Life was different for Fujimoto after his dearest daughter, Brunhilde - no... Ponyo, had chosen to live with the human boy, Sōsuke, and his family... as a human. He had his fears, yes - protecting the sanctity of nature was a valid concern - but once he had been reassured by his wife, who also held protection throughout the sea, that it could be done, and the boy had promised to keep his daughter safe, he resigned himself to allow her to be free. It was the least he could do to make up for how misguided he'd been.

One evening, he found himself sitting on the bow of his ship, the Basking Shark, long legs tucked beneath him with one hand on his chin as his tired eyes stared off at the town that Ponyo now called home. His long, wild red locks gently swayed in the cool breeze as he mused over what to do now, aside from continue to look after the rest of his children and keep the ocean balanced.

He planned to visit Ponyo someday, but... he didn't want to be too overbearing. One day, though.

...

Something was nearby. It breached the ocean's surface before falling under again... then again.

Was that... a human?

A conflicted look crossed Fujimoto's face; he could let this human reap what foolishness they'd sown... but he knew his wife would never forgive him if he did.

So, reluctantly, he got up and briskly went to his ship's controls, heading towards the drowning human. He summoned a few sea blobs to help lift their panicked form out of the water, and once he'd pulled up beside them, he had his creatures deposit them onto the deck, shivering and soaked.

Fujimoto tentatively eyed them from afar before he slowly ambled closer, his tall form towering overhead with a concernedly-arched, observant brow. After a moment, he let out a weary sigh.

"It truly baffles me how little some of you humans value your own wellbeing. Swimming so late can pose quite the risk, as I'm sure you're now well aware of." he lectured in that low rumble of his, though his stern look soon relaxed. "B-But, regardless... are you all right?"