It was finally time to leave Phi Phi Island.
Luke gazed at the beautiful beach and the hotel where they'd stayed for days. The past twenty days had been eventful: filming, picking coconuts, eating Phi Phi shrimp, Depp's snake bite, a media storm, and… a breakthrough in his relationship with Annie.
In local terms, he'd probably earned the "riding the big ocean horse" achievement, right? He'd always thought that milestone would be with Taylor, but Annie had unexpectedly beat her to it.
Life was full of unpredictable surprises.
At that moment, the crew was saying goodbye to their "rented wives" they'd spent time with. "Spent time" was more about frequency than actual days, though—after all, the guys had already cycled through two "newlywed" wives and were on their third batch.
"Acting all reluctant to leave—how fake. They'd be better off just giving them more cash," Annie said, rolling her eyes.
"Some did. Look at Depp and Bob —they shelled out plenty," Luke replied.
"Ugh, those two drive me nuts. They never close their windows at night!" Annie complained.
"People are like that," Luke said sharply. "The more they show off, the more insecure they are."
"So, you never brag because you're super confident?" Annie leaned in, whispering in his ear.
"That's not for me to say. I'll let my actions speak," Luke said, showing rare humility.
Annie's face flushed as she whispered, "You're amazing. I can vouch for that!"
"I'd bet there's no guy out there better than you, but no single woman could keep up with you either."
She thought back to last night—completely overwhelmed, defeated, left in shambles. By the end, she felt like a puddle of mush. That mix of exhaustion and exhilarating bliss was something a woman would never forget once she'd experienced it.
Luke paused at her words. Was that a compliment? Probably, right?
His mind drifted back to last night. It was a totally different experience—every woman had her own unique charm. The only downside? The system gave him no reward.
[Host has formed a connection with a woman without an established intimate relationship. No reward granted.]
For the first time, the system's golden text felt ice-cold. No reward? He'd gotten skills just for filming a kiss scene before! Now, after hitting a home run, the system was stingy?
Talk about a system that loved the new and ditched the old. It only rewarded new conquests and ignored battles on familiar ground. What a jerk… no, a trash system.
"Sorry if you didn't have fun last night," Annie said softly.
"Nah, the scenery along the way was beautiful. You don't always need to reach the destination," Luke replied.
"You sure know how to talk. You totally get women," Annie said, smiling.
Luke didn't respond, just reached out and patted her head. Honestly, he thought, that spot really was the key to a woman's heart. Whatever he said now would probably make her happy.
"Alright, everyone, double-check your luggage. Make sure you're not leaving anything important behind. We're about to head out!" Bob shouted through a megaphone.
Hearing Bob , Luke turned back to take in Phi Phi Island's stunning scenery one last time, as if locking the moment into his memory.
"What, you don't want to leave?" Annie asked.
"Nah," Luke shook his head.
"Then what's up?"
"It's just… this feeling is surreal. I came, I saw, I left no trace. Never mind, you probably wouldn't get it in English," he said, picking up his luggage and heading out.
"I get it!" Annie said, following him.
"You do?" Luke asked.
"Yeah, I've felt something similar," she replied.
"Tell me about it," he said.
"When I found out a few days ago that we were leaving, I got this weird sense of melancholy," Annie explained. "This is my first time on Phi Phi Island, and it's probably my last. It's beautiful, but not so stunning that I'd make a special trip back. I know this is likely the only time my life will intersect with this place."
"When I realized that, it hit me: every glance I take here is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The scenes I'm seeing now won't ever appear in my life again. This time is gone for good. It's a mix of emotions—hard to pin down. Maybe it's just… bittersweet."
Luke froze, stunned that Annie had so perfectly captured his feelings. Was she just that perceptive, or did she really understand him that well?
"Let's go. Everyone's already on the boat, waiting for us," he said, patting her head again before walking off.
"Goodbye, Phi Phi Island! I'll miss you!" Annie said softly, catching up with him.
And just like that, they left, moving on to the next chapter of their journey.
---
Farallon Islands, California
Forty-five kilometers off San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge lie the Farallon Islands, home to a national marine sanctuary with North America's largest seabird breeding grounds and massive sea lion colonies.
Where there are sea lions, great white sharks aren't far behind.
The world's largest great white shark population arrives at the southeastern Farallons in fall and winter to hunt sea lions and seals. Tourists flock here for a chance to witness the thrilling spectacle of shark attacks.
Tour companies offer professional shark-watching boats, dragging sealed bait to attract great whites. Tourists can hop into cages for an adrenaline-pumping experience. Lucky ones might see a great white take down a 200-300-pound sea lion. A full-day cage-diving trip (12 hours) costs about $700 per person, including gear and meals. Just watching from the deck runs $350.
The Pirates of the Caribbean crew didn't use tourist boats, though. Their shoot was backed by technical support from the California Marine Animal Research Institute.
Luke and the team boarded a 3,500-ton marine research vessel, equipped with cutting-edge gear and accompanied by experienced marine biologists. With everything in place, Luke felt confident about the filming ahead.