Another six months pass, and everyone’s lives are changing yet again. Paul risks his career trying to help the aquanaut escape by using a fake one instead and ends up exposed. However, after months of reflection, Paul has realized that he doesn’t need Aqualand or investors to do what he truly loves, understanding that he will always have his reputation as a renowned researcher. While Paul is technically exposed as a “fraud,” in reality, it is the first time he is living with truth as his main priority. Before Sophia helps the aquanaut escape, they exchange their shell and can with one another, symbolizing Finding Home in Family and the fact that they will always be friends. They each helped each other in different ways, and there is gratitude in Sophia’s eyes as she accepts the can. This time, Sophia knows that she isn’t saying goodbye forever and that no matter what happens, the people (and sea creatures) she loves will always be with her.

The novel’s climax is an emotional moment, which Santat visually reflects with heavily inked panels and an emphasis on the size and power of the giant squid. When the aquanaut takes the plunge into the squid tank, it is a pivotal moment, especially for Sodapop, who has long since had a strong fear of giant squids. Sodapop relies on his biggest talent, which is empathizing with other animals, to connect with the squid and guide it to safety. The squid is larger than the pages themselves, and Sodapop appears like an ant next to it. However, he does not let their difference in size stop a connection from forming. When he leaves the diving suit, Santat depicts the emergence in slow-motion frames, signifying how much Sodapop has grown and found The Courage to Face Fears.

The sea creatures came to Aqualand to find safety and what they thought would be their new home, but instead, they ended up craving a return to the ocean from where they came. At the same time, they learned that home is always wherever they are together, whether that is on land or in the sea, and solidified their commitment to The Right of All Creatures to Live Freely. Paul and Sophia learn to find support in one another and solidify themselves as a new family unit, and Sophia even accompanies Paul on his first expedition. Like the sea creatures, Paul learns that home is where the people he loves are, and he knows now that that means Sophia. The novel’s final scene, in which Paul returns to the shipwreck that took Michel’s life, demonstrates that Paul is finally willing to confront his loss and do what is necessary to process it and move on healthily. In this way, Paul goes through his journey of discovering the courage to face fears, though his fears are different than Sodapop’s. Both lost someone dear to them, and both responded by emotionally protecting themselves from the world. All this changed, however, when they came into each other’s lives. As the narrative ends, both have confronted their fears and emerged on the other side, ready to live alongside their processed grief.