That evening.
Chihu Rock.
Mu Yang dined with the crew of the Crux Fleet at Wanmin Restaurant.
Though that was the case.
Beidou, having roamed the martial world for many years, naturally wouldn't let her crew bother Mu Yang.
She simply introduced him as an honored guest and told them not to ask questions.
Their table only seated Beidou, Mu Yang, and Kaedehara Kazuha.
Most who met Kazuha for the first time would assume he was just a trainee sailor of the Crux Fleet.
After all, the young man carried himself with remarkable serenity.
He always spoke with an air of effortless ease, completely unlike the rough demeanor of seasoned sailors.
For instance, when Beidou filled Mu Yang's bowl to the brim, Kazuha stepped in to help him out.
"If you can't drink, just refuse. The Captain's always like this—no need to force yourself."
"It's fine."
Mu Yang knew Kazuha meant well, but this amount of alcohol was nothing to him.
In his previous simulated memories, he'd occasionally drank with Morax and others—never once getting drunk.
So, Mu Yang downed it all in one go, showing Beidou and Kazuha what he was made of.
"Now that's what I'm talking about! Bottoms up!"
Beidou was delighted.
Not only was Mu Yang willing to drink with her, but he did so with such boldness.
Her admiration for him grew even more.
Halfway through, the two switched to larger bowls.
Eventually, they moved on to entire jugs...
After three rounds, the Crux sailors had all retreated.
Only their table remained.
"Drink... Don't stop me... I can still go..."
Beidou clung to the wine jug, her words slurring.
She was clearly wasted beyond coherence.
Meanwhile, Mu Yang looked completely unfazed.
If not for the strong scent of alcohol wafting from the jug, Kazuha might've suspected Xiangling had served Mu Yang plain water instead.
"Mu Yang... you're way too good at this..."
Mu Yang lifted the jug. "Want to take over for Captain Beidou?"
"I'll pass," Kazuha declined with a wave.
Xiangling, having finished cleaning the kitchen, came out and gasped at the scene.
"Whoa! I never thought Captain Beidou would lose!"
"Is it really that surprising?" Mu Yang asked.
Kazuha replied, "Aside from Tianquan Ningguang, you're the second person I've seen who could drink the Captain under the table."
Mu Yang pondered. "So Ningguang's that strong, huh... I wonder if she's got some kind of 'never lost a drinking match' record. Maybe I should break that next time?"
"Uh..." Xiangling and Kazuha exchanged glances.
Mu Yang, you're not an Adeptus—you're a demon!
The Tianquan's Dao Heart is about to shatter!
Later, Xiangling took Beidou home to rest.
Mu Yang found himself a place to stay for the night.
The Crux Fleet's gatherings typically lasted three days.
Beidou, seeking to redeem herself, suffered three consecutive defeats.
Now, both she and Ningguang had lost three times in a row.
Laughter was impossible for them now.
But laughter doesn't simply vanish.
It had all transferred to the faces of Liyue's wine merchants...
——————
On the day of departure, Xiangling came to fetch Mu Yang.
"Xiangling, Guoba—you're coming along too?"
"Hehe, I was too busy during the Lantern Rite to research new ingredients. My dad gave me some time off now."
"Lu~♪"
Mu Yang silently prayed for the little ones of Liyue in his heart.
Good luck to you all.
Along the way, Xiangling shared her first meeting with Beidou.
Back then, the fleet's accountant, following Beidou's orders, had come looking for a ship's cook.
Xiangling was still just a rookie chef at the time.
The accountant, trying to save money, practically dragged her onto the ship through trickery.
"All the ingredients on board were seafood—only 'Moonlight Cuisine' could be made. But I'm someone who wants to surpass the divide between the two great culinary traditions!"
"That's what I told Captain Beidou. Guess how she reacted?"
Mu Yang played along. "How did she react?"
"She pointed at a crate by her feet and said, 'Last job paid well. I'll give you 50,000 Mora as your fee.'"
Xiangling continued, "Fifty thousand Mora! I had no choice but to reluctantly agree."
"After all, to surpass the two great traditions, I first had to prove I could handle seafood."
In the end, Beidou truly admired Xiangling's skills.
In front of the entire crew, she boldly declared:
Given time, Xiangling would become renowned throughout Liyue Harbor.
Not only that, Beidou had the entire crew address Xiangling as "Elder Sister Xiangling."
The young Xiangling, new to the world, was deeply impressed by Beidou's generosity and bold personality.
