Compared to Jiggies, this arc is just gonna be more straightforward in its level layouts, I don't have the energy to commit to a full gameplay experience. The Decapodians are from Futurama.
Sailing under the ocean was like flying over a whole new world. Erin and Nora stared mesmerized over miles of fish and flora. "Hard to believe 70% of the Earth is water." Nora said.
"71%." Mack corrected, studying the interior. Madeleine did the same, albeit with a more beaming smile and twirling on her toes. "And about 326 quintillion gallons."
"But that makes Oceana the largest country on Earth, doesn't it?"
"The amount of total merfolk is less than that of the humans." Jinbe answered, manning the helm. "There are only seven great cities as well as small towns dotted here or there. The ocean is vast, but the world is not ours."
Erin approached the Sea Knight. "So, uh…you're a waterbender, too… I saw back there. Must be a good one, huh?"
"What you saw was Fishman Karate. It is a martial art that substitutes waterbending."
"S-Substitutes? How do you substitute an element?"
"Through Willpower Chi. Erin, I'm sure you know that benders are born with an Elemental Chi that allows them to control their element. But all beings possess Willpower Chi, which employ basic human functions like walking or breathing. As a bender, your two chi paths are often intertwined; the water bends according to your will. But nonbenders such as myself can enforce our Willpower Chi over elements and control them to smaller degrees. Our control is not precise and we cannot perform elaborate techniques like a bender."
"Whoa!!" Nora gasped. "I never knew you could do that!"
"Yeah you did." Mack replied. "I was there when Erin's mom taught us that last year."
"I-I wasn't paying attention!"
"You're only saying that 'cause I didn't pay attention." Erin drooped.
"Ahem," Jinbe coughed, "anyway, mustering your Willpower Chi is standard for other martial arts, such as Haki or Ninjutsu. From increasing your strength, senses, leaping high distances, and through diligent training, your willpower will increase, making you more resistant to injury, ailments, or fatigue."
"So… I can do all that, too, besides waterbending. 'Guess I still have a lot to learn."
"There is only so much you can learn as a person. It is difficult to memorize so many ways to mold your chi and get your body used to the act. Only the most skilled and dedicated martial artists can do it. But most benders choose to focus on their element. Constant training will expand the range and strength of your Water Chi."
"Unless you're me."
Erin flinched when Jinbe plopped his finned hand on her small shoulder. "Everyone learns at different rates and by different means. But the first mistake is letting yourself drown in your weaknesses. Instead, think about your strengths and work from there."
"I-I'll try."
Jinbe returned his hand to the helm and his eyes to the sea. "I'd like to go to the Brine first. Brine is home to the crustacean Decapodian race, separated into brutish warriors and money grubbers. Both will be likely targets for the pirates."
"Brutish, huh? Heh heh…well, nothing'll train me like swimming through a city of crab warriors! But, um, I'm sure it's a nice place!"
"It is quite beautiful, I suppose. It lies over a highly tectonic area."
"Ooo." Erin perked up in intrigue. "What's that mean?"
"That there's lots of lava." Mack affirmed.
"L-Lava?"
Lava. Many rivers of the molten ooze covered the Brine, almost directing their gaze to the stadium in the center of town. A great bubble barrier eclipsed the region, and several bubbles of lava were afloat in the space. The Snapper Head docked on the ground next to the bubble's border, the crew exiting into the space of clear, hot air. "Wooooooow!" Nora drawled. Madeleine, riding her shoulders, reached her finger up at a small lava bubble. "This is beautiful! It's like the inside of a lava lamp!"
"Except the material inside lava lamps is paraffin wax." Mack corrected. "It wouldn't melt your finger if you touched it… BUT THIS STUFF WILL!" Nora gasped and slapped Madeleine's finger down.
"The bubble barrier covers the lava rivers as well, but bursts of lava still flow up through the barrier and become bubbles. The water above the lava is too hot as well, so do not touch it." Jinbe explained.
"How come this area isn't in water, anyway?" Erin asked.
"The cities have them to accommodate outside tourists. Merpeople can still swim around using special bubble floatation devices."
"Bubbles? Hehe, I guess I'm not the only one who thought of the idea!"
"Bubblebending is a commonly known skill, but few put it into heavy practice."
"Oh…"
"But the way you utilized bubblebending was very fascinating. I'd be delighted to see more of it."
"H-Hehe…I mean, it was sorta for fun, b-but I practiced a lot with it…I-I'll try."
"Luckily, I have your B.U.B.B.L.E.R. all equipped!" Mack handed her the weapon.
"I can already see pirates along the way." Jinbe glared. "You can show me how you perform in battle on our way to the arena."
"Then let's hop to it!" Nora hopped between legs. "Good thing I brought my shoes or I'd be fried!"
"At least we won't be short of water." Erin smiled weakly. "I'm already starting to sweat, hehe."
"Bending your own sweat off isn't ideal." Mack reasoned. "You'll only dehydrate faster."
"I know, I was just… joking." (Play "Hailfire Lava Side" from Banjo-Tooie!)
Stage 1: The Brine
Mission: Meet with the Decapodian Governor.
Erin began with a simple Bubble Step over a lava river and up a tall ledge, leaving the steps active for her friends to jump. They would repeat the Bubble Steps to reach platforms over a wider pool, having to maneuver around lava bubbles oozing up between them. The last platform had a red jellyfish that tried to sting them, so Mack withdrew a net to catch it. "I heard jellyfishing's a fun kids' sport! Thought I'd try netting some as long as we were here."
