap in strength between her and the Captain.

"I got snacks, everyone!"

They turned to her sister's exuberant entrance, and all worry evaporated as they approached her. Reyna happily handed out their drinks and–

"Chips!" Rachel exclaimed, "I thought we ran out a long time ago."

"I figured we could celebrate making it to the New World. I've been keeping this bag for a special occasion, though I didn't think Percy would be asleep for it." Reyna had said between bites, even as Leo appeared from behind her sister and grabbed a fistful. "Hey, no more for you!"

"Aw shucks, such a shame. These are good crisps. Though maybe it's because it's been a while since I ate any."

The clanging steps of metal boots had them turn to the approaching Gwen, now fully armored, and Hylla smiled at her new friend - they had taken to training extensively for some time, and an easy friendship bloomed considering how close they were in age. "Please, do not make trouble for the crew, My Prince. If you wish, you may have my portion."

"Ah, no, I could not…"

Hylla and Rachel giggled at the back and forth between the prince and his knight. Reyna looked around, searching for something, before shrugging and joining them. Hylla turned to her red-haired friend, who was idly twirling one of her guns.

"Do you believe we may still be in danger?"

Rachel shrugged, "Don't ask me how, but yeah. I feel like–"

"Ship ahead!"

Everyone froze before, as one, quickly ran toward the shout coming from the bow, where Tyson had been working on the main cannon's rail system. Within a few heartbeats, they were standing beside the Cyclops, pointing at the island where a ship had just sailed from behind one of the massive rocks jutting out of the sea and was making a beeline for them. Prince Lionel produced a spyglass from his pocket and stared intently at the ship, the rest of them waiting in trepidation, before he gritted his teeth.

"Pirates!" Lionel growled before he turned to Tyson, "Are any of the cannons operational?"

"No, despite our preparations, some suffered damage, and we did not have any time for repairs," The Cyclops waved his hand at the main cannon, which was covered by a large tarp, and one of its wheels was broken. "All of the gunpowder and cannonballs are below deck. None of our broadsides are operational, either - at least not at short notice."

"Hang on, how could you tell they were pirates?"

"It's a marine battleship yet I see no marines but plenty of filthy men with bad fashion. Also, the skull and bones don't help."

Hylla turned back to the front, and though the ship was still miles away, she could barely tell a black pennant with white marks on it. Oh, and the torn and shredded black sails with a massive skull and bones painted on them were also obvious enough. The damned fog made everything difficult to see.

"Battle stations, everyone! Tyson, how tough is the Sally Jackson?"

"It depends, what do you have in mind?"

"Can it withstand a head on collision against a much larger ship?"

"Parts of it will be damaged, but the hull and keel?" The Cyclops grinned, "It will hold."

"Excellent! Back the foresail and trim the mainsail. It is too late for us to turn around, and at the rate we are going, we would crash in ten minutes - better to do it head on than have them split us in half. That's how long you have to gear up. Now, go!"

The authority behind the Prince's commands was unquestionable, and Hylla found herself sprinting below deck with the rest of her friends. She grabbed her shield from her room and her gun belt, which held a dagger and revolver, before hurrying to the armory, noticing Lionel rushing back to the upper deck with a rifle in his hand. Rachel was by the open door and was handing her sister a quiver, bow and arrows, as well as a Celestial Bronze short sword - one that Tyson had forged especially for Reyna.

"Hylla, here." Rachel threw her a rifle, "Tyson and Calypso had it enchanted. They just finished it this morning."

The moment Hylla grabbed the rifle, a tingle formed in her mind, and she could instinctively tell what kind of weapon it was and how it worked. It was a lever action rifle that could hold eight rounds - the kind that fired as fast as she could cock the lever and shoot. Originally, it was made from steel and mahogany, but the steel had been replaced with high-grade Celestial Bronze, though the gun was a bit barebones at the moment and clearly awaited her own personal touch through customization.

Turning the safety switch, the gun turned into a nine-foot-tall spear, nearly hitting the ceiling. It was a beautiful assemblage of varnished oak, mahogany, and walnut that had intricate magical symbols that Hylla could barely recognize; blessings of hardness, flexibility, resistance to corrosion and erosion, and much more. Finally, the spear was topped by a two-foot-long Celestial Bronze blade.

