The arrival of a renowned physician on the Oriental Princess caused a stir throughout the ship. With over a hundred crew and combat personnel, secrets were hard to keep among those who spent their days together. Moreover, many crew members suffered from the same ailment as Old Liu. Consequently, they began requesting leave to seek treatment.
Liu Chunhua informed Oriental Yunying of the situation, who was also very interested. As an excellent captain, caring for her crew's health was paramount. Oriental Yunying immediately instructed Old Liu to reschedule, allowing those needing treatment to see Ling Tian in rotation. Within two to three days, Ling Tian became the most popular person on board.
Ling Tian maintained a very regular schedule. Each morning after breakfast, provided it wasn't raining, he would head to the deck to cultivate using the Ling Jing Zhi Shi. He found that cultivating here offered a different state of mind and approach, allowing him to progress much faster than on land. After lunch, he would rest for a while before going to the ship's hospital to treat the crew. Those requiring acupuncture were scheduled for the evenings.
Ling Tian was delighted to discover that Old Meng and a couple of other ship doctors had a foundation in acupuncture. He patiently taught the three of them various acupuncture methods and techniques. They learned quickly, soon mastering several techniques. Under Ling Tian's guidance, they also participated in the treatment process, with seven to eight people receiving treatment simultaneously each evening. Ling Tian's methods yielded immediate results, much to the crew's delight. Everyone greeted Ling Tian enthusiastically with nods.
Three days later, they had sailed over 2,000 kilometers from the Australian port. The vast South Pacific was empty save for their cargo ship, with no islands in sight. The 100,000-ton giant vessel seemed as insignificant as a speck of dust in the immensity of the world.
In the Oriental Princess's cockpit, a relaxed Liu Chunhua was meticulously studying the navigation chart. Suddenly, a red light flashed in the cockpit, followed by a beeping alarm. Liu Chunhua immediately rose and went to the rear of the cockpit. He reached for a cabin door, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and it opened to reveal a small elevator. He entered, and the elevator descended rapidly, dropping over ten meters in seconds to the ship's midsection.
Any outsider would have been astonished, as this was no ordinary cabin but a tactical command center, akin to those found on warships or submarines. Inside, over a dozen staff members were busily working. The surrounding walls were covered with various monitors and instruments, and the air was filled with the beeping sounds of equipment. Captain Oriental Yunying anxiously awaited Liu Chunhua's arrival.
"Captain, what's happened?"
"Brother Liu, we've made a discovery! Forty kilometers away, a large vessel is heading towards us at high speed, approximately 25 knots! We've used reconnaissance satellites to search, and the images have come through!"
Liu Chunhua looked at the screen, where a top-down view of a ship appeared. The ship's database was already performing rapid calculations and comparisons, and within seconds, the vessel's model was displayed on the large screen.
"It's a US Perry-class amphibious assault ship. This type of amphibious assault ship has a displacement of 80,000 tons and can carry multiple aircraft, tanks, and small speedboats!" Oriental Yunying recognized the vessel instantly. These amphibious assault ships were primarily used for projecting landing forces at sea. Although this Perry-class had been retired from the US Navy over a decade ago, many had found their way into civilian hands.
"Heading analysis indicates they are flanking us. If nothing unexpected occurs, they will intersect our course in 30 minutes!" a crew member shouted.
Oriental Yunying snorted, "They're not here with good intentions. Issue a warning immediately and put the entire ship on Level One alert!"
"Report, Captain, new discovery! That ship has launched three speedboats! These speedboats are traveling at over 40 knots!" the radar operator reported.
"Heh, then send them to meet their maker!"
...
Sakoko hailed from a country in East Africa that was in a state of anarchy. From birth, his life was surrounded by hunger, poverty, war, and even massacres. The most famous export of this country was piracy. Located near the Gulf of Aden, it was a crucial maritime route connecting Europe and Asia, prompting some daring individuals to engage in this risk-free business. In their heyday, they once extorted 30 million US dollars in a single incident.
Eventually, their actions angered nations worldwide, and several major powers dispatched escort fleets. Initially, even when encountering escort fleets, they were usually captured by the military. Even imprisonment offered a meal and posed no immediate threat to their lives. This changed when, on one occasion, the pirates mistook a Russian warship for a merchant vessel. The Russian navy, bored and having had a bit too much vodka, saw an opportunity for amusement. They unleashed almost all their onboard weaponry, except for anti-ship missiles and torpedoes, upon the pirates' small boats. The unfortunate pirates met their end at sea. Consequently, warships from other countries began to follow suit, and the risks of this profession increased exponentially.
Now, to conduct business, they might have to sail dozens of times to succeed once, all while constantly evading warships. Sakoko's life became increasingly difficult. Then, two years ago, Sakoko discovered a change in his body. His strength had more than doubled, his reaction speed had improved by half, and his skin had become incredibly tough. Ordinary knives could only leave superficial marks, without drawing blood. Even small-caliber firearms struggled to inflict fatal damage on his body! Sakoko didn't know the source of this strength, but he used it to directly eliminate the leader of his gang and become its boss!