From then on, she often sailed with Beidou, searching for the freshest seafood ingredients.
"I used to think Captain Beidou stayed far away from the kitchen and didn't recognize seafood."
"But once we were at sea, it was like she ruled the entire ocean!"
"She could identify every type of seafood and even knew how to cook them all. She taught me so much."
Listening to Xiangling's stories, Mu Yang's impression of Beidou grew even more vivid.
Compared to reading character profiles, firsthand experience left a far deeper impression...
"Hey, 'Elder Sister Xiangling'! And the Captain's honored guest—you're here!"
The speaker was the first mate of the Alcor.
Judging by Xiangling's expression, she'd long grown numb to the title.
Mu Yang nodded and followed Xiangling onto the deck.
Beidou leaned against the bow, holding a letter.
Her expression suggested it wasn't good news.
"That woman..."
Xiangling quietly pulled Kazuha aside. "What's wrong with Captain Beidou?"
"That letter was delivered by the Tianquan's personal secretary."
Xiangling understood and glanced at Mu Yang with Kazuha.
Mu Yang pretended not to hear their whispers.
It's not like I made her drink.
He walked off to inspect the Alcor.
In reality, the ship was far more magnificent than its in-game counterpart.
Every detail was meticulously crafted.
"These must be scars from battles with sea monsters..."
Mu Yang traced the repaired sections of the hull.
So realistic!
As Mu Yang explored, the crew busied themselves with preparations.
Once the cargo was loaded, the sails were raised, and the anchor lifted.
Beidou, having composed herself, stood at the bow and announced their departure.
Not long after leaving port, Mu Yang leaped onto the ship's dragon figurehead.
He'd wanted to do this for ages.
"Not the Going Merry or the Thousand Sunny, but this'll do."
Now he knew how it felt to be in One Piece.
——————
Days later.
The ship entered the waters of Inazuma.
The distant thunderstorm was now clearly visible.
The crew took their positions, preparing for the most dangerous stretch of the journey.
Mu Yang approached Beidou. "Do you always take the same route?"
"Yeah. Doesn't matter—the storms are equally fierce everywhere."
Hearing this, Mu Yang hatched a plan.
If they always took the same path, that meant the Traveler (Lumine) would pass through here later.
Perfect.
"I'll clear the way," Mu Yang said.
Beidou's face filled with confusion. "Huh???"
Mu Yang jumped to the bow, calmly observing the direction of the lightning strikes.
The first mate on deck was stunned—was this guest here to die?
He rushed over. "Captain, what's our honored guest trying to do?"
"Just operate as usual. Don't worry about the rest."
Word somehow spread to the cabins.
Xiangling and Kazuha rushed out to see.
Kazuha frowned. "That stance... Is Mu Yang planning to cut through the storm?"
"HUH???"
Xiangling could only marvel—was this how Adepti operated? Too hard to understand!
Others who didn't know Mu Yang's identity scoffed at Kazuha's words.
"You kidding, Kazuha? The guy can hold his liquor, but that's the Raiden Shogun's lightning!"
"With that skinny frame? Even the Captain with her Electro Vision avoids it!"
"Damn, Kazuha, quit poetry and become a storyteller!"
...
Mu Yang remained perfectly relaxed at the bow.
He'd recently spent all his Character Popularity points and was itching to test himself.
As the storm drew closer, the crew fell silent.
Even if they wanted to speak, the thunder would drown them out.
Beidou signaled: 「Prepare for impact!」
At that moment—Mu Yang moved.
"Profound Ice Dragon Soar!" (Reference to "Battle Through the Heavens" animation, Hai Bodong's technique)
With a single sword stroke, two crystalline ice dragons coiled forward, escorting the Alcor.
Where the dragons passed, they not only blocked the divine lightning but also silenced the deafening thunder!
Everyone on deck stared in awe.
"Holy shit, he actually countered the Raiden Shogun's storm?!"
"Am I fucking dreaming?!"
"OW! Why'd you hit me?!"
"Guess it's real..."
Xiangling rubbed her eyes, unable to believe what she'd just witnessed.
"Was that... Rex Lapis?!"
Even Kazuha was stunned.
He'd only guessed Mu Yang might attempt it—but he actually pulled it off?!
Beidou, after years at sea, had never seen such a spectacle.
She watched Mu Yang's back and murmured,
"His power is truly unfathomable."
"Good thing I didn't try to teach him a lesson back then..."