– POV General –

"This is really weird...we've been sailing northwest for several hours now, but this island, even though I can see it, is not getting any closer. It looks like we're really going to arrive just before sunset...it's really weird"

The sun was slowly beginning its descent toward the vast blue horizon and Mysie, perched in the crow's nest with her telescope, was talking to herself. Actually, she wasn't talking to herself because her little monkey she had named Ari was on her right shoulder. They had both been standing there for a while watching, as if any moment something crazy was going to happen right in front of them, but nothing was happening.

"SO ??"

Suddenly, on the main deck, Kali's voice had sounded signifying that they were all waiting to hear what the crew bard was seeing. Jumping up, the young redheaded woman put away her telescope before grabbing the rope that was beside her with both hands. Taking a breath, Mysie jumped up to find herself a few seconds later on the deck in front of her Captain and her companions who were waiting impatiently for her report.

"Well ? Did you notice anything ?"

"I can't figure it out, I've had a clear view of the island for a couple of hours now, we're getting close but something doesn't add up, visually at least. I already distinguish from where we are trees and reliefs which is only possible when we are really close. The island seems far away but close at the same time...I really don't understand."

At her words, Joe the Sailing Master was deep in thought, running his mind at breakneck speed to find an explanation. He was sure of his measurements, he was never wrong and yet he could not give a good reason for his friend's statements. Why did the mysterious island seem so close but at the same time so far ? They would have to wait until nightfall to find out but the questions remained.

"We've taken inventory and with the storm, we barely have enough food and drink left so that's not the most important thing right now."

"For how many days, Quartermaster ?"

"A day, two at most for food and three for water. We don't know what we'll find on the island yet, but it had better be habitable."

Indeed, they were going to have to stock up on supplies before attempting any exploration and Kali, who was meticulously taking care of the rations with Katherine's help, knew this perfectly well. At that moment, Hestia's empty eyes lit up as she caressed Loki and Azeil, aware of what that meant. After all, before she was a Captain, she was a great huntress and what could be more exciting for a hunting enthusiast, than a hunt in an unknown land ?

"Aye mateys, since we can't solve the mysteries of this island from the Cerberus anyway, all we can do is wait. Prepare to disembark before sunset, with any luck we'll have an hour or two to explore the surrounding area."

"AYE CAPTAIN !"

The crew still had about six hours before the moon appeared in the sky which was four or five before they reached their destination. So it was better to use that time to its advantage than to speculate about the nature of the island without having any way to be sure of anything. It was with eagerness that the group separated in order to put everything in place and prepare for any eventuality and to gain time.

Hestia, without another word, returned to her quarters to dive once again into her mother's notebook and all her parchments that she had been writing for over a month. She, who never slept, wanted to continue her research with the help of books scattered on the table in her room. The young Captain also wanted to take the opportunity to check out of sight the mark the strange creature had left on her during the storm.

"I'm curious to know what little Ulysses can tell me about it."

After all that had happened, Hestia still hadn't talked to Katherine's son although his intervention during that little scare had been surprising. Only 7 years old, he seemed to have an exceptional memory and she suspected a gift. So it was with this idea in mind that the young woman returned to her quarters followed by her animals just before being able to set foot on the land again.

_____

The sun was already in the middle of its course when the ship finally approached this immense land that seemed to float alone in the middle of the ocean. After a few more hours carried by the wind that was cooling down with the decline of the day, the Hysterics would soon be able to dock. However, it was now an hour that all were silent, unable to believe the spectacle that was offered before them, answering Mysie's question.

Now they finally understood why the island seemed so far away but so close and above all they were finally confronted with something very different. The world in which the pirates found themselves was as vast as it was dangerous, but it was also full of mysteries. Unimaginable creatures populated it, straight out of a fairy tale book which included the environment where these things were born and raised.

"Blimey..."

After a long hour of slowly approaching, the Captain herself had just said the first word that broke the deafening silence resulting from the huge shock. In front of them only a few minutes away, huge trees stretched up to the sky creating a dense forest. They were not ordinary, they were gigantic, so big and so high that it was impossible to see the end of them even from the sea...it was terrifying.

In fact, if Mysie had been able to see the island from a distance that was not possible, it was because its trees were nothing like the ones they had known until now. Their imposing and majestic stature was breathtaking, frightening for sure but equally fascinating. The crew had not even arrived yet that they already felt tiny in front of this scene they would have a day before, thought straight out of a dream.