"I bet the jelly tastes good, too!" Nora rubbed her belly. After jumping to the main land, a trio of Bass Bandits revealed their selves from behind rocks. They used basses (the instrument) like bows to shoot fishbones like arrows. Erin shot Bubble Bullets, the Fishmen retreating behind their rocks, but Nora shattered them with swift Water Kicks. The Fishmen shot more fishbones, but Erin caught the bones in a Foam Shield, afterwards morphing it into fists. The bones lodged inside added extra force as she knocked the basses out, though the fishbones broke in the process. The kids proceeded to a very narrow, entrenched path. Sidesteppers (two-foot long crabs) zipped in and out of cracks in the wall.
"They look weak, but fighting them in this tight zone will be tricky." Mack said. "Luckily, I got just the thing." He withdrew a large, metal bowling ball with spikes from his mechanical backpack (the Mackpack). Smirking with his tongue sticking up, he rolled the ball, forming an electric current with motion. The Sidesteppers zipped out when they sensed the movement, but the Shock Bowl zapped the crabs when they were close. The ball burst into an shock-splosion at the end of the path and the girls could run in to K.O. the stunned crabs. Mack used metalbending to reform the broken Shock Bowl. The end of the trench was safe enough to Wall Jump up with no lava cracks in the way, Erin using Bubble Shoes to give herself bounce. They landed on a platform below some cracks, but could Wall Jump longways to reach another foothold. They Wall Jumped vertically once more, but would have to divert along a diagonal path in the wall, in which Erin quickly made Bubble Steps to help them reach that platform. One last Wall Jump would have them at the top of the trench.
The four came upon a field of hot springs where Decapodians bathed. They were red with crab claws and prehensile appendages over their lips. "Can't tell ya how happy I am ta be here." an old one said, his accent Yiddish. "Snippin' out 10 dozen guys for 8 hours wears a crab out."
"Just be glad you don't work down in the mines. I'm burnin' me ink out." the other said in the same accent.
"Wow, a bathing area!" Nora jogged up excitedly. "Just a quick dip wouldn't hurt!" She sprung out of her shoes and socks and splashed in. "Oooooo…sooooo steamyyyyyy…" A waterfall of sweat trickled down her skin. She lowered Madeleine in as well, the smaller child practically melting. "Ooch, ouch, my feet hurt, ground still hot, atcha-cha!" She hurriedly climbed out, bent the water off her legs, and put her shoes back on.
Erin dipped her finger in the spring. "EEK!" Her poor fingertip seared red.
"Decapodians have hard, strong bodies." Jinbe said, approaching the group. "They can get the most relaxation out of these springs. Still, you have quite the skin to endure it for even a second, Nora."
"Yep, that's our Nora." Erin smiled. "Hard as a crab."
"Hey, can you kids toss one of them Bath Bombs in here?" a Decapodian asked, his claw aimed at a pile of the round, colored bundles of fizz.
"Ooo, I love Bath Bombs!" Erin went to get one and threw it in. "WHOA!" It immediately exploded into suds, filling the whole spring.
"Yeh, these things really light up." the old crab said. "Just don't be close to it when it goes off, it'd really sting you fleshies, it would."
"Say, Erin, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mack smirked.
"I think I am…I think. Um, is it okay if we take some of these?" Erin asked the Decapodians.
"Sure, sure, they ain't ours."
"Great! Also, um, is it okay if we just call you Crabmen? 'Decapodian' just feels like a mouthful."
"I'll tell ya what's a mouthful." The Crabman smiled. "Anchovies. BRRRRR-R-R-R-R-R!" His prehensile lips wriggled ecstatically.
Taking most of the bombs, the team continued to a sloped bridge with a cracked rock blockade. "What we need is a slight modification…" Mack took the B.U.B.B.L.E.R. and bent down to tweak it. "Voila! You can now put Bath Bombs in this new slot! They'll get pumped with water as they're fired out, then you just need to apply your enhancing to give them grenade-like force!"
"All right!" An excited Erin tested it on the blockade, blowing it into gravel!
"Not just explosive, but fragrant." Jinbe smiled, taking a whiff of the explosion's aroma. "I believe they sell more quality Bath Bombs downtown. Perhaps I could purchase them for you."
"Y-You don't have to."
"Do you carry any shells?"
"Sh-Shells? …Like seashells?"
"Yes." Jinbe held out a handful of small shells with different colors. "They are our currency. There's even an old saying of human women trading seashells at the seashore."
"She sells seashells at the seashore?" Mack inquired.
"Those enemies from earlier dropped some." Nora showed them the collected seashells. "We'll just rob whoever bothers us!"
"I suppose that's one way to raise money…" Jinbe figured.
The team crossed a field of Armored Snippets; grabs with hard blue shells. Nora handled some with her strong Water Kicks, Mack's pack extracted a pair of gauntlets to smash others, while Erin used Bath Bombs to shatter the armor. They collected any seashells the Snippets dropped and proceeded to a greater hot spring with lava bubbles floating above it. Erin made a Bubble Board, her friends fitting on as they 'surfed' over the spring, Nora bending water up from it to move the lava out of the way. After reaching shore, a massive Crabman Warrior stood in their way, a large fin on his head and gurgling like a beast.
The Crabman stormed up with a snap of his giant claw, but Nora held it back and open with a Water Fist. Mack threw a Shock Bowl up his arm, but the shock-splosion barely punctured the armor. The Crabman spat ink at Nora's face, pushing her off, then it leapt high in the air. Seeing Nora about to be crushed, Erin hurriedly blew a Foam Shield to negate the pressure. She fired two Bath Bombs at the warrior's chest and blew a gap in his armor. Seeing the beast focus on her, Erin bolted. He pursued and stretched his claw, but Nora swiftly sprung up to hold it back again. Mack bowled his ball up the arm to burst against the exposed flesh, electrifying and knocking the giant down. Nora dealt him a combo a strong head kicks to K.O. him.
