Pi, still blinded and desperate, climbs onto the other castaway’s lifeboat, thinking of him as a “brother.” By feeling around, Pi discovers the man had lied about his resources: turtle meat, a dorado head, biscuit crumbs, and water. Pi consumes the food and water immediately, then returns to Pi’s own lifeboat and releases the other boat to drift away.

After crying, Pi notices slight improvement in Pi’s eyesight—a small “window” of vision opening. Pi repeatedly rinses Pi’s eyes with seawater, and over the next two days Pi’s vision steadily returns.

Once Pi can see again, Pi is confronted with the aftermath of Richard Parker’s attack: the other man’s body lies butchered and dismembered in the boat. Richard Parker has eaten much of him, including his face, leaving Pi unable to identify the man.

Pressed by extreme hunger and trauma, Pi admits to using part of the dead man’s flesh as bait on a gaff. Pi also confesses to eating small strips of the man’s flesh—almost inadvertently—until Pi catches a fish and stops. Pi ends by saying Pi prays for the man’s soul every day.