After all, carrying a ship with you wasn't really an option.
It was said that out of over a hundred V5 expeditions, only one involved a Nen user who could transform objects he touched into small, fist-sized crystals to carry along.
Transforming objects into crystals not only drains aura during the process but also requires constant effort to maintain their crystalline state.
This explains why the ship was protected, allowing the person to finally return from the Dark Continent, a rare achievement, as only five people had ever made it back.
This suggests that many failed expeditions didn't just end because of catastrophic dangers but also because there was no way to get back.
Even if the ship managed to dock on the shore, it was still the shoreline of the Dark Continent, a place riddled with threats.
Defenses might be put in place, but they were often completely destroyed.
Survivors, despite their desperate efforts to escape death and the overwhelming fear they faced, would see their hope vanish when they realized the ship they'd relied on was shattered or had disappeared without a trace.
At that moment, any glimmer of hope faded, leaving only despair.
Though these survivors lived on, it was only temporary.
They couldn't retrieve the ship and were stuck, their fate sealed.
Each day was filled with pain, fear, and anxiety until they were eventually killed by roaming monsters or caught in strange, tragic disasters.
In those dire circumstances, even the desire for a quick death felt like a luxury.
It's clear that the failure of over a hundred expeditions might have been due, in large part, to damage to the ships.
"Yes, the ship will be docked at the shore then," Beyond said. "But don't worry, Sir Larry can still handle the return trip."
Ging looked at Beyond silently; he naturally trusted that Larry could manage such challenges.
Beyond felt he had done his best by handing over the team to Larry.
Initially, he had many concerns about the journey, like the limited food supply, the safety of the ship, and the constant threat of death, but once he learned about Larry's abilities, those worries faded away, leaving him feeling truly confident and excited.
Originally, he expected that at least half of the people involved in this mission would die, and that was a conservative guess.
After all, the V5 had sent out 7,500 people, but only 28 came back, which speaks volumes.
Even those who made it back to the six continents had suffered heavy losses due to dangers from the Dark Continent.
In the end, only three of the 7,500 returned completely unharmed, and those were elite members.
It was unrealistic to think their team would do much better.
Even if the whole team, including him, were wiped out with no survivors, it would be perfectly normal.
He had been lucky to escape last time, so it wouldn't be surprising if he barely made it back this time.
However, everything changed once Larry joined the team.
Food supply, ship safety, morale, strength - Larry could handle all these issues alone.
He even had the power to teleport over long distances.
Larry's strength wasn't just physical; it was his versatility that made him invaluable.
One Larry was as good as an entire team.
With Larry on board, he felt a lot more confident about the mission.
If they couldn't succeed with someone like Larry leading, then maybe humans really weren't meant to explore the Dark Continent.
And if that happened, Byander's dream of exploring the Dark Continent would be completely shattered.
Over the next few days, the voyage went smoothly.
They were still sailing within the waters of the six continents, so there was no serious danger yet.
The toughest challenges they faced were whirlpools and shark attacks.
But with a ship full of strong fighters, those threats were nothing to worry about.
Even the fiercest sharks were quickly defeated.
How did they manage that?
It had a lot to do with Golem.
Golem was a mercenary who wore a robotic she'll.
According to Miluk, another member of the mercenary team who'd known Golem for three years, nobody had ever seen what he looked like under that she'll.
Golem was a core member of their team, and his Nen ability allowed him to materialize weapons made of aura.
He could create guns and ammo out of Nen and distribute them to others, and these weapons were far more powerful than regular firearms or cannons.
Larry noticed Golem's mind weapons too and recognized that this was an incredibly valuable Nen ability.
There are basically two types of Nen-formed guns.
The first type involves materializing both the gun and the ammunition, which uses up more of the user's aura.
The second type is where only the gun and barrels are created through Nen, but they can still fire regular bullets.
If there's no regular ammo on hand, the user can channel Nen into the gun to form imaginary ammunition, which is just as powerful.
In the mercenary group called [Stone Wall], where Golem belongs, there are eleven members all aboard the same ship.
Their typical strategy is for Golem to materialize the weapons, while the others handle the shooting.
But each member has their own specific role.
None of the eleven are unnecessary.
Some focus on scouting, others on transport and logistics.
Being a legendary mercenary unit, these eleven are all experts in their fields.
Thanks to Golem's Nen weapons, the crew on the ship enjoyed an easy time frying fish.
Almost every one of them wielded huge Nen rocket launchers, and they didn't even need to take careful aim; they just fired straight at the sharks.
Each Nen projectile was powerful enough to kill multiple sharks at once.
In no time, the blue sea turned crimson with blood, and a strong metallic scent lingered in the air for quite a while.
Meanwhile, on the sparkling ocean surface, Larry was lying leisurely on the back of a dragon, soaking up the afternoon sun.
The sea was calm, with only gentle breezes causing small ripples.
Beneath the clear blue water, the ocean deepened, teeming with fish of all sizes.
Suddenly, Meow surfaced, wearing flippers and goggles like a human diver.
"Meow! I caught another fish," Meow said, tossing the fresh, still-flapping catch onto a she'll before flipping over and shaking off the water.
That was the 32nd fish Meow had caught.