Chapter 62 - Operation: O.C.E.A.N.A., Part 9: Battle For Oceana

As is tradition, we're pitting the other operatives against throwaway Fishmen, so everyone gets EXP! X3 Fun fact, I first saw the New Fishman Pirates in a deviantART picture that drew them in King of the Hill's likeness. If I included the Top Bass more, I could've portrayed them as those characters, make for some fun personality. But no big deal.

Part 9: Battle For Oceana

Sector H watched the battle from the safest distance they could inside their Surfmarine (a submarine designed like a surfboard). "Man, I think most of the top sectors are here." Squid said. "And I think that's Sector L down there! Glad to see they're okay."

"Cool!" Otto said. "This fight'll be over in no time! And I bet everyone's gonna be super tired after this."

"So, do you think we should call the boss now?" Reggie asked.

"Yeah. We'll have them on standby." Otto smirked as he inputted a frequency into the ship communicator. A large, red "R" displayed onscreen. "Squid, you keep an eye on the battle. Give us some play-by-play."

The Urchin Squad were a band of Fishmen with spiked, urchin-made armor. Sector MG's Veronica cast an anti-spike spell on Karma Shiota, so the Fanalis could kick them down without risking punctures in his strong legs. However, the leader of the squad did direct battle with Karma; a porcupinefish named Harisenbon. Thanks to the Gnosis, his natural spikes held up against Karma's kicks until the spell wore off, but Karma refused to let a few punctures hold back his Fanalis muscles. The Bombardment Squad blasted bazookas at JP's Kodachi, who gave them a taste of his colorful fireworks.

The Mergoths were led by two witches: Twitchy the Witchy, an old Fishwoman in a black cloak, and the lavender-skinned Madame Hagfish. Using ingredients provided by Kassandra, they crafted Jelly Monsters of varying shape and abilities. Charmy excitedly volunteered to fight the monsters, because a glutton against food monsters would only end one way. Lucas confronted Hagfish directly, who cursed him with misfortune spells that would make Lucas trip on his shoelaces or make his PK Thunder fly against him by mistake. Veronica battled a giant golden eel commanded by the witches, which targeted her because it hungered for gold coins. Veronica simply used her Mushroomian money as bait to trick and attack the eel. MG's leader, Aria battled Twitchy, who cast a hex to turn Aria's shoes into snails and slow her down, allowing Twitchy to attack her with Homing Spells.

Sector SG's Kirika clashed her scythe with Nuru, an angler-Fishman who wielded a sickle sword. He would flash his angler to briefly blind her, but her enhanced skin held up well against his blade. Shirabe would ram her yo-yo pigtails into the Iron Shell Squad, who wielded large iron turtle shells imported from Mushroom. SG's cowboy marksman, Rango, caught wind of a sniper in the city rooftops; it was the small red octopus, Ikalgo. Rango tracked Ikalgo's position and got the jump on him, the octo raising tentacles in surrender. However, Rango deduced from Ikalgo's demeanor and weak ammo that he didn't have the heart to kill. They got to talking as Ikalgo admitted, like his acquaintance Hatchan, he too never wanted to go to war with humans. So with that, Rango challenged him to a more honorable, Western duel, and became comrades afterward.

Ichigo and Mazu of Sector JP, along with GT's Mowchan, got roped in a game of Groggy Ring against Big Pan the loach Wotan, Pickles the Chinook salmon, and Hamburg the flounder. What was Groggy Ring, the kids would ask? A fun sport in the giant land of Brobdingnag. Each team would elect someone to be the "ball," having to tape a ball to their heads, as the opposing side tries to dunk that person into the ring on either side. The KND's ball was Mowchan, since the giant was already round for the role, while the Fishmen chose Big Pan, whose towering height and slippery skin would make it a challenge for them. However, Ichigo would find a weakness in Pan's boots, which he could grab to lift and haul the Wotan down. While Mazu fried Hamburg, Mowchan would curl up and Goron Roll into Pickles, withstanding the latter's blades. Ichigo would then try to hoist and slam Pan's ball into their ring.

Joto and Kansai, the baseballers of Sectors JP and Q, battled the Billfishman couple, Capote and Porche. Capote's Fishman Karate sent chopping waves, but Joto would fly over them while Kansai chopped through with great swings of his bat, then hitting baseballs at his pointy nose. Porche's Cutie Baton shot flower shurikens; Joto would shrink and swiftly hop between the shurikens on her way to Porche before kicking her in the pointy nose. She would later release gas from the baton to deter Joto from getting close, so the redhead would resort to using gigantism. However, the Fishmen retreated onto their orange star shark, Monda, equipped to fly with bubble jetpacks. It would soar around with great speed and try to gnash Joto would Capote enforced karate over her inner water. Joto decided to shrink back down to fly size as she rode baseballs hit by Kansai. He would target Monda's jetpacks while Joto made sure they hit, grounding the three enemies so they could resume combat.

Sector Q's Suna and Tattsun pursued a purple squid Fishman named Jube, who used roller-blades the same as Suna. He could stretch his eight arms in attempt to wrap the two in tight bindings, but Tattsun, strapped to Suna's back, used lightningbending to zap Jube's squishy arms. Suna could also kick her skates to slice the arms, but Jube could withstand her direct kicks as his lack of bones would prevent anything from snapping. It was mostly up to Tattsun to fry him crispy.

Shimmy rode her three-car train, Rocket-chan, into battle with the Dorei Tank piloted by Hammond, a yellow daggertooth pike conger. She countered its cannons with her Coal Cannon. When Hammond fired his Trawl Net, Shimmy bent up the train's back cars like arms and slashed their flanges, which had concealed knives, to cut it. Shimmy was cocky as she rammed Hammond's shabby tank every chance she got… until its outer armor crumbled and revealed the human slaves who were moving it. Shimmy's joy was lost, and no forgiveness remained for the conger. She would ride close and spring herself to his cockpit to bash and chomp him directly.

Isabelle battled Kasagoba, a Marbled Rockfishman. She dodged his pike swiftly and strummed Music Notes from her harp to cast at him. Except the rockfish had a trick up his tank-top: he trained to redirect musicbending. Using his own samba style, he took control of the Shandian's notes and returned them back. Isabelle tried to damage him with Dials, but when Kasagoba powered up with Gnosis, victory seemed further away. Until Manboshi showed up! He heard the sound of samba and decided to join the jamba! Isabelle provided the music to him and learned to embrace the samba herself, giving Kasagoba the dance of a lifetime!

