The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

The whirlpool appeared without warning, but the modified Yukikaze remained as stable as a rock.

Despite the swaying, the alloy shell allows it to withstand the impact of the water flow and rise against the current.

Doni gripped the helm tightly to keep the Yukikaze from veering off course, and shouted again, "Increase the speed to twenty knots!"

With all its might, Rikka paddled the Yukikaze and finally managed to escape the first whirlpool.

However, before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, several even larger whirlpools appeared ahead.

They spun and intertwined, forming a deadly trap.

This is clearly not something that can be explained by natural phenomena.

"Let me—"

Jessica was about to step forward to take over from Donnie when Vina stopped her with a gesture that told her to wait.

At this moment, Doni clearly didn't care about the wealth of others.

"Damn..."

Doni gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he considered a way to get through.

After estimating the vortex's suction force and the Yukikaze's maximum speed, he steered the ship directly into the vortex.

"Speed ​​reduced to ten knots!"

Doni jerked the rudder, tilting and turning the boat, but instead of letting Rikka continue to accelerate, he made her slow down her rowing frequency.

The Yukikaze spun rapidly along the vortex, like a fallen leaf struggling in a hurricane.

The ship's speed, which should have decreased, actually increased due to the powerful suction of the vortex.

The ship shook violently, and each turn felt like dancing on a knife's edge.

Realizing the time was right, Donnie shouted again, "Now! Full speed ahead!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Rikka unleashed astonishing power, rowing the boat with incredible speed, almost like a blur.

Using centrifugal force, the Yukikaze leaped forward, breaking speed limits, like a silver lightning bolt cleaving the water's surface.

"Snapped!"

A huge wave crashed in from the side, slamming hard against the Yukikaze's side.

Doni was caught off guard and his body was thrown into the air by the impact.

At the critical moment, Felix reached out and grabbed his collar, pulling him back onto the ship.

"Cough!" Donnie coughed up a mouthful of seawater, but didn't have time to thank him. "Straighten the rudder!"

Felix immediately used his free hand to straighten the rudder.

Using the thrust of the last vortex, the Yukikaze broke free from its restraints and escaped the vortex cluster.

When the ship finally entered calm waters, Doni slumped onto the deck, sweat mingling with seawater dripping down his face.

"Nice job, kid."

Vina tossed the towel to Doni, her tone tinged with approval.

If it weren't for his outstanding performance, the magic runes on the Yukikaze would probably have already been activated.

We haven't truly entered the Kuroshio Strait yet, and Vina doesn't want to use up her trump card here.

Donnie quickly wiped his face, then rushed to the bow of the boat, his face showing no joy at being freed.

His gaze swept back and forth across the sea, but he couldn't find any familiar reference points.

"Oh no, I've lost the nautical chart." Donnie's voice trembled slightly, and his face turned grim.

"Huh? Where did you lose it? Let me help you look for it." Felix immediately crouched down and searched the deck, but found nothing. "Could it have been washed away earlier?"

“He didn’t actually lose anything, but rather lost his reference point; it’s a kind of maritime slang,” Jessica explained.

"What should we do..." Donnie said anxiously.

The situation was urgent just now, and he obviously didn't have time to remember the route he had taken.

Although it has now escaped the whirlpool, the Yukikaze has completely deviated from its safe course and mistakenly entered the territory of the deep-sea monster.

Doni was worried that the deep-sea monster might appear at any moment.

"Don't rush, can you still find the location of the Kuroshio Strait?" Lisette reassured her.

Doni paused for a moment, then finally nodded: "It's possible, but crossing their territory like this could lead to an attack at any time."

“Then there’s no need to worry. Do you remember those eagles from before?” Lisette reminded her.

"You mean?"

Doni paused for a moment, then the image of the silver-beaked eagle swooping down flashed through his mind.

They had clearly locked onto their target, but stopped abruptly at the last moment, as if the Yukikaze had suddenly disappeared.

“You just focus on steering the boat, leave the rest to him.” Lisette smiled slightly, then turned to look at someone.

He took advantage of the ship's rocking motion to grope her quite a bit, and now it's his turn to do his part.

“This level of crisis was within expectations, so you can go without worry,” Viner finally spoke.

As he spoke, he gently waved his hand, and the power of Mirror Flower Water Moon instantly unfolded, enveloping the entire Yukikaze.

All waves, sounds, and even the sense of presence on the ship were completely eliminated, as if it were just an inconspicuous piece of driftwood, drifting with the waves.

"...I understand." Donnie calmed himself down.

Even if we return immediately, safety cannot be guaranteed.

It's better to trust Wiener and the others, and to trust our Yukikaze.

"Rokka, reduce speed to 15 knots!"

-----------------

The previous vortex seemed to have exhausted all the bad luck of everyone.

