When Bill looked at his friends, he realized that great things awaited them.
The meeting went well, but Bill didn't want to bring up his topic in front of so many people. In the end, he decided to seek help from his father first and wasn't disappointed.
"Yes, it's old. The hull has been restored, but the interior will show its age. The best thing about it is that it hasn't been subjected to severe stress."
Inside the huge dry dock stood a small naval frigate. It had only eight cannons on each side and two front mortars.
Walking around its side, the young Marine Captain asked, "Will it leak?"
The elderly officer shook his head and replied, "How can it leak? This hull, made of sea stone, was designed for the New World, and I personally restored the wood. Anyway, son, this is the best you can hope for."
Nodding, Bill understood that this was an understatement.
According to Aramaki, this ship was built less than twenty years ago and was essentially only used on a single voyage. It was designed for speed, and although it could accommodate up to 250 Marines, with just three sails, it was small enough that Bill and a small, but capable crew could manage it.
Honestly, this ship was everything Bill could have hoped for, and much more than he expected to receive when he asked his father for help with a ship.
Jumping onto the deck, Aramaki followed Bill as he inspected the vessel's interior. On the ship, there were two restroom facilities, each equipped with a shower, which surprised Bill, as other ships he had been on only had sea water toilets with a chain.
That included the "Hina," so Bill asked his father, "Are there freshwater facilities here?"
Responding from behind, Aramaki smirked, "Of course, it's the most expensive part of the ship, apart from the sea stone hull. Come, I'll show you."
Following Aramaki back onto the deck, he opened a hatch and pointed to a dark space.
"There's one on the other side, too," he said, indicating the other side, and then continued, "On board, there are two 20-ton tanks. More than enough for a ship of this size."
Bill knew that was true. He had learned a lot about water usage while with Captain Hina, and had seen for himself that 150 Marines consume about 20 tons of water in a month.
Ships are inherently "thirsty monsters," and while these tanks could potentially save a lot of time, Bill had one important question: "How are they cleaned?"
In this world, Bill had not found the use of chlorine, which meant the water had a shelf life of only a few weeks before it became stale. For water stored in barrels, this wasn't a problem, as the barrels could be easily cleaned.
The two huge tanks built into the deck presented a different problem.
"Well, how would you clean them?" As he spoke, Aramaki looked at his son before seriously continuing, "You lift them out and put new ones in."
Seeing Bill freeze, Aramaki laughed and told him to relax. Then, instructing him to step back, he slipped his hand into the hatch and, after a click, opened a panel hidden beneath the wooden deck.
Pulling a bit harder, Aramaki opened an opening measuring four by six feet and said, "You and I are too big to actually fit inside, but at the far end," he pointed to the side of the tank facing the sea, "there's another valve that will allow the water to flow out."
Feeling satisfied, Bill spent the next hour inspecting the rest of the ship.
There was a medical deck, a gunnery deck, a mess hall, a training area, navigation and communication offices, captain and officer cabins, a storage room, and even a sea stone prison cell at the lowest level of the ship.
By his calculations, operating this ship properly would require about sixty regular marines.
After all, even though it was a small frigate, it was still a Marines frigate.
Very pleased, the last thing Bill asked before thanking Aramaki was, "What's its name?"
Surveying the ship from top to bottom, Aramaki glanced at his son with a slight smile and said, "This old fellow? He's called the 'Border Breaker.'"
Nodding, Bill thought the name was fitting, and after discussing his mother and sisters, he excused himself.
"This is great, thank you, Dad. I won't let it go to waste."
As he said this, Aramaki put an arm around his shoulder.
"Now listen, son, I'm giving you this ship because your only other alternative is some tiny pirate caravel with an ugly figurehead that will sink after six months at sea, but I'm not giving you any of my officers. Understood?Saying that he understood, Bill was thinking only about recruiting a crew on Vallipo as a last resort and had no intention of taking people his father needed to manage the place.
"Good! Also, try to come home earlier this evening. Your mother and I want to talk to you about her kingdom and your sisters."
Seeing that Bill was about to say something, Aramaki, who still had his arm around his shoulder, interrupted: "No, it's not important or urgent enough for you to worry about it now. Just try to come home as early as you can, alright?"