It was late in the afternoon, and Hiccup and the others returned. They informed Fishlegs and the twins of the situation while waiting for Snotlout to regain consciousness.
Chopper then rushed outside. "Hey, Snotlout is finally awake, you guys!"
"That's good to hear," said Hiccup.
"That's one less thing to worry about," said Astrid giving a sigh of relief.
Everyone began making their way towards the cabin, but Ragnar was still concerned about Heather.
"Heather isn't back yet," he said, looking out towards the city.
Regardless he soon joined the others, and Snotlout just sat there covered in bandages.
"You know I to punch you for scaring us like that," said Astrid.
"Yeah, no kidding looks like you've taken enough punches already of you asked me," said Ragnar. "What were you thinking taking those guys on alone?"
"You should have waited for us at the very least," said Toothless.
"Yeah, you should be lucky that you're still alive," said Fishlegs.
"This would have happened if I was strong like you guys," said Snotlout clenching his fists. "I'm sorry! It's all my fault!"
"Take it easy," said Chopper calmly. "You shouldn't be out of bed yet."
"Yeah, you've only just woken up," said Ruffnut.
"You should just relax," said Tuffnut.
Once Snotlout had finally calmed down, they informed him what happened after they found him in front of the Eret House.
"So, is there a chance we might get our money back after all?" Snotlout asked.
"It's possible, but we won't know for sure until this Eret shows up," said Hiccup.
"I see, I'm sorry," said Snotlout.
"Look, even if we can't get the rest that we still have a hundred million, Gil left," Hiccup pointed out.
"He still lost twice that much," Astrid pointed out.
"Astrid…" Chopper warned.
"Sorry, Snotlout."
"No, it's fine. More importantly, is Tiger going to be okay?" Snotlout asked. "I mean, can we get her repaired the money we have left. We're lucky that we have all these awesome shipwrights to work on her, but I know things are going to get rough out there. So I want her to be stronger than ever before. We've got to do a lot more than just a little touch-up. So do you think those guys can still do a good job even though we have a hundred million to pay them with? You talked to them about it, right?"
Everyone was silent; they had agreed in advance that Hiccup would be the one to break it to him.
"Uh, yeah," said Hiccup rubbing the back of his head. "About that, we aren't going to have her repaired. We made the decision of getting a new ship instead. I know we should have asked you first, but we didn't have much choice. Either way, I have made up my mind, the Going Tiger has taken good care of us, but it looks like our journey with her has to end here."
Snotlout just stared at him in disbelief, and everyone waited for the outburst, but he just remained in silence.
"Anyway," said Hiccup rubbing the ship catalogue. "Iceberg gave us this ship catalogue to go through. There are all kinds of different ships, and if we go for a used model, we can go bigger than the Tiger and still keep our budget under a hundred million."
"Wait," said Snotlout, and all eyes fell upon him. "Just stop, I get it, Hiccup, but the joke has gone on long enough, okay. See… Chopper doesn't know you're kidding. Look how upset this is making him. Geez, you really should know better than to tease your crewmates. Back me up here, guys."
However, everyone just stood there in silence, not asking a single word, not even the twins. Additionally, he could also see the seriousness in Hiccup's eyes.
"Hold up, does that mean we don't have enough for the repairs?" said Snotlout horrified. "It's because I lost the 200 million, isn't it? And now we can't afford the work on the Tiger, is that what this is about? After all, a first-class shipyard is going to cost a lot, right?"
"Will you calm down and listen," said Hiccup.
"What is it?" Snotlout yelled nothing that he was holding something back. "Tell me! Don't try and sugarcoat it!"
"I'm not; I don't even care if you lost all the money that over now!"
"If that's how you feel, then what's all this crap about buying a new ship?"
"We'll you both calm down; this argument isn't going to help anyone!" Toothless yelled.
"I don't see what I'm doing wrong; he's the one saying all this done stuff!" Snotlout snapped.
"I know how you feel, but you shouldn't get so worked up right now," said Fishlegs.
