White Rum

A bottle with the ability to "scale objects proportionally." It is said that Robert Boyle mastered this arcane skill through experiments and imbued it into glass, creating many drifting bottles with magical powers.

The bottle kept her alive, allowing her to come and go freely, but also keeping her forever enclosed and isolated.

A "space cabin" made by recasting Robert Boyle's flask into a more aerodynamic shape, topped off with a brand new propulsion system.

The interviewee was dismayed to learn she could not exit the bottle after liftoff, but Laplace's researchers have promised to rectify the issue once a liquid ocean is found on another planet.

A piece of canvas torn from a ship's sail, it retains its original size as it has never entered the bottle, now yellowed from wind and sun exposure. It still bears a dodo pattern, along with stains and scars from the past. According to the interviewee, it holds many shared memories.

A light sail propelled by solar energy. Due to its small surface area and technological limitations, it's more symbolic than practical.

The interviewee was very pleased that the researcher who modified the design respected the traditions of sailing ships.

A former captain who, in her words even now, guards her cherished partner. Sometimes, the partner speaks to her as if talking to herself, telling her, "I'm doing well now."

An old protector embarking on yet another voyage—this time, into space.

"Ol' Captain Anne, just think, the stars are full of places no one has ever been!" The interviewee is full of hope. She has already found a new target for the pirate ship.

The End of the Privateers

From the 16th to the 18th century, amid the maritime discoveries and tense rivalries, governments issued letters of marque to privateers, making them "legal pirates." However, as wars came to an end, privateers reverted back to their old ways. Most pirates would perish in fierce naval pursuits, but a few would struggle on, living a life of plunder and spoil despite being increasingly hunted. Occasionally, legends would surface of a captain who lived on after sinking to the ocean floor, or a pirate who escaped prison only to become a navy sailor, or an ancient pirate ship that hid inside a drifting bottle to avoid sinking.

The Age of Exploration

Also known as the Age of Great Voyages, explorers set foot on unknown lands, expanding maps of the known world. Although governments often complained about the immense financial cost involved, they quickly changed their tune when ships returned laden with gold, promoting the development of new trade routes. Ocean voyages meant adventure. Thanks to the spirit of adventure during the Age of Exploration, the world became dramatically more interconnected.

The Last Dodo

Extinct between 1688 and 1715.

(However, a marine archaeologist who claims to have collected dodo droppings insists that a few dodos still live aboard a long-distance ocean vessel).

The captain said to cover the deck with plants to avoid drawing attention. She proudly showed off a few large birds, claiming they were probably the last dodos in the world.

What's a dodo? Does it taste like turkey?

The ship doesn't look much like a pirate ship anymore; more like a floating garden. I think we've lost our pride as pirates.

The captain said she found what she had always wanted—it was a plain-looking bottle. We all thought she'd been scammed, as there is no shortage of conmen in Nassau.

The captain told us that for things like this, you can't have any expectations. That was at least her wisdom after many years in the pirate trade.

I'm not expecting much, but I do hope she can bear witness to the future for us ...

... It's all gone.

I held onto a log, struggling to stay afloat, watching the fire spread on the deck from a distance.

The garden is destroyed, everything is gone. Only our dodo flag is left.

Damn the navy.

Whatever.

I'm not going to live much longer anyway.

I wonder if the captain took her away.

I hope they will live on.

Pandora Wilson: I can't help but wonder how this mysterious bottle of yours can hold someone inside while maintaining stability.

White Rum: I think I grasp your meaning, matey, but not to worry. Even if you were to shatter my bottle to bits, so long as you can put the pieces back together, the original arcane skill won't be affected.

Pandora Wilson: In other words, breaking the bottle wouldn't have any impact on you.

White Rum: ... Aye, it theoretically wouldn't—but best you not go about trying it!

Pandora Wilson: Of course, of course; I have no intention of doing that. In fact, I lack the means to even attempt it.

White Rum: Fair enough. I didn't expect as much from a ... lass ... like you. I've never encountered anyone quite like you in all my years of sailing, har-har.

White Rum: But you have tickled my fancy, when faced with an interviewee of my caliber, you don't seem the least bit surprised or hesitant.

Pandora Wilson: Objectively speaking, a talking bottle-ship is indeed rare, but this column isn't short of unusual interview subjects, some have even lacked the ability to communicate at all.

White Rum: Really? And you still keep at it?

Pandora Wilson: I wouldn't let something like that stop me.

White Rum: Splendid, lass! There's naught more worthy as a pursuit than chasing your dreams!