Sector V's kindergarten giant, Mali, fought Wadatsumi, a tiger blowfish Wotan who completely towered over her at 262 feet. She dodged his crushing palms and used Gas Rockets to blast against his tiny legs, hurting and toppling him. Wadatsumi would try to curl his legs up and roll onto her, squishing Mali flat, but she used Gas Rocket to blast up and throw him off. "MALI!" Laruta called. "Pufferfish have tetrodotoxin inside their liver and ovaries! He's full of poison!"

"Poison? Ah! Mali knows!" Mali began to blast against the giant and force her bending over Wadatsumi's inner poisons, contracting and contorting him from the inside.

"Great job, Mali! I sure wish my battle was easier! AAAAAHH!" Laruta ran in fear of a giant sea-cow called Momoo.

Trella Dunfree fought Sebastian, a blue, blind false kelpfish Wotan. She summoned the spirit of Karate Kong and, sensing the motion of Sebastian's Fishman Karate, instructed the Kong to counter his giant water balls. Sebastian's Camouflage Air technique did nothing to hide him from Trella's senses. Sebastian could protrude spikes and hold out twin maces to use Spin Tornado, but Trella countered him by summoning a pack of Needs A Shave Rainbow Monkeys, whose prickly bodies returned the pain to Sebastian.

Ralph fought Daruma with his new invention, the D.I.G.-S.N.O.U.T. (Digging Invention's Grinding Snoz Nullifies Oceanic Underground Terrifically). It was a mole-headed robot with two legs designed to feel vibrations in the earth, effectively countering Daruma's ability to burrow underground with his teeth, fitting to its name as a Cookie-Cutter Sharkman. Ralph could then shoot the mole's nose down like a drill and control its motion underground, stabbing Daruma before reeling the drill back up. Daruma would attack Ralph directly with his Hi-Daruma Cutter attack, using his Personal Chi to simulate fire around his body.

Silica learned that she was under attack by Zeo, a purple Japanese wobbegong who could camouflage, only by accidentally stepping on him while he was sliding along the ground. Silica used Veil to hide from the rapid flailing of his weighted chains, gaining a safe distance before trying to send Shadow Possession through the chains' shadows. While he was camouflaged, Zeo had to hide his chains under him while he slid along the ground, so both opponents would have a battle of hide-and-seek.

Christina's emerald flaming fists fought back every swing of Dosun's hammer the hammerhead threw. Dosun gouged out chunks of the earth with the back spikes of it, but she would either dodge or blast the chunks away. At one point, she crossed her arms to defend from a rapid hammer combo, but Sea Knight Namur chomped Dosun's hammer in his teeth, stopping the onslaught. "BUTT OFF, SHARKBOY!" Christina kicked Namur away.

"HEY, I'm on your side!"

"I didn't tell you to interrupt my fight, go help over there!"

"Uh…okay."

Perry found Hyouzou to be a very tricky opponent. Not only did the Gnosis Pills give him strength, but he washed them down with rum. In his drunk state, he was slippery in attack and evasion. Perry maneuvered his Gilded Sword and Hylian Shield well to block Hyouzou's Eight-Sword Style, but could scarcely find chances to cut his tentacles. Perry screamed when Hyouzou lunged to dice him with Tottering Hash—a fishbone was spat in his face, the octopus reeling back as another swordsman would lunge and slash him. "YORIKIRI!"

"WHOA!" Perry gaped as the swordsman landed. He was a light-green Fishman in a Japanese straw hat. "A frog?!"

"I am Sea Knight Kawamatsu the Kappa! …Actually, I'm a Japanese puffer, but I am descended from kappas!"

"Whatever you are, I'm happy for the help!"

"Just watch out for his blue-ringed venom! It's poison!"

"That's not the only thing you should watch for!" Ikaros Much threw one of his Dried Squid Spears at Perry's back—Max Murphy jumped to take the blow for him.

"MAX!" Perry cried out in worry for his second best friend.

"Agh…I'm getting drained, Perry… I can't… stay plugged!" Max turned into a drainplug.

"WHAT?!" Ikaros gawked. "Are you a shapeshifter or something?!" He grabbed the squid lodged in Max. "Give back my-" he pulled the drain open. Immediately, the entire ocean was sucked down its vortex. "AAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Soon, the entire Earth and all the stars surrounding it were slurped down the hole. "Ah, that's a relief." Max sighed, walking out of the bathroom. "Now to get back to the movie!"

The movie in question was Batman vs. Robin. Batman was facing Robin Williams on a rooftop at night. "Wait, what're we watching?" Ikaros asked. "Why do they hate each other?"

"Huhuhu! I'm Batman!" Robin mimicked. "Filled up on 100 cups of coffee, reckless driving in an unlicensed car, 'Alfred I told you to clean the bat guano out of my snuggie bear!'"

"SNUGGIE BEAR LIKES BAT GUANO!" Batman SOCKED Robin so powerfully that he flew out of the screen and crushed Ikaros' chest!

"That's why we wear our 3D glasses!" Max chirped.

"Um, what's going on here?" Kawamatsu asked, whacking up one of Hyouzou's tentacles so Perry could slice it.

"Just leave him to it, focus on this guy!" Perry quickly drew his bow to snipe the octo's stomach.

Jason Dimalanta, meanwhile, was at battle with Poseidon Nero (from Edens Zero), who was not only a spacebender, but an emissary from the Vil Galaxy. He had tentacled hair and a mustache like others of his race, and was readily welcomed into Hody's crew for bearing the likeness of Davy Jones. "So, you blokes want the Fishmen in your empire, too, eh? Well, get this: ya couldn't have the Mamodo and you ain't takin' them!" Unfortunately for Jason, he couldn't muster lightbending as well as he would like to with the sun's rays barely reaching down here. He had to rely on lightspeed to catch up with Nero's warping, but took damage from Nero's fast, remote-controlled dice. Jason tried to counter this with his similar technique of Light Fingers.