"Everything is big there..."

Hestia repeated this phrase over and over in her head, knowing it by heart after reading it hundreds of times in her notes. That was what the young Achi had said when she had asked for more details about their destination and at that moment everything became clear. Excitement was building in the minds of the pirates who were also apprehensive, beset by different emotions that they had to forget by the time they docked.

"A-All sails out, p-prepare to throw the anchor at the Sailing Master's signal !"

"Aye aye !"

The Captain at the bow watched with the personal telescope she had, leaving her Quartermaster to do the rest with the Sailing Master. Although the land was very close, she was trying to probe as far as she could for any movement. The golden haired young woman wasn't paying attention to anything else and before she knew it, they had finally arrived.

"Captain ?? Ahem...would you do us the honor ?"

"Huh ?"

Abruptly snapping out of her thoughts, Hestia then discovered Lucas at her side pointing with his outstretched arm to the wooden plank connecting the ship to the island. All the others and the animals were waiting in front, motionless and waiting for her to go down first. Somewhat of an unspoken tradition, the Captain had to be the last to leave the ship in case of danger no matter what, and in return, she was always the first to set foot on land.

Without saying a word, Hestia lowered her head to adjust her tricorn, and when she looked up the next second, they were serious and solemn. The red and white feathers of her hat fluttered in unison with the long admiral-like coat she always wore over her shoulders. It was time to go down and discover this island and maybe even find some water and food before the sun set which was in an hour or two.

Stepping forward slowly, clicking her boots on the deck, the Captain put her first foot on the wooden plank before stopping. The Cerberus had entered a river that slowly sank before ending in a dead end, marking their final stop. They were already surrounded by the island's flora and fauna, and Hestia couldn't help but stop, staring intently at the new world before them.

Huge tropical trees within sight, their shadows only growing as the sun seemed to set where no sailor could go. The vegetation was luxuriant and the further they looked, the more they felt drawn into its depths. The forest was dark, dense and seemed impenetrable, home to beasts and creatures as unknown and perhaps dangerous as these lands.

"Let's go."

With her eyes still on this gigantic world, Hestia finally moved forward, her footsteps the only sound that could be heard around. Then, after a few seconds, the Captain's brown boots finally touched the new ground, giving her instant pride in her exploration. This was it, the famous island, the first step of Diana Hellfire's long journey was finally reached, as uncertain as the days to come were.

Soon, one by one, the others began to descend, empty-handed, wanting first to enjoy this unique, magical and almost solemn moment. All the members of the ship had the same reaction and raised their heads as high as they could in the hope of seeing the top of the forest. Because of the thick foliage and the immensity of the trees, the sky was gradually disappearing from their field of vision, the darkness becoming more present and heavy.

"This is...this is crazy..."

Everything looked the same and yet everything was different, these enormous trunks, as big and high as towers dominated them like immobile titans. The trees whose bark of a dark and old wood seemed to have resisted all the bad weather, stood there, proud, majestic and millenary. A brand new atmosphere had enveloped the group who, still speechless, did not dare to venture further than a few meters. 

The grass muffled their footsteps, enveloping them in a deafening silence, for no bird or animal seemed to be heard. It was as if the Cerberus crew was alone in the world, stopped in time, lost in an ocean of mysterious vegetation unknown to all. What lay beyond this forest and what was inside ? What other mysterious landscapes would they discover ?

"W-We...should...maybe settle down ?"

"D-Do we have to do it...here ? Can't we stay on the...the ship and sleep there ?"

The first to really break the ear-splitting silence were Kali and Mysie, who like the others had been mesmerized and caught up in the surroundings. But as fascinating and timeless as it was, time kept passing and the sun kept going down. Indeed, very soon, the darkness was going to be absolute and the sea, the sky, the earth would merge in an equal terrifying intensity of darkness.

Around the river where the Cerberus was moored, a large expanse of treeless grass was the ideal place to build a first camp. However, for Mysie, the idea of sleeping here for the first night was difficult, preferring the familiar comforts of their ship to this stifling forest. She wasn't the only one who thought so, for among the group, Katherine, Ulysses, and Achi shared that same natural and instinctive fear.

"Captain ?"

