Drift Of The Multiverse: [Marvel] [Resident Evil] [DC] [Bleach] [DB]

"All women?"

Of course, there were women in the Sea of Calm—otherwise, humanity would have vanished from this world long ago. But given the harsh environment, few women became adventurers. Most of them took on roles such as cooks or seamstresses on larger ships, handling tasks like laundry or repairs. On some ships, they were forced into more degrading roles simply to survive.

In general, women didn't have it easy in the Sea of Calm. Most relied on men for protection and sustenance. Only a handful of women, those with particularly strong wills, would choose to embrace the identity of an adventurer, refusing to submit to men or become dependents. These few struggled fiercely to carve out a place for themselves in this unforgiving world.

What Ethan encountered this time was clearly different. First, the ship in question was a powerful warship, one that surpassed the Fire Hand in both displacement and firepower.

Second, the entire crew appeared to be women. And judging by the way they handled the ship, adjusting the rigging, manning the guns, and arranging weapons, they were clearly seasoned sailors, not women relegated to cleaning or laundry.

"Is there really an all-female crew in this world?" Ethan mused, shaking his head.

He hadn't paid much attention to news of adventurers in the Sea of Calm, nor had he actively sought information about which crews were the strongest. His focus had long since shifted beyond these waters, toward the other side of the Sea of Storms. Small details like this didn't interest him.

"With so many adventurers out here, I guess it's not too strange to find a crew made up entirely of women," Ethan said.

After all, there would always be people who refused to accept the status quo and sought to change it. Judging by the state of the ship and its crew, this all-female team had done quite well for themselves.

"Should we signal that we mean no harm?" Arthur asked.

The distance between the two ships continued to close, and Ethan couldn't help but glance at the ominous cannons trained in their direction. As much as he disliked admitting it, the sight made him uneasy. While the Book of Inheritance could shield him from the worst of an attack, he couldn't just stand there staring at the enemy indefinitely.

"It's a shame I haven't finished working on defensive magic for the ship's figurehead," Ethan muttered.

Ever since the ship's figurehead had been installed, Ethan had been thinking about adding a unique magical enhancement to it. But after months of research, he still only had a rough concept. Many experiments were still needed before he could make the idea a reality.

While he'd had plenty of time on Paradise Island to work on it, he'd instead focused on strengthening his mental power and improving the space-time Orb, leaving this project unfinished.

Now, with the sight of the cannons serving as an unpleasant reminder, Ethan couldn't help but regret neglecting it.

"Forget about that for now," Arthur said, tapping Ethan on the shoulder. "There's another ship approaching from the other direction."

Ethan turned to look where Arthur was pointing and spotted a new ship on the horizon.

Unlike the larger warship to the north, this one was smaller—similar in size to the Goddess of Dawn. Its brig layout and sleek design indicated it was built for speed, resembling a caravel.

Given that shipbuilding in the Sea of Calm was monopolized by the shipyards on State Island, ships with similar designs were often manufactured and sold to customers with specific needs. This new ship was likely a sister vessel to Ethan's own.

The smaller ship was moving fast, much faster than the Goddess of Dawn, which Ethan had deliberately slowed to conserve energy. As a result, it quickly closed the gap, and before long, all three ships were aware of one another.

The current situation was as follows:

The all-female ship was to the far north, sailing southeast.

The Goddess of Dawn was in the center, heading directly east.

The smaller brig had appeared from the south and adjusted course to follow the same eastern heading as Ethan's ship.

As the distances between them decreased, the three ships gradually entered a parallel formation. Ethan, caught in the middle, glanced back and forth at the vessels on either side. The crews on the other two ships appeared to be doing the same.

Ethan didn't bother hiding his appearance. Despite maturing slightly, his youthful face still made him look far too young to command respect in the Sea of Calm.

His name had begun spreading after his previous battle, but it would take time for his reputation to fully solidify. For now, few people connected his name with his youthful face.

The smaller brig, in particular, seemed unimpressed. It had been sailing boldly since it appeared, making no attempt to conceal its intention to reach the same destination as Ethan and the others.

But as the ships drew closer, the situation began to shift. Ethan noticed that the smaller brig's demeanor changed drastically after it got a closer look at the larger warship to the north.

The crew aboard the brig seemed visibly panicked. Their ship slowed down, swerving erratically as if trying to decide what to do. After a brief moment of hesitation, the smaller vessel abruptly turned south and fled at full speed.

