7. Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V: A New Story of Pendulum (Fusion Arc)

Chapter 3 Duel Pirate Captain Solo

Dennis stirred awake to the faint sound of waves. His eyes fluttered open, greeted by the soft rhythm of sunlight swaying through the curtains. The smell of saltwater filled the air. Slowly, he sat up, realizing he was lying on a clean bed inside what looked like a small cabin. Through the window, he saw nothing but endless blue stretching toward the horizon.

A sharp chill crawled up his spine. The sea...? But... how?

He glanced down at himself — his Duel Disk resting beside him, his body whole and unscarred. His voice trembled. "What? But how? I should've been... carded?"

A calm, firm voice broke the silence. "So you've finally awakened."

Dennis froze. He turned toward the doorway — and his blood ran cold. Standing there were Yuya, Yuni, Yuzu, Ruri, Shun, Yuri, Sona, Yusho, and Sarah.

"What? But I—" Before he could finish, Shun Kurosaki stormed forward, his eyes burning with fury. He grabbed Dennis by the collar and slammed him upright.

"You think everything can be solved by carding yourself?" Shun snarled. His fist drove deep into Dennis's stomach, knocking the breath out of him. Dennis collapsed, clutching his abdomen as Shun loomed over him. "You think that's redemption? Is that it's enough to pay for what you've done?"

His voice rose with every word, trembling between rage and grief. "If you think carding yourself makes you noble, you're wrong! That's not repentance, that's cowardice! You tried to run away from your guilt instead of facing it! You want redemption? Then take responsibility for the pain you caused — and live with it!"

Shun's glare lingered on Dennis for a moment longer before he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Yuni exhaled softly, her tone calm yet heavy. "If you're wondering how... we managed to reverse the entire carding system. You realize that most of us on this ship were carded once, right? We knew you were a spy back in the Standard Dimension. That's why your Duel Disk never had that system installed."

Ruri stepped closer, her eyes gentle but sad. "When I saw you dueling my brother in the Synchro Dimension, I didn't want to believe you were working for Academia. Because I enjoyed the times we shared in Heartland... even though you were there on a mission to green-light the invasion."

Dennis stared at her in disbelief. The warmth in her voice struck deeper than any punch. She was forgiving him — after all the pain he'd caused. Compared to Shun's fury, her kindness felt even harder to bear.

Yuya stepped forward, folding his arms. "Dennis, even though we knew you were a spy from the start, do you know why we still made Pendulum Cards for you? Because we still thought of you as a friend."

Yusho placed a hand on Yuya's shoulder, his voice gentle and certain. "I always knew there was good in you, Dennis. Your Entertainment Dueling proved it. But you refused to believe it until recently. Now, at last, you've started to be honest with yourself."

Sona added quietly, "And about what you said before — that you can't be friends with the Lancers — that's just your denial talking. The truth is, everyone here is kind enough to accept you. Ryo, Edo, Yuri, Serena, and I have all hurt them in the past, but that doesn't mean it's too late to change. You can still help us — help stop Academia... no, the real enemy behind it."

For the first time in a long while, Dennis felt something heavy break inside his chest, like a stone finally lifting away. His voice shook. "I'm sorry... I know it's not enough. That's why... I'll be helping you guys."