The Atlantic Ocean is the world's second-largest ocean, covering nearly 20% of Earth's surface. Its overall shape resembles an "S," divided by the equator into the North Atlantic and the South Atlantic.
In addition, the Atlantic has several adjoining seas, the larger ones being the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.
The great north-to-south span of the Atlantic results in diverse climates. From the polar climate of Greenland in the north to the tropical deserts and rainforests along the coasts of West Africa and Brazil, the Atlantic embraces it all.
The seas near Europe, the United States, Canada, Brazil, and the Gulf of Guinea are known for their frequent storms and rough waves.
"So, the probability of shipwrecks is also high. Over the years, even the lowest probability will eventually give rise to ghost ships."
Sitting at the Black family's Fisherman's Wharf, Regulus Black closed a geography magazine written by Muggles. It contained detailed research on Earth's environment, filled with photographs and papers. In this respect, Muggles, though lacking magic, showed far greater curiosity about the world than the wizarding community.
Thus, Muggles study everything, while wizards prefer to study what involves magic.
The Atlantic is the nearest route connecting Britain and America. As long as there were ships, no roads were necessary. After the discovery of the Americas, Muggles set sail to the New World, conquering natives and seizing land and resources. Early settlers did not shy away from such deeds.
In Muggle understanding, a ghost ship is one that disappeared or sank years ago, only to be found sailing again, completely empty of crew. Many were simply victims of piracy, accidents that cast the crew into the sea, or other unexpected disasters.
In the eyes of wizards, however, ghost ships are vessels of magical power, sustained by the gathering of the dead. These spirits keep the ships in motion while remaining their prisoners.
They attack all living beings and show a particular memory for wealth and treasure, making the collection of valuables a common habit of the spirits aboard.
The common ground between Muggles and wizards is that Muggles imagine ghost ships as magical, while wizards know them to be so.
This is why there are so many novels about ghost ships in the Muggle world.
Regulus Black was on holiday when he received a notice from his Clockwork Halloween Iron Golem No. 4. Back when the golden-eyed girl had her strange dream aboard a cruise ship, Regulus had already suspected she had encountered a ghost ship.
Only, this ghost ship did not massacre the cruise it encountered. Instead, it followed it from start to finish, as though exploring the Muggles' ship—or perhaps simply interested in its passengers.
Regulus Black could not guarantee that Sarah Maidani was the only person aboard with magical power.
After all, transcontinental Apparition was not something every wizard could manage. Even the Floo Network could not accomplish such transfers. For wizards to travel between continents, they either relied on flying tools of their own or took Muggle planes and ships.
As night fell, the dockworkers, who had been working diligently once the boss arrived, left the Fisherman's Wharf under their supervisor's orders. Each of them greeted Regulus Black on their way out. They were relieved not to work overtime at night, giving them more time with their families. The reason for no night shifts, of course, was the presence of a monster nearby.
When Regulus went to America to invest in filming Paranormal Sixth Sense: The Golden-Eyed Girl, he had deployed a submarine from the wharf. Originally named Nautilus, it was renamed Aquarius after he entrusted the Twelve Demon Zodiac Key to Captain No. 4.
The monster haunting Fisherman's Wharf was none other than a byproduct of the Aquarius—a giant octopus named Extra.
Regulus Black had these Extras protect the wharf at night, and already, more than a hundred Muggles had fallen victim to them.
After that, the Muggle government stopped sending people to deal with the monster.
The dockworkers, after their initial panic, developed the habit of leaving before nightfall. Their work became flexible, starting at sunrise and ending at sunset, following the rhythm of the sun.
Regulus never forced them to work overtime. He only required them to report to work when due. Meanwhile, the monster became a sort of legend. Adventurers would sometimes appear at night, only to vanish, with their headless corpses discovered in daylight.
All these misfortunes only added to the mysterious aura of the Fisherman's Wharf.
But none of this affected Regulus Black's operations. As long as his workers remained unharmed, the Muggle government had no grounds to intervene or investigate, and even smuggling would go unquestioned.
This was because of an agreement between the Ministry of Magic and the Muggle government.
All wizard-owned enterprises publicly known to Muggles followed similar rules.
At nightfall, the Aquarius surfaced right on schedule.
No. 4 raised her hand in a German salute and led Regulus Black aboard the submarine.
"We discovered the ghost ship beneath the sea. After a period of observation, we believe it possesses consciousness."
Clad in a German military uniform, No. 4 handed over a stack of reports, documenting the discovery and summarizing their observations.
"At present, the ghost ship has abandoned its wooden hull and transformed into a metal vessel. In fact, it has become the very cruise ship Miss Sarah once boarded."
She pointed to a sketch in the file, drawn by her own hand. Drawing was an essential skill for a captain—without it, one could hardly read nautical charts, let alone illustrate landscapes.
The file contained six wooden sailing ships: one was a Spanish galleon, another a caravel popular in the 15th century, a third was the "Queen's Ship" from Elizabethan England, the fourth was the Chinese "Fu Ship," one of China's four great ancient ships, the fifth a galleon developed in mid-16th century England, and finally the Potosí, a five-masted giant sailing vessel, considered the peak and swan song of traditional Western sailing ships in the early 19th century.
"What a history of ships!"
Regulus Black studied the notes beneath the sketches. All of this had been collected by No. 4.
The last sketch, however, depicted a modern metal cruise ship.
According to the file, these six wooden sailing ships had abandoned their original hulls and, by scavenging metal from the seabed, fused into an entirely new cruise ship. But at its core, it remained a ghost ship.
"I didn't expect it to develop a ship spirit. If that's the case, it's all the more worthy of collection."
Regulus Black shook the report in his hand and smiled at No. 4.
To Muggles, the Atlantic was vast. A voyage from Britain to America taking one week was considered fast, with records of Liverpool to New York in five and a half days. For wizards, such a distance took even less time, but spending days riding a broom was hardly appealing. Wizards preferred to spend more time using Muggle means.
On the Aquarius, however, they reached their destination—the Bermuda Islands—within the same day.
There, a newly formed ghost ship swayed in the night breeze, a lone figure standing at its bow.
She was Shao Jun, a Chinese assassin from the 16th century. Once a concubine of Emperor Zhengde, she was rescued during the chaos of his death and joined the Assassin Brotherhood.
Later, as Emperor Jiajing hunted the assassins, the Chinese Brotherhood declined. Shao Jun followed her mentor to Italy.
Yet in this world, Shao Jun perished in a shipwreck. The Chinese Fu Ship had been her vessel.
Among all who died, she possessed an extraordinary will, which allowed her to become the master spirit of the ghost ship after death.
Over centuries, she seized control of six ghost ships, steadily growing stronger.
"This newborn cruise ship shall be called Aeolus. Endless sailing will be our mission."
As Shao Jun raised her hand, the spirits behind her erupted in cheers.
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