The mist surrounding Bloomsque Hazard faded away completely, revealing a town in quiet chaos. The residents, once shrouded in mystery and confusion, now stood in bewilderment as their memories reset to the moment they first arrived on the island.
Most were disoriented, struggling to remember where they were, what had happened, or why. Their eyes met in puzzled glances, exchanging questions that held no answers. But the name Yipsiv had vanished from their minds entirely. The island had returned to being an ordinary town, with people only recalling the faces of their families and loved ones.
While the memories of the island's residents had been lost, the crew remained unaffected. They reunited with joyful relief, sharing a moment of comfort as they took in their familiar faces once more. Yumiko, Nathaniel, Joker, and Elliott were tended to by the doctors, their wounds carefully treated and healed.
One of the doctors stepped forward, glancing at them with a warm smile. "You all seem to be in much better shape now," she said, noticing how Elliott, Yumiko, and Tarot were enjoying the food laid out before them, their laughter ringing through the room.
"There's someone here to see you," she added, causing a ripple of uncertainty to pass over the crew. None of them could guess who it might be, not even Yumiko. The doctor's next words made their hearts stutter. "It's a boy... white hair, average height, and—"
Before she could finish, food was dropped in haste, dishes clattering to the floor as the crew rushed to the entrance.
As the crew hurried outside, they found a scene that made them pause in confusion. Standing there with one leg propped up on a bench where a woman sat was a boy with an expression of sheer frustration. He pointed at her, his voice sharp and accusatory.
"I told you I didn't need your help!" he barked.
The girl, with her arms crossed and a scowl that could melt steel, shot back without missing a beat. "Oh, please! You bolted back to the sea like a clueless fish, half your wounds still open and your brain half-baked. Someone had to follow you before you did something even dumber!"
The others watched them with an amused, embarrassed smile, as if trying to mediate between two children in the middle of an argument over who gets the last cookie.
The boy rolled his eyes so hard they almost did a full loop. "Dumber? I'd like to see you try to outsmart a storm with your 'brilliant' ideas, Miss 'I'm Just Here to Watch.'"
The girl scoffed and pushed his leg off the bench with enough force to make him stumble. "At least I'm not the one who thought the best way to fix a broken ship was to kick it and shout 'heal!'"
Elliott, who had been watching the scene unfold while chewing on a piece of bread, choked mid-bite and had to slap himself on the chest to catch his breath.
"Is that really you?!" Yumiko shouted, her eyes lighting up as she dashed toward them. The boy and the girl were already grinning, the boy lifting his hand in a playful wave. "Yumiko! The whole gang! I heard you made quite a ruckus on the island! I'm so proud of you all!" he called out, clapping his hands together and giving Yumiko an enthusiastic high-five.
"Ugh, finally… I was starting to think I'd need to tie him up just to get him to shut up," the girl muttered, her arms crossed as she looked at the boy with mock exasperation.
"Aurora, it's so good to see you!" Yumiko said, wrapping her friend in a warm embrace.
Temoshí's eyes widened as he caught sight of the group, a jolt of recognition hitting him when he saw Nathaniel. "Nathaniel? You're here too?!" he exclaimed, rushing forward, a mixture of shock and relief written across his face.
"Good to see you, old captain," Nathaniel replied, his voice as calm and steady as ever.
"It's been so long since Winterpeak. Feels like a lifetime, even if it's only been a few years," Temoshí said, a smile breaking out on his face as he took in the sight of his old crewmate. "But what brings you here with everyone else?" His gaze swept over the group, eyes filled with surprise.
Nathaniel's expression hardened a bit, but his eyes held a glint of purpose. "I came for the same reason you did. But since we're both here, I've got a question for you, Tim."
Temoshí's brows furrowed in mild confusion as he tried to grasp what Nathaniel was getting at. He put his hand on his hip, shifting his weight in a stance that showed his curiosity was piqued.
"Ever since I stepped away from the crew, you all have been without someone to keep the guns and cannons in check. It's probably a strange question coming from someone like me, but now that my mission's done, I need to know—do you still have room for me? I want to rejoin the crew, back to where we started. I appreciate that you let me finish what I started, and now I'm ready to come home."
