Found it!
Deep in the ocean, Fang Yi had finally calculated and predicted a safe route out of the storm zone. Excited, he turned around to signal Sambell behind him.
But—Sambell was gone.
"Huh?" Fang Yi froze. Just a moment ago, Sambell had been following closely behind, helping him guide the Oro Jackson by clearing the chaotic currents and pointing the way.
Realizing Sambell had disappeared, Fang Yi quickly tapped Wangzai's head and motioned for him to check the area where Sambell had last been.
But instead of diving, Wangzai surged upward toward the surface.
"Huff—"
Breaking through the waves, Fang Yi quickly scanned the area. Sure enough, the Oro Jackson had veered off its planned course, meaning Sambell had been missing for a while already.
"Wangzai, what happened? Do you know where Mr. Sambell went?" Fang Yi asked anxiously.
Wangzai let out a couple of distressed howls, then turned in a new direction. Only then did Fang Yi notice the water—tornado-like whirlwinds were forming on the ocean's surface. Waterspouts had emerged, and wreckage from shattered ships was being violently sucked into the sky.
If they didn't leave the storm zone soon, the Oro Jackson would face the same fate.
But Fang Yi shook his head. "No, Wangzai! Mr. Sambell has vanished. We can't just leave him behind!"
Wangzai had been trying to tell him that the priority now was guiding the ship to safety. But Fang Yi had already made up his mind.
"Wangzai, the situation is urgent—get the Oro Jackson back on course! You remember the water flow we charted, right?" he asked gently, patting Wangzai's head.
"Woof woof!" Wangzai barked, seeming to both ask Fang Yi what he was going to do, and confirm that yes, he remembered.
"Me? Don't worry. I have an underwater breathing pill. I'll be fine. But Mr. Sambell disappeared so suddenly—it doesn't sit right with me. I have to find him."
Fang Yi's voice was calm, but the decision weighed heavily in his heart. He wasn't sure if he was saying it for Wangzai—or to convince himself.
Since arriving in this world, his only goal had been survival.
But this was a dangerous anime world filled with life-threatening peril. As an ordinary person, survival was never guaranteed.
Thankfully, he was lucky—he'd arrived aboard the Roger Pirates' ship and eventually became one of them. Over time, he grew stronger with help from the system, but what mattered more was how the crew treated him, with the warmth of family.
And at some point, like Roger himself, Fang Yi had come to value his comrades more than his own life. Maybe that was Roger's greatest strength—the way he changed people without even trying.
Take Barrett, for example. When he first boarded the ship, he didn't trust anyone, believing only in his strength. But now? He was lost, torn by the bonds he never expected to form. That was Roger's influence.
Watching Wangzai swim back toward the Oro Jackson, Fang Yi took a deep breath and dove toward where Sambell had last been.
"Captain, still no sign of Sambell!"
From the crow's nest, lookout Gorlan shouted while peering through his spyglass.
"This is bad. The storm's intensifying. Even the waters below must be churning now. We're on our own," Jabba said grimly, wiping rain from his face.
Thanks to Jabba's exceptional navigation skills, they hadn't strayed far from the escape route—even without Sambell and Fang Yi's guidance.
"What did you say?" growled Yamon, fully armed. "Isn't it safer under the sea?"
Jabba shook his head. "Even for a fishman like Sambell, surviving under these conditions is difficult. The only way to avoid the storm is to dive much deeper."
"That dangerous—and you still sent Xiao Yi and Wangzai?!" Yamon snapped.
"It's risky, yes. But with Wangzai, Fang Yi should be fine. Better than waiting here for the ship to be torn apart," Jabba replied softly.
The mood aboard the ship turned heavy, but everyone knew Jabba was right.
"Come on, guys! Don't get so down. We're not out of chances yet! Believe in Xiao Yi—he's your student, isn't he?" Roger's hearty laugh cut through the tension.
His confidence lifted the crew's spirits again.
"Wangzai! It's Wangzai! Captain, I see Wangzai!" Gorlan suddenly shouted with excitement.
Everyone rushed to the side of the ship and saw Wangzai swimming toward them.
"Quick, turn toward him!" Jabba shouted. "Our course must've been off—Wangzai came to find us! Sambell didn't disappear—we did!"
"Alright, boys—follow Wangzai! Let's get back on course!" Roger shouted with a wide grin.
"Yeahhh!"
Cheers erupted across the deck.
But as they approached Wangzai, they realized—he was alone.
"Wangzai, where's Xiao Yi? Still underwater? What about Sambell? Why are you guiding us?" Yamon called out worriedly.
"Woof! Woof!" Wangzai barked.
But without being able to see his face or read his tone, they couldn't make out what he was trying to say.
"Sambell disappeared? So Xiao Yi went to find him?" Roger asked aloud.
With his ability to hear the voice of all things, Roger understood Wangzai better than anyone.
"Gone?" the crew murmured.
Sambell was a fishman—how could he vanish in the ocean?
As for Shiki's Flying Armada, there was no way they were in any shape to pursue anyone now. They were likely busy just trying to survive the storm.
So, the most likely scenario? Sambell had been caught in a current and pulled away, just like Jabba had feared.
And now Fang Yi had gone after him. As a human without Wangzai, Fang Yi's mobility in the ocean was no better than that of any average person. And while they suspected he had some ability to breathe underwater, it likely had a limit.
If he stayed submerged too long, he'd drown.
The ship fell into a heavy silence.
"Captain…" Yamon said softly, her voice shaking.
She knew that escaping the storm was the smartest option. But she couldn't help but wish Roger would order them to go back to search for Fang Yi and Sambell.
"Yamon…" Jabba grabbed her arm before she could speak further and gently shook his head.
She turned, ready to argue—until she noticed how tightly Jabba was gripping her hand. His whole body was trembling.
Only then did she realize: Jabba was just as worried.
Fang Yi was more than a student—he was Jabba's successor. He had taught him everything: close combat, Haki, navigation… everything Jabba knew, he'd passed on to Fang Yi.
Of course, he was anxious. But as the ship's navigator, he had to make the right call.
The storm was growing fiercer. Turning back now might mean losing their last chance at survival.
"Everyone…"
Roger lifted his head and grinned. "No matter what happens, I'll never abandon a crewmate. So—Rayleigh, Jabba! You take the ship with Wangzai. I'm going back for Xiao Yi and Sambell!"
"No way, Roger!" Rayleigh stepped forward. "You're not a fishman! You can't survive in this weather! Even Xiao Yi and Sambell's odds are better than yours. If you go back—it's suicide!"
Everyone knew he was right.
If even their strongest man, Captain Roger, couldn't do it, who else could?
But Roger just shook his head, still smiling.
"No matter what, I won't leave Xiao Yi and Sambell behind. I bet when Xiao Yi sent Wangzai to guide us, he was facing the same choice. And he chose his comrades. Am I supposed to let that kid outdo me?"
"No… I mean—we're going back together!" Rayleigh said, smiling too. "With the Oro Jackson, we still have a shot."
"Hahahaha! That plan sucks—but I love it!" Roger laughed loudly. "Alright, everyone! Let's go get Xiao Yi and Sambell!"
"YEAHHH!!"
The crew shouted in unison—no one objected to the captain's decision.
Somehow, Jabba and Yamon had clasped hands. They smiled at each other, united in the same thought.
Just then—
"Wait! Over there—Captain, I see Brother Yi!"
From the sky, Buggy—still hovering with his separated body—shouted down excitedly.