I Inherited a Ghost Ship [Worldbuilding]

After waking up, Li Xiang somehow found himself the new captain of the Maria, a ship in another world.

The fresh graduate, worried sick about not being able to find a job, stepped onto the deck to look toward the future, and then

Ran into a pile of bones. Moving bones.

Li Xiang: .

Li Xiang turned around and left.

Nobody told him this was a ghost ship?!!!

The evil, parrot-shaped menace who scams college students be like: Now that you've inherited the ship, you can't leave. Heh heh heh, get to work like a good little captain!

Li Xiang, forced to take the job: ...

Oh well, I'm already here, so I might as well do it.

So the captain rolled up his sleeves, then turned toward the mountains, no, turned and headed back into the ship...

*

As he kept at it, more and more people came from far and wide, but why was every last one of them refusing to leave?!

"Prince, when are you coming home?"

"Oh great dragon, it's time for you to kidnap a princess, or this fairy tale can't go on."

"You lousy coo-coo author, finish your manuscript before you go drifting off to sea, "

? Wait, something weird seems to have slipped in there.

Never mind. The captain gave a grand wave of his hand and put them all to work.

The serious version:

Among sailors making their living at sea, a legend is told

In the fog sails a ghost ship. Once, it was formed from the resentment of countless sailors, its ragged sails raised as it wandered alone and mournful. But now, under its great captain, it has regained its glory.

Unconquerable, undefeated, it strikes fear into the hearts of pirates and brings even the ocean to heel. The Maria, the undisputed ruler of the seas.

Bonus scene:

Li Xiang held up the analysis report he'd just received, showing that the parrot was a jack-of-all-trades with off-the-charts scores in every kind of work. He gazed deeply into the eyes of his first mate, the parrot. Darling, please become my lifelong partner in toil.

The parrot took a frightened step back. The rabbit-headed captain wants workplace romance? That's twisted, evil, and all kinds of wrong! I'm reporting this to Central! To Central!

Ban GDP LOVE, starting with me. The evil parrot swore to expose the ugly face of the overwork fanatics, right now, this instant, immediately

A few things to know before reading:

1. The parrot can turn into a human.

2. To be continued.

Blurb screenshotted on February 27, 2025

Theme: Captain, my captain