Sector V's captain knew the lack of sunlight may be an issue, but he already had an ally on the case. He and his friends had a small adventure in the Sun Tree Forest of Eve, located under Canada's coast, where they collected a couple Sun Tree seeds. They gave the seeds to Sector GT's plantbender, Doris Dodley, who grew the trees to the surface as quick as she could. The trees would transmit sunlight down through the trunks, so Jason would hurry over to draw light from it and assume his Fury Form. Nero tried to contain him in Space Blocks and explode them, but the captain would survive. He would try to catch Jason's light attacks through portals and redirect them, but Jason yanked some of them back through and spun for a rebound attack! Until now, Nero's only worry was if the GKND's leader showed up, but he never expected this sea brat to be such a pain. "Oi don't need Star to deal with cheap calamari!" the sunny captain declared.

Now back to the real heroes

"Guys, look!" Nora pointed as they raced to the city border. "That's Erin's mom! She's here to help!"

"Wow, really?!" Lulu exclaimed, looking up at the giant trident. "But what's she doing?"

"Maybe it's a stalemate." Mack answered, looking through binoculars. "There's a big pillar of water in the center. I think Erin's inside it! Her mom's probably holding back because they're threatening her! In fact, that looks like the same kind of trick that ninja guy used."

Madeleine pointed at the pillar excitedly. "You bet, Madeleine!" Nora cheered. "We'll get your voice back AND save Erin!"

"Kids, wait!" Zoidberg struggled to catch up, carrying four small rifles in his arms. "You'll need these! I filled them with antidotes for the drugs!"

"Antidotes?" Massimo asked. "Sweet, so we can stop these guys easy!"

"I can't say they'll work well on the stronger pirates, but it should nullify the Fury effects on the weak ones. We could only make five shots in each gun, so use them wisely, why not?"

"Should hold us over until we save Erin." Mack figured. "Thanks, Zoidberg!" All but Madeleine took a gun and kept running.

"Huff, huff…" The poor doctor fell behind. "Good idea! Get a headstart and I'll, huff…jump in to save the day!" (Play "Combat Arena" from SpongeBob Movie!)

Stage 7: Oceana

Mission: Defeat the Fishman Pirates!

Chinese Fighting Fishmen were already racing to singe them with Steam Fists while Flying Fishmen threw Torpedo Teds from the distance. Nora put her karate teachings to use and dispersed the Steam Fists with palm thrusts, then to deliver them to the Fishmen until they were down. Lulu Homing Kicked across the Teds before tonguing the middle Flying Fish, using it as a prop to swing around and bash the others out of the air. However, the middle one soon threw her off and filled up on two more Gnosis, swooping down to strike Lulu with more ferocity. One of the Fighting Fishmen did the same, so Nora and Lulu shot them with antidote, bursting against their skin as the Fury withered and left them vulnerable.

A chasm spanned over the next chunk of the battleground, where Mack and Massimo worked in tandem to grapple stalagmites standing from the pit. Five Snailiens popped out and shot multiple rounds of green rocks. When Massimo shot his spear at them, they would try to dodge, but the Fishboy quickly redirected it to stab the snails. Mack simply rolled his Shockbowl to explode them electrically, but would then have to use the gadget to trigger a generator. The generator would make platforms rise for the others to join. Unfortunately, they would walk into a trap: Mergoths trapped them in a secluded area of a magic barrier, sending Hypno-Snails and Angler Mages in to fight them. Madeleine saw three keyholes embedded in the barrier. She used a Fire Spell to unfreeze the first key, Engorgio to resize the second key, and when she found the third key as squishy and nimble as jelly, she cast a counter-spell for this jinx.

When the barrier was opened, the Mergoths consumed Gnosis to go mad on the ops, so they shot four antidotes to diminish the aura before fighting them. Mack saw Nora throw a kick at one and bend in the Mergoth's stomach. "So, Fishman Karate basically lets you bend peoples' internal liquids, sort of like bloodbending?"

"Well, my Personal Chi does connect with their blood, yes, but it's definitely not as dark as bloodbending. The main point of Fishman Karate is balancing my Water and Willpower Chi, so I won't run out of stamina faster. And for the record, Mrs. Horvitz says bloodbending's a no-no."

"I don't want you girls dampening your hearts like I dampened mine." Melody told them.

The ops would cross a valley filled with Mervs, firing volleys of small missiles. The Mervs would shoot their bottom lasers to shoot away Mack's Shockbowl or other ranged attacks. "Guys, wanna see MY new trick?" Lulu lit up. She crouched and willed herself to camouflage.

"Hey, you can turn invisible!" Massimo exclaimed.

"Yep! It's something that already came with my Frog Quirk, but Master San taught me how to bend the mist molecules around my body to do perfect it! I can't hold it for too long, but I'll try to sabotage these guys!" She crawled toward the Mervs in secret and spat saliva at their turrets. The kids smirked and fired their projectiles, the Mervs unable to shoot their lasers in a straight fashion. The kids destroyed the Fishmen's mechanical crafts and proceeded to the city's front gates.

"Alright, I think this is close enough." Mack said.

"Close enough to what?" Nora asked.

The scientist drew out the trident he crafted. "I'm gonna throw this to Erin. With the right output of metalbending, I can send this flying right to her."

"You mean you can bend Poseidonite now?!"

"Only a little. That's why I think Madeleine should ride and make sure it reaches. Will you deliver this to her?"

"Wait!" Lulu yelped. "That means she'll have to deal with that shark ninja!"

"But he'll get surprised by Madeleine's arrival, giving Erin's mom the chance to step in!"

Madeleine wrote them something, which Massimo translated. It's okay, guys! I can beat him! I know I can!

"You… can? Are you sure?" Lulu asked.

"No, that's unacceptable!" Nora argued. "I'm coming, too. For you AND Erin! Mack, toss me over there afterward!"

"Sure thing! Get on, Madeleine." She tucked her wand in her belt and hugged the trident tight. Mack raised it and aimed directly at Erin, channeling his bending. He reeled back and threw with all the force he could output. The wind rushed through Madeleine as it flew a great distance, but when it began to sink, she angled it up and kept floating with the momentum.

