Under the moonlight, the Greenland Sea looked like a frozen world of deep blue glass.
The crimson icebreaker YAMAL, reputed to be the largest icebreaker in the world, plowed forward relentlessly, crushing thick ice sheets beneath its reinforced hull.
Within hundreds of nautical miles, it was the only vessel in motion.
Outside the ship stretched a desolate frozen sea, vast and silent enough to make one feel the fleeting insignificance of human life.
Inside the YAMAL, however, the atmosphere was completely different.
The ship had originally been scheduled for a half-month stop for resupply and maintenance. That plan changed when a wealthy client paid an enormous sum to witness the Arctic aurora ahead of schedule.
The captain had explained repeatedly that spring was not the best season for aurora viewing, but money spoke louder than experience. The icebreaker departed overnight.
Even after setting sail, the captain continued selling tickets. By picking up several groups of passengers from different ports along the route, he earned extra income equal to half a year's wages.
This time, every passenger was clearly wealthy.
The casino on board made that obvious.
Tables that normally accepted one Dollar bets now had no chips worth less than one hundred Dollars.
Standing by the porthole, the captain gazed at the icy sea outside. The glaciers, which usually inspired gloom, seemed unusually beautiful tonight.
Not just to him.
Even the White Russian women working in the casino appeared more radiant than usual. Some served drinks, others dealt cards, their smiles rich and inviting.
If a guest was pleased, a casual tip could easily equal several months of their salary.
Of course, there were exceptions.
"Lu Mingfei, can you stop staring like a monkey seeing a banana?" Su Xiaoqiang snapped. "Still looking? Why not just tear out your eyes and stick them on that blonde woman's thigh?"
"Ow, ow, ow, gently," Lu Mingfei yelped as his ear was twisted. "It's going to fall off. I wasn't looking, I swear!"
"Not looking?" Su Xiaoqiang scoffed. "Does it only count if you touch her? No wonder you insisted on coming to the Arctic Ocean. You just wanted to see foreign girls' thighs."
Lu Mingfei inwardly groaned.
A few days ago, he had picked up a mysterious system on the roadside and believed his life was about to change forever.
Instead, he still ended up being sent out to buy soy sauce.
He never even had the chance to show his uncle and aunt how different he had become. He was shoved back into his room and ignored as usual.
Did he, now empowered, really want to keep enduring his aunt's constant nagging?
Of course not.
He told himself that fortunes rise and fall, endured the humiliation, bought the soy sauce, then locked himself in his room in silence.
But patience has limits.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
He was strong now. He had magic, Mangekyō Sharingan, even the Rinnegan.
So in a moment of frustration, he decided to hold back on giving out the Devil Fruits.
On impulse, he also accepted the system's first mission.
Confess to Chen Wenwen.
The next day, before school, he used magic to smooth every wrinkle in his uniform and styled his hair into what he believed was a handsome look.
Then, in front of the entire class, he stopped her.
"Chen Wenwen!"
The moment her name left his mouth, his body stiffened.
His heart surged with misplaced confidence, like a general marching onto the battlefield.
But when Chen Wenwen turned to face him, her eyes held a faint shadow, a quiet melancholy reminiscent of the heroine from The Lover.
Lu Mingfei's heart betrayed him and began to race.
"I, I, I…" He stuttered uncontrollably.
The entire class watched.
No one interrupted. No one mocked him outright.
Their expressions carried subtle amusement, like visitors at a zoo watching someone tease a monkey.
Lu Mingfei felt it all clearly.
"What are you all staring at?" he thought. "Haven't you seen a confession before?"
He forced himself forward.
"I think the buy one get one free deal at the milk tea shop outside school is a waste. Do you… do you… do you want to…"
He could not continue.
Chen Wenwen leaned against the desk, looking at him calmly. Her eyes were clear, untouched by emotion.
He even sensed avoidance in her posture.
It felt like missing a step on a staircase, his entire world dropping out from beneath him.
Someone stifled a laugh.
Then another.
The laughter spread.
Enraged, Lu Mingfei shouted, "What are you laughing at? Are you all starving ghosts who can drink two cups of milk tea?"
A surge of chakra erupted with his roar, stunning the class into silence.
He turned and ran out.
Later, he sat alone in a corner of the playground, head lowered.
That was when Su Xiaoqiang sneaked up behind him, startled him on purpose, then shoved a bag of potato chips into his arms.
"Hiding here and crying?" she said. "Where did that lion's roar go?"
Though her expression was still arrogant and dismissive, Lu Mingfei felt warmth for the first time.
"This," he thought, "is a real friend."
So he gave her the Devil Fruit he had prepared.
He even gave her the one meant for Chen Wenwen.
The next day, Su Xiaoqiang was still dizzy, struggling to process the truth of the world.
Lu Mingfei, already exhausted by life at home and school, accepted the system's second and third missions without hesitation.
The system indicated that he could travel to the Arctic Ocean aboard the YAMAL.
That was easier said than done.
He had never even heard of the ship before, let alone had connections to board it.
He originally planned to fly there himself.
Coincidentally, Su Xiaoqiang came to him seeking answers about the world.
The plan was simple.
She provided the money and effort.
Lu Mingfei provided encouragement and applause.
They took leave together, traveled to Nuuk Port in Greenland, and boarded the YAMAL.
That was how they ended up here.
"I really wasn't looking at thighs," Lu Mingfei swore solemnly. "If I'm lying, let me jump off the ship and wrestle a polar bear."
"Nonsense," Su Xiaoqiang snapped. "Swear with five fingers next time."
She finally released his ear and shot him a fierce glare.
Their quiet bickering in the corner drew little attention.
But subtle glances flickered across the casino.
Everyone was observing the other passengers.
They were wondering who else had obtained the system.
After all, the system IDs looked like standardized codes, mass-produced rather than unique.
Still, no one broke the fragile balance.
Lu Mingfei and Su Xiaoqiang attracted attention simply because they looked too young.
Students did not belong on a ship like this.
It was obvious, without guessing, that their Dragon Blood levels must have been exceptionally high before binding to the system.
That alone made people wary.
Yet despite the tension, three individuals approached them directly.
One was a muscular blond man.
One had black hair and an expressionless face.
The third was a flamboyant elderly gentleman with white hair.
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