Chu Zihang remained deep in meditation, following Gustave's latest training guidance to sense the life force of flying birds, swimming fish, and crawling insects around them.
Daigo approached the young man cautiously, studying his cross-legged posture and closed eyes. A wave of uncertainty washed over him—was it proper to interrupt him?
The internal conflict gnawed at him. Without disturbing this person, he'd remain clueless about his situation. But interrupting someone's meditation seemed incredibly rude, especially given the obvious discipline and focus the practice required.
"Maybe I should try the village instead," Daigo murmured, remembering the quaint buildings of Cocoyasi Village he'd glimpsed from the second floor. Surely the locals there could provide some answers.
Just as he steeled himself to leave, a familiar voice shattered the peaceful silence.
"Daigo!"
The surprised female cry jolted Chu Zihang from his concentration and Daigo turn around in confusion.
"Are you... calling me?" He pointed uncertainly at himself, studying the newly stranger who somehow knew his name.
"Daigo, have you forgotten me already?" The woman's voice carried deep hurt and bitter disappointment.
"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" Even as he spoke, something stirred in the depths of Daigo's memory—a strange familiarity that felt ancient, as if he'd known this woman for millennia rather than moments.
But her appearance was utterly foreign. She wore flowing black robes, an enormous dark gem hanging from her neck, and an elaborate crown-like ornament adorning her head. Most striking were the two silver lines marking her face like perpetual tears—such distinctive features should have been unforgettable.
"Hahaha! So that cursed woman's spell made you forget me completely!" Her laughter rang hollow, saturated with anguish.
"Then I'll make you remember exactly who I am!"
From within her robes, she produced a transformation device eerily similar to Daigo's own Spark Lens. Dark light erupted around her as her human form dissolved, revealing the towering figure of Camearra—the ancient warrior of darkness.
The moment she transformed, fragmented memories exploded through Daigo's consciousness like scattered puzzle pieces seeking their proper places.
"Camearra!" The name tore from his throat unbidden, drawn from those mysterious memory shards.
Without warning, Camearra launched a devastating wave of dark energy directly toward the Bamboo Staff.
Instinct overrode confusion. Daigo's hand found his Spark Lens, brilliant light enveloping him as Ultraman Tiga materialized to intercept the attack.
Four floors above, Gustave remained blissfully unaware that his beloved restaurant ship had nearly been vaporized in a lovers' quarrel spanning thirty million years.
"Excellent! Finally willing to show your true self!" Camearra's voice echoed across the water with cruel satisfaction. "Do you remember now? The power you wield was stolen from me, from Hudra, from Darramb!"
A massive whip of pure energy materialized in her grasp, lashing out with practiced precision. Tiga attempted to block the strike, but the weapon's power far exceeded his expectations.
With a pained grunt, the silver giant was sent plummeting from the sky, crashing into the sea with such force that the ocean floor cracked. Massive tsunamis radiated outward from the impact point.
"What the hell? Is that an earthquake?" Gustave yanked off his gaming headset, leaping to the window just in time to see a black-and-gold female giant diving toward the churning waters.
"Camearra?" Recognition struck immediately, though her presence raised a dozen questions. "Why is she here? And who's she fighting?"
He rushed downstairs to find Chu Zihang staring at the spot where Camearra had just disappeared beneath the waves.
"What happened?" Gustave demanded.
"Tiga's human form—Daigo—arrived through the Gate," Chu Zihang explained tersely. "Then that woman called Camearra followed. When Daigo said he didn't remember her, she went completely berserk. They both transformed, and... well, you can see how that ended."
Chu Zihang gestured helplessly at the roiling sea. Having only watched the TV series, he had no context for the deeper lore at play.
BOOM!
The ocean erupted like a geyser as both giants burst from the depths, followed by a wall of water that could have swallowed islands.
"Nom de Dieu! These two are going to destroy my ship!" Gustave snarled, his protective instincts flaring. When lovers wanted to settle ancient grudges, couldn't they at least have the courtesy to keep innocent bystanders out of it?
His hands crackled with electromagnetic energy, generating a protective dome around the entire Bamboo Staff. The approaching tsunami struck the barrier with a thunderous crash, instantly vaporizing into steam that shrouded the ship in dense fog.
Gustave made no move to intervene in the battle itself—he had no idea what power levels he was dealing with. If this followed the TV show's depiction, both fighters operated at roughly Admiral-level, well within his ability to handle. But if their true canonical strength was involved...
Star-level combat power made even the Yonko look like children playing with wooden swords.
When the steam finally cleared, both giants had vanished completely.
"Where did they go?" Gustave scanned the empty sky frantically.
"No idea," Chu Zihang replied, equally puzzled by their disappearance.
Suddenly, a second sun bloomed in the heavens—a light so brilliant that Gustave instinctively squeezed his eyes shut. The accompanying explosion made his ears ring.
Before his vision could adjust, a third solar flare erupted across the sky. Just as the searing light threatened to blind him permanently, a pair of sunglasses appeared in his field of vision.
Tom had been jolted awake by the initial clash, cowering under a table as cosmic forces battled overhead. But when he realized the Bamboo Staff remained intact, his natural curiosity overcame fear. The cat had emerged to witness what looked like multiple supernovas detonating in sequence—and being Tom, he'd naturally produced popcorn and protective eyewear for the show.
Spotting Gustave and Chu Zihang squinting painfully at the spectacle, Tom thoughtfully distributed spare sunglasses with characteristic generosity.
"Thanks, Tom!" Gustave slipped on the shades gratefully, immediately discovering they functioned as high-powered telescopes as well as eye protection.
The battle had moved beyond The One Piece planet's atmosphere entirely, the combatants now trading blows in the asteroid belt. Every exchange of attacks cleared vast swaths of space debris—cosmic housekeeping on an unimaginable scale.
"The Ultraman I used to watch on TV never seemed this powerful," Chu Zihang observed, watching meteors the size of mountains get casually obliterated.
"Forget the TV versions," Gustave replied grimly. "This is their actual canonical strength. We're witnessing star-level beings settling a thirty-million-year-old relationship dispute."
After craning his neck skyward for several minutes, Gustave felt the strain and lowered his head to rest. He looked up to find Tom had somehow procured a reclining chair and was lounging comfortably, munching popcorn while enjoying the light show like a private movie screening.
"Now that's the right idea," Gustave chuckled, grabbing his own chair. If cosmic entities wanted to duke it out in his general vicinity, he might as well watch in comfort.
At least they'd had the courtesy to take their domestic dispute off-planet.