Melody, glancing down and seeing the familiar girl on the trident, smiled. When Kisame became distracted by the incoming girl, Melody focused her own chi over Kisame's water prison and burst it open. The ninja recovered and furiously leapt to strike Erin—Madeleine shot a Disarming Spell to knock Samehada out of his hand. Kisame shot a burst of steam to counter the Ice Spell Madeleine released, lashing a Water Whip that she evaded. Melody quickly sliced Erin's ropes with water and surfed down to catch her in her arms.

"Thanks, Madeleine!"

"Mrs. Horvitz, CATCH ME!" Melody gasped, seeing Nora coming flying after being thrown by Lulu, who first jumped from Mack's gauntlets. Melody provided a river for Nora to swim onto the overlook, joining Madeleine as they shared a smile. "Thanks! Now, leave this chump to us!"

"Alright then. You better be ready to greet Erin when she wakes up!"

Kisame grabbed Samehada and faced both girls. "Samemememe! Just you two, eh? I'd skewer you, but that witch said if the voice's owner died, the voice would disappear. So instead, I'll beat you within an inch of your life, so you won't even have the will to speak!"

"YOU'RE the one who won't be speaking after this!" Nora vowed. (Play "Kokuten" from Naruto!)

Boss fight: Kisame Hoshigake

Kisame lunged at Nora directly, slashing spiked water from Samehada. She dodged, spun, and amassed the water in her own bending before returning it. Kisame blocked it with his own bending, but Nora kept ahold of some water to deal an upper-kick. Madeleine disarmed him, then shot Fire Spells that Kisame would disperse into steam, but Nora bent that steam to burn him. She then whipped Samehada over and grabbed its hilt—"OW!" It grew spikes and poked her hand.

"Samehada knows its true owner!" Kisame grabbed the sword back and slashed Nora, who only suffered a small cut while leaping away. He tried to leap after her, but found his feet glued to the ground by Madeleine's Snail Legs Spell. He growled and summoned sharks, bending a river for them to swim at Madeleine. She swam away and summoned three seahorses with magic, whom would tackle the sharks from the sides. Madeleine tried to order the sharks to turn around and attack Kisame. "And you won't be using them against me, anymore. Samehada swallowed your voice." His sword licked its lips.

"No, but I can do THIS!" Nora flipped Kisame's water around to send the sharks at him, but he redirected them at Madeleine, who conjured a Protego in defense. Nora rolled to Kisame and thrusted her palm: though it didn't reach, she put her karate teachings to use and sent a shockwave through his moisture. She then kicked him off his feet, but Kisame Water Whipped her away mid-fall. Kisame formed two clones, sending one at Nora and one at Madeleine. However, that clone only struck a mirage of Madeleine, leaving the real one to shrink the clone with a spell. Its halved size would make it easy to freeze, then destroy with a Blast Spell. Nora had quickly broken the other clone, but Kisame would send a barrage of Water Sharks at them. Nora dispersed them with simple thrusts, but would be shocked when a real shark became mixed among them. She barely ducked back in time and kicked the shark away.

Kisame had the shark returned to bite her, so Nora bent up wet sand armor, strengthening it to hold back its teeth. She slammed the shark on its spine, but suffered a strike to the back from Samehada. She whipped the sand at his head as she retreated, but some of her chi would flow into Samehada as her armor crumbled. Madeleine treated Nora to a small Healing Spell, then to cast Homing Spells at Kisame in the shape of seacorn horns. Kisame dodged and outmaneuvered them before creating more clones, whom all leapt circles around the girls. They lunged at once, but Nora stomped and thrusted both arms outward, emitting a shockwave of chi that blew the clones away. In fact, the real Kisame wasn't among them—the real one would shoot down from above. They dodged apart as Madeleine shot a Sinkhole Spell at the spot where he landed, trapping Kisame for a moment. Madeleine would blast him with fire while Nora dished Water Kicks.

Kisame ripped free and disappeared in a puff of steam. Nora and Madeleine were back-to-back as they searched for him. To their terror, a great tidal wave washed up from the distance. "Water Style: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!" The wave was composed of watery sharks, but were bound to bite with the ferocity of real ones. Madeleine summoned the whole of her seahorse army, and Nora would add icy unicorn horns to them as Madeleine cast magic to stabilize them. The seahorses spun to DRILL through the shark storm, Nora applying her own bending to help. They survived the Thousand Sharks with little injury, but the entire zone was flooded. "I didn't expect to have to use this!" Kisame stabbed Samehada into himself. His cloak ripped off along with his hair as he grew wider muscles, a fin on his head, a tail, and large fins on the back of his arms. "But you kids made me very hungry!"

Kisame engaged Nora in direct combat, both of them fast and strong, but Kisame would absorb some of Nora's chi every impact. Seeing this, Madeleine summoned her seacorn Francette, who would zoom around and stab Kisame from other angles. Kisame kicked the creature away, but Nora gained distance and struck Kisame with ranged Current Kicks. However, her faltered chi caused her air bubble to weaken, so Madeleine swam to replenish it with her magic. Kisame summoned more real sharks, swarming Nora as well as Francette. Madeleine swam beside the seacorn and used Protego to block their bites, but would watch in horror as her other seahorses would fight the sharks to death. Nora KO'ed as many as she could, but struggled to counter Kisame's bending while fleeing the Fishman.

STOP! GO AWAY, SHARKS! Madeleine screamed and hoped her real voice would reach them, but no sound escaped. Her voice was trapped inside Kisame's sword, which was now inside Kisame. If only she could order Samehada like those sharks. SAMEHADA, get out of him!

Kisame lunged to bite Nora, "Hnn?!" but felt a throbbing in his gut as he was forced to stop. "What the… Samehada, what's wrong with you?!"

Madeleine gasped! It was working! She kept yelling for Samehada to leave him, though Nora was left baffled by the event. Regardless, she smirked. "Stomach trouble? Let me help you!" She swam underneath and used a secret technique Sandy taught her: "A Thousand Years of DEATH!" She thrusted her fingers up, forcing her chi through Kisame and causing him to vomit. Samehada swam out of him and circled Madeleine, nuzzling her.

"What?!" Kisame gasped. "Are you responding to that girl's voice?!"

Nora tackled, wrapped her legs around his waist, and arms around his head. "Shoulda thought twice before feeding it to him!" Kisame forced her off with currentbending, then mustered Water Sharks to send at her. Francette swam to Nora, so when Madeleine thought 'Protego,' the seacorn projected a barrier to protect her.

