Captain… What do we do now? Fang Yi asked helplessly, holding up a torch and looking at Roger.
They were now deep inside the pitch-black belly of the Island-Eating Goldfish. The air was thick with the stench of corrosion, and worst of all, they had lost contact with part of the crew, including Rayleigh. Things couldn't get much worse.
"First, we need to find Rayleigh and the others," Roger said with a frown, glancing around.
He hadn't expected that once the beast opened its mouth, they would be swallowed whole without even the chance to resist.
Now not only were they split up, but escaping was a whole new problem. If the beast dove into the deep sea, even if they got out, it would mean certain death.
But for now, the priority was clear: find Rayleigh.
"I believe we're inside the stomach now," said Head Chef Yoi after observing the surroundings. "We must find Mr. Rayleigh quickly—if they come into contact with any of this stomach acid, it'll be catastrophic. And the Oro Jackson can't survive long in this environment either."
"But it's too dark," Reina said, shaking her head. "We can't see enough to search properly. Captain—what should we do?"
"Fang Yi, fire a few signal arrows," Roger instructed. "If Rayleigh and the others are close, they'll see it."
"Understood!" Fang Yi nodded, stuck the torch into the deck, nocked an arrow, and fired a signal flare into the air.
Boom!
The arrow exploded in a burst of light, illuminating the slimy, fleshy walls of the stomach.
"We're definitely inside the stomach," Yoi sighed.
The crew's hearts sank. The longer they stayed, the lower their chances of survival. If the goldfish dived into the ocean depths, escape would be impossible.
"Wait… I hear something!" Jaba suddenly said, frowning and motioning for silence.
"Hey~ Over here~~!"
"That's Yam's voice! Over there—let's go!" Roger said excitedly.
"No good… Captain, the ship can't move!" Fang Yi threw his torch into the darkness, revealing broken wreckage and ruined structures all around them, making navigation impossible.
"I'll go check it out myself," Roger said, stepping forward.
"Wait! Captain, let Wanzai go instead!" Fang Yi stopped him. "He's faster, and he can see better in this kind of environment."
"He's right—let Wanzai handle it," Jaba added.
Sending Roger off the ship in such conditions was too risky. Wanzai was far more agile and better suited for navigating this acidic, chaotic terrain.
"Fine. Be careful, Wanzai! When you get back, Yoi will cook you something delicious!" Roger patted Wanzai's head.
"Woof woof!" Wanzai barked proudly, then leaped off the ship and bounded across the stomach's grotesque landscape.
"Fang Yi, keep lighting his path!" Roger commanded.
"Yes, Captain!" Fang Yi responded. Wanzai was like family now—he wasn't about to let anything happen to him.
Whoosh!
Another signal arrow shot forward, exploding with light and revealing vague silhouettes ahead. Wanzai darted through the wreckage, skillfully dodging patches of acid and rubble.
"Keep the lighting constant. Roven, move the ship forward while we can. Golan, report anything unusual!" Jaba took command in Rayleigh's absence, issuing rapid orders.
"Yes, sir!" Everyone jumped into action. Roger stood at the bow, ready for anything that might come next.
Soon, they heard barking and voices—Wanzai had found the missing crew.
"Alright! We're not out of danger yet—get the ship over to them!" Jaba ordered.
Whoosh—BOOM!
Fang Yi switched from signal arrows to flame arrows, firing one into a nearby rock. It ignited instantly, adding to the light.
"Why switch to flame arrows?" Jaba asked, frowning.
"I'm running low on signal arrows. I tied flares to regular arrows to make them, but I don't have many left. Lighting the rocks helps too," Fang Yi explained.
Jaba hesitated, then nodded. "Just don't overdo it. We're inside a creature, not in open air. Too much fire could mess with the oxygen."
Fang Yi winced. He hadn't considered that. Combustion consumed oxygen—and they didn't know how the creature's breathing worked. It could cause serious issues.
He decided to only light key points for visibility, especially for Golan, the lookout.
The Oro Jackson carefully maneuvered through the wreckage and successfully picked up the scattered crew members.
"Wait—where's Rayleigh?" Roger asked, frowning once everyone was aboard.
"Mr. Rayleigh went searching for other crew. We weren't all together at first—he gathered us before we regrouped," Yam explained.
"What now? Should we wait?" Fang Yi asked.
Roger shook his head. "If Rayleigh saw the signal, he would've come already. He must be in trouble. Yam, which way did he go?"
Yam pointed to the left. "That way."
"Got it. Wait here—I'm going after him." Roger leapt off in that direction.
"Captain—be careful!" the crew called out.
"What now, Jaba?" Fang Yi asked the seasoned fighter.
Jaba didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned to Yoi. "Do you think there's still a way for us to get out of here?"
Yoi shook his head. "I know what you're thinking—but we'd need to find that place first…"
Jaba sighed. "Looks like we might not have a choice."
Fang Yi's face turned grim. He understood what they were talking about. If they were truly inside the stomach, the only natural exit might be… out the other end.
Just imagining it made him sick.
"Fang Yi… Jaba's idea isn't…?" Shanks muttered, also realizing the same horrible truth.
Fang Yi nodded slightly. "Keep it quiet. No use spreading panic when we don't even know if it'll come to that."
Shanks nodded in agreement, though he wasn't happy about it either.
As they waited anxiously, an explosion suddenly echoed from the direction Roger had gone.
Everyone's face changed.
"Wanzai!" Fang Yi shouted, jumping onto Wanzai's back. "Jaba-sensei, I'm going!"
Jaba frowned, worried—but nodded. "Be careful!"
"Wait, Fang Yi, I'm coming too!" Yamon stepped forward. "I'm a jungle warrior—I'll be more effective in this kind of terrain."
"I'll be fine. Wanzai's with me. Splitting up more people won't help." Fang Yi smiled awkwardly.
"Yamon, he's right," Jaba said. "Stay here."
Yamon looked frustrated but said nothing, taking her bottle of wine and walking off in silence.
Fang Yi gave Jaba a helpless look, then ordered Wanzai forward.
"Fang Yi! Prioritize your safety! Roger and Rayleigh are strong enough to hold their own. Don't take unnecessary risks!" Jaba shouted as they departed.
"Got it!" Fang Yi waved back, then vanished into the darkness with Wanzai.
Meanwhile, Barrett stood silently on the deck, clenching his fists.
Other than Roger, he was the strongest member of the crew. He should have volunteered to help… but for some reason, he hadn't moved.