On Treasure Island, Shizuka had spent the entire afternoon working, and finally the dinner rush came to an end. With the restaurant quieting down, the manager told her and Sarah they could call it a day—after all, it wasn't healthy for children to be overworked.
Sarah stood up and took Shizuka toward the canal. She pulled out two spheres that transformed into waterboards and handed one to Shizuka.
Shizuka accepted the board and tried to mimic Sarah's stance, cautiously gliding across the water. Though she was clumsy at first, she soon found her rhythm and joined Sarah, cutting through the canal toward an unknown destination.
People along the way gave them strange looks. "Weird, did I just see two Sarahs? Must be my imagination…"
As they passed through the heart of the ship-city, Shizuka got her first real look at what this so-called pirate ship really was—soaring skyscrapers, cranes in motion, and workers bustling about in every direction. It looked more like a futuristic city than anything remotely pirate-like.
Eventually, the two of them reached Sarah's destination: an inconspicuous corner beneath a towering building with a keypad on a nearby wall.
Sarah tapped a code into the keypad. A hidden panel in a nearby column slid open, revealing an elevator.
Shizuka followed her inside, and the elevator began descending, offering a view of the city's underbelly.
As the elevator moved, Shizuka couldn't hold in her curiosity. "Sarah… is this really just a pirate ship?"
"I don't know," Sarah admitted. "I think it was something else originally and got turned into a pirate ship later. But forget that—come on, I'll show you one of the ship's real treasures."
When they reached the bottom, she led Shizuka down a corridor into a room filled with animals—though not living ones.
Shizuka jumped, startled by their fearsome appearances.
Sarah chuckled. "Relax. They're not alive. They've all been turned into specimens. My brother said they're preserved to protect their genetic material and for use in future education."
They continued on.
"But that's not what I wanted to show you. Come with me!"
At the end of the corridor stood a wall with another keypad. Sarah entered the code confidently.
"This area's supposed to be off-limits, but my brother's amazing. He cracked the password and made this our secret base."
As she finished speaking, the wall parted. A dazzling golden light filled the hallway, forcing Shizuka to shield her eyes.
When she opened them, her jaw dropped.
The room before her was packed with treasure—gold coins blanketed the floor, but they were the least valuable items in sight. Jewels, crowns, swords, and priceless artifacts were piled high.
And standing at the center was a statue—a massive sculpture of a mother cloaked in a flowing golden cape, adorned with jewels and precious metals, exuding majesty and reverence.
Shizuka gasped. "So this… this is why it's called Treasure Island."
She stepped toward the treasure, picking up a necklace, then a bracelet, and finally a crown. With those on, her posture changed—elegant and commanding, like a queen.
Sarah stared, mesmerized by Shizuka's transformation, until Shizuka turned red. "Stop staring, I'm embarrassed!"
"Oh! Sorry, sorry!" Sarah flailed in apology. "All of this was pulled from the ocean floor, forgotten for who knows how long."
"These were all salvaged?" Shizuka asked. "But what are you even supposed to do with this much treasure?"
Sarah shook her head. "I don't really know. My dad says they'll be useful someday."
Shizuka noticed she mentioned her dad often. "Where is your father?"
"Upstairs," Sarah said, pointing upward. "I haven't seen him in a long time. I don't know if what he's doing is right… but I want to believe he has his reasons."
"My brother didn't agree. He couldn't forgive our father. That's why he ran away…" She paused, voice trembling. "I just want us all to be together and happy again. Why can't they just talk things out?"
She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
Shizuka comforted her gently, and after Sarah calmed down, they chatted more.
Looking at the statue, Shizuka asked, "Where did that come from? It's enormous."
Sarah pondered. "I heard it's based on a Bible story… but I don't know where we found it."
"As for the golden cape, I think it came from a different time. Maybe the past, maybe the future. When we found it, it was falling apart. Someone rewove it with gold thread, but I don't know who—it happened when I was too young to remember."
Shizuka nodded. As they left, she made a mental note of the drainage outlet's location.
That night, she slipped out under the cover of darkness and crept to the dock. Taking the glowing yellow jellyfish from her pocket, she whispered:
"Please… find Nobita and the others. Bring them to rescue me. You're my only hope."
She reached toward the sea, but the jellyfish recoiled from the water and burrowed into her arms.
"Please… I'm begging you. I need your help!"
A single tear fell onto the jellyfish's head. It looked back at her tear-streaked face… then leapt bravely into the sea.
The next morning, Daichi woke and saw Flock asleep beside the ship.
The ship itself, though, was transformed. The deck was repaired, the hull no longer patched with scraps, and a new mast—reinforced with metal—stood tall.
There were even extra folded masts and fresh sails ready to deploy.
Impressed, Daichi roused the others.
Doraemon gathered everyone. "Our new ship is ready. We set sail again—this time, we're going to catch up with Treasure Island!"
He pointed to the horizon. "Say it loud—what are we fighting for?"
"To rescue Shizuka!" shouted Nobita, Gian, and Suneo. Flock added, "To talk to my family!"
When it was Daichi's turn, he hesitated, then instinctively blurted, "For the tribe!"
Everyone: "…?"
Regardless, they boarded. With the expanded sails, speed increased—but it still wasn't enough to catch the submarine.
Flock gestured at the controls. "Captain, try switching to high-speed mode."
Doraemon noticed a new lightning-bolt icon beside the gearshift and flipped it.
Daichi raised an eyebrow. "A sailboat… with gears. Right."
Still, once the ship entered high-speed mode, the masts fully unfolded, additional sails deployed, and the rear thrusters kicked in.
The ship surged forward.
"Better," said Flock. "But still not enough to overtake the sub."
Doraemon knocked on his head. "Right!"
He pulled out several Take-Copters and handed them to the Mini-Doras. He tied the Mini-Doras to the ship and sent them into the air, flapping with all their might.
As the first gust from the Take-Copters hit the sails, the ship rocketed forward. The acceleration was so intense that Daichi nearly lost his balance.
But no one complained. They were now faster than the submarine.
Just in case, Doraemon activated a satellite jammer to prevent global surveillance from noticing a sailboat speeding faster than a fighter jet.
And so, the crew sailed off once more, toward their next adventure.
(End of Chapter)