Oh! She works like a Familiar! …Hey, Samehada, return Nora's chi!

The sharkskin sword nodded and spewed the chi, Nora beaming and feeling revitalized. "ENOUGH!" Kisame yanked the sword back and bashed Madeleine away. "You want your voice back, take it!" He reached into Samehada, grabbed, and threw it out. "It's more trouble than it's worth!" Nora charged and kicked him in the gut, generating a shockwave, then fled before Kisame could slice her. The Fishman inserted Samehada again and morphed into his muscular form. Kisame Water Sliced her stomach, she shot a spinning Water Kick at his jaw, he sent Water Sharks to bite her left leg and right arm, but Nora forced them off and spat a Bubble Beam at his eyes.

Nora swam around at high speed as she made the motions of a dolphin, molding her own dolphin-shaped current armor. Madeleine surfed beside her on Francette, applying a Strength Enhance to the seacorn. Both rammed Kisame head-on, his and Nora's waterbending at odds, while Madeleine fiercely blasted Fire Spells at the shark. Their bodies shifted to where Kisame was facing the ground: the girls quickly moved aside and tricked Kisame into shooting down. Nora and Madeleine swam in circles, channeling bending and magic to make a great cyclone. The cyclone drilled down onto Kisame and forced him all the way against the ground. The cyclone spanned to the top of the suspended water zone and stretched until the whole mass collapsed. (End song.)

Madeleine saw her dropped voice necklace. She crawled and shot a spell to break it. Her voice sang as it softly flowed into her throat. Nora was in awe. "…Nora!"

She gasped. "Madeleine! YOU CAN TALK!"

"I can, I can!" The mermaid was squeezed in Nora's hug. "Ack! B-But you're ruining my voice again!"

"Sorry! I'm just so happy!"

"Not bad, you two!" Melody rose to the overlook on a waterspout, bringing the others with her. "I was worried I'd have to step in, but you wiped the deck with him!"

"Is Erin okay?"

"Just fine." Melody carried and lay her daughter in Nora's arms. "I healed her wounds the best I could, despite how long she's had them. But she should be good to fight now."

"Mmmm…uuuu…" Erin stirred awake. Nora's heartfelt smile was the first to greet her vision. "Nora… is that really you?"

"It's me, Erin. We're all okay."

"Hi, Erin!"

"Who said… M-Madeleine? You talked!"

"Yep! I finally found my voice!"

"And she wasn't quite the only one." Melody smiled.

"Mom! W-What're you doing here?"

"Jinbe called, so I hurried to join the KND's invasion. I'm just glad they didn't do any more to hurt you… I should've been here earlier."

"Well, the KND is about independence… That's what you said, right?"

"You could've been killed, Erin! I was confident you guys would be fine on your own, and you always have been, but…but hearing your own daughter getting captured, wondering if she's still alive… you really need to pick your battles better! You kids should know when it's better to retreat!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

"But I…I'm so proud of you, Erin." Melody hugged her. "For everything you are. I'm sorry we pressured you into this mission…"

"It's fine, Mom." Erin smiled and returned a lighter hug. "I…I learned a lot of things I never knew I had. Things I could never get from training. I actually feel… special."

"You always have been… but I kept teaching you the wrong way. I'm glad you finally realized…"

"Hmm…" Mack smiled, but looked down. If only his mom felt this way…

"Ahem…Erin's Mom?" Lulu spoke. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but…"

"Hmhm! It's nice to meet you, Lulu." Melody patted her hair. "I'm glad you and Erin could meet. Thanks for being her friend."

"Ribbit!"

"Yeah yeah, good stuff," Massimo said, "but don't we got a big bad to stop? Where is Signore Shark, anyway?"

"He and Jinbe fought their way further up town." Melody pointed up a ravaged road. "In fact, I think Jinbe was trying to lead him to the palace grounds. Since the palace isn't here, it's just a big empty spot of land. He must've led Hody that way to minimize the property damage. Speaking of which, I think I'm going to look for injured civilians. Can you kids handle the rest?"

"Yeah." Erin nodded. "We aren't losing to Hody again!"

"Erin! Don't forget this!" Madeleine handed Erin her trident.

"Wow!" She swung it around. "It's pretty light!"

"Yep!" Mack smiled. "These bubbles stick out the side to help you bend it around the air. You can blow bubbles from the prongs or press this button to turn them into a minigun like the B.U.B.B.L.E.R.. Hope you like it!"

"It feels great already! Let's go!" (Play "Chum Bucket Lab" from SpongeBob Rehydrated!)

Their venture would begin with enhanced Shuris ambushing them up the first street, faster than ever thanks to Gnosis. Erin blew star-shaped bubbles to intercept the starfish and Soothe their maddened states. The next chunk of road was leveled into a pit, so Erin molded a big surfboard for all her friends. Bass Bandits sniped faster arrows from platforms, but her teammates shot three antidotes to pacify them, allowing Nora to Water Kick them off with no resistance. As the sides of the chasm ascended like a trench, Lulu tongued grapple spots to pull their ride higher and soar over spikes. They landed on a safe ledge just before a tunnel of suspended water.

The six went for a swim and entered a huge, deep chamber with a spinning current. Three high-speed barracuda Fishmen zipped around, so while the others fought back, Lulu would have to shoot her tongue and pull three plug-switches around the room, which would open the drain at the bottom. Fighting the barracudas didn't become as tricky when Erin mixed her strengthened Sabaody Bubbles into the room's current, so they would hit the Fishmen unsuspectingly. After the drain opened, the team flushed down. They flowed along a current through a wider tunnel with eels coming up the other side. Nora helped carry Erin around as she sprayed bubbles all around, becoming a horizontal hailstorm as they burst against the eels.

They ascend through a vertical tunnel and resurface. The next ravaged street was full of Bullworm Spinners, but in their drugged states, they would spin up tornadoes. Massimo's Conch Twister was needed to wrap around and crush the pirates, halting their spinning as Mack shot his Mech Gloves to K.O. them. The kids would have to go up a stairway where two cannons shot giant rolling pufferfish. Though instead of running up there and dodging them, Nora found it easier to grab the bullworms and spin them along with their owners. She would hurdle the pirates up to destroy the cannons, making for a safe run up.

