The Polar Tang floated gently atop the calm sea, sunlight glinting off her yellow deck. For once, there were no alarms, no enemies, no chaos—just peace.

Bepo stretched at the railing, tail flicking happily.

“Ahh… finally, fresh air! Captain, it feels so good to just… breathe.”

Law, seated on a crate with maps spread before him, gave a rare soft smile.

“Don’t get used to this level of calm,” he murmured, eyes scanning the horizon.

Shachi and Penguin were sprawled on the deck, playing a fiercely competitive card game.

“I’m telling you, you cheated!” Shachi shouted. “Lies! I have impeccable luck,” Penguin shot back, grinning.

Jean Bart leaned against the mast, arms crossed, eyes half-closed, exuding quiet vigilance. Ikkaku polished a small blade nearby, occasionally glancing up at the antics with a faint smile. Celone and Uni lounged on deck cushions, chatting softly, while Hakugan stood at the helm, calm and steady, guiding the Tang’s path.

Then Bepo froze mid-stretch, ears twitching.

“Captain… there,” he said, paw pointing toward the horizon.

Law looked up, narrowing his eyes. At first, it was just a shadow against a distant sea stack rising from the water—jagged, lonely, windswept. But then the shadow moved.

A figure stood on top of the rock, perfectly still at first, then a flutter of cloth caught in the wind—hair whipping like a flag in the sun.

Shachi and Penguin immediately squinted.

“Is that… a person?” Shachi asked. “No way someone climbed up there,” Penguin muttered, disbelief etched on his face.

Ikkaku’s eyes narrowed. “Or survived being up there this long…”

Jean Bart’s arms flexed slightly, ever protective, while Celone and Uni exchanged nervous glances. Even Hakugan’s grip on the helm tightened just a fraction.

Law didn’t move immediately, observing the figure with calculated patience. The Tang floated closer, cutting through the calm waters, silent and cautious.

Bepo padded a few steps closer to Law. “Captain… they’re alive. I can feel it.”

Law’s jaw tightened slightly. “Helm,” he said quietly. “Keep course steady. We’re going to see who that is.”

For a long moment, the crew simply watched—the figure unmoving, mysterious, and undeniably human, standing alone against the vast horizon.