Olorun rubbed his arms, shivering dramatically. "Ok, this place looks great, but fucking cold—my balls are freezing!" He stomped his feet for emphasis, his breath visible in the frigid air.
As the group stared out at the snowy expanse, Tony, at the ship's helm, squinted. "Uh, guys? We've got company."
Bobe leaned over the rail of his ship, squinting as he spotted Eleo and his crew. His face lit up with a mischievous grin. "Hey, bunny boy! I've seen your damn poster! You're famous now, huh? But guess what—"
Before he could finish, Grimblesquawk shoved him aside and dramatically perched on the ship's railing, holding out a crumpled wanted poster of his own. "We all have four stars, baby!" he announced with exaggerated flair, puffing out his chest as though he were royalty.
Gigglegrim, leaning casually against the mast, nodded smugly. "Yep. And we've got a whole crew of people ready to back us up. You're outnumbered and outclassed, kid." He tossed popcorn into his mechanical jaw, the crunch echoing.
Bobe pushed himself back to his feet, glaring at Grimblesquawk. "HEY! I wanted to be the one to tell him! You always steal my thunder!"
Grimblesquawk stuck his tongue out. "You snooze, you lose. You should've said it faster, slowpoke."
Eleo crossed his arms, his foot tapping impatiently on the deck as he growled, "Hey, you three can keep bragging all you want, but I'll tell you this: I'm going to be the strongest person in the world. Just you wait!"
The trio of adversaries burst into laughter, practically doubling over. Grimblesquawk slapped his knee, and Gigglegrim's mechanical jaw let out an unsettling creak as he cackled. Even Bobe managed to snort between giggles.
Eleo's ears twitched, and his fists clenched as his frustration grew. Olorun, standing beside him, muttered, "I swear, if those three scratch The Ship..."
Kenji raised an eyebrow and turned to Olorun. "Scratch? That's the name you went with?"
Olorun nodded proudly. "Yeah! It's simple, strong, and easy to remember. The best name there is."
Kenji pinched the bridge of his nose. "Unbelievable."
Chiyo chuckled, arms crossed. "Well, while you argue over the name, I say we leave these clowns to their gloating and actually explore this place."
Olorun shivered and rubbed his arms. "It's so cold, though! I can feel my brain freezing over."
Without a word, Kenji slipped off his yukata, leaving himself in just his underwear. He stepped onto the snow-covered deck like it was nothing. "Watch this. I'll show you it's not that cold."
Olorun's jaw dropped. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PUT THAT BACK ON!"
Kenji smirked. "You're just soft, Olorun."
Before anyone could stop him, Timmy pointed out, "Look, Bobe and his team are already heading onto the island!" He gestured toward the rival crew disembarking and trudging into the snowy landscape.
Not waiting any longer, Eleo leaped off the ship, landing in the snow with a soft thud. He crouched and immediately started building something with the snow. "Guys, come on!" he shouted back.
Olorun sighed. "Screw it!" He jumped off after Eleo, landing in a heap of snow, followed quickly by Timmy, Chiyo, Kenji, and Tony.
When the others caught up, Eleo stood proudly next to a small, hastily built snow hut. "Guys, look! I made a house!"
Timmy's eyes sparkled. "Whoa! That's so cool!"
Shivering uncontrollably, Olorun crouched down and started shaping something in the snow. "Yeah? Well, look at mine!" He stepped back, revealing a vaguely mermaid-shaped pile of snow. "It's a masterpiece."
Eleo smirked and quickly crafted another creation. "I made me! Top that."
Olorun, grinning mischievously, suddenly hurled a snowball at Eleo's snowman, smashing its head off. He burst into laughter as Eleo froze, processing what just happened.
Eleo's eyes narrowed. "OLORUN, YOU JERK!" He grabbed a handful of snow and launched it at Olorun's face, hitting him square on.
Timmy, cackling, joined in. "SNOWBALL FIGHT!" He threw snowballs wildly, one barely missing Olorun, who raised his hands in surrender.
Kenji leaned against a tree, arms crossed, shaking his head. "A bunch of idiots," he muttered, though a rare chuckle escaped his lips.
Chiyo smirked as she watched the chaos. "It's kind of fun watching them act like kids."
Tony finally clapped his hands, his hollow voice cutting through the laughter. "Alright, that's enough! Let's stop playing and actually explore before we freeze out here!"
Olorun, still brushing snow off his face, nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Grandpa Tony's right, guys."
Eleo and Timmy blinked in unison. "He is?"
Olorun gave a solemn nod. "Yep. Grandpa Tony knows best."