They reached the base of a tall, half-rounded cliff with giant fans situated at three levels. Erin made Bubble Steps to the first fan, but after they walked up, they quickly transitioned onto a Bubble Board that would blow in the fan. When they closed in on the wall, Erin made more Bubble Steps to the next fan and repeated the process. The kids began to surf down a wide, smooth, slippery slide! Nora bent the water up from it to take down the pirates mounted on it and they would shoot four antidotes at some incoming Weever Racers.

"Hey, this is going rib-bight for the palace grounds!" Lulu pointed.

"And there's Hody and Jinbe." Erin said. "Just hang in there, Jinbe! We're coming!"

"Uh…amicos?" Massimo spoke. "Unidentified flying object off the hindquarters!"

It took a second to realize Massimo was referring to behind them: indeed, something with a giant beak was flying at them from all the way across town. "HUH?!" Mack gasped. "It's the S-S-S-S-S-S-SUBMERGING SNAGRET!"

"That thing from the trench?!" Nora exclaimed. "What's it doing here?!"

The Snagret's head whooshed over them and crashed along the ground at the end of the slide. The beast's dead beak was pushed open as a certain green Fishman in battered cowboy gear climbed out. "D…DENNIS?!?" the boys panicked.

"Did ya miss me?!" Dennis smirked, his mad, vengeful eyes exposed behind his broken sunglasses. He grabbed shurikens and tossed them at the six, the waterbenders bending up a barrier from the slide's water. However, Dennis would lunge in ambush and stamp his spiked boots at Erin just as they landed off the slide. Nora tackled him just as the spikes barely punctured Erin's face, but he would wrestle back and sock her in the jaw. Massimo wrapped him with his Conch Twister and bashed Dennis against the ground, but the hunter would shake free of the constraint. "You didn't think getting eaten by that thing would be enough to finish me, did you? He made a nice ride though!"

"And you'll make a nice warmup before the big guy!" Mack retorted.

"Holdup, Macaroni." Massimo said. "Leave Signore Snagret to me. The rest of you shouldn't waste your strength. Especially not Nora and Madeleine."

"Hey, if anything I should stay to fight!" Mack said. "You're the Fishman, and who knows if Hody will pull another underwater trick!"

"Look, Mack, even I think you could beat me underwater with your gear! But I can at least take THIS GUY!" He shot his spear at a dodging Dennis, but rebounded its trajectory into Dennis' back. He then reeled himself into the hunter with a kick to the head, to which Dennis then grabbed his ankle and tried to twist it. Fortunately, Massimo's tail was hanging out with his rear still wet from the slide, using it to whip Dennis off his leg and slip away.

"Fine, but you better win! You're the first guy to admit I was tougher than! So, I wanna prove it myself later!"

"So bromantic!" Nora cooed.

"Hey, Massimo!" Erin called. "After this is over… do you wanna join our sector for real?"

"Do ya like me that much, Princess?!" Massimo swiftly dodged Dennis' multi-directional shuriken before shooting his spear out and swinging it at Dennis' head like a whip.

"I always felt like our sector was too small. You and Lulu have been really great friends, so I hope you join for good!"

"Me, too?!" Lulu lit up.

"Yeah! If… you're okay with that."

"I'll ask Mom if I can as soon as I can! Ribbit!" She bounced like the lively frog she is!

"I guess you're gonna be seeing me a lot more, Macaroni!" Massimo beamed, charging at Dennis, stabbing his spear in the ground, and bending the hilt in Dennis' direction as he reverse-launched himself into the hunter with a pelvis kick. "You ain't gonna make me wear shoes, are you?" Dennis hacked out in pain before punching Massimo in the gut, the Fishboy reeling himself back.

"Heheh…I'll try to get used to it." Mack complied, internally thankful that he agreed to the proposal.

With bold expressions, the team hurried around the Snagret's head and faced the open plain where the palace would stand. For most kids, it was common sense not to approach two sharks in the middle of the ocean, but that's what they had to do. They would join back with the heroic whale-shark that guided them on this quest and bring an end to the bloodthirsty white shark that was the source of Oceana's misery.

…

Madame Shyarly didn't just want to witness it all through her crystal ball. The fortuneteller swam to the capital directly. Melody had gathered the citizens as she, the Sea Knights, and remaining Oceanic operatives protected them from any pirate stragglers. "Our kingdom wasn't ruined by humans. It was ruined by Fishmen. Ruined by our own kind." Shimmy aggressively gnawing Hammond on the ground, the conger crying 'uncle!' "These brave human children have come to rid us of our sorrows, as they would for all suffering children." Perry nimbly dodged Hyouzou's swords and jump-flipped his way around the tentacles, tricking the octopus into tangling himself up before dishing another round of cuts. "Don't let the pirates' outdated ideals haunt you, young mermen… Instead, look to these youths for guidance." Dennis repeatedly stomped his spikes at Massimo, his spear in a defensive position. "…Except maybe that one." Shyarly looked to Max Murphy. "I don't know what he's doing."

Max engaged Ikaros to a sled race, riding a frozen Albert Einstein and Tesla respectively. "OOF!" But Max crashed and dropped his pearl necklace. "No! Zoidberg's necklace!" He ran back to reclaim it, but the necklace was eaten by Spike from Rugrats. "AAAAH! You stupid dog!"

"Looks like your plan backfired this time!" Ikaros smirked.

"Leave it to me, Friend Max!" Zoidberg turned Spike over and checked him with a stethoscope. "I'll find where it's gone! Hmmm, let's see… Ah, here it is!" The stethoscope focused on a part of Spike's body shaped just like Ikaros.

"BUT THAT'S ME!!"

"It appears my vomit bead necklace has been lodged inside your Squidward."

"MY WHAT?!"

"Your Squidward. It's an integral organ all squids carry. And I'm afraid we'll have to retrieve it directly."

"GERONIMOOOOO!" Max shrank as he dove down Ikaros' gullet.

"Gwaaaah! What's he gonna do in there?!"

"The only thing we can do to a Squidward. Torture it as inhumanely as possible."

"DWAAAAAAAAHHH!" Ikaros was in agony as Max reduced his Squidward into a coma and fried it with jellyfish.