Ethan and Arthur watched the scene unfold, both taken aback by how quickly the brig retreated.

"That was… strange," Arthur muttered.

Ethan frowned as he watched the brig vanish into the distance. The way it fled so suddenly, almost as if in fear, gave him an unsettling feeling.

"I have a feeling this adventure won't go smoothly."

"I have the same hunch."

For an adventurer to flee so frantically, it was clear that the women aboard that warship were no pushovers. But that didn't mean Ethan would make the same choice.

"Regardless of who they are, if they choose to start trouble, we'll deal with it," Ethan said calmly.

Arthur didn't entirely agree with Ethan's blunt approach, but he didn't argue either. When he first came to this world, he might have suggested resolving things peacefully. After all, it wasn't easy for a group of women to survive as adventurers in this harsh environment. But after spending time with Ethan, he had grown used to his mindset.

Ethan didn't actively seek out trouble, but he also wouldn't tolerate being provoked without consequences. If someone dared to act against him, they needed to be prepared for the consequences.

"What's the plan now?" Arthur asked.

"Keep a safe distance and stay on alert," Ethan replied.

While Ethan's sailing experience wasn't much better than Arthur's, his knowledge of naval combat from games, movies, and general theory gave him some strategies to fall back on.

"Artillery battles at sea have terrible hit rates. Even though magic stone cannons aren't as unpredictable as smoothbore guns, the rolling waves will still affect their accuracy. As long as we maintain a safe distance, it's unlikely they'll land a solid hit with just three cannons."

If the other ship did open fire, Ethan would know immediately, even if he was asleep. In the unlikely event that they managed to hit the Goddess of Dawn, Ethan's magical shield would block the worst of it.

"As long as we keep our distance, they can't directly engage us," Ethan added.

More importantly, the Goddess of Dawn was a fast and maneuverable ship. While the enemy's galleon likely outclassed it in terms of stability, firepower, and defense, it had no advantage in speed. As long as Ethan maintained the upper hand in mobility, he could dictate the distance between them.

"What's the play, then? Ignore them?" Arthur asked.

"Exactly. Let's keep moving."

The pointer's direction hadn't changed, so Ethan adjusted the sails and continued eastward. The two ships moved like parallel lines across the sea, neither making any attempt to close the gap. Ethan deliberately maintained a safe distance, and the other ship seemed to mirror his caution, ensuring they didn't get too close.

After a while, Ethan was confident they wouldn't attack, and the journey became uneventful again.

His days fell into a routine: waking early, eating, exercising, researching magical enhancements for the figurehead, and occasionally observing the distant ship through his telescope. He noticed that they kept their cannons aimed and remained on alert.

"Why do I feel like they're the ones nervous about us?" Ethan remarked one day.

"Do we seem like notorious troublemakers?" Arthur asked, half-joking.

"Maybe we're a little famous?"

Their battle with Brent, though still spreading, might have reached the crew of this ship. It was possible someone on board recognized Ethan and decided to stay cautious.

"If that's the case, it might save us some trouble," Ethan said.

Avoiding conflict was ideal. Ethan's objective was clear: he wanted resources like wood and minerals. If the other ship had no interest in those, they could avoid clashing altogether.

With their large ship, they were unlikely to care much about wood, perhaps taking some as reserves for emergency repairs. And while minerals were valuable, extracting and transporting them from islands was no easy task.

The only scenario likely to spark conflict was if the island's resources were scarce.

Eventually, their destination appeared on the horizon—a massive island, much larger than any Ethan had discovered before. At a glance, it seemed comparable in size to State Island.

"A place this big… if it hadn't sunk, it might have been home to thousands of people," Ethan mused.

As they drew closer, Ethan used his telescope to examine the island and noticed something strange. The entire landmass was bare, devoid of vegetation. Even more unsettling, it emanated strange, pulsing fluctuations.

"Something's not right," Ethan muttered.

At the same time, Arthur noticed something odd as well. The galleon, which had been moving at a steady pace, suddenly began to slow down. It also started to adjust its heading, veering away from the island.

Arthur pointed this out to Ethan, who quickly took note of the shift.

After a moment of thought, Ethan made his decision. "Slow down and adjust our course. Let's circle the island first."

He could sense it too, this island was fundamentally different from any they had encountered before.