Friday, 05/18/2001, 9:24 p.m.
Industrial Illusions' Ship.
In the darkness of night, the sea breeze blew cold and fickle, carrying with it a strong salty smell.
A dock worker dressed in gray shouted at the crane operator. The crane was moving a container toward the ship.
"...To the left! More to the left! That's good! Good!…"
With a metallic thud, the crane dropped the container onto the ship's deck.
The container door was slightly ajar.
Inside the container...
Reeling from the impact against the deck, Jonouchi and Hiroto got up from the container floor with grim expressions.
Frowning, Hiroto protested in an annoyed tone.
"I'm never doing this again, Jonouchi. You hear me? Never!"
Jonouchi raised a finger to his lips and muttered with a look of irritation.
"Shhh! Quit whining and keep your voice down, bastard. They could hear us. What matters is that it worked, right?"
Grimacing, Hiroto clenched his teeth and mumbled angrily.
"Who're you calling bastard, bastard? You're the loud one here."
Silently, Jonouchi peeked through the container door. Hiroto followed close behind.
Outside, the dock worker continued his task. The crane kept moving other containers.
Clicking his tongue, Jonouchi carefully closed the container door. Then he turned to Hiroto and said seriously.
"Tch, we can't go out like this... We'll have to wait."
Meeting his friend's gaze, Hiroto nodded and whispered with a determined look.
"Those guys will definitely leave once the ship sets sail."
Jonouchi grabbed his backpack from the floor and then sat on a tightly sealed box, his voice firm.
"Then we'll get out of here."
Shouldering his bag, Hiroto muttered anxiously.
"Hope this doesn't take too long."
At the same time, Shin, Anzu, and Yugi reunited on deck...
Around them, several participants roamed the ship with curious expressions.
Grabbing Shin's arm, Anzu asked in a curious voice.
"What took you so long?"
Smiling awkwardly, Shin replied sarcastically.
"Bureaucracy."
Anzu and Yugi looked at Shin with puzzled faces. He returned their gaze calmly.
Shaking his head, Yugi turned his eyes to Domino City and then walked over to the ship's railing. Anzu and Shin followed.
In the distance, the city rose irregularly. Lights of all kinds gave life to the night with a myriad of colors and shapes.
Below, the water splashed against the hull of the ship, foaming with seaweed and bubbles.
Slowly, the ship began to move. The group's faces filled with resolve...
Minutes later, a spiky-haired man raised his voice. Two suited men stood behind him, a closed door in the background.
"Attention!"
Confused looks turned to the man's figure, and a commotion broke out.
The man continued.
"Everyone!"
The participants, including Shin, Anzu, and Yugi, began to gather in front of the man, their expressions attentive. The chatter died down gradually. Then the man continued in a more moderate tone.
"I will take you to your rooms. Please, follow me."
At that moment, the two suited men opened the door.
The chatter resumed and someone among the group commented.
"With a ship this big, the rooms must be super fancy!"
Thus, a chaotic line entered the ship, led by the three suited men...
Some minutes later, Yugi, Anzu, and Shin, along with other participants, arrived at a small common room. The suited man guiding them stood to the side and announced dryly.
"Make yourselves comfortable."
With disappointed looks, several duelists settled into the shared room.
Grabbing Shin's arm, Anzu looked into his eyes and asked nervously.
"We have to sleep here?"
Shin smiled and shook his head, speaking in an amused tone.
"Normally, yes. But as the champion, I have my perks. A private room's one of them. So, what now? Want to drop off your stuff first or look for Jonouchi and Hiroto on deck?"
Yugi opened his mouth, but Anzu interrupted him with a decisive voice.
"Of course we'll go to the room first! A girl has her needs."
Yugi closed his mouth and nodded firmly.
Meanwhile, inside the container, a loud sneeze was heard—Jonouchi.
"Aaachoo!"
Wiping his nose, Jonouchi muttered in distress, hands clutching his green coat.
"This cold is killing me. When the hell are those bastards out there gonna leave?"
Shivering as he nodded, Hiroto muttered through chattering teeth.
"Y-y-you said it. By the way, bless you."
Jonouchi nodded with a frustrated look, then walked toward the container door. Hiroto followed with stiff steps.
Jonouchi opened the door slightly. The view revealed the ship and, beyond, the starry sky over the Pacific Ocean.
Looking around cautiously, Jonouchi spoke in a relieved tone.
"No one's here. Come on, let's get out of here already."
Jonouchi and Hiroto left the container. Their first steps on the ship's deck took them to the railing. A gust of cold wind hit them hard. Both shivered slightly.
Leaning against the railing, Hiroto muttered in a relaxed tone, his gaze drifting over the vast sea.
"Finally! That container was killing me."
Next to Hiroto, Jonouchi whispered in frustration, his eyes scanning the rest of the ship.
"Wonder what's taking those three so long?"
At that moment, Yugi, Anzu, and Shin entered a well-furnished room with a carpeted floor...
Looking around with curious expressions, the group dropped their luggage on a small white wooden table between two red leather chairs.
Walking toward the bathroom at the far end, Anzu spoke fiercely, her steps rigid.
"I'm using the bathroom. Don't do anything weird. Got it?"
Swallowing hard, Yugi nodded quickly.
Shin gave a small smile, then winked at Anzu.
Seeing Shin's gesture, Anzu huffed and slammed the bathroom door behind her.
"Hmph! Idiot!"
Then, Shin and Yugi sat facing each other.
Looking at Shin, Yugi spoke sincerely.
"Hey, Shin, um... Thanks for letting us stay in your room. Really."
Shaking his head and waving a hand, Shin replied with a smile:
"One's my girlfriend and the others are my friends. No need to thank me."