Everyone cheered when Flok agreed to help.
But Flok quickly brought up a grim reality: "Even if I want to go back, I can't track the submarine anymore. Once it submerged, we completely lost track of its route."
Their rising spirits instantly deflated.
After a moment of silence, Daichi decided to give them a nudge. "Doraemon, is your treasure map still usable?"
Doraemon pulled it out and, sure enough, the treasure chest icon had vanished from its original location. He quickly began scanning the map—soon enough, the island reappeared in a new spot.
"Great news, everyone! Let's go rescue Shizuka!" Nobita was fired up. Flok asked, "You guys keep talking about this Shizuka—who is she?"
Nobita jumped in: "Shizuka's a beautiful girl! Once we save her, I'll introduce you two!"
Flok thought of his sister on the pirate island. "Now that you mention it, my little sister's still back on the island too… I hope they're alright."
As he spoke, he pulled out Quiz. The ball turned transparent and projected a photo—a blonde girl.
Everyone froze when they saw her.
"Th-That's Shizuka, isn't it?!"
Daichi took a look—aside from hair and eye color, she did look just like Shizuka. No wonder those idiots mistook her.
The pirates' IQ was clearly… comedic at best. Flok understood now why Shizuka had been taken.
"But even if you find the pirates, you're just kids—you can't possibly take them on."
Flok still lacked confidence.
Nobita puffed out his chest. "Don't worry! We've got Doraemon, a robot from the future with tons of gadgets! We'll win for sure!"
Doraemon blushed at the praise. "Aww, I'm not that amazing…"
Gian and Suneo quickly burst that bubble. "This guy always fails at the worst moments, and he just relies on gadgets anyway."
Quiz chimed in helpfully, "Exactly! Can't trust a raccoon-looking robot!" Doraemon immediately lunged at Quiz and they started grappling.
Flok hesitated. "And that guy, Daichi…"
Daichi cut him off: "Leave me out of it. I'm going mainly to settle the score. Saving people is secondary. I want to put a hole in his chest myself."
Everyone shivered.
Dekisugi glanced at Daichi with concern.
Flok refocused. "Alright, first question—how do we get close to the island?"
Gian waved it off. "Easy. Doraemon's got the Anywhere Door. We just open it and walk in."
Doraemon immediately vetoed that. "Can't. The pirate ship is moving full speed. Anywhere Door can't lock on like that. Our only option is to chase them by sea. But with this map, we won't lose track! Nobita Mystery, full speed ahead! Destination: pirate ship!"
The sails unfurled, and the ship picked up speed.
Nobita looked around at everyone's cheerful faces and sighed. "I wonder how Shizuka's doing now… What if the pirates have already executed her?"
Dekisugi smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Nobita. I've met my future self, and I wasn't given any warnings. That means none of us are in danger."
Nobita felt a bit better, though his heart still ached with worry. Even if she was safe, what if she was suffering?
Meanwhile, on the pirate ship, Shizuka had met Sarah. The two girls were stunned to see someone who looked so much like themselves.
Before they could speak, the door opened—and the braided pirate man entered, freezing at the sight of the two Sarahs.
Thinking quickly, Sarah slammed the door shut. "Gaga! You can't just barge in! I was changing!"
Ten seconds later, she opened the door again, fully dressed with a mirror placed cleverly. They fooled him.
She and the woman called BeepBeep grabbed some bread and rushed out.
After they left, Shizuka crawled out from under the bed.
Sarah returned to the kitchen and started making lunch—golden French toast drizzled with honey and jam.
Shizuka, hungry despite herself, dug in.
Seeing her eat with such joy made Sarah smile too.
Afterward, Sarah promised her: "Don't worry, Shizuka. As long as I'm here, no one will hurt you. After all, you only got caught because you look like me."
Shizuka nodded and smiled sweetly.
Meanwhile, Nobita and the others had been chasing the pirates for an entire day at sea.
They saw many wonders, but no one was in the mood to enjoy them—everyone was too worried about their friends.
The day passed uneventfully. Daichi's mood finally stabilized, and the tense atmosphere lifted. Even Flok had started to adapt to having him around.
That night, Shizuka couldn't sleep. Life here was fine, but she still missed home—her classmates, her teachers, her friends… and most of all, her family.
A yellow glow peeked out from under the blanket. Shizuka lifted it and found the water-fearing jellyfish still hiding with her.
An escape plan began to take shape in her mind.
Back on the Nobita Mystery, everyone had gone to bed. Flok was now sleeping in Shizuka's old bed, annoying Gian and Suneo.
He couldn't sleep either—wondering how Sarah was doing, and whether his father might actually be worried about him, like that cold guy had said.
Was it really my fault? he thought, turning over again. The night passed quietly.
Doraemon also wanted to rest, but the ship's bridge couldn't be left unmanned. He and the Mini-Doras took turns keeping watch. He hadn't had a proper night's sleep in two days—but he was a robot, and could handle it.
The next morning, Shizuka began the first step of her escape.
She told Sarah: "If possible, I'd like to help out. I don't want to just stay hidden—I want to contribute, too."
Sarah said she couldn't decide that on her own—the kitchen was crowded, and hiding someone there was risky. She'd have to ask the others.
After the morning rush, Sarah returned smiling. "Shizuka, I talked to Maria and the others. You can help in the kitchen! Everyone's agreed to keep your secret."
Shizuka smiled. "Thank you so much." Though life here wasn't bad, she wasn't at home—and she was determined to return. People were waiting for her.
That afternoon, Shizuka joined the kitchen crew and started learning to bake bread under Sarah's guidance.
During a brief lull, Maria entered and said, "Don't worry, dear. Our restaurant has special privileges—no one can touch you here. But you'd better work hard! Men are so unreliable." Everyone laughed together.
Maria soon left, and only Shizuka and Sarah remained in the kitchen.
They chatted endlessly—from family to romance.
Shizuka sighed. "Men these days have no manners. One of them always barges into my room without asking. So rude!"
Sarah nodded. "My brother's annoying too. Stubborn as a mule. He had a huge fight with Dad and jumped ship. No idea how he's doing. Always makes me worry."
"Oh! After work, I'll take you sightseeing. You've been here a whole day and haven't seen anything yet. We've been terrible hosts!"
Shizuka smiled and nodded. Lunchtime rush was just beginning.
But she had noticed two crucial things. One: there was a way to escape. Her plan was possible.
And two: she'd use the outing to memorize the layout—and, if she got the chance, release the jellyfish to send for help.
With that in mind, Shizuka worked hard, making sure Sarah didn't suspect a thing.
(End of Chapter)