Beyond the battleground, they overlooked a lava lake from a cliff. Platforms were situated on floating bubbles, which they could reach with Erin's steps. There were Hermit Crabmen who refused to move off the later platforms, but Erin's Bath Bombs would teach them a lesson or two. From the last platform, they overlooked a down-flowing lava river leading to the edge of the central city. Erin formed another Bubble Board and surfed downward, dodging left or right to avoid the Flaming Fishbones that jumped out. When multiple rows jumped out, Erin dodged, in the middle, left, and right—but the left one in that row would've gone down earlier and revealed a jellyfish. Mack was frustrated for missing an easy catch.
"Hahaha!" Jinbe awaited them at the bottom of the river. "You kids like to arrival in style, huh? But you can take it easy now. Welcome to the Brine!"
Giant shells made up most of the Brine's buildings. There was a treasure chest restaurant labeled the Krusty Krab 14, a barrel building that marked the bank, and a large sandcastle-like building built near the central arena. "I'm going to speak with the city's governor. If he's not at his office, he'll likely be at the arena. If you don't want to expose yourself as the princess, then you don't have to come. Feel free to explore the town at your leisure."
"Ooo, that should be fun!" Nora fist-pumped. "We'll be like real tourists!"
"But just watch yourselves and stay together. The pirates could be lurking around any corner. I'll give you a few more shells in case you'd like to shop." He held out a handful of the colored money.
"Y-You don't have to, it's okay." Erin declined earnestly.
"Nonsense, dear, I make plenty!" Jinbe beamed and slapped the shells in her hand. "But if you have the time, you could set up an account at the bank over there. Then you can deposit money and withdraw from any bank in the kingdom."
"I heard that banks are so trustworthy, they can save your money even through time." Mack joked.
"That'd be the first I've heard of that. Let's call each other if we need to. Be safe, kids." Jinbe proceeded to the arena.
"Wanna go see what Bath Bombs they got, Erin?" Mack asked.
"Sure!"
They found a shop shaped like a giant bathtub. The kids purchased five Milk and Cookie Bombs (white with chocolate spots), four Volcanic Bombs (lava-colored to fit with the area), and two Floral Bombs. They considered buying the Galaxy Bombs before deciding not to be greedy. Afterwards, they went to get a bite at the Krusty Krab, said to be a famous restaurant chain especially to the Crabmen. They chowed on some world-famous Krabby Patties with some Coral Bits! Next, they went to the shoe store, since a certain girl was in need of some protection.
"Try these on, Madeleine." Erin smiled, slipping a pair of red sandals on her feet. They had crabclaw emblems on the straps. "They're heat resistant, so you won't need Nora to carry you." The 5-year-old beamed joyously and hugged her. "Huhu! You're welcome!"
Exploring more of town rewarded them with hidden jellyfish and gold spatulas. "Hey, let's go check out the arena next!" Nora bounced, already leading their way to the large round building. "I wonder what kinda crabby gladiators they got in here?"
"Probably just more brutes like the ones we've been seeing through town." Mack figured.
"Hello, my good guardsman!" They saw a Crabman in a white labcoat, the size of an average adult human, speaking to the larger guards at the arena gate. "I would like to apply for the medical position! I'm sure a stadium of this magnitude has its share of injured peoples, why not?"
"Sorry, pally, all medical positions are filled." replied the right guard.
"But I'm not just any doctor. I specialize in more than just Decapodian physiology! Humans, Nimbi, even Hyruleans, why not? I have a list right here." He drew one out. "Dr. Zoidberg, they call me, but if you'd like to be friends, just John is fine."
"We don't got any people like that in here. Go work at an alien hospital, why don't ya?"
"I spent most of my funds and couldn't afford to live up there. Was cheaper to move back home, it was. Come on, surely this place could use an extra pair of claws?" Zoidberg snapped them for emphasis.
"Why don't ya just step aside? Make way for the Lordster."
"Wait, I think this is like an employee entrance." Mack said. "The customer entrance is over there."
"But it sure seems big." Nora said. A large lobster Crabman was crawling up behind them.
"I'm pretty sure that's because—AAH!" Erin couldn't finish her statement before being swat aside by the giant's claw, her friends gasping.
"'ey, move outta the way, why don't ya!"
"You could've asked BEFORE you pushed my friend!" Nora shouted.
"You runts ain't supposed ta be down here, anyway! Move it or I'll cut ya like seaweed paper!" His claw opened to crunch the pair. "OWIE!" Nora dealt him a solid Water Kick upside the jaw.
"Let's see how much you like getting shoved!" Nora clasped his open claw with two Water Hands, raised, and slammed him on his back. She leapt on Lordster's stomach to stomp firm kicks accompanied by Water Fists, swatting his claws away when he raised them to snap her, and finishing with a good punch to the face!
"You did more than just shove him, Nora!" Mack shouted. "You're gonna get us in trouble!"
"WHOA! Did you see that, Marty?!" the left Crabman exclaimed.
"That little fleshy knocked the Lordster out cold, she did! You don't think she's here to fight, do ya?"
"Wouldn't a kid that young need a manager or somethin'?"
"YES!" Zoidberg beamed, sidling to Nora's side. "I forgot to mention I brought a fighter of my own, why not? Meet my protégé, uuuumm…"
"Whoa whoa whoa, what do you think you're doing?" Nora whispered.
"Please, just help me get a job here." Zoidberg whispered in pleading. "If you can knock out other fighters the same as Lordster here, someone's gonna need to patch them up. This is my chance to show them what I can do, it is! I'll share my leftovers with ya if you do…" Zoidberg dangled a half-eaten fishbone.
"Ew!"
"That's an expression of excitement! Thank you, my dear Goron!"
"Goron?"
"My protégé and I will be entering now!" Zoidberg dragged Nora to the entrance. The guards allowed them entry. "Oh, and please allow her towel boys in, too."
"You okay, Erin?" Mack helped his friend up. "Lemme straighten those…" He fixed her askew glasses.
"Thanks, Mack. Um, where's Nora?"
