The ship finally entered Ring Island's hidden harbor after a frightening but uneventful passage. The moment the engine shut off, Knuckle was the first to collapse onto the deck.
He lay with his limbs spread, staring at the sky, which had turned blue again, looking as though he had nothing left to live for.
"I swear... I never want to see a fish that big again..."
Shuto was in the exact opposite state. Holding the railing, he gazed excitedly at the island shrouded in thick fog. The notebook in his hand was already filled with observations and sketches from their recent encounter.
Morel blew out a smoke ring, directing the crew to secure the ship and check the hull for damage.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Bai Zhu carried Milluki, who had yet to recover from his seasickness, and jumped straight onto the beach.
"Come on, let me show you our resort."
The temporary camp they had built before leaving was still there. Although somewhat damp, its main structures remained intact.
As soon as Milluki could move again, he pulled all sorts of equipment from his backpack and set up a makeshift laboratory bench on a simple table.
He carefully arranged the sealed containers holding the Zombie Fish and grayish-white mucus. Gela Jiang came over and controlled a stream of clean water, thoroughly rinsing the containers' outer walls.
Everything seemed to be under control.
Bai Zhu even took the rare step of lighting a campfire and setting up a grill. He cleaned the fish they had caught along the way, preparing for a barbecue they had not enjoyed in a long time.
The mynah on his shoulder, Xiao Ba, flapped its wings and flew circles around the grilling fish.
"Lord Bai is mighty! Lord Bai gets the meat, and