"Listen to Fishlegs Snotlout," Chopper pleaded. "If you don't get any rest, you're not going to get any better."
"Who cares about me?" Snotlout yelled as he rose to his feet. "How can you just sit here while he's making jokes about getting a new ship?"
"Because I'm not joking," said Hiccup folding his arms, trying to remain calm. "Believe me, this was a hard decision for me as well."
"Oh yeah, I feel really sorry for you!" Snotlout yelled, snatching the ship catalogue from him and tossed it into the floor. "You're already window shopping for a new toy!"
"Will you get a hold of yourself!" Hiccup yelled.
"I don't want your pity, got it!" Snotlout yelled furiously. "If you're telling me it doesn't matter that I lost the money, then why are you talking about buying a new ship? Just spit it out already. If we can't afford the repairs because I screwed up, then just tell me! Don't show me some stupid catalogue and change the subject! I want to know the truth!"
"The Tiger can't be fixed!" Hiccup yelled.
Snotlout's eyes widened as if he had been hit by a ton of bricks. "Wh-what did you just say?"
"Don't make me repeat myself," said Hiccup. "I told you the Tiger can't be repaired any more. No matter what we do, w-we can't fix her. Otherwise, I would say something like that."
Snotlout then fell to his knees, but he still refused to accept the unbridled truth. "You mean this ship! This ship that when riding on right now is broken!"
"That's right," said Hiccup. "It's only a matter of time before she sinks."
"What are you talking about, Hiccup? That's nuts!"
"No, I'm serious. The shipwrights took a look at the Tiger themselves. They said that she would even hold out until the next island."
"And it's settled? So that it? A bunch of strangers tell you to scrap your ship, and you don't even ask any questions?"
"That's enough," said Hiccup.
"I understand these guys know what they're talking about, but this is just wrong! Don't give up on the Tiger! What about all the adventures we've gone on together? What about all the battles we fought? She's our friend! She's one of us! Are you going to abandon our friend without a second thought!" He then looked up at Hiccup curiously. "After all we've been through is that how little the Tiger means to you, Hiccup?"
"I know you're upset, Snotlout, but you need to calm down," said Chopper.
"Sorry, but no," he said, coughing a little. "I'm not backing down until we settle this."
"Snotlout, please," said Fishlegs.
"So you're saying that you no better than the shipwrights?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow. "If we had someone on the crew who knew about this step, we were never asked them in the first place!"
"Then forget them; we don't need those guys to tell us what to do," said Snotlout stubbornly. "You can repair it yourself, just like before! We made it this far, so there's no reason we can't go on that way. Look, I'll give you a hand, and we can start right now."
He then attempted to move, but it looked as if each and every single movement was causing him pain.
"That's not going to work," said Ragnar.
"That's right, we don't have enough lumbar, do we?" said Snotlout. "I better buy some at the shipyard. We've got a lot of work to do."
Hiccup was beginning to lose his patience. "None of us shipwrights, Snotlout!"
"Yeah, I know, but so what?" said Snotlout clenching his fists. "I don't see why you're so hung up on everything, those stupid shit right say! If they knew what she's gone through, they wouldn't give up on the Tiger so easily! They just want your money!"
"Snotlout," said Fishlegs gently.
"The Tiger is our ship, so it's our job to take care of her without someone else butting in! I'm not giving up; I won't let them take the Tiger away from me! This is stupid… you got bored by a bunch of salesmen trying to pawn off a used boat. The Hiccup I know wouldn't cave into some sales pitch from a total stranger. He would believe in the strength of the Tiger and the strength of his crew, but here you are, acting like you know everything and ignoring your friends!"
Snotlout then marched up towards Hiccup and grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling him towards him. "I can't believe that's the kind of captain you turned out to be! I thought you were better than that!"
"That's unfair!" Astrid snapped. "Hiccup felt—"
"I don't need anyone defending me," said Hiccup cutting across her. "It was my call, and I stand by it. There's nothing you can do; we're getting a new ship whether you like it or not. This is the end of the road for the Tiger."