"She's, uh…becoming a warrior."
"Um…huh?!" (End song.)
Kingler Arena; VIP Room
"Ya know, back home, we only had these duels when two men were fightin' for the same mate." Governor Moivin said, enjoying the shell-shed from his office lounge. He was an average-sized Crabman with a light-green tunic and purple sash with three shell medals. "'Course, the winner didn't live long after that. You know what I mean, right?"
"Because your species passes away after it lays eggs." Jinbe replied solemnly, taking a sip of some seaweed tea.
"It's a shame, isn't it? We ain't around to teach our kids, make sure they grow up strong and hard. That Eugene fella had the right idea adopting a whale, I'm saying. But all these big boys gave up on such things a long time ago." They watched as both Crabmen gladiators tried to crush each other's heads in their claws. "They spend their lives makin' themselves stronger, not throwin' them away over love. And who are we to stop them, yeah? Show our kind what it means to be alive."
"Hmm…" Jinbe pondered the purpose of this topic, but decided to change directions. "I wanted to ask about the Talisman, first of all. I know you've been entrusted with one of them. Is it still safe?"
"It's in good hands, that's right."
"Are you certain? The Fishman Pirates' influence is spreading; we've encountered a few lackeys on the way here. If they've gotten to these fighters, I fear your own safety as well as the Talisman."
"What my brethren decide to do is in their claws, it is. But, ya know… the reason our forefathers migrated to this planet from Aquaria was to follow Kyogre."
"Yes, I'm aware."
"But tradition has a hard time preserving itself, sometimes. Especially when our parents aren't alive to teach us, I said. We got our documents, sure, but who's to say Junior will read them, ah? Decapodians nowadays forget where we came from… and they start lookin' for new leaders."
"…" Jinbe could only stare at him silently. "It seemed you were quite busy before you were able to meet with me. I waited about an hour."
"Our country may not look important to you, but I'm a busy guy, am I. Can't just shoot the current with ya whenever you want."
"Yes. Forgive me."
"Patrons!" the announcer echoed. "We got a fresh new face in our ring, why don't we? I'm told she's a mighty young warrior who took out the Lord of Lobsters himself!"
"Ah, a new face, eh?" Moivin perked up attentively. "This should be somethin'."
…
"On the bright side, this should make great training!" Nora smiled. "Sure you guys don't wanna come with? It's a battle royale."
"W-We're fine here." Erin grinned sheepishly.
"I'm not." Mack gulped under the glare of the surrounding giant lobsters. "Um, how many Lordsters even are there?"
"Before the match begins," Zoidberg said, "I think we should do something about this squishy skin condition. Gorons are only supposed to be soft in the belly, are they not?"
"I'm not a Goron, I'm a human! Mostly."
"Really? My mistake, good sir. Also, I hate to alarm you, but it seems your Glomourian and Terachnoid friend here have bloated eyes. I should be able to shrink them back down with some needlework." The doctor withdrew a needle.
"G-Glomourian?" Mack stuttered. "Because I wear white? Wait, what do you mean bloated eyes, these are our glasses!"
"Ah, yes, my mistake, you are clearly Gems! I minored in geology. Ah, the match is starting, is it! Hurry along, my ostrich-human hybrid friend!" Zoidberg nudged Nora to the arena entrance.
"Are you species-blind or something?!"
"Presenting… Nora the Destroya!" The arena was awash in boos and "blurghs" as Nora marched into the ring. (Play "Mayahem Kickball Colosseum" from Banjo-Tooie!)
"Okay, I know it rhymes, but that nickname sounds a little too easy." Nora said, waving awkwardly at the crowd.
"What? A human?" Moivin questioned.
"JAAAAAAAHHH?!" Jinbe gawked.
Five Puffbowls (pufferfish) and three Crab Warriors marched into the ring. With a ring of the gong, the Puffbowls rolled at Nora, who swiftly caught two with Water Whips and threw them at the warriors' faces. They swat the puffs away and charged the Adabatian, but she spun and stirred up a cyclone for protection. By the time it fell, she had already dodged behind the Crabmen. "BEHIND YOU, BEHIND YOU!" the audience tried to yell. When they turned, Nora splashed water up at their faces and promptly froze them. She spun up a long Water Kick to swat the incoming Puffbowls and slam the Crabmen into the wall.
"Oi, that human of yours is tougher than she looks." The promoter said.
"I always say the best things come right off the street!" Zoidberg replied. "And your men are taking quite a beating, why aren't they? Looks like you'll need someone to patch them up."
"I told ya three times we already have enough doctors!"
"Alright, alright, so I dropped my medical degree in a volcano. Doesn't everybody?"
"How in the heck did we get roped in with this guy?" Mack asked. "…?" Erin was shyly facing the ground and rubbing her arm. "Ahem, um, Nora's doing pretty great out there."
"She always is."
"Alright, do you wanna go out there, too? It'd really put your bubblebending to the test."
"N-No. Er…I dunno really." Her head sank. "I didn't wanna draw attention to myself, but… this just feels like training all over again. Nora's out there proving she's the best… If these guys knew who I was, I don't know what I'd…"
"Hey, at least Nora's nice. She doesn't make us feel like total losers like a few jerks I could name." Mack rolled his eyes to the surface.
"Oi, Smitty Snip!" the promoter yelled. "You're up next, get out there!"
"Gyab?!" The Crabman looked up from something with a start. He hastily stuck something in his shell and hurried past the kids.
"I know she is, but…I-I dunno." Erin moaned. …Her hanging eyes noticed something roll along the ground just after Smitty ran by. The half-curious child pinched it in her fingers and raised it. It was a black and red pill.
"Well, how 'bout we call Jinbe and clear this mess up? Not our fault if this guy can't get a job."
"M-Mack, what's this?"
"What?" He leaned closer to examine the pill. "Where'd you find this?"
