Chapter 203: Boat Fishing
With nothing else left to prepare, Leon, Gus, and Willy headed together toward the dock. Once the three gathered there, Willy began raising the anchor and untying the ropes from his boat.
While helping Willy, Leon couldn’t help but eye the six-meter-long fishing boat and ask, “It’s safe for long trips, right?”
“Absolutely,” Willy replied with confidence. “It might not be as steady as a large ship, but as long as we don’t run into a hurricane, this boat is nearly as safe as a yacht.”
“Old Willy’s been fishing his whole life. You can trust his word,” Gus said, hopping aboard. He slipped on a life jacket and offered Leon a reassuring smile.
“I’m not worried about myself—I’m worried about you two,” Leon said with a touch of sarcasm. After all, he had Nature’s Shelter from his Forest Magic and the Mermaid Pendant in his possession. Out of the three of them, he had the most reliable survival tools.
“I believe in Old Willy!” Gus gave Willy a thumbs-up, and Willy patted his chest with confidence. “Don’t worry. I’ve got backup measures. Even if the boat flips, I can keep us alive at sea until rescue arrives.”
Seeing their confidence, Leon didn’t press the matter. Worst case, if trouble struck, he could blow the Mermaid Pendant’s horn and have the mermaids bring them back. He still had a few favors owed from the Merfolk, after all.
After helping Willy coil up the ropes and store them aboard, Leon hopped onto the boat. Instead of a life jacket, he pulled out a rain hat—specifically, the straw hat that the Hat Mouse had modified—and put it on.
“Leon, you’re really not going to wear a life jacket?” Gus, now the worried one, couldn’t help but ask. Even as someone who rarely went out to sea, he knew that wearing a life jacket was basic safety.