Back in Nobita's room, everyone was happily reminiscing about the battles and rewards they had just earned—everyone except Nobita, who lay on the floor sobbing. He hadn't gained anything during the game, which only made the others laugh harder.
Seeing that no one had any intention of comforting him, Nobita muttered, "Hmph, I don't even care! The stuff you found was all fake anyway. I'm going to find some real treasure!"
Suneo rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. That kind of thing only happens in movies or video games."
Everyone else nodded in agreement—including Yayahara Daichi. After all, aside from gold rushes, he'd never heard of anyone actually finding real treasure.
But Dekisugi voiced a different opinion. "That's not necessarily true. In ancient records, many people were said to have found real treasure using maps. Even nowadays, some make a living searching for ancient ruins and relics."
Nobita lit up with excitement. "See? I told you it's possible!"
Shizuka voiced another concern. "But we don't have a treasure map. Where would we even find one?"
Daichi added, "Most maps these days are fake or obtained through shady means. It's hard to tell what's real."
Just then, Doraemon's eyes lit up. He put away the adventure book they'd been using and said, "Actually, I have just the thing! I can get us a real treasure map!"
He pulled a new gadget out of his pocket. "Treasure Cheese! Eat this, and you'll be able to see a real treasure map. Then, with this artist's cap and auto-pen, you can draw it—voilà, a genuine treasure map!"
As the self-appointed initiator of this treasure hunt, Nobita snatched up the gadget. But just as he was about to eat the cheese, the horrible stench made him gag.
Grimacing, he tried to pass it off to someone else, but everyone stared at him expectantly. It was clear: he had to eat it.
Just as Nobita finally made up his mind, Doraemon added, "Oh, by the way, you have to swallow it in one bite."
His face turned green as he did.
Daichi, watching nearby, couldn't help but question the validity of this device. Was its real effect to make someone hallucinate by nearly knocking them out?
Not long after, Nobita began to see the map. Doraemon quickly got the cap and pen on him.
Soon, a treasure map was drawn. Everyone leaned in. On it was a skull floating on the sea, with lines of text:
"To my descendants:
On the day of the great tide, to the west of the island,
to the right of the Tengu's nose—
don't get the colors wrong—
pass between the eyes that gaze at one another,
then choose your path.
—Byakuro Maru"
Doraemon read the message aloud.
"I don't think this even looks like an island," said Gian, frowning. "And there's no way to know where it is."
Just as everyone was doubting, Dekisugi looked thoughtful. Suddenly, inspiration struck. "Wait! I've seen that shape before—on a map! I think this is referring to Skull Island!"
They all looked again—it really did resemble a skull.
Dekisugi quickly dug out an atlas from Nobita's shelf. Sure enough, Skull Island was marked clearly. The island even looked like a skull.
"In that case," Nobita declared, "Let's head to Skull Island!"
Daichi was curious, too. Something about this scene seemed familiar, maybe from the original Doraemon plot. Unfortunately, due to the Devourer Soul Seal protecting him, his past-life memories weren't fully awakened, so he couldn't recall.
Still, he was intrigued and agreed to go.
Everyone was excited and on board. Doraemon took out the Anywhere Door and set the destination to Skull Island.
When the door opened, they were surprised—it wasn't desolate at all. Lush greenery, flowers, and sprawling meadows greeted them.
Everyone gasped. Suneo even joked, "This doesn't look like Skull Island at all! I expected skeletons everywhere!"
After discussing it, they decided to split into three teams: two teams of three, and one solo. The solo person could choose to join a group or explore alone.
Shizuka picked seven blades of foxtail grass—three long, three short, one medium. Longs formed one team, shorts another, and the middle one would go solo.
Daichi drew the solo blade. Gian, Suneo, and Dekisugi formed one team; Nobita, Shizuka, and Doraemon the other. Daichi chose to explore on his own.
Doraemon copied the treasure map using his 3D replicating paper, handing one to each group. "Now we all have the same info. Let the treasure hunt begin!"
Everyone split up.
Daichi believed the key was the "Tengu's nose," but he wasn't sure what that was. So he decided to ask someone.
Soon, he spotted a villager lounging on a bench and asked, "Excuse me, sir. Do you know where the Tengu's nose is?"
The old man's relaxed expression briefly twisted into panic. "I… I don't know anything!"
Daichi frowned—not at the denial, but because the man's soul fluctuated oddly. It wasn't fear—it was lying.
He apologized politely, then cast a soul interference spell, clouding the man's thoughts and making him obedient.
Under spell, the old man revealed everything: due to a weak local economy, the village chief devised an attraction using an heirloom treasure map to lure in tourists and make money.
As for the real treasure? It had been dug up centuries ago. Nothing was left.
Daichi lifted the spell. The old man would remember it as nothing more than a nap—no side effects.
Now that he knew the truth, Daichi lost all interest. If it was all just a gimmick, why bother?
After all, the island's true treasure… was already right in front of them.
Meanwhile, Dekisugi's group found the "Tengu's nose" and entered the right-hand passage. Nobita's group, approaching from above, entered the left.
Dekisugi solved the puzzle with intellect, but before he could enjoy the moment, Doraemon used a gadget to force his way through, bumping everyone aside.
Only to fall straight into a hidden pit.
Dekisugi advanced once more, opened the "gazing eyes" doors, and took the left path. Nobita followed on the right.
The two teams met again underground, where they found Byakuro Maru's treasure chest.
It was empty.
Everyone groaned, disappointed.
Suddenly, Dekisugi realized something: "If this place only opens on this day, that must mean the entrance will disappear soon. The tide's coming in—if we don't get out now, we'll be trapped!"
They raced back. Sure enough, the entrance was already half-flooded. They barely escaped.
Outside, the villager Nobita had asked earlier was waiting.
"Well? How was today's adventure?" the old man asked kindly. Then he explained everything, confirming what Daichi had already learned. The group sighed in disappointment.
Dekisugi suddenly looked around. "Wait—where's Daichi?"
Only now did they realize he was missing. They scrambled to find him.
Daichi, meanwhile, had wandered around and returned to their starting point. As the sun set, he lay on the grass watching the horizon.
Doraemon finally found him using his Take-Copter. "There you are! We're back. How was your solo adventure?"
Daichi stood and smiled. "So? How was the game?"
Everyone was stunned. "Wait—you knew it was just a game?"
Daichi chuckled. "Of course. The locals told me."
"What?! So you knew the treasure wasn't real this whole time?" Gian grumbled.
But Daichi shook his head. "Not necessarily."
"Oh?" Everyone perked up.
"Where's the treasure, then?"
"Right beneath our feet. Look around—this island is beautiful. Why get hung up on decorative gems and gold? With time like this, wouldn't you rather enjoy the sunset? We don't get skies like this back home."
He turned his gaze back to the horizon.
Everyone chuckled—except Dekisugi, who smiled in agreement. "You're right. Nature is humanity's greatest treasure."
Seeing that everyone was tired, Doraemon said, "Let's end today's adventure here. If we stay out too late, our parents will worry."
Everyone nodded. One by one, they stepped through the Anywhere Door, returning to Nobita's house.
They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. It was getting late. Time to go home.
(End of Chapter)