The White Pearl floated proudly among dozens of other vessels docked around the massive Red Dragon Boat, the sea beneath them glowing faintly from the intricate support arrays keeping everything stable. The air was calm, yet filled with chatter — merchants, adventures and Pirates alike marveled at the sight of the grand floating palace.

Then suddenly, shadows began to form on the sea’s surface.

The sunlight dimmed as something enormous appeared above the clouds.

Gasps echoed through the fleets as a giant floating island slowly descended from the sky. It moved gracefully, its edges wrapped in mist, waterfalls cascading from its cliffs like silver ribbons.

"W-what is that!?" someone shouted.

From the White Pearl’s deck, Mathilda, Darla, and Astrid stared upward, shielding their eyes.

"Is that... a flying island?" Darla muttered, she looked at the Island curiously.

Astrid’s golden hair caught the wind as she leaned on the railing, eyes wide in awe. "It looks like an entire cloud coming down from the heavens."

"Hmm... I wonder if they came shopping," Mathilda said, her voice serious but her posture anything but — she was still wearing her silk pajamas, messy hair tied lazily into a bun.

All around, Practitoners from other ships also glanced at the Flying Island.

From the Red Dragon Boat, a squad of Dragonion guards in crimson armor flew up, shouting warnings.

"Stop! This is restricted airspace! There’s a Dragon Boat docked ahead — please change course immediately!"

But a calm, powerful voice echoed from the island itself, silencing the chaos.

"Sorry. We’re just dropping our friends off."

"Dropping off...?" One of the guards blinked. "They used a whole island to drop someone off?"

"Who the hell has that kind of wealth?" another muttered.

The crowd’s confusion quickly turned into wild gossip.

"Must be from a Rich Clan."

"Or one of the Emperor from the continent."

"Maybe pirates?"

As everyone speculated, five glowing figures detached from the descending island and floated gently down toward the White Pearl.

"They’re heading straight for us," Astrid said, brushing her hair back as her angelic aura flared slightly in case of trouble.

Darla squinted, then gasped. "That’s Lanny... and—" Her eyes widened even more. "The heck?! That’s –!"

"Open the barrier," Mathilda said sharply, instantly sobering up despite her attire. The crew obeyed, lowering the ship’s protective formation.

Whispers erupted from the nearby ships.

"They’re landing on that ship?"

"Figures. The White Pearl’s crew are all filthy rich, too."

The barrier shimmered away, and moments later, Tyla, Lanny, Veronica, Yumina, and Vera touched down gracefully on the deck.

"Is that Ty—" Astrid started, but immediately stopped when Tyla’s divine sense brushed her mind, carrying a silent warning.

"Call me Tyla," came the telepathic message.

Astrid blinked, then nodded subtly.

But before anyone else could speak, a blur of pink and white flew across the deck.

"Tylaaaa, my first love!!"

Mathilda practically teleported forward, hearts sparkling in her eyes.

"Wait— what are you—" Tyla started, but it was too late. Mathilda tackled her full force, knocking her flat onto the deck.

Pinned beneath the overzealous girl, Tyla groaned, caught between panic and embarrassment.

Mathilda sat triumphantly on top of her, both hands pressing down on Tyla’s chest as if inspecting treasure.

"Ahhh~ Tyler as a woman! Am I dreaming? This is the best day of my life!" she squealed through telepathy, her divine sense directly transmitting her excitement to Tyla.

"The perverted act... you must be Mathilda— stop—!" Tyla stammered, blushing furiously.

"Are they real?" Mathilda whispered shamelessly, her hands groped her breasts.

Before Tyla could even reply, Vera’s foot shot out. Wham!

Mathilda went flying backward, tumbling across the deck like a rag doll.

Vera crossed her arms with a glare. "Stop groping her, you maniac."

Mathilda stood up with a blank expression for a second... then her face melted into sheer adoration again.

"My first love... step on me more," she moaned dramatically, lunging toward Vera.

Vera froze. "Wait—what?"

"You just said that to Tyla!" Lanny said in her usual calm monotone, tilting her head.

"This girl is more perverted than me," Vera muttered, her confident smirk faltering for once.

She — a self-proclaimed seductress feared across Dragon King Territory— was now the prey.

Realizing the situation was spiraling into chaos, Vera clapped her hands and forced a smile. "A-anyway, it’s been fun! But I have pressing matters to attend to. So, goodbye, Tyla, Veronica, and little ghost Moeko! Let’s meet again soon!"

Without waiting for anyone to reply, she leapt into the sky, her elegant figure vanishing into a streak of mist and wind.

"Master didn’t even panic before the Dragon Princess," Moeko said, materializing from within Priscilla’s (Veronica’s) body. "But now she’s running for her life. Also what’s with the sloppy goodbye?"

"Don’t go, my first loveeee!" Mathilda wailed dramatically, reaching toward the sky. Then she stopped mid-motion as her gaze fell upon Yumina, whose orange hair glowed faintly under the sun.

