Ring Island was the largest artificial island in the Southern Archipelago, situated at the gateway from the Southern Seas to the Baiyue Strait. Its total area was roughly 30 square kilometers, though less than half of that was actual landmass.

From the sky, its shape looked like a giant donut.

It was said that the island once belonged to a tycoon from the Prosperity Era, who had planned to turn it into a luxurious seaside resort. Unfortunately, the dredging ships had only just begun outlining the island’s perimeter when the Three Year War suddenly broke out, and all construction was forced to stop.

After the war, survivors from Baiyue Province managed to restart the island-building project. Using debris from coastal ruins and salvaged machinery, they gradually expanded the island’s outline.

Without any assistance from the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, it took them nearly 30 years, like modern-day Yu Gongs moving mountains, to finish what prewar engineers could have done in half a year. Around the 50th year of the Wasteland Era, the survivors finally moved onto the completed island.

Merchants from Silvermoon Bay called the settlement “The Pearl of the Southern Seas,” but the locals themselves named it Seagull Port, because, according to legend, it was seagulls who guided them to the haven, far from mutant beasts.

Another 50 years passed. Around the 100th year of the Wasteland Era, the island’s population and standard of living exploded, growing from fewer than a hundred people to over a hundred thousand.

Records from Silvermoon Bay claimed this boom came from their merchants discovering the port and bringing plentiful food to its people.

But Sisi doubted it was that simple.

Merchants from Silvermoon Bay wouldn’t hand out food for free. The locals must’ve had something valuable enough to make it worth the trip. Pearls, shells, deep-sea fish, and coastal scrap wouldn’t fetch much on their own. But with the clues about Shelter 70, everything started to make sense.

Around that same period, the Wasteland Era’s 100th year, Shelter 70 had unsealed itself, sharing Prosperity Era technology with the local fishermen.

That technology didn’t just make fishing more efficient; it expanded the island’s livable space and massively improved its living standards, just as Shelter 404 had done for Dawn City.

With this technological leap, Seagull Port quickly became the brightest gem of the Southern Seas, drawing merchants from Silvermoon Bay and Poro Province alike.

Camel Kingdom’s traders brought grain. The war-torn Poro Province supplied cheap labor. And along the trade routes, Seagull Port’s technology spread back to both lands.

That was why the Camel Kingdom, tucked in the desert, possessed more advanced production methods than other Sunset Province kingdoms.

No matter how much black technology the researcher from the Academy had in his head, one man alone could never have dragged a conservative feudal state into the future.

Following closely behind the two patrol boats, Sisi steered their Roro Boat until the emerald sea parted and the island rose into view.

Boats of all sizes lined the docks, and white seagulls flitted overhead, peaceful and idyllic.

It wasn’t their first visit. The last time they had passed through was just before the end of the previous year. Back then, there had been no Federation. Every island in this region governed itself, and none had been this heavily fortified.

“What’s that ship doing?” Roshan asked curiously, pointing toward a nearby flat-deck vessel that was tossing black spiked metal spheres into the sea.

Tail squinted through her telescope. “Oh! They’re throwing sea mines!”

“Seriously?” Roshan blinked.

Tail raised her brow. “Hey! Do I look like someone who jokes about bombs?”

Yes?

Still... the things really did look like sea mines.

Inside the bridge, Sisi frowned slightly as she watched the freighter, now retrofitted into a warship. Even through the calm sea breeze, she could sense something was off.

Quickly, their cargo ship docked. The same man who had hailed them earlier climbed aboard with practiced ease, meeting Sisi as she descended from the bridge.

“I’m Muda, commander of the coastal patrol,” he said.

“Sisi, helmswoman of the Roro Boat,” she replied evenly.

Muda got straight to the point. “Where’s your captain?”

“That would be her,” Sisi said, pointing toward Roshan.

The bear gave an awkward grin and waved a massive paw. “Hi.”

“... Hi.” Apparently, Muda had never seen a talking bear before. He froze for a second but still managed a polite nod.

Sisi quickly seized the moment. “Is there a war going on here?”

“Yes.” Muda tore his gaze from the bear and nodded.

“So who’s the enemy?” Sisi asked.

“Shelter 70.”

Roshan and Tail locked eyes, then instantly clamped each other’s mouths shut.

Muda gave them a puzzled look. “A talking bear? Are you from the Arctic?”

“Arctic?” Sisi echoed.

“I read about it in books,” he explained, gesturing. “Polar bears look like that.”

Tail wriggled free of Roshan’s paw and said seriously, “Oh, she’s not a polar bear, just an albino brown bear.”

“Is that so?” Muda blinked, suddenly looking apologetic.

Roshan glared at Tail.

Stop giving me weird backstories!

Tail just stuck her tongue out playfully.

What’s the problem? They’re not going to judge you!

While they bantered, Sisi was watching Muda’s face closely. She caught the brief flicker of guilt in his eyes and said softly, “We would like to buy some supplies here. What are the procedures?”

“No procedures,” Muda said bluntly. “We welcome merchants... but as you can see, times are special. We’ll need to inspect your cargo.”

“No problem. This way.” Sisi led him straight into the ship.

Watching the two disappear into the hold, Sesame Lake nervously asked Tail, “Should we really let him see the cargo?”

Tail stroked her chin, thought for a second, and declared confidently, “No problem.”

Roshan frowned. “Why are you so confident?”

Tail grinned slyly. “Pirate’s intuition!”

“... That’s not a reason!” Roshan sputtered.

Inside the ship, Muda moved cautiously, taking in the heavily armed mercenaries and the dim corridors. When he followed Sisi down the ladder and stepped into the lower cargo hold, he froze in shock.

Hundreds of people were packed inside, men, women, and children huddled together.

“These are Moonfolk from Poro Province,” Sisi said quietly. “You’ve heard what’s happening there, haven’t you?”

Muda shook his head. “No. What’s going on?”

“Xilande Empire’s cleansing them, systematically,” she said, lowering her voice. “They’re seizing their property, enslaving them. If we hadn’t taken them, they would already be in chains, sold like most unlucky wastelanders.”

Muda scanned the Yayad carefully. None bore shackles or brand marks. All were staring at him anxiously, as if their entire fate rested on his next words.

He felt his heart tighten. But pity alone couldn’t justify chaos. Seagull Port was small, barely 30 square kilometers, and already home to nearly 100,000 people.

“We welcome travelers,” he began, “but...”

“You can’t take in this many,” Sisi finished for him.

Muda nodded silently, then added, “It would cause trouble. We don’t have room.”

Sisi sighed. “I understand. We’re not asking you to take them in, just... turn a blind eye while we buy supplies at the port. Please. There’s no one else willing to help us out here.”