A young boy named Nico, who is about 5'11" with short hair and a brown complexion, sits by the sea with a bag full of unknown items. He is 14 years old, and behind him is a grocery store owned by his father, Johnny. Nico pulls out the 36th volume of a manga titled "Saji Norisuke's School for Gurls," which he claims is one of the best works of fiction ever created. As he begins to read, he becomes completely absorbed in the story, even though it's already 11:42, meaning his break ended 12 minutes ago.
Reluctantly, he returns to the store, which is called "Pacific." "Pops, when are they going to arrive?" Nico asks. Johnny reassures him not to worry; they will be there soon. Nico promises to return to Morgan, the island where they live, with his mother, who has been absent for the past eight years. Nico misses her a lot.
About 30 minutes later, a big green wooden ship with a Jolly Roger that says "LOG 9" approaches. Since "Pacific" is close to the sea, the ship is visible and its presence can be heard. Nico steps outside, knowing exactly why the ship has come, and so does Johnny. Someone jumps down from the ship on a skateboard and goes into the water with the anchor to hold it down. A ramp is set up for the people inside the ship to come down.
Nico sees a clown, which he finds ridiculous, and then he notices the same person who went into the water now sitting cross-legged on a floating skateboard, which he finds even more absurd. A woman then descends from the ship, exclaiming, "JOHNNY!" in a cheerful, joyful manner. Johnny waves at her and replies, "What's up, Iris? It's been years since we last saw each other. Good to see you again after all this time."
Nico watches in confusion, wondering who this woman named Iris could be. He greets her warmly, and Iris waves back enthusiastically before running over to hug him. "So, you're Nico! I'm Iris, the doctor of LOG 9. We came here to pick you up because we've been told you want to join us in the search for your mom. Don't worry; we'll find her," she says to Nico. He nods, preparing to join the crew of LOG 9.
"Nico!" Johnny calls. Nico looks at his dad, wondering why he is being called. He walks over, and Johnny whispers something in his ear before they hug. Johnny tells Nico goodbye, and Nico does the same. He then walks with Iris up to the ship. However, the moment he gets on board, he finds himself being tied up.
Nico is frightened by how quickly he has been tied up. A tall man, dressed like a boxer, approaches and effortlessly lifts Nico with one finger, though it's hard to tell which finger since he's wearing boxing gloves. The man carries Nico as they walk toward the steering wheel.
Suddenly, the person on a floating skateboard descends to meet Nico and Jack. He holds two table tennis paddles in his hands. Nico can tell that the person is male; he has black hair, brown eyes, and wears black and orange goggles on his head. His outfit consists of a black leather jacket over an orange T-shirt, along with black jeans and boots that have orange soles. "You really must love black and orange?" Nico asks with a curious smile. The guy laughs lightly and asks how Nico noticed, introducing himself as Sanjay.
Just then, the deck splits in half, and a volleyball net rises from within. A girl wearing a green coat over a black shirt and a long skirt emerges along with the net. She throws a table tennis egg at Sanjay, who catches it with swift reflexes. The volleyball net now stands on the deck, and Nico begins to question everything happening around him. He wonders what in the hell could possibly happen to him next.