"Ahem…that's distracting." Shyarly shook. "I don't even know how those two met. Let's just focus on the real fight."

Sector L faced Hody by Jinbe's side. The sharks were panting tired from their lengthy bout, but kept side-stepping to maintain stamina. "Jaaaaa!" Hody swallowed three Sea Fairy Gnosis, his body glowing as his injuries healed. "You weren't hoping Jinbe would already have me done in, were you? No matter how much of this I must consume, I'll never kneel to you pumans!"

"No one is asking you to kneel." Erin said. "So you don't need to destroy your body anymore. Do you really think it's good to keep eating those?"

"Gnosis is the cure to the poison you cursed us with! The poison of laziness and submissiveness… it was all done by you and your god!"

"It's fruitless, Erin." Jinbe said. "There is nothing more to say to this man. He's a beast, pure and simple. A beast that must be soothed and put to rest."

"We will." Erin clutched her trident more firmly. "You can drug yourself all you want… but you're only making things worse."

"Yeah, didn't you pay attention to those drug sessions in school?!" Nora asked.

"I'm starting to think this whole quest has been a 'Don't do drugs' commercial." Mack remarked.

"Jinbe, want me to use Healing Magic on you, too?" Madeleine asked.

"Madeleine! You can speak! Ahem, but I'll be fine. Just give me a minute to recharge. But let me tell you another weakness shark Fishmen have: if our bodies stop moving after a lot of strenuous activity, we'll suffer muscle withdrawal and start aching terribly."

"Oh, kind of like with real sharks!" Mack said. "No wonder you guys are doing that."

"And what weakness is that compared to how many you pumans have?!" Hody twirled his Bloodbath Trident. "When I can tear through your flesh like tissue paper! Today, I'll grant Davy Jones' desire and condemn the princesses to the Locker!" (Play "Final Boss Theme" from SpongeBob Movie!)

Final boss: Hody Jones

Hody thrusted his trident and dealt the Bloodbath Twist at Erin- "I don't think so!" Nora jumped in the way and whipped her arms against the spiral, negating the technique. "Don't think we didn't train for your little trick!" She then kicked the trident upward before thrusting a Water Kick at his gut. Nora would leap away as Erin fired a Bubble Beam at Hody's legs. She would kick off Bubble Steps to evade the swipes of his trident, all the while keeping fire on him. Once his legs were good and sudsy, the shark slipped on his rear. Madeleine Snailified his feet while Nora and Mack pinned his hands down with their Water and Mech Gloves. Lulu wrapped Erin with her tongue, the latter holding her Sponge Gloves out as Lulu rapidly slammed her against Hody's belly. They withdrew when the shark wrestled himself free.

Hody crouched on all fours and focused on Mack, snarling as he charged the boy, so Mack threw the Shockbowl at his jaws quick as possible. The attack briefly stunned Hody as Lulu then Ground Pounded his spine and Erin threw a Sponge Bomb to bind him in yellow, square-shaped foam. Hody was forced to stop moving in the trap, causing his muscles to tense up in aching pain. Mack and Nora combo'ed him with their fists until Hody was able to muster his willpower and burst the foam off him. Hody fought the pain in his muscles to stab himself with his trident, pumping some blood inside to reinvigorate himself. Hody twirled and threw the trident, zooming around the kids wildly as Erin made foam shields for them, protecting them from cuts.

Hody reclaimed the trident and leapt to stab at Nora, who kicked both feet up between its prongs and blasted him back with a shockwave. Hody rolled onto his knees and punched the ground repeatedly, generating his own shockwaves across the wet ground. Madeleine, afloat and immune to the waves, flew to cast the Quicksand Spell and trap Hody partway in the ground. Mack threw a Shock Bowl to stun him further, then Lulu repeatedly whacked Erin on the back of Hody's head. The shark stabbed and filled himself with more blood as he ripped out of the ground and tried to grab Madeleine, who used Protego, but he would simply shove the bubble in his teeth—Nora punched the back of his head and made him spit Madeleine out.

Erin held her trident in front and blew a giant fist, boat, and harpoon at the shark, combined with Mack's Mech Gloves to knock him back. An aggravated Hody jumped away from the brats and wolfed another handful of Gnosis. He then began to whirl his trident and build chi. The kids shot him with three antidotes, but they barely quelled the amount he consumed. They braced for Hody's throw, but to their surprise, Hody hurdled his trident out to the town's outskirts. The trident ripped through several fallen Fishman grunts, including Kasagoba, Harisenbon, Nuru, Pickles, and Sebastian. The trident filled up with their blood, returning to Hody as he slammed it to the ground and splashed a tidal shockwave. "FIEND!" Jinbe cursed. "You slaughtered your own men!"

"They're a disgrace to the Fishman Empire! Failing to kill those pumans. The others will soon follow, but I'll save room for you all, too!" Hody stirred the water particles around his trident and chucked them at random spots on the ground, sending more tidal shockwaves that the waterbenders could split through while Lulu and Madeleine leapt over. Hody repeatedly twisted his trident at Nora, who reactively reversed the Bloodbath Twist each time, but when he suddenly jumped her directly for a stab, Erin molded some bubbles in the way to nullify the stab and simply push Nora several meters. Hody gnashed the air and shot fanged shockwaves while spinning his trident for another multidirectional throw. But what he didn't realize was Lulu had camouflaged and latched the trident with her tongue, relying on Hody's spinning to give her momentum before KICKING the back of his head! The force mixed with her Froggy Karate knocked the shark dizzy, leaving Mack to trip his legs and Erin to explode a King Jellyfish Bath Bomb. The shark was trapped, aching from muscle withdrawal, so Lulu and Erin dealt him another combo.

Hody stabbed the trident into his mouth, drank the blood, and replenished enough to pop the foam off. He spun around rapidly and wildly, twisting up all the moisture around him. He then suddenly stabbed the ground and shot a sudden storm of Water Slices, and despite the kids' best attempt to defend their selves, Nora and Madeleine were knocked out by the attack. "NORA! MADELEINE!" Erin knelt over them.

"Try to stop me NOW!" Hody attempted the Bloodbath Twist, but Jinbe blocked it with his palm and replicated Nora's Reverse Twist.

"If you insist! I'm just about rested up!"

"They don't seem that hurt!" Erin said, treating the light cuts both girls had.

