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The moment word spread that the treasures from the Sea Temple — including the legendary Breath of the Sea God — were likely in David's possession, every pair of eyes on the water turned toward him.
Even Derren, still concealed in the shadows and not yet ready to reveal himself, felt his expression shift. He watched his son standing there, slightly pale but composed, and thought quietly to himself: This reckless kid actually pulled it off.
He had told himself to expect modest results — a few minor finds, nothing more, and safety above all else. He had never imagined David would walk out with everything the ruins had to offer.
Though, in hindsight, perhaps he shouldn't have been so surprised. He had seen David's Pokémon firsthand. Below Gym Leader level, most members of a criminal organization like the Supreme Organization simply wouldn't be able to keep up with him. And David had his Dragapult with him besides.
The real reason Derren had moved so quickly was that the incident had taken place inside a ruin sealed by a Legendary Pokémon — Lugia itself. A space like that carried risks well beyond what any group of criminals could pose. He had been ready, if things went wrong, to break through the seal and go in himself.
As it turned out, the fact that Lugia had only sealed the Sea Temple — and not done something far more drastic — had been a stroke of luck in itself.
The mood on the water was tense. The Pillar of the Sea fixed David with a hard, cold stare from atop her Gyarados. Nearby, the Sea People hovered in uncertain silence. The senior officials from Belon City who knew David's identity stood caught in the middle, their expressions carefully unreadable.
After a long, still moment, it was the Pillar of the Sea, Janis, who broke the silence first.
"Listen up, kid." Her voice carried easily over the wind. "Hand over the Breath of the Sea God, or none of you leave this water alive. Belon City won't be spared either. Think carefully before you answer."
"Don't give it to her!" One of the Sea People couldn't hold back any longer. "You descendants of traitors — how dare you reach for the treasures of the Great Sea God again!"
Janis didn't even look at them. A faint smile crossed her face, and when she spoke, her tone was almost bored.
"Oh? And who do we have here? If it isn't the remnants." She let the pause hang in the air. "The Great Sea God — you say it with such warmth. Tell me, how many times has your Great Sea God looked after the Sea People who stayed within Cloudspire's borders while your numbers dwindled year by year?"
"The Sea People were once something to be reckoned with. Surely you haven't been reduced to just this sorry handful? That would be a shame." She tilted her head slightly. "I do hope some of you make it out of here. Otherwise, the name 'Sea People' might fall to us traitors you hold in such contempt. Honestly, I wouldn't mind that at all."
"You—!"
Janis's expression never wavered. She had chosen each word deliberately, and they had landed exactly where she intended. For two branches of the same bloodline that hadn't spoken in over a century, there was clearly no warmth left between them — only old wounds and fresh contempt.
David watched the exchange with a slight smirk. It reminded him of something he had once heard: heretics are more despised than unbelievers. That seemed about right. Let them argue. Let them argue all day — a falling-out between enemies was the best possible outcome for him.
He had no goodwill toward either group. His Aura sense hadn't fully switched off earlier, and when he'd heard that the Breath of the Sea God might be on him, he had felt the Sea People's gazes among the others — hungry, calculating, and just as covetous as anyone else.
So much for the righteous defenders of tradition, he thought.
He knew the full story now, from what the man in black had told him inside the temple. If the Sea God had never cut ties with the Sea People, their claim to the treasure would have meant something. But that wasn't the world they were living in. If they wanted confirmation, they were welcome to go find Lugia and ask directly. Until then, he had no reason to hand over something he had earned — through considerable effort — to anyone simply because they demanded it.
If they wanted it, they could try and take it.
"Enough." Naomi stepped forward, her voice cutting cleanly through the argument. She swept a cool glance over the Sea People first — they shifted under her gaze and quietly fell back a step — then turned to face Janis directly.
"I heard everything you just said. Let me make sure I understand." Her tone was measured, unhurried. "If we don't surrender the Breath of the Sea God to you, you'll kill everyone here and bring disaster down on Belon City?"
She let that sit for a moment.
"You're a criminal organization operating openly in Cloudspire Alliance territory, threatening to massacre civilians and destroy a city." A short laugh escaped her. "Go back and ask the First Throne of the Supreme Organization whether he has the nerve to make that same threat to my face."
Her voice rose slightly at the end, edged with dry amusement.
She didn't doubt that Janis had real strength. But threatening to destroy a city wasn't something anyone could just say and walk away from. Even if someone had the power to attempt it, doing so would bring the full weight of the Cloudspire Alliance down on the Supreme Organization without hesitation. No rational leader would sanction that.
She didn't know what Janis was counting on — but she spoke with complete confidence, because she knew Derren was nearby. Whatever hidden card the other side thought they held, it wouldn't matter with him in play.
"Trying to hide behind the First Throne?" Janis's eyes narrowed. "Fine. You want to know what I'm counting on? I'll show you."
The massive Gyarados beneath her — visibly larger than any Gyarados David had ever seen, almost an entirely different order of creature — stretched its neck toward the sky and let out a thundering roar.
"Gyaoooh!"
And from somewhere deep beneath the ocean's surface, the answer came.
"Gyaoooh! Gyaoooh!"
One after another, shapes rose from the water around them. Dozens of Gyarados broke the surface, drawn by the call of the great one. They arranged themselves in a loose formation around the lead Gyarados, their combined roars rolling across the sea like a sustained clap of thunder.
David's eyes went wide for just a moment.
The other party's Gyarados wasn't just powerful on its own — it was a Gyarados that had established dominance over an entire school. A pack leader.
The mood on the warships shifted sharply. Even seasoned trainers tightened their stances at the sight.
"Not a chance."
David's voice was quiet, almost flat. He held Janis's gaze without flinching, and his expression hadn't changed.