After paying a generous price to the captain of a small boat, Phileas Fogg and Aouda successfully reached Yokohama. There, they were thrilled to find Passepartout performing in the Japanese circus.
Passepartout learned from Aouda how Mr. Fogg had crossed the sea from Hong Kong. However, Passepartout decided not to reveal the truth about the detective just yet. He simply apologized for getting drunk. Mr. Fogg accepted the apology calmly and gave his servant money to buy normal clothes.
That very evening, Mr. Fogg, Aouda, and Passepartout boarded the General Grant. It was a large, fast American ship heading straight across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco. Phileas Fogg hoped to reach London before his strict deadline of December 21st.
The journey was smooth and peaceful. Aouda was feeling a growing affection for her brave protector, though Mr. Fogg remained as quiet and serious as ever. Passepartout, meanwhile, was in excellent spirits. They had officially crossed the halfway point of their journey around the world.
But there was someone else on the ship who was not so happy. Detective Fix was secretly traveling on the General Grant as well.
When Fix had arrived in Japan, he finally received the official warrant for Mr. Fogg’s arrest. But it was too late. Japan was not British territory, which meant the police document was completely useless there. Fix realized his only choice was to follow Fogg all the way across America and the Atlantic Ocean. Once they stepped onto English soil, he could finally arrest him.
Fix stayed hidden in his cabin, hoping to avoid Passepartout. But one afternoon, the two men met face to face on the front deck.
Without saying a single word, Passepartout grabbed the detective by the throat. Much to the amusement of the American passengers watching, the angry Frenchman gave the detective a harsh, punishing beating.
When Passepartout finished, he felt very relieved. Fix stood up, fixed his messy clothes, and looked at his attacker coldly.
"Are you done?" Fix asked.
"For now, yes," Passepartout answered.
"Then listen to me," the detective said quietly, pulling Passepartout away from the crowd. "Up until now, I have been your master’s enemy. I sent priests to arrest him, I got you drunk in Hong Kong, and I made him miss his ship. I did everything I could to keep him in British lands."
Passepartout listened with his fists still tight.
"But now," Fix continued, "Mr. Fogg seems to be going back to England. So, I will follow him there. From now on, I will remove all obstacles from his path. I want him to return to London as fast as possible so I can arrest him. Your interest is the same as mine. Only in England will you find out if you are working for an honest man or a bank robber."
Passepartout listened carefully. He could see that the detective was finally telling the truth.
"Are we friends?" Fix asked.
"No," Passepartout replied sharply. "But we can be allies. However, at the first sign that you are trying to betray us, I will break your neck."
"Agreed," Fix said calmly.
Eleven days later, on the 3rd of December, the General Grant sailed into the beautiful bay of San Francisco. Mr. Fogg was perfectly on schedule.