After that, the Yukikaze had a smooth journey.

More than three hours later, the sky gradually turned orange-red.

“Look! That island!” Donnie suddenly pointed excitedly into the distance. “I remember it. We can rest there tonight.”

Once he reaches the island, he can retrieve the nautical chart and return to a safe passage.

“Then let’s do as you say.” Venere nodded.

Many deep-sea monsters only begin to move at night.

Whether for safety reasons or to maintain their condition as much as possible, there is no need to rush for this little bit of time.

Even if they can handle it, they still have to consider Doni's physical strength.

The saying goes, "Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death," and the same applies to reference points seen at sea.

An hour has passed since the island was discovered, but the distance has not shortened at all.

"It's so slow," Felix complained under his breath, the initial excitement of going to sea long since worn away by the day's rough seas.

Hearing the complaint, Rikka stopped what she was doing, turned her head and looked over: "Then you do it?"

"I'll do it!" Felix was just about to stretch his legs.

However, looking at the six oars in front of him, he immediately lost heart. "I can't row this boat by myself. Vena, you have to help me!"

"You're just looking for trouble and you expect me to keep you company?" Vena wasn't fooled.

"No need for that complicated process, just draw it as you see fit."

After saying that, Rikka jumped into the sea and braced her hands firmly against the stern of the Yukikaze.

The micro-knife and hairpin transformed again, turning into a propeller shape and beginning to spin at high speed, propelling the ship forward through the waves.

With this assistance, the speed of the Yukikaze increased significantly.

"You've worked hard too," Lisette said softly, walking up to Vina.

Vina appeared unharmed, but she had been maintaining this illusion for five hours.

This kind of intense mental concentration and exertion is by no means easier than fighting a major battle.

"That's a minor matter; consider it practice in controlling the momentum. The key is—"

Only then did Lisette notice the Demon-Seeking Compass that Venus was holding.

The red dots that were originally used to mark the location of monsters have now covered the entire dial, making it difficult to find even a blank spot.

"How come there are so many?"

Lisette's eyes widened in surprise; she didn't think the compass was malfunctioning.

"This means that this sea area is deeper than we imagined."

Jessica also came closer, revealing her compass.

The two of them clearly had the same idea.

Chapter 535 Island Terror

"I was hoping to use the Demon-Seeking Compass to find a safe passage, but that's all for now," Vena said, trying to sound casual.

“Having too wide a detection range isn’t a good thing either.” Jessica tossed the Demon-Seeking Compass back to Vina.

The sea may appear calm on the surface, but this is merely a superficial illusion.

Beneath this sea area lie intermediate, deep, and even abyssal layers, with underwater space being perfectly utilized, each layer concealing unknown risks.

At this density, the Demon-Seeking Compass has lost its meaning.

“So we still have to rely on Donnie’s experience?” Lisette murmured.

"We'll just have to see where things take us," Wiener said, not holding out much hope.

Even if Doni had a photographic memory and remembered every route he had taken, sea conditions are ultimately time-sensitive.

A few years of inactivity is enough to change a lot of things.

The former rulers of the oceans may become prey for others.

“And then there’s the Anchor Pirates,” Jessica whispered a reminder. “We haven’t found any trace of them yet.”

"Either they went deeper into the area, or Donnie's father took them on a different route."

"Do you think he still has a chance of survival?" Viner asked the question that everyone had been avoiding.

“It’s very slim,” Jessica said bluntly. “From the moment he safely entered the Kuroshio Strait, he lost his value.”

She can travel back and forth using teleportation once she sets foot on the island where the Holy Sword is located.

If it really was the Demon who kidnapped Donnie's father, then all it needed to consider was successfully entering the Kuroshio Strait, not leaving.

"It's up to this kid to figure it out himself," Viner shook his head.

......

Unbeknownst to them, the Yukikaze had already docked on the shallow waters of the island.

Felix stood at the bow of the ship, cupping his hands into a megaphone and shouted, "Hey, Venus, we've arrived!"

Upon hearing the call, the group ended their conversation and jumped off the ship one by one, stepping onto the long-lost land.

Jessica was the last to disembark. She raised her hand and waved it lightly, and the Lionheart instantly appeared, opening its huge mouth to swallow the Yukikaze whole, thus saving her the trouble of watching the ship.

"I remember it's this way."

Donnie parted a clump of bushes, revealing a secluded clearing. Turning back to the group, he explained, "This place is high enough, with a wide view and a water source behind it. My father specially chose this stronghold; we won't find such a good place again."

As he spoke, he began to clear away the surrounding weeds.

"Then we'll benefit from it."

The others couldn't just wait for Donny to do it all by himself, so they all started to lend a hand.

Vena took out a tent from her ring and tossed it to Felix and Rikka, instructing them to set it up. She then built a stove stand and started a fire.