"I think that guy dropped it."
"Erin, you don't think it's one of the drugs Jinbe mentioned, do you?"
"If it is, then… Nora!"
Smitty Snip and two smaller Hermit Crabmen crawled into the ring. Nora, barely tired from her previous two bouts, welcomed the next wave with an eager smirk. "'ey, boys, try some of these, will you?" Smitty slipped two pills to his allies. "They're the newest formula, why not?"
Nora frowned suspiciously as they all swallowed something small. Light-red auras coated their bodies. The hermits curled up in their shells and rolled with fiery speed, Nora struggling to hold them back with Water Hands. She converted them into ice to strengthen the hold, but with Smitty charging, she was forced to dash aside. The larger Crabman grabbed the hermits and bashed them like hammers, their already-empowered bodies generating shockwaves that Nora hurriedly flipped over. "WHOOOA!" she cried when a mistimed flip was about to land her on a shockwave.
"Nora!" Erin Bubble Stepped over the wave herself while also blowing some to catch Nora in the air.
"ERIN! Oh, your bending is as bubbly as your soul!"
"'EY, KID, get back in the…" the promoter was about to yell. But he didn't want the match to be prematurely interrupted, so he shifted gears. "Ahem, looks like Nora the Destroya has backup fighters of her own! Is she a human? Is she a beaver? Or some kind of walking chocolate sundae? Give it up for Erin the Darin'!"
"Erin, I'll try to hold them down and you do that trick you did back on the beach!"
"O-Okay. I wonder if I can do that with these." When a hermit came rolling, Erin fired one of her Volcano Bombs from the B.U.B.B.L.E.R., imbuing her chi to enhance it. The bomb combusted over the hermit, trapping him in a gush of orange foam in the shape of an eruption. Nora held the other two back with swift bending-work while Erin transmitted her Healing Touch through the foam.
"They sure picked some peculiar fighters today." Moivin said, clacking his claws together.
"Governor, those children are with me!" Jinbe said worriedly. "They're KND operatives who volunteered to fight the pirates and I was escorting them. I don't know how they got roped into this arena, but it needs to stop. There's something wrong with those warriors!"
"How'd they get a respected Sea Knight like you as an escort? Unless there's something special about those tykes."
"That's not important now. We need to call the staff and stop this match!"
"Alright, alright." The governor stood and exited the room. "I'll have a word with them about this, just stay and keep an eye on them. They might need you to jump in." However, as soon as he was in the hallway, he withdrew his shellphone. "Oi, it's me. Those two humans are KND operatives. Look for any others, they might be on to us."
"Psst. Hey, Zoidberg." Mack gestured the Crabman over with a handwave.
"Vhat? Did you poke a hole in your lung?" Zoidberg asked. "Don't worry! I learned how to stitch balloons in comedy class!" He approached Mack with some stitches.
"No no no! I want you to look at this pill."
"Why? Where did it come from?"
"One of the fighters had it. It's some kind of drug that powers you up and makes you aggressive. Just wondering if you could tell me what was inside it."
"I'll give it the old online class try." Zoidberg gently held the pill and pried it open with a needle. "Do you have a magnifying glass? I lent mine to a jellyfish."
"Geez Louise…" Mack gave him one. Zoidberg peered through to studied the chemicals.
"Hmm…a few of these compounds could strengthen one's muscles, but they usually have the side effect of popping. I don't recognize these bluish particles, but I detect a whiff of…oh…oh, my…"
"What is it?" Mack asked.
"Anchovies!" Zoidberg hurriedly threw the drug on the floor. "Small, but potent fragments of shredded anchovies! Those will send any Decapodian in a frenzy! And…sniff, sniff. I smell more!"
"More?"
"Yes! A strong source of it! It's coming from… this way!" Zoidberg sniffed his way toward a passage. Mack took Madeleine's hand and hurried after him.
"Oi, man, you ain't allowed back here." Two guards raised claw-tipped spears at Zoidberg. "Fighters and arena staff only."
"This is an emergency, my nice-looking sir! I smell anchovies this way!"
"Who told you that? I ain't ever see you around here before! OI VEY!" The guard was struck by Mack's Shock Bowl.
"Zoidberg, there's something going on in this place! Don't trust any of them!" The left guard threw his spear at Mack, the boy dodging and using his six swords to dice the spear up. A fin flipped up on Zoidberg's head as he tackled the guard, crunching the shell on his arms. The right guard recovered and thrusted his spear, but Zoidberg caught it in one claw and snapped its head off. Mack punched the Crabman's knees with his metal gauntlets and toppled him. While Zoidberg jumped to break his armor, Mack reformed the Shock Bowl to electrify the unarmored guard, later replicating the act with the second. "Dang, you're tougher than you look!"
"I've had my share of fights in high school. You eat one national flag and two mascot costumes and suddenly everyone treats you like a terrorist."
"You and me both, partner. Let's hurry!"
…
"Yes, Mack?" Jinbe answered his shellphone. "Where are you? And why are the girls… A drug?! Yes, I see. I'll head down to your location… but I'd hate to leave the girls by their selves. I think it's time I call my own team."
"Thanks, Jinbe." Mack replied. "We'll try to clear the way first." The passage was filled with lava, with platforms resting on bubbles that would contract in and out, but never detach from the surface. Mack and Zoidberg jumped them carefully, the former shooting a torpedo popgun at wall-crawling Crayfish Crabmen. They had no way to cross the next portion except for lines of fishing hooks on the ceiling. Some had caught prey hanging from them, roasting over the river, while others were clear. "Here, put this on." Mack gave Zoidberg a G.R.A.P.P.L.U.H.. "I can carry Madeleine, but not you. Just aim it at the hooks and swing, then quickly shoot at the next hooks. If you do it as fast as you got your medical degree, it'll be easy." Mack kept an arm around Madeleine, shot the grappler at the hook, swung, and quickly latched the others. Zoidberg replicated the act with a terrified, "BLLLLLRRRRRR!"