Chiyo burst into laughter, doubling over, and Kenji tried—and failed—not to smirk. Even Timmy giggled. Eleo, biting his lip to keep from laughing, finally relented. "Sorry, Grandpa Tony."
Tony groaned, waving them off. "Come on, don't do a skeleton dirty like that!"
Timmy glanced at Kenji, who was visibly shivering despite his earlier boldness. "Kenji, are you doing okay?"
Kenji, through chattering teeth, managed, "Hell yeah... I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
Olorun raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Sure, tough guy. You look about five seconds away from becoming an ice sculpture."
Chiyo chuckled under her breath. "Kenji's pride is thicker than his head, apparently."
Olorun shook his head and clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's actually explore this place before the cold takes all of us out. Eleo, you're the leader—lead us on."
Eleo blinked in surprise. "Me? Why do I have to lead?"
Tony shrugged, his skeletal grin widening. "Because you're the leader. Leaders lead."
Eleo sighed dramatically but took a few steps forward. "Fine, fine. Follow me, guys. Let's see what this icy wonderland has to offer."
A few minutes passed as they trudged through the snow, the biting cold seeping through their clothes. The landscape stretched endlessly, covered in shimmering frost. The trees, or what were once trees, now stood as crystalline structures, their branches glimmering like delicate glasswork.
Timmy shivered, his breath visible in the freezing air. "It's so cold… I can't feel my toes."
Olorun nodded in agreement, his voice gruff. "Tell me about it. My whole body's turning into a popsicle."
Eleo stopped by one of the crystalline trees, inspecting the glowing crystal clusters growing on its branches. He squinted, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Weird. No leaves, just these crystals."
Chiyo tilted her head, examining the tree closely. "It's like the whole island's been frozen in time or something."
Olorun grabbed one of the crystals and held it up. "Hey, Timmy, what's the deal with these? What are they for?"
Timmy shrugged. "I don't know. This island used to be normal—a regular tropical paradise. Then, one day, it just… froze. Nobody knows why."
Eleo, unable to resist, grabbed a crystal from the tree and bit into it. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" He winced, clutching his mouth.
Kenji sighed, crossing his arms. "What did you expect? It's literally crystal."
Olorun, smirking, picked up a smaller crystal and tossed it into his mouth, chewing loudly. "Nonsense, Kenji. This stuff's great. Crunchy."
Tony shot Olorun a skeptical look, his skeletal features exaggerating his concern. "I hope nothing bad happens to you, kid."
Olorun waved him off. "Relax, Grandpa Bones. I'm perfectly fine—"
A distant, thunderous stomp interrupted him, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Another stomp followed, and then another, each one growing louder and more ominous.
Chiyo's eyes narrowed as she scanned the horizon. "What the hell is that?"
Timmy's voice wavered as he pointed toward the sound. "It… it must be one of the monsters that live on this island."
Kenji turned around, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. His expression turned serious. "Guys. Look."
They all turned to see a towering figure emerging from the icy mist. The creature was massive, at least three stories tall, its body a jagged amalgamation of ice and frost. Its limbs were uneven chunks of frozen mass, and its glowing blue core pulsed faintly in the center of its chest. Each step it took sent tremors through the ground, the air growing colder with its presence.
Timmy's voice trembled as he whispered, "It's a Glacier Golem."
Olorun frowned, his breath visible as he spoke. "And what, exactly, is a Glacier Golem?"
Timmy explained, his voice low but steady, "It's a humanoid ice monster—huge, slow, but incredibly strong. When it smashes the ground, it creates shockwaves and freezes everything around it. And if you damage it, it summons smaller ice creatures to fight for it. Its glowing core… that's its weak spot, but good luck getting close to it."
The group stood frozen, watching as the Glacier Golem lumbered closer. Its every movement sent shards of ice falling from its massive frame, glittering in the pale light of the island.
Eleo stared at the creature, his expression unreadable. "Huh. Looks tough."
Kenji smirked, leaning casually against his sword. "It's big, sure, but it's just another obstacle. Nothing to lose sleep over."
Chiyo crossed her arms. "Not exactly a welcoming committee, though, is it?"
Tony chuckled. "If that thing's a guard dog, I'd hate to meet its owner."
Olorun cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Looks like fun, honestly. What's the plan, Eleo?"
Eleo's sharp grin cut him off. "We fight it."
Kenji raised an eyebrow, his sword resting casually over his shoulder. "You sure about that? It's big, slow, and honestly not worth our time."
Olorun smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Finally, something fun. I was getting bored with all this snow and crystals."