A castle floated a hundred meters above the navy ship's deck.
Held aloft by the power of a magnetic field, the castle hovered in midair like a giant kite tethered to the ship.
Deep blue magnetic field lines hung from the castle's base like a glowing cable, linking the land above to the navy ship below.
At that moment, Apple Tree Grandpa was stretching his branches in the castle garden.
His branches were laden with bright red apples, each gleaming enticingly in the sunlight.
His roots coiled through the garden soil, occasionally pulling free to settle into a more comfortable position before burrowing down again.
Lulu and Maru stood on one of Apple Tree Grandpa's low roots, looking up at the red apples as big as they were.
Lulu's eyes were wide and round, her mouth slightly open, and she was almost drooling.
She pressed her palms together before her chest in a pose of devout prayer, her voice sweet and delicate. "Apple Tree Grandpa, you're so pretty, and your apples are so pretty too. Even prettier than the pearls in Ryugu Palace..."
Maru stood beside her with a watering can that was larger than her entire body. She gripped its handle with both hands, leaning backward.
She lifted the can and carefully watered Apple Tree Grandpa's roots, saying as she poured, "Thank you for all your hard work, Apple Tree Grandpa. Drink your fill so your apples grow big and sweet..."
Apple Tree Grandpa's branches quivered gently, and he made a low, kindly sound.
A slender twig in his crown bent slightly and plucked a fully ripened apple from the treetop.
The apple left the branch, traced an arc through the air, and landed gently on the ground before Lulu and Maru.
Thump.
The apple landed softly, but Lulu