After reaching safe land, the trio would have to drop to a lower river of platforms. Shortly after landing, they about-faced in horror at a slow-approaching lava wave, making the same bubbly motions as a lava lamp. The three raced over the platforms, but with the wave catching up, there were stairs available to jump above its height. They let the wave pass before resuming over the platforms, but another wave was following it. Their only way to cross would be more hanging hooks, but this time the lines were scrolling sideways through the wall slots. They waited for a bare hook and quickly latched it when it became visible. They could swing to a safe platform and repeat the maneuver once more, though Mack first shot down some Bass Bandits perched on platforms. There was a shut gate at the end of the path. Zoidberg and Mack were able to stick their claws and metal gloves underneath to pry it up. Madeleine was small enough to crawl under, hugging and lever on the other side and mustering all her strength to pull it. It opened the gate complete, the two hurrying in as they watched the lava wave flow by harmlessly.
"The aroma's getting stronger." Zoidberg sniffed. "My gosh… look at them all!" The hall was filled with piles of anchovies. Crabman doctors with gas masks were trying to scoop them up.
"Oi, leave it to Herman to spill buckets of these things." one doctor said. "…Hey, who are those kids? Do you work here?"
"Zoidberg, here's a gas mask if this stuff's bad for you." Mack tossed him one. "It's time to clean the house!" They fought through two of the doctors while the third one retreated up the hall. Even Mack was intoxicated by the stench as they latched hooks to pull up over the piles. When the corridor turned, an even denser pile blocked them, but it seemed a narrow tunnel was carved through the bottom. "Ugh…well, Maddy? Fancy using your crawling skills again?"
The mermaid nodded. She wanted to be useful, too! "Alright, but take this in case you need it." Mack attached a small crossbow wristband to her arm. "Handy tool against creepy crawling in tunnels." She bowed in thanks and crawled in. The anchovy tunnel was a sort of maze underneath, and like Mack predicted, there were shrimps lurking within. The small crustaceans nipped her in the fingers and nose, but she would snipe them with tiny arrows. When coming to a dead end, she could reach in a vent and grab a gold spatula! Eventually, Madeleine found the way out and could pull a lever on the wall. Some hooks lowered from the ceiling, allowing Mack and Zoidberg to swing their way across. After landing beside Madeleine, Mack ruffled her hair and said, "That-a-girl!" sparking a smile and blush.
Turning another corner, they were ambushed by two Crabmen with miniguns that would squirt ink. Mack erected a retractable shield to protect his vision, Madeleine covering behind him, while Zoidberg's mask was splotched. "Ah! I can't see, even!" While Zoidberg fiddled to pull the mask off, Mack threw his Shock Bowl to zap the left Crabman, followed by spinning and throwing his shield like a Frisbee at the right. An unmasked Zoidberg ran to punch down and crack the right's armor while Mack bashed the left. The right shoved Zoidberg off and squirted ink at his feet, causing him to slip and fall face-first in a half-empty bucket. Mack Shock Bowled that guard into submission and returned to K.O. the other.
"This looks like the place." Mack used his metal gauntlets to grab the handle of the door they were guarding, pulling it open a crack. He and Madeleine peeked inside. "Whoa…" It was some kind of small factory. Anchovies were being grinded by a machine as their minuscule remains were condensed into pills alongside other chemicals. Those pills were also put in glass cylinders as red energy was being transmitted through them. The source of the energy seemed to be a red crab-designed figurine. "They make the drug here! But I bet it's not the only factory. Let's wait for Jinbe before we-"
"Ooooh…OOOOH…ANCHOVIIIIEEEEES!" Zoidberg rose back to his feet, yanking the bucket off his face as he slurped off the last of the anchovies from it.
"Uh-oh!"
"More…" The doctor scraped his sandals along the ground like a mad bull. "MORE…MOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!" Mack and Madeleine dodged apart as he charged through the door, bursting it down. In no time, the factory staff were alert to his arrival. Zoidberg's first instinct was devouring the anchovies, thrashing any doctors that dared to stop him.
…
"And the winners are… vhat, is this a joke?" the promoter asked. "Destroya Nora and Darin' Erin beat these boys?! Are we doin' a kids' commercial or something?"
"Heh heh…we did it, Erin!" Nora cheered, slumping in her victorious stance. "You put those crazy crabs right to sleep!"
"That performance was spectacular, little ones. But I'm gonna have to ask you to come with me now."
"Nora, move!" Erin panicked as the center of the ring opened. A giant, mechanical crab emerged on a platform, a sand-made structure with a dome and turrets on top.
"PEOPLE OF BRINE! These girls are no ordinary visitors, aren't they! This young woman is no doubt…" the robot aimed a claw at Nora, "the Sea Princess herself!"
The crowd was flooded with gasps and murmurs of confusion. "Vhat?! She's the princess?!"
"No wonder she flips and kicks like a two-finned mermaid!"
"The first princess married a dark-skinned human, she did. That explains it!"
"N-No!" Nora waved in protest. "I'm not, uh…Erin?" She glanced at her friend for an answer. Erin pointed at herself and shook 'no.' "…Ahem," Nora glared up at the mech, "what do you want with us?!"
"I want to find out for myself, why not? Find out if the princess is like the legends say. You were in a pickle with those warriors just now, so let's see how you handle the Mobile Oppression Palace! Codenamed… M.O.P.!"
"'Guess we got one last battle to go, Erin. Let's MOP the floor with this mech!"
"Of all the times for Mack to not be here…"
Boss fight: M.O.P.