"I'm not leaving her here! I don't care what you say!" Snotlout roared. "I know you're always trying to think about the future, but not everyone on this crew is like that! I see the Tiger is one of our friends, got it? And I won't abandon her when she's hurt!"
"Then you're trying to endanger the entire crew!" Hiccup roared, breaking free from his hold. "I know you have a strong attachment to this ship, but sometimes you have to let go."
"She's still a person to me, and she still had the strength to live! But you would appreciate that because all you care about is getting a new ship!"
"All right, that's not both of you!" Ragnar yelled as he moved in to break the two of them up.
"Stop being so selfish and start thinking about your crew!" Snotlout yelled.
That comment was the last straw. "I am thinking about the crew! Do you honestly think that you're the only one who is not torn up about this! We all feel the same way!"
"If that was true, then you would be looking for a new ship!"
"If you don't like the way that your captain does things, then why don't you just get off—"
Ragnar then quickly moved in and pushed the two of them away from one another. "This has gone way too far! If the two don't calm down, you're going to say something that you won't be able to take back!"
Everyone was quiet, and Hiccup picked himself up.
"You're right; I don't know what I was thinking," he said.
"You don't have to apologise because that's how you really feel, isn't it?" said Snotlout.
"That's not true," said Hiccup.
Snotlout then picked himself up. "Just get rid of your dead weight and move on before they can slow you down. If you're going to follow away, the Tiger might as well throw me away too."
"You can't be serious," said Ruffnut.
"We know you're upset, but you can't just go around saying stuff like that," said Tuffnut.
"No, I'm serious," said Snotlout. "I've been thinking about this for a while now. It isn't like what it was before; you guys are just too strong for me. I can't keep up any more. Hiccup, Heather and Chopper have Devil Fruit powers. I mean, just look at today; you can't even trust me with your money. There's no point in keeping me around if all I do is cause you trouble. You don't want weak people on your crew, do you, Hiccup?
"I still believe you will become the King of the Pirates one day, but as for me, I'm just lucky I was able to make it this far. Even back when we first met, I was going to set off alone; you probably just invited me on your ship out of pity. That's the only reason I'm here. There's no sense travelling together if we don't even have the same goal."
Snotlout then turned his back on them and made his way towards the door.
"And when you think you're going?" said Tuffnut.
"Where ever I go, it's my business. It has nothing to do with you any more," he said. "Sorry guys, I'm leaving the crew. This is goodbye."
He then left in the cabin door began to close behind him, leaving everyone shocked.
"Snotlout, why?" Chopper cried.
"Oh no," said Fishlegs, then looked at Hiccup. "Hiccup, aren't you going to do something? I mean, who knows what he's going to do out there. Go on, say something to him. Stopping before it's too late. We've come too far together; we can't part ways like this. Snotlout isn't just a crew member; he's one of our friends, too, isn't he? Get up and stop him!"
Hiccup, however, just sat there in silence.
"Hiccup, what's wrong?" Fishlegs asked as tears appeared in his eyes. "Please, you're the captain."
Astrid looked at him. "And that's exactly why he can't."
Fishlegs just stared at her and then made his way to the door. "Fine… have it your way then."
Then he, the twins and Chopper ran outside after Snotlout, who had already dismounted the ship.
"Snotlout!" Fishlegs cried. "Get back here! It shouldn't be like this! Come on, we can talk!"
"Yeah, come back!" the twins yelled.
"I want you to stay! Don't leave us!" Chopper cried. "Stop, please!"
Hiccup and the others then began making their way outside, though neither one said a word.
Fishlegs looked at Hiccup. "Say something?"
Hiccup just stood there in silence; even though Snotlout had been a pain in the backside ever since he joined, he didn't want to see him go. On the other hand, he was the captain, and Snotlout questioned his decision which could have put the entire crew would risk and that something he couldn't ignore.
