The eternal daylight of Hikari Isle cast long shadows across the harbor as the Red Hair Pirates prepared their ship for departure. Three days had passed since the core's stabilization, days filled with celebration and preparation. The island seemed more alive now, its light steadier, more purposeful.
Xiao Yan stood at the docks, watching as crew members loaded supplies aboard. Elder Lucia approached, carrying a wooden chest inlaid with crystalline veins that pulsed faintly in rhythm with the distant core.
"Our sacred herbs," she said, opening the chest to reveal carefully preserved specimens. "And these." She lifted out several crystals, each holding a captured spark of eternal light. "They may prove useful in your future endeavors."
"The island is generous," Xiao Yan acknowledged, accepting the gifts with a slight bow.
Xiaojin, perched atop a nearby pillar, watched the exchange with dignified interest. The phoenix's flames had maintained a purer quality since their encounter with the core, as if some essential truth had been remembered.
"The light elementals will miss their new teacher," Lucia smiled, glancing at the phoenix. Indeed, several luminous forms hovered nearby, their glow dimming at the prospect of Xiaojin's departure.
"They have remembered their purpose," Xiao Yan observed. "That is teaching enough."
Xiaolong surfaced near the dock, his scales reflecting the eternal daylight in mesmerizing patterns. The dragon had spent the past days helping establish the new energy flows throughout the island, his electricity helping to stabilize the renewed pathways.
"Your companions have left their mark here," Lucia said softly. "The core's songs carry traces of their influence now."
Even Xiao Gui, who sat beside Xiao Yan with unusual stillness, seemed to have gained something from their time on the island. The turtle's shell held a subtle glow, a reminder of its connection to the ancient powers they had helped restore.
"Oi, Xiao Yan!" Shanks called from the ship. "The tide's turning!"
The captain stood at the helm, his usual grin in place but his eyes carrying newfound respect when they fell on Xiao Yan's companions. Their time on Hikari Isle had revealed depths that even the perceptive pirate hadn't expected.
"A moment," Xiao Yan replied, turning back to Lucia. "There is one more matter."
He produced a small jade bottle from his robes. "A token of exchange. The formula should help maintain the core's new balance."
Lucia accepted the bottle with visible surprise. "You created this?"
"A simple adaptation of traditional methods," Xiao Yan said modestly. "Though perhaps wait until we've departed before testing it. Xiaojin can be... protective of its alchemical contributions."
The phoenix huffed softly, though its flames flickered with what might have been pride.
As they boarded the ship, Uta's voice rose in a melody that seemed to capture the essence of their time on the island. The light elementals danced to her song, creating displays that painted the harbor in cascading colors.
"Where to next, Captain?" Benn asked, lighting a fresh cigarette.
"Azure Reef," Shanks replied, his grin widening. "I hear the coral maze is really beautiful."
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. His companions, however, showed subtle signs of interest. Xiaojin's flames shifted color briefly, while Xiaolong's whiskers sparked with anticipation.
As the ship pulled away from the harbor, the eternal light of Hikari Isle seemed to bid them farewell, its rays carrying blessing and memory. The stabilized core pulsed once, strongly, and all three divine creatures turned briefly toward it, acknowledging something only they could sense.
"Your companions," Shanks observed quietly, "they've changed since we arrived here."
"Not changed," Xiao Yan corrected, watching as Xiaojin soared ahead of the ship, its flames now burning with remembered divinity. "Remembered."
The island disappeared into the distance, though its light remained visible long after the shore had faded from view. Their course was set for Azure Reef, where ancient coral held secrets of its own.
And if Xiao Gui's shell glowed a bit more brilliantly in the fading light of Hikari Isle, well, some changes were meant to last beyond the moment of their making.