One would think a crab's signature move would be a claw snip, but the mech raised its claw instead to crush them. Nora grabbed Erin and dodged before jumping atop the claw and rushing for the cockpit, dodging its sandy cannonballs. She set Erin down before leaping to kick the windshield, but not only did it withstand her, but she couldn't even see the driver inside. After Nora dropped, the driver was shocked when Erin blasted a Cookie Bomb at the windshield, blotting it with a foam that looked like spilled milk and chips! "Oy vey! I can't see a blasted thing!" The robot spun and flung the girls off. "A heat-seeking missile oughta do you in!" A shell-like missile extracted from the bottom.
"EEEK!" Nora ran to Erin's side and ducked them into an ice barrier. The missile lost their heat waves and flew up.
"AAAH! It's gonna hit us!" a Crabwoman panicked.
"Relax, Julie, we're coldblooded! It won't hit us."
The missile instead targeted a crack of lava in the corner, blasting it open. Lava bubbles softly oozed from it. "Huh…Nora, if those are heat-seeking missiles, I have an idea!" M.O.P. prepared to shoot another missile, but the girls ran toward the lava crater and latched the lava-filled bubble with a Water Whip. They swung it toward the M.O.P., so when the missile fired, it grew attracted to the bubble, redirecting and exploding against the palace. "OYYY! The one time I need a blasted heat-seeker and it blows up in my face!" The M.O.P.'s claws opened squirters and sprayed them with ink.
"EEEEEWW!" Erin cried. "This'll take forever to wash this out!"
"No it won't!" Nora bent the ink off. "It's water, too, after all!" She helped Erin dodge the claw's crunch. Nora bundled the ink into a ball, spun, and hurdled it up at the windshield. Though the driver was blinded once more, it tried to stomp around aimlessly to crush its prey. Ink continued to spray from its claws, so Erin helped Nora Bubble Step up atop the mech. She ran along the right claw and froze her feet to stabilize to it, using her bending to force the ink back through the squirter. It caused buildup within the arm, causing it to burst and short-circuit.
"OY!" The mech spun the girls off once more, but its right claw could only drag around the ground. "Do you know how much this thing cost?! Good thing you seem to have heavy pockets." The M.O.P. fired more sandballs around the field to hinder their running. It would swipe the other claw over the sand to brush waves over the girls, who combined their high jumps and Bubble Steps for evasion. When M.O.P. readied its cannons again, Nora molded half-solid Water Balls and vigorously kicked them up into the turrets. It did nothing to stop the sand from shooting out, except now they were mushy sandballs. M.O.P. surprised them with a sudden slam of its claw, but Erin hurriedly fired a Volcano Bomb to keep its claw uplifted. She struggled to mold and tighten the foam's grip while Nora tried to cut through the claw with Water Whips.
"AAH!" Nora screamed when another mushy sandball flew her way, grabbing the nearest water to block it. "?!" But what she grabbed wasn't water: it was the mushy sand. "I…Whoa…" She made a fist, opened it, and flexed her fingers. The sand morphed to match its shape, much like her Water Fists. "Erin, look! I'm a sandbender!"
"What?! Since when?"
"I think it's just 'cause the sand is wet. Haha, I TOLD you I loved the beach twice as much!" Nora bent the sand slosh into a ring shape to wrap and tighten around M.O.P.'s arm. Their combined force eventually crunched the arm to the point of short-circuiting. As it plopped dead on the ground, the girls jumped on top and ran toward the cockpit. Erin used normal waterbending to block incoming sandballs with liquid shields. She couldn't keep its solidity enough before the muck punctured through and buried her, but Nora bent the sloshy sand off her friend. Nora linked her arms together and sideways as she shaped the sand like a large axe. "EYUH! EYUH! EYUH!" She chopped the axe into the solid sand cockpit repeatedly.
"Hey! Stop that! This was the cheapest deal I could get for a stable cockpit! Augh, what?!" The M.O.P. was unable to shake around, for Erin had exploded a Floral Bomb at the crab's left legs, trapping them in foam that looked like a bushel of flowers. When Nora chopped a large enough crack, she pulled water out of the sand and made it flow into the gap. She tore the inside up enough to make the sand-made tower fall over and for the whole robot to drop dead. (End song.)
"Hahahaha!" Nora jumped down to Erin's level, spin-jumping with a flex of her legs each time. "That was AWESOME, Erin! Your Bath Bombs are so cool!"
"Hehe! Don't praise me, you're the one who's a sandbender now."
"Then praise yourself, too!" Nora finished her jumps by plopping hands over Erin's shoulders. "'Cause that fight would've been impossible without you!"
"Heh heh…" Erin managed a smile. Yeah… she really did help, didn't she? She soothed the drugged Crabmen with her healing and hindered this robot enough for Nora to damage it. Nora was still stronger than her, but today, for once in her life… Erin felt strong, too.
…
Zoidberg had thrashed most of the doctors before two were able to hold him down. "Have a little suppression tablet, why don't ya?" They shoved a tablet into his mouth.
"HUR!" Two blasts of water struck them, Zoidberg dropping as he choked the tablet down. "What heinous things are going on down here?!" Jinbe shouted.
"They were making the drugs down here!" Mack answered. "That guy got a face-full of anchovies and started decking everyone! And, since they were bad guys anyway, I decided to let him. But don't hurt him, he's an ally. …A weird ally, and a questionable doctor, but I think he's good."
"I see… Mack, do you see that gem there?" He pointed at the crab figurine. "That's one of our Seven Talismans! They must've been using its special chi to enhance the drugs. That means… the man behind this can only be…"
"BUEEEECK!" Zoidberg vomited some dark-blue pearls. "Phew…thanks, friends! Have some of my vomit as payment!" The doctor stood and finally had a comprehensive look at the factory. "It's more of the drugs, there are! What is this place?"
"We're under the arena, Dr. Z." Mack answered. "Looks like they've been drugging the fighters."
