After Charles released her, Lucy raced to the railing and glanced over the edge. She saw nothing, but she swore something bumped the ship below.

"What was that?" Charles asked as he approached her.

Lucy grimaced. "I don't-"

She paused when a shadow drifted past her ship. She widened her eyes and glanced further at the fog. "Something is here."

“A sea monster?” The wolf whispered.

“I hope not.” Lucy kept scanning the fog while her heart raced. If a sea serpent or sea dragon dwelled in the mist, the Iron Maiden would be vulnerable. Those monsters were the worst, including a kraken.

Like rogue waves, they attack ships without warning to feed on the crew. Usually, they only dwell around deep waters to swim freely. If their territory has fish, they will ignore the ships on the surface. Sometimes they only attack if they mistake the ship for a giant fish. Still, sea monster attacks were unpredictable unless the creatures showed signs of their presence.

"Over there!" Charles pointed to the right.

Lucy ran to the other side and looked. But she saw nothing. "What did you see?"

Charles’s voice hesitated. "I-I-I think it was a mountain."

"A mountain?"

"It looked skinny, but I couldn't see it clearly."

Lucy’s eyes widened. "There's no sea monster here!"

She sprinted back to the wheel and saw two massive shadows appear in front of her ship. Both were conical shapes and black.

Lucy’s mouth gasped. "Reef mountains!"

She spun the wheel, straightening her ship as it sailed toward the mounts. Fortunately, her vessel sailed through the short canyon between the massive rocks.

On the other side, more sharp rocks appeared like a giant forest. Lucy remembered on the map, Ghost Island appeared in a cluster of smaller islands. Apparently, those islands weren't islands at all. They were mountains and sharp reefs on the ocean's surface! Just like Mermaid Reef!

"We better wake the crew," Lucy suggested. "Hurry!"

Charles rang the bell next to the door to the navigation room. Ivy rose in the crow’s nest and stretched her arms as she yawned.

"What is it, captain?" The cat girl asked.

"Reefs!" Lucy shouted. "We got reefs in our paths!"

Below, the crew scrambled across the main deck on full alert. Tashina, Byron, Kiki, and Walton climbed to the sterncastle deck, where Lucy steered the ship.

"Where are we?" Byron asked.

"I think we are close, but we got reef mountains in the fog!" Lucy exclaimed. "We have to slow this ship down before-"

"Look out!" Ivy warned.

A wall of sharp, pointy rocks appeared ahead. Lucy doesn’t have time to turn the ship from the blockage. "Brace yourselves!!!"

Although the crew lowered the sails, the vessel crashed through the rocks. Everyone fell to the floor. Some fell overboard, and Ivy caught the ladder net after she fell down.

The ship abruptly stopped between the spike rocks. There was a little water below the reef.

"The cargo hold is flooding!" One crew member shouted. "Two reef spikes struck through!"

Lucy checked her ship's status.

Iron Maiden Type: Brigantine Level: 20 HP: 190 AP: 50 Strength: 10 Speed: 5 Cannons: 40 Crew: 50

She sighed, since her ship didn’t take too much damage. But it seemed they won't be going anywhere for now.

"Repair the ship and rescue the crew who fell overboard!" Lucy ordered. "I want this vessel immediately ready so we can reach the island!"

"Cap'n, I wish t' advise against that," Walton suggested. "If we move the ship now, we shall sink."

Lucy glared at him. "I know that, but we are so close. If we don't get there soon, other pirates might find it."

"Captain! Look!" Ivy pointed her finger straight ahead.

Lucy glanced over at the wheel. Her eyes widened.

Over the sharp rocks, the fog faded away as the morning sunlight rose from the far right distance. The vast light shimmered over a large green island with a flat beach and a tall mountain.

Lucy’s breath left her lips. "We made it…"