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Aye aye.

Full rudder! Hang tight!

The salt ship makes a hard turn to starboard, but not quite quickly enough to avoid brushing against the side of the charging saltfin.

Cold sweat rolls down everyone's backs at the grating sound. Hanging onto a fence for dear life, Isidro looks towards where the sound came from.

He sees a massive saltfin swim past the ship, sending stinging salt grains flying across the deck.

How could a saltfin grow this big?

I thought that last one was the biggest I'd ever see...

No, chaval... Even I've never seen one this big.

What?

We never hunt ones this big, not by choice.

This is loco! We're in way over our heads!

Load! Aim! Fire!

Port broadside! Fire!

Aim for the eyes and nostril! Hitting the shell won't do a damn thing!

Is Señora Juana in position?

Boss! Boss!

She just went down!

You gotta stop the hunt! We're in way over our heads!

And how would we eat tomorrow if we don't hunt today?

What's the matter, Rus?

It's twice as big as any other saltfin. Only the leader of a school could grow this big.

So you'd expect it to have a whole school behind it, but I sure don't see one.

Get to the point, <i>professor</i>.

Either it lost its school, or it was abandoned. Either way, it's mad. Real mad.

Does Señora Juana know about this?

It was <i>her</i> plan.

She's toying with our lives again. If that thing decides to bring us down with it, we're all—

Mm...

Teach...

Señora and the hunting team have already left. It's too late to back down.

Don't let the rest of the crew know. We can't afford a panic.

Keep firing, Javier.

I'd rather die on a hunt today than of starvation in a month.

Boss... Can we really take on this big guy?

Of course. And we'll win.

Wait for it to turn and aim for gaps in its shell! If you can hit the nostril, all the better!

It's coming straight for us!

Row! Hard forward!

Aye aye!

Harpoons ready! ...Now!

Argh!

Good! Keep it up!

It's too strong! I can't hold this rope much longer!

I'm with you!

All hands! Again!

Argh!

Good! Someone hit the nostril!

Hold that rope like your life depends on it!

Hah!

Thirty meters left!

Keep holding on!

Twenty meters!

Ten meters!

We're out of rope!

Just a little more!

It's coming out of the salt layer!

Now! Reel it in!

Juana rides her boat towards the saltfin as the rope is reeled in. Its thick hide has been pierced by dozens of harpoons, blood seeping out from the wounds.

Listening to its heavy, rapid breathing, Juana knows that its life is coming to an end.

She cannot help but place her hand on the massive figure, feeling its life flow out of it little by little, until the saltfin closes its eyes, still raging against the dying of the light with its last breath.

Phew... finally.

We did it!

...Hail the salt ship. Have them come for us.

Aye aye!

Wait!

Look out, señora!

It's not dead yet...

Juana feels a gaze filled with overwhelming malice upon her.

She looks up at its eyes, filled with hatred and anger.

The next instant, the saltfin begins flailing violently, sending blood-stained salt flying, falling over the sailors like rain.

It breaks free of the ropes, leaving behind only the harpoons still impaled in its hide.

It raises its tail fin high.

Retreat! Retreat!

No...

Several boats are quickly snapped in two by the saltfin's attack, and the air is filled with the screams of injured sailors.

The sound seems to fill Juana with a certain resolve. She charges towards the rampaging saltfin, and grabs one of the harpoons on its back.

It leaps up, trying to shake her off.

It's too dangerous, señora! Let go!

No! This one is mine, as long as I still breathe!

The saltfin sweeps aside the boats in front of it and swims into the distance, carrying Juana on its back.

It does so with astounding speed, like an arrow from a bow, or a dying star.

Faster!

We have to catch it!

Stop! Stop! That's as far as we can go! The beast dragged Juana into the Skeletal Reef!

Javier... Javier...

You were right, Rus. I shouldn't have knocked you out.

Not the first time. I know how you can get.

But listen for once... We can't chase her. The steam in Skeletal Reef will tear our ship apart.

If you won't go, give me a boat. I'll find her.

No one survives that place! Not us, not...

Juana can.

Are you with me or not, Teach?

Don't be reckless, Javier!

You're just gonna let her die?

No one wants to lose our leader. But we can't lose you too.

She liked you. If something happens to her, you have a responsibility for what comes next.

I'll go.

Maybe so, Teach. But she won't die. I won't let her!

Who's with me?!

Count me in!