"But… it can't be." Zoidberg's face fell. "Claw-Plach was always a battle of honor. We fight to the death every once in a while, but there's pride in it, why not? But… using drugs?" He approached one of the glass shipments. "There's no honor in this."
"This is the type of treachery the pirates are trying to inspire in us." Jinbe answered. "Let's take the Talisman and destroy this place. But hurry! I fear the princess is in danger."
…
"HA HA!" a Crabwoman cheered. "I told ya the princess was tough, didn't I?"
"You kidding, that was nothing! Her little sidekick cheated with those suds, she did!"
"So what, the princess did most of the work, she did!"
"I thought the princess would have better waterbending than that! Bring down the Bubble Dome or make a giant snowman, why don't ya?"
"I guess she has gone soft living with the humans!"
"Hmph! Erin, let's go!" Nora took her friend's hand and marched toward the exit. "We don't gotta prove anything to these crabs. Jinbe's probably wondering where we-"
"Wait." Erin pulled away from her. Nora looked questionably as Erin climbed atop the fallen M.O.P.. "Ahem…hey! Can I have everyone's, um…" She felt she was falling on deaf ears under everyone's arguing. "Um…nngh! HEEEEEEY!"
With a voice Erin never thought she could muster, the Crabmen silenced and faced her. "Sh…She's not the princess! I am!"
". . . . ." They needed a moment to understand this. Their reaction was expected. "VWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Who does she think she is, Harold Zoid?!"
"Who would make that scrawny kid a princess?"
"You tryin' ta call us fools ya little bubble-blowing brat?!"
"SHE HAD THE MOST DIGNITY OF ANYONE IN THIS RING!"
Jinbe made himself known, stomping into the arena firmly. Mack, Madeleine, and Zoidberg came in behind him. "This stadium is full of fraud. It was manufacturing drugs and giving them to its fighters. They have forgotten the honor and pride that comes with their culture. These children, just now, have shown us a true fighting spirit. Wouldn't you agree, Governor?"
There were gasps as Governor Moivin emerged from the fallen cockpit, his uniform tattered and two of his medals fallen off. "Bah, what do you know, Jinbe? Our species grows softer every generation, all merfolk are, they are! We're doin' what we need to stay strong, and we can't go followin' no softhearted god. Let alone that joke of a princess!"
"I don't want you to follow me!" Erin stomped. "I… All I wanted to say was I don't care. I don't care if I'm a princess or what you think of me. Because you're just jerks and you're stupid! You're stupid for following those evil pirates who just wanna hurt people!"
"Yeah? Well, why don't ya say that to the captain's face?"
"And who is this captain you speak of?" Jinbe asked. "I know it's not Arlong."
"I don't gotta tell you anything. He'll drown all ya… drown ya and rise our kingdom to the top! ZZZZZZZTT!" Moivin was hit by Mack's Shock Bowl, falling as the last medal detached from his sash.
"I'm guessing he had nothing else worthwhile to say." Mack shrugged.
"Alahaha! Those are quite the kids you've found, Jinbe!"
They faced skyward as a band of Fishmen and mermen descended with bubble floaties. "Aladine!" Jinbe beamed. "You showed up a little too late!"
"Right on time, if you ask me." A goatsbeard brotula merman grinned. He had a long thin beard and ponytail like a genie, pale-red skin, and a silver trident.
"Are those friends of yours?" Erin asked.
"They are my fellow knights."
"So, this little lady's the new princess, eh?" Aladine landed, showing off his 20'7" size to a shirking Erin. "She's more precious than I imagined! If only I'd gotten to see her fight."
"Ehehehehe…" Still unused to praise from anyone besides Nora, Erin only responded with a smile and shift of her feet.
"Can I leave the cleanup to you men?" Jinbe asked. "I'll take the Talisman with us. Have the governor and any drug-users arrested."
"Aye-aye, Boss!"
"Although, I must trouble you to treat these children. They've gotten a few bruises and we have no doctors-"
"Did someone say no doctors?!" Zoidberg perked up. "Because I am a no doctor! Hire me and I shall make you happy!"
"Uhhh…" Jinbe hesitated for a response. "Well, it seems you did assist Mack, but…"
"But he also roped us into this fight in the first place." Mack reasoned.
"Please let me come." Zoidberg folded his claws pleadingly. "I need the job. Besides, this drug could be poisoning my people and I have no idea what's in it. I've got to save other mermen from the same fate, why don't I?"
"Hmmm…what do you kids think?"
"Well, having a doctor would be nice." Erin shrugged. "My healing can't exactly do everything."
"And he was pretty strong, too." Mack affirmed. "Speaking of which, those anchovies didn't leave any side effects on you, did they?"
"No, I'm just fine." Zoidberg patted his belly. "We just get wild hunger cravings when we eat them. They're so GOOOOOOOOD!"
"Yyyyeah…lay off the anchovies and you can come."
"I shall not let you down!" Zoidberg danced over and patted Jinbe's back. "You have my word, my Lunarian friend."
"L-Lunarian? Oh, very well. Let's return to the ship, kids." Jinbe proceeded to escort the five out of the ring. "Erin… I may not have witnessed it all, but I can tell you fought with true courage in your heart."
"Hehe! Thanks…"
"In fact, I know exactly where to bring you next: my homeland!"
Coral Reefs, Japan's ocean
The Fishman Karate dojo rose tall at the top of the reefs. Within the tower's lowest levels, students trained vigorously to hone the ways of water.
"Next up!" announced Instructor Koala, a human girl with orange hair, wearing a yellow karate uniform. "Lulu, why don't you spar with Nika?"
An 8-year-old girl with dark-green ponytailed hair took position before a younger, orange-haired mermaid. Lulu stood firm on finned, froglike feet. She had freckles on her noseless face, and cheeks and eyes wide as a frog. "Get ready for my Froggy Karate!" Lulu sprung to the ceiling and pushed down for the first kick.