Snotlout then came to a stop and faced him. "Hiccup… I'm sorry I can't follow you any more, and I'm sorry I was a pain until the bitter end. I know you're the captain of this ship, so the Tiger belongs to you. That's why I want you to fight me, Hiccup D Haddock! I challenge you to a duel!"
Everyone was completely shocked; they all knew that Snotlout didn't stand a chance against Hiccup.
"What are you saying?" said Fishlegs, bewildered.
"At 10 o'clock tonight, I'll be back!" said Snotlout as he pointed directly at Hiccup. "So you had better be ready for a fight, captain. I can't stop you from destroying your own ship, but if I win, I'm taking the Tiger and leaving. Either way, when we're done, the last bond between us will be broken."
Later that night, Hiccup was lying down on his hammock while Fishlegs tried to convince him to talk to Snotlout, and Astrid stood as an observer.
"What's with you?" Fishlegs asked. "This isn't like you, Hiccup. Snotlout just got worked up because things were moving too fast. That's no reason to fight with your own friends, especially when he's injured. If you give it some time, I'm sure both of you will see how silly this is."
"We've gone too far to turn back now," said Hiccup.
"That's not true; there's nothing stopping you from apologising and talking it over just one more time," said Fishlegs.
"For what exactly?" Astrid asked, folding her arms. "Snotlout questioned Hiccup's decision as captain that's called mutiny. Also, he practically put the entire crew at risk with his obsession for this ship. I love this ship as much as everyone else, and I don't want to see her go either, but we didn't have any choice."
"Additionally, Snotlout is willing to risk his life to fight me; he's way more than just angry," said Hiccup. "Besides, if just talking this out was enough to make things right, we wouldn't have come to this in the first place. That's all I have to say, so good night."
"Hiccup," Fishlegs stared.
Toothless and Ragnar were currently in the cabin discussing today's events.
"I knew he would be upset, but I didn't think he would go this far," said Ragnar.
"I had known those guys would have beaten him up; I would have done a hell of a lot worse to them," said Toothless clenching his fist. "And because I went easy on and they turn their sights on Snotlout. He may not be taking this is hard if they hadn't jumped him."
"And I should have delayed in the shopping. I might have been able to assist you," Ragnar sighed.
"Stop blaming yourselves over what it's," said Astrid as she and Fishlegs entered the cabin.
"I know, but I felt as if I could have done more," said Ragnar.
The door opened once again, and Chopper and the twins emerge, looking rather sad. The three of them had gone after Snotlout, and judging from the looks on their faces, it didn't go so well.
"Your back," said Toothless. "The three of you were going after Chopper, weren't you?"
"Even if he was mad, I still wanted to treat his wounds, but he turned me away," said Chopper.
"Me and Ruff tried to talk things out with him, but he wouldn't listen," said Tuffnut.
"He did find a place to stay certainly is he can get some rest," said Ruffnut.
"Yeah, but you know what he said to us?" Chopper cried as he slumped onto the floor. "He said, we aren't friends now, so I should leave him alone and get back to the ship."
Astrid sat down. "Just this morning, we were all so happy and now what? We lost Snotlout; Heather is still missing. I feel like if we don't do something, the whole crew was going to fall apart."
Iceberg was in his office looking out the window towards where the Going Tiger was docked.
'The Dragon Rider Pirates, I have a bad feeling about tonight,' he said. 'I wonder what it is?'
It was 10 o'clock back on the Going Tiger, and everyone was on the deck.
"Well, it's 10 o'clock," said Hiccup as he began to dismount the ship. "Snotlout will be here any second now. Listen up, I don't want any of you leaving the ship. You got that?"
Everyone just waited, and then they heard footsteps knew that Snotlout was coming.
"Look," said Fishlegs.
"Please don't fight!" Chopper pleaded.
However, he either didn't hear him or just plain ignored him and continued walking up towards Hiccup.
"This is your last chance to stand down," said Hiccup.
"Never, and you had better not go easy on me," said Snotlout as he raised his fists. "Because I certainly won't be going easy on you."