"It's 'cause they had to fight that other shark earlier!" Mack replied. "I'm surprised they even held on this long."

"Jahahahaha!" Hody jumped away. "No pumans lasts long under the sea! That's why it's time for a change DEPTH!" Hody unleashed a greater output of chi and stirred a cyclone around the palace grounds. The water uplifted them all the way to the top of the Bubble Dome and pushed them into the sea.

"CRUD!" Mack quickly changed into his helmet.

"OH, NO!" Erin panicked as Nora and Madeleine were blown several yards away from her.

"TIME TO EAT!" Hody shot forth with jaws open.

Massimo shot his Conch Twister to wrap the girls and pull them down. Hody glared down at the Morphish. "You need a better diet!"

"About time you joined!" Mack yelled.

"Yeah, well we got caught in the twister—TOO!" Massimo was kicked by a hatless Dennis.

"Don't think it was gonna end that easy!" Dennis aimed his spiked boots and spun toward Massimo, but he was shoved away by another merman.

"Neither will your victory!" Fukaboshi yelled.

"BOSS!" Massimo beamed.

"Hi, guys!" Mindy arrived as well, grabbing Nora and Madeleine. "We were watching the battle and swam up 'soon as this happened. I'll take these two to safety!"

"You have our thanks!" Jinbe grinned.

"Prince—I mean, Erin!" Fukaboshi spun his golden trident rapidly. "Will you accept my aid?!"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Then prepare yourself, Hody! THE SPEAR OF AGES!" With chi amassed around his trident, he SLASHED Hody's stomach. The shark flew back, rasping as he swallowed more Gnosis.

"You know what, that's what I need, too!" Massimo smirked as he rapidly spun his Conch Twister in place.

"And I need to quit messing around!" Dennis extracted his boot spikes and shot for Massimo again. "SEE YOU LATER, FOOL!"

"SPEAR OF SILENZIO!" Massimo shot the conch straight into the hunter's soles. The spinning spread a drill-shaped current that sent Dennis spiraling downward.

"WAAAAAAH…huh?" Dennis slowed down… only to realize he had splashed back through the Bubble Dome, plummeting to the city. "WAAAAAAAAAHHH…"

"Surrender, Hody!" Fukaboshi demanded. "You have nothing left!"

"We Fishmen were bred from Davy Jones' curse! We exist to drown humanity and punish the merpeople! I am Davy Jones' will! The power of the sea will be MINE!" He grabbed something from his pocket.

"The Squid Talisman?!" Jinbe gasped.

"Jaaaaa!" Hody shoved the Talisman down his throat and swallowed. "That makes two!" His body grew muscular, white hair became wavy, and his red eyes shimmered. "The Talismans contain small portions of the Sea Crown's chi. That which balances the sea and waterbenders is inside ME!" He slashed deadly Water Slices from his trident that Fukaboshi countered, but his Spear of Ages was knocked out of hand as he suffered cuts. Jinbe swam to exchange Brick Fists with Hody, first 100, 400, 700, 1,000 Tile Fists. Unfortunately, Hody managed to strike Jinbe's jaw in an uppercut, followed by a slash that tore off Jinbe's left arm.

"NO!" Erin screamed. She couldn't let the anger get to her… For now, she had to get tickly. She mustered up that tingly feeling in her gut and made the bubbles spin around her. She popped her Chi Gate and attained her bubbly tailfin, crown, and trident that molded over her physical one. Seeing the state of Jinbe's severed arm, there was no way to reattach all the pieces in time. The least she could do was heal the injury of the part still attached.

When Hody tried to follow up by stabbing Jinbe's gut, he found his trident entrapped by Massimo's spear and Lulu's tongue. Fukaboshi grabbed and pulled Jinbe to safety while Mack threw his gauntlets in a spinning punch to Hody's crotch. "BOO-YEAH! Right in your two wieners!"

"His two WHAT?!" Massimo gawked in disgust.

"Didn't you know great white sharks had two wieners?"

"I DIDN'T NEED TO!" Lulu wanted to hurl.

A furious Hody tried to bite off the tongue and spear, so the kids quickly retracted them. When he dove to bite them directly, he wound up with a mouth full of foam. Hody gagged on Erin's bubbles, hoping to make him vomit. Hody spat with intense force and blew the bubbles out, pursuing Erin and slashing violently, but her bubbly tail flowed with the generated currents and helped her evade. In doing so, she whirled a brain, frog, dolphin, and conch into creation and had them burst against the shark. She then blew a stream of bubbles that circled Hody, channeling Soothing to shrink his aura. Fukaboshi grabbed him around the arms to keep him from escaping while Jinbe struck him in the back.

"No wonder your chi is so adept with the water, consuming two Talismans. But your unbalanced heart brings shame to the ocean!"

"I thought you had nothing more to say to me!" Hody spun and blew them and the bubbles off with a cyclone. The shark made space from his opponents and whistled, summoning a shark that carried a blade in its teeth. Hody took the blade and attached it to his dorsal fin. "I named this blade Kirisame after my comrade!" He spun like a ball and zoomed around the area with slashing waves. When he came for Mack, the genius threw his Shockbowl directly at his Kirisame, the blade helping transmit the electricity to halt Hody's spinning. Erin threw a fluffy white Bath Bomb that exploded into a bright, beard-like shape. The beard resembled Triton, a legendary Sea Knight from 5,000 years ago. With Hody bound in the beard, Erin continued Soothing him, but could only manage seven seconds before Hody escaped again.

Fukaboshi already had an attack charged for when Hody did: "ULTRAMARINE!" He whirled his hands and "molded" the water before unleashing a powerful, torrential beam. Hody thrusted his trident against the beam to split it, until a camouflaged Lulu yanked it down with her tongue, forcing Hody to tank it face-first. Massimo would then ride inside the beam, using its momentum to spin and drill his Spear of Silenzio into Hody's nose. As he winced and reeled back, Hody smacked the Fishboy and KO'ed him, already tired from his Dennis battle. Before he could finish Massimo, Jinbe swam above and tossed Mack down, "chopping" the Kirisame and using metalbending to twist it, grinding Hody's dorsal as he cried out painfully. Hody slashed water at Mack, destroying his helmet, but Erin readily blew a