"Ohhh, who is this cutie? My other first love?"

Yumina blinked, taking an instinctive step back.

"Stop it," Tyla groaned. "I told you, I don’t remember anything."

"Oh, really?" Mathilda grinned mischievously. "You used to be my seggs slav—!"

Before she could finish, both Darla and Astrid smacked her from opposite sides of the head.

"Shut up Pervert!" Darla scolded.

"Control yourself," Astrid giggled.

Mathilda collapsed dramatically, little sparkles circling above her head.

"Welcome back, Boss," Darla said, smiling warmly.

"Welcome home, You look cute," Astrid added softly, her expression gentle as her angelic wings folded behind her.

Tyla exhaled, her heart swelling with warmth despite the chaos. "I’m back, I guess" she said quietly.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

After stepping back onto the White Pearl, the crew gathered in the luxurious lounge — soft lights, sea breeze, and the faint hum of the ship’s core array filling the space.

Tyla reached into her sleeve and pulled out a shimmering pocket dimension pearl. The pearl glowed and two figures emerged from within.

"Ahhh, finally!" Zuzia stretched her arms wide, her hair flowing down her back as she inhaled deeply.

"Zuzia!" Astrid called out with a bright smile, rushing forward. She threw her arms around the dragon princess, hugging her tightly.

Zuzia laughed, patting her back. "Hehehe~ you woke up—and you’ve got wings like me now?"

Astrid grinned and spread her radiant white swan wings, feathers gleaming like moonlight. Zuzia, in contrast, unfurled her black vein-like dragon wings, their crimson veins pulsing faintly with heat.

Standing side by side, they looked like an angel and a demon, light and darkness perfectly balanced.

Tyla watched them with a gentle smile before turning to Yumina, who was already checking her wrist device.

"Tyla," Yumina said, glancing up, "I’m going to the information center on the Red Dragon Boat. I want to look for news about my friends."

Tyla nodded. "Let’s go together."

But Yumina shook her head. "You should stay here, talk with your crew. Maybe you’ll remember more if you spend time with them."

Tyla hesitated, then smiled faintly. "Alright. Don’t take too long."

Before she could leave, Mathilda suddenly raised her hand like an overexcited student. "Oh! Let me guide her! I know the entire layout of the Red Dragon Boat—every floor, every bar, every bed—"

"You are definitely not going," Darla interrupted, crossing her arms with a dangerous glare.

Darla then said, "Ms. Serena, send Su Fei with her. Tell her to cover the expenses — we’ll pay later."

From the ceiling, Serena’s calm voice replied instantly: "Yes, Darla."

With that, Yumina and Su Fei left the ship, heading toward the bustling Red Dragon Boat.

The lounge grew quiet for a moment.

A wisp of energy emerged from Tyla’s chest — Mana — her ethereal form materializing beside him. As she left his body, Tyla’s figure shifted and shimmered... changing back into Tyler.

His silver hair darkened slightly, his features sharpening into a more masculine form.

The moment the transformation completed, Mathilda gasped in horror.

"Nooo! Turn back into Tylaaa!" she cried, clutching her chest dramatically. "My beautiful wife, where did she go!?"

Tyler sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was only pretending to be a woman for tactical reasons. Don’t start again."

"You broke my heart," Mathilda sobbed. " gender-swap, Now!"

"Mathilda," Darla muttered, sipping her tea, "maybe try touching grass."

"I’d rather touch Tyla!" Mathilda wailed, " And also, How can I touch grass in the middle of the sea?"

---

Meanwhile, somewhere far across the sea, a lone wooden boat drifted quietly under the crimson sunset.

The ocean was calm — too calm — and there wasn’t a single soul in sight.

Then, with a flash of light, Lily Gomes descended from the sky, landing softly on the empty deck. Her long hair fluttered in the sea breeze as she adjusted her gloves and scanned the surroundings.

Beside her, a person landed, "This is the boat." he said nervously.

Lily nodded. "Good work." She tossed him a small bag that jingled with the weight of 10,000 Lydia.

The courier caught it, his eyes lighting up. "Thank you, Miss! May fortune bless you!" With a polite bow, he activated his flight talisman and disappeared into the distance.

Now alone, Lily stepped forward, her boots creaking against the deck.

The boat was old but sturdy, covered in scratches and faint burn marks. Something caught her attention near the bow — words written in dried, dark red.

She crouched down to read.

> [ Find Lily Gomes, White Pearl.

P.S. She will pay you.

To Lily — Find Me. ]

Below the text was a simple drawing.

A woman holding a bow, her long hair tied up — next to her, a man kneeling with an arrow in his back.

Beside the woman, a small scribble read: Me.

Beside the man, another read: Ling Tian.

Lily stared at it for a long moment, the wind tugging at her coat.

A faint smile touched her lips as her eyes fell on the the drawing of woman holding a bow, her long hair tied up.

Lily exhaled slowly.

Manhunter.