Suddenly wishing for his Captain's advice, Joe had turned to the young woman in expectation of direction but found only silence. There she stood, trembling, standing before this new world, her eyes still fixed as if defying the growing, threatening shadows. Then, as if coming to her senses, Hestia would suddenly turn and walk with a purposeful step towards the Cerberus, removing her cloak and tricorn.

"We need to collect firewood to make a fire, our water source is already found but we'll have to find another one to determine our path. The priority before the night falls is to explore the surroundings in case of danger and why not...hunt. Kali, Lucas, Joe, I let you manage here, Edward follow me"

There was only an hour and a half left before the dark night fell and as she finally gave her orders, she walked on the wooden plank. On the deck, for some unknown reason, absolutely all the animals had stayed, not daring to put a paw on the island. The young Captain, who was actually shaking with excitement, paid no attention to this, preferring to head for her quarters followed by Edward to get what she needed.

The others were also all moving about, preferring to get everything in place while the last flaming rays still danced on their faces. It didn't matter if some wanted to sleep on the ship for the first night, a camp had to be set up no matter what. There was no trace of civilization, the forest was devoid of any human footprint and it was now clear that the group would have to survive as dangerous as the place was.

______

Only ten minutes later, the Captain and the Carpenter were back in full gear while on the shore a small camp was already forming. Hestia was dressed in a simple white shirt, black pants, brown boots and had taken out her hunting gear. In her lower back, two swords were hung and at her waist, a multitude of hunting knives were attached to her belt in addition to her black sword.

Edward no longer had his shirt on, his muscular, tattooed and scarred torso was exposed for all to see, wearing only his pants and boots. He had with him his spear and his axe that he never left, ready to leave to explode the surroundings of this immense forest. So it was without a word that the two pirates, not wanting to waste time, sank among the trees, equipped with rope and other materials, under the worried eyes of their companions, accompanied by Loki and Azeil.

"And we never saw them again..."

"MYSIE !!!"

"What ??"

While their two friends were already out of sight, the young redheaded woman had let slip these words not without provoking a reaction from Kali. The atmosphere was already worrying enough as it was, that there was no need to make jokes especially when the night pointed the tip of its nose. Sighing, the Quartermaster continued what she had to do as Achi slowly approached her.

"Isn't it...a little dangerous to go into the forest now ? I'm not scared at all, right ! But...I-I just wanted to know...just...in case..."

The blonde girl looked around, shaking slightly, her words differing from what her body language showed. The idea of Hestia and Edward no longer being around was scary enough, and even accompanied by the others, Achi preferred it when everyone was together. She had said what Katherine and Ulysses helping Lucas were thinking and that, Kali knew it well as she replied.

"Hahaha~ don't worry, before she was a Pirate Captain, Hestia was known in our village for being the most experienced hunter on the whole island. She's also with Edward so I'm not too worried and then as long as you stay close to us you're safe too."

"It's the return of the Twilight Huntress !

Lucas, Kali and Mysie laughed trusting their two friends despite the stress they felt but cleverly hid for the others. In less than an hour they should be back, so there was no need to worry despite this first night being special. As everyone continued their tasks, suddenly Joe's voice rang out near a tree as he held up something in his hand.

"Guys...take a look at this !"

"It's a feather yes so what ?"

"It's a Hoatzin feather that is usually found in rainforests I'm sure but it's weird because… well, there it is triple its normal size"

In his hand he held a red and black feather belonging to a tropical bird quite recognizable by its color, long neck and crest. It was very long and wide, easily taking up half of Joe's forearm and he kept looking at it with wide eyes. After a shared silence, Lucas brought a hand to his chin before speaking, finding an eerie explanation thanks to the surroundings.

"That would mean that here it's not only the trees that are titanic but the animals too ? 'Everything is big  there' is what you said, isn't it Achi ?"

Afraid to understand, Achi didn't answer, just nodded her head with a growing fear in her eyes, slowly moving closer to Buggy and Douggy. After what the Cerberus First Mate had said, everyone looked at each other, slowly understanding how unique this island was. They all trusted Joe and his brain so they knew he wasn't wrong, which meant that the species here was quite different.

That's why this place was hidden from the world, the phrase Achi had said weeks ago was not without meaning. That's why they felt so small and at that moment the group understood instantly that the danger was bigger than expected. It was suddenly Katherine who for the first time began to speak, making an important point, her words chilling the blood of those left on the shore.

"But then...if everything really is bigger here...wh-what gigantic creature is going to cross H-Hestia and Edward's path ?"