Ocean Lords: Start Harvesting Double from Dice Rolls Chapter 5: Honest and Simple Du Ran

"Captain! All the cargo has been loaded!"

In the early morning, Du Ran’s straightforward shout echoed loudly from beneath the vessel.

The deck vibrated with the resounding noise.

Still drowsy, Fang Yu roused from profound slumber, stretched with a yawn, and stepped onto the deck, eyes fixed on the cargo hold.

Indeed, Du Ran had finished loading every bit of goods. Right now, he grinned innocently up at Fang Yu.

With more than a thousand tons of freight, even with Du Ran’s massive strength boosting speed several fold, it had required a full day to pack it all aboard.

Fang Yu and his team had chosen to rest overnight on the ship.

Surveying the stuffed cargo hold, Fang Yu gave a small nod, considering adding a mechanical arm to the freighter for faster loading.

"Good, cargo’s all set, get on board quick, time to depart!"

Fang Yu gestured and yelled to Du Ran.

Nearby at the harbor, crew members and captains eyed Fang Yu with jealousy.

Good grief...

Even now, plenty of captains and sailors queued endlessly for regular bulk loads.

Without his capacity upgrade, Fang Yu might have joined those weary souls pulling all-nighters by the docks.

Demand outstripped supply, so snagging bulk cargo was a stroke of luck already.

Yet Fang Yu’s group scored... premium specialized freight!

The day before, as Du Ran happily hauled goods, a few sailors, noting his hulking build, figured him for a simpleton and tested him.

"Hey big bro, we’re so jealous, landing specialized cargo like that. Over a thousand tons of capacity..."

One gazed at Du Ran hopefully, secretly feeling smug.

Du Ran rubbed his head, beaming: "It’s all thanks to the captain’s skills, I’m just the muscle."

Laughter erupted; yep, total simpleton.

"The captain’s skills? Did he unlock some rare talent or grab a special quest?" Another, spotting Du Ran’s guileless vibe, pressed straight.

Hearing that, Du Ran’s face turned cautious: "What’s your angle? Captain said keep it secret from outsiders!"

As he said it, Du Ran’s eyes drifted toward far-off Qiyun City.

The onlookers tracked his glance, eyes widening: "Is there a quest in town that boosts cargo space?"

Du Ran jolted: "How’d you figure..."

He clapped a hand over his mouth, shaking his head fast: "No, stop guessing, nothing like that exists."

But Du Ran’s denials only fueled their certainty.

A quest available in the city?

This ship’s captain finished a city quest, unlocking expanded capacity for specialized cargo?!

Their gazes sparked; what a gullible oaf, spilling the beans so easily.

No hesitation—they bolted toward the city in a frenzy.

"Hold on, don’t rush off, truly no quest there, you’ll waste time for nothing."

Du Ran yelled desperately after them, attempting to halt the sailors.

Yet his pleas only hyped them more, feet flying faster.

He fretted, really fretted!

Confirming their hunch of a secret city quest!

En route, other sailors spotted the excited dash to the city and froze—what quest were they chasing?

They piled on, trailing the pack cityward.

Wave after wave, a chain reaction.

Before long...

The throng swelled hugely, sailor count hitting thousands.

Locals gawked in confusion.

These outlander sailors... gone mad?!

Skipping sea voyages to swarm the city?

Pointless time sink?

...

The mob scoured everywhere, riling city folk, but found zilch.

A full day gone, sailors smacked foreheads, dawning on them...

Crap!

No quest after all.

Whole day squandered, zero rewards?

Quick as that, one deduced: "Curses, that thick-browed doofus played us, total scam!"

"What quest? That guy straight-up lied!"

"And I’m the fool?"

"Blast it, back to the port to deal with him!"

Horde stormed back to harbor, geared for showdown with Du Ran—only to stand slack-jawed...

The ship... gone, sailed off...

Distantly, a giant figure aboard waved cheerily, smile wide and...

Utterly sincere...

...

"Set sail!!!"

Fang Yu stared eagerly at the endless sea ahead, brimming with hopes for what lay beyond.

Casually, he shot a look at giggling Du Ran nearby, staying ever vigilant in his thoughts.

Ever since the ship departed, this kid had been giggling without pause.

Fang Yu understood Du Ran deeply, unlike the others who barely knew him.

Outwardly, this burly fellow appeared simple and innocent, boasting thick brows and large eyes, yet deep down, he was cunning as a fox.

Sneak attacks were his specialty against others.

That cheeky grin on his face suggested another poor soul had already suffered from his trickery.

Who could it be?

Such a direct approach...

Daring to mess with Du Ran...

(The sailors at the port, their resentment skyrocketing +999)

"Du Ran, behave yourself and quit that chuckling."

Fang Yu landed a kick on Du Ran's rear, shooting him a fierce glare.

Suddenly, everyone went still as a voice rang out in unison within their minds.

"Sail 10 nautical miles, experience +1."

"Experience incoming, brothers!"

Grinning widely, Fang Yu turned to his three crewmates and announced the good news.

They beamed back with equal delight, checking their individual crew interfaces.

Experience could be earned through various methods.

One involved hauling cargo and finishing missions.

Sailing offered yet another avenue.

For every 10 nautical miles covered, the captain and every crew member aboard received 1 experience point.

From Qiyun Port to the drop-off at Ningtong Port spanned 900 nautical miles, promising 90 experience points per one-way voyage. A few extra maneuvers at sea could push everyone to Level 2 in just this single run.

Higher levels would upgrade the ship's overall prowess.

Ma and the rest of the crew would likewise amplify their boosts to the vessel's strength.

With these thoughts in mind, Fang Yu assigned tasks to his team before heading back to the captain's quarters. There, he pulled up the captain's panel and dove into the forum.

[Sailor’s Forum]

All Blue Star transplants turned sailors in this world accessed this handy feature via their panels.

Sailors commonly used it to snag vital info on navigation and seas.

Fang Yu aimed to scout...

The paths for captain progression.