"Brilliant," Hylla grinned as she returned it to gun form and accepted a box of rifle rounds from Rachel, swiftly emptying them in her pockets. "What about you?"

"Don't worry about me," Rachel patted her twin revolvers before grabbing a rotary gun, or what she thought was the rotary gun, but it clearly had also gotten an upgrade. "Help me wear the ammo belts."

Hylla helped her place two large ammo belts, with at least 200 rounds each, around the girl's shoulders. Rachel fed one end of it to her machine gun before grinning.

"Locked and loaded… always wanted to say that." She sighed, "Too bad we couldn't make any more bullets. Too many missing ingredients, and there's no way we would waste Celestial Bronze on–"

The boat shook as the sounds of something splashing came from outside, followed by the intercom blaring the Prince's calm tone, "If you could please hurry? They do not appear to be interested in a parley."

"Sheesh, talk about being polite."

"It's kinda scary, actually." Reyna shivered as they ran down the hallway. "How quickly Lionel switches from fun and joking to calm and formal, I mean."

"He is simply trained for this," Hylla recalled Gwen mentioning it after one of their spars. "Anyway, let's hurry."

"Wait, shouldn't we wake Percy?"

Reyna's question made absolute sense, yet they were on the opposite side of the ship from the Captain's Quarters, and another cannonball splashing outside had Hylla shaking her head.

"No time. I'm sure he will wake up from the racket anyway."

Rachel nodded, and they rushed up the steps to find Lionel shooting with his rifle and Tyson protecting him from returning fire with a massive shield; his sledgehammer lay close by. Gwen was on the ship's figurehead, slashing a powerful wind blade at the approaching ship, blasting aside any cannonballs that would strike the Sally Jackson.

Hylla gulped as she looked upon the pirate ship. It was massive compared to their own, probably a warship or something; she was never knowledgeable about such things. At a glance, it appeared to have two gun decks plus the main deck compared to the Sally Jacksons' one gun deck; aside from the lower caliber guns on the main deck, their ship held eight main cannons on each broadside alongside the massive cannons at the bow and stern of the ship.

The pirate ship must have at least twenty cannons on each broadside, yet Hylla could tell that something was wrong. It was difficult to tell from the angle, but Hylla thought that the ship was missing an entire mast. There were also obvious signs of damage, particularly the gun ports where it looked like a massive hand had left deep gorges on both sides of the hull.

It explained why only the four forward cannons were firing at them. Yet, the lower gun deck seemed to have been repurposed for oars as she could now see the nearly fifty oars propelling the ship at them.

That meant there had to be at least fifty oarsmen on the ship, at a most conservative number. Which brought Hylla's vision to the hundreds of pirates screaming abuse and bloody murder at them on the main deck.

The sight of the pirates, those familiar evil eyes and unhygienic faces that desired nothing more than to inflict chaos and torment, to take all they desired regardless of the consequences, caused any worry in Hylla to melt away. Instead, as she loaded her rifle with murderous intent and aimed at the closest pirate, she felt nothing but disgust.

And a bloody craving to kill!

And they finally arrive in the New World, there's even a welcoming party! Such an ill-tempered sea.

Sailing a ship is an incredibly complicated task. As someone who had driven a large 600-passenger boat before, you would not believe how many things have simply become automated enough that even a child could drive a boat. An actual sailing ship has none of that, even with the upgrades that Poseidon, and later Tyson, added to it.

The Sally Jackson is still based on an 18th/19th-century style Sloop of War (or Corvette/Frigate, depending on the nation and designation), albeit larger and juiced up on magic. Sailing it traditionally with a crew of six or seven is unfeasible, and the only way our crew managed to do it is thanks to their superhuman abilities. Tyson alone has enough strength to do a job that would require twenty, and the girls are no slouches either.

Finally, the first real test for the crew. So far, they had depended far too much on Percy to bail their asses or Calypso to cover them if needed. None of that is possible now, for Percy is in deep sleep while Calypso is facing her first true challenge in thousands of years.

At least Hylla will have fun.

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