The words hit like a gust of wind, leaving everyone who knew Nathaniel from the past speechless. A ripple of astonishment and admiration spread across the group, eyes wide and mouths agape. For a moment, Temoshí couldn't believe what he was hearing, but then the shock melted into a grin that stretched across his face like sunlight after a storm.
"Hell yeah, you can!" Temoshí exclaimed, his voice bursting with excitement. "I was gonna drag you back here myself once you finished whatever you were up to! But you asking on your own—that's the cherry on top! I've missed your gun skills and that sharp eye of yours when it comes to anything with a trigger. This reunion's better than I could've hoped for."
For the first time in what felt like ages, Nathaniel's typically stoic expression softened, a genuine smile breaking through the mask of seriousness he always wore. The weight of his past solitude seemed to lift as he took in the warmth of the moment, feeling truly appreciated to be welcomed back into the fold.
"But hear me out, bud!" Temoshí said, leaning forward with an intensity that matched his words, his grin unwavering. "Next time you head off on some mission or need to chase down some loose end, don't just disappear and leave us behind or ask for my permission first. We're a crew, a team, and teams stick together. If you need help, we'll be there, all of us. More hands make the work lighter, and that's the way it should be. You understand me, Nathaniel?"
Nathaniel's eyes, usually cool and composed, held a softness as he nodded slowly, the corners of his mouth tilting up just slightly. "No worries, captain. I wasn't planning on leaving the crew again, not after everything we've been through. From now on, I'll be here, side by side with you all, and I'll do whatever needs to be done, whenever you say..."
"You've built something strong here, something I don't want to walk away from. And besides," he added, a hint of amusement glinting in his voice, "you've made quite a name for yourself in the Vast Expanse. Your bounty's skyrocketed—it's sitting at a staggering 500 million bolts now. Even eclipsed mine, which, I gotta say, is pretty impressive. You're gonna need backup more than ever now, because I guarantee you, with that face of yours, plenty of pirates are gonna come looking to make a name off you."
Temoshí let out a shy, almost sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his head as he basked in the quiet pride that Nathaniel's words brought him. "Well, with you back on board, I reckon this journey's about to get a whole lot easier," he said, the pride in his voice evident.
Kyora, who had been stretching in the golden sunlight, giggled and twirled a lock of her hair. "That's right. With all of us together, there's nothing we can't handle." Her eyes sparkled as she glanced at the crew, knowing that whatever lay ahead, they would face it as one.
Temoshí turned to Joker, his expression serious but hopeful. "Joker. I hope you decide to stick with us, and I hope everything you needed from Bloomsque Hazard was worth it."
Joker's eyes shone with a mix of mischief and sincerity as he bowed low, a grin spreading across his face. "Indeed, captain. It was worth more than I could have hoped for. I'm ready for whatever comes next. Let's push forward, together."
With a grin, Temoshí slapped Joker's hand in a high-five, the gesture more meaningful than it appeared. He then shifted his gaze to Elliott, a trace of concern flickering in his eyes. "Elliott… what happened to your sword?"
Elliott's ears perked up as his head shot up, eyes wide and full of surprise. "Oh! That. It… broke down, shattered into pieces," he said, his smile bright despite the misfortune. "But don't worry about it, captain. It's fine." He chuckled, giving a thumbs up as he recounted the story of how his sword had met its untimely end.
Yumiko stepped forward, the weight of her words settling over the group as she caught Temoshí's attention. "Tim, I need to ask you for a favor. We had a meeting with Yipsiv, and he told us a lot about the SFA and the Bloomsque Hazard. I know this might sound selfish, but… could we head south to Casinova Island? That's where he's headed, and Nathaniel and I can fill you in on everything we learned on the way."
Temoshí's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise in them before they softened with understanding. He considered her words for a moment, then nodded, the determination settling into his stance. "Alright, Yumiko. We'll go, but we need to move fast. I don't know how Ralphie and the others are holding up at Geyser Island, but we're on a time limit, you hear me?"
Yumiko met his eyes, determination flashing in her own. "We understand, Tim. We'll make it quick. We have to."
The rest of the crew exchanged glances, each of them feeling the weight of the journey ahead. Whatever awaited them at Casinova Island, they knew one thing: they were ready to face it, together.
To be continued...