All the supplies had been loaded onto the Perseus, neatly filling its hold.
Its sails hung high, and the enormous ship sat firmly on the water.
After months of painstaking construction, the great seafaring vessel carrying the entire village's hopes had finally reached the moment of departure.
Everyone on shore stood quietly, their eyes on the deck. A hush hung in the air.
Senku stood at the bow, his voice steady and clear.
"Next, everyone whose name I call will come with us. The rest of you will stay in the village."
He spoke at an even pace.
"Li Xiang, Kohaku, Gen Asagiri, Tsukasa, Hyoga, Homura, Kinro, Ginro, Maguma, Inoue Yo, Ryusui Nanami, Taiju, Yuzuriha, Francois, Ukyo Saionji, Chrome, Nikki, Grandpa Fossil..."
As each name rang out, its owner answered and stepped forward, climbing steadily onto the broad, sturdy wooden deck.
The villagers staying behind watched quietly from shore.
At the back of the crowd, Tsukasa walked slowly to the water's edge, but did not board right away.
He crouched down and gently rubbed the top of his little sister Mirai's head.
The sea breeze softly stirred their hair, and tender concern filled the young man's eyes.
"Mirai, be good and wait at home."
"Wait for your big brother to come back."
Little Mirai tilted her head up, her clear eyes fixed on her brother. She reached out to take his hand and spoke in a soft, sweet voice.
"Big brother, I'll keep waiting for you to come home."
Tsukasa squeezed her little hand and nodded gently. Suppressing the tenderness welling up inside him, he stood, turned, and stepped onto the deck.
As everyone boarded, Nan said, "Of course we have to record something this momentous~"
And so, everyone in the Science Kingdom recorded this great moment for the first