The wind carried the salty scent of the ocean across Pen Gu Island. Waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, the perfect kind of waves surfers dreamed about. Cameras were everywhere—on tripods, carried by crew members, even mounted on floating rigs near the shore.

This was it. The biggest surfing competition any penguin had ever seen.

Standing near the sandy edge of the beach was Cody Maverick. Around his neck hung the clam necklace with a rough “Z” carved into it—the one thing he never, ever took off. He rubbed the shell between his flippers nervously.

Cody: “Okay… okay… just another wave,” Cody muttered to himself.

A loud “DUDE!” suddenly rang out behind him. Cody turned to see a tall, skinny chicken wearing shorts with palm trees on them strolling across the sand like he didn’t have a single worry in the world.

Chicken Joe: “Man, this place is sweeet,” said Chicken Joe, grinning as he looked at the waves. “You feel that breeze? That’s like… prime surfing vibes, bro.”

Cody smirked a little.

Cody: “You’re not even a penguin.”

Joe: “Surfing’s a state of mind, man,” Joe replied, shrugging casually. Nearby, other competitors showed off their custom boards—some painted with flames, others carved with tribal patterns. A few penguins were already being interviewed by the camera crew.

One cameraman suddenly pointed his lens toward Cody.

“Hey! That’s the kid from Shiverpool!” the producer whispered. The one who surfs the ice waves!”

The camera zoomed closer. A microphone was suddenly shoved toward Cody’s beak.

“So Cody,” the interviewer said excitedly, “what does it mean for you to compete here on Pen Gu Island, where the legendary Big Z once surfed?”

Cody’s flipper instinctively closed around the necklace. For a moment… the noise of the beach faded. Then—A new competitor walked onto the sand nearby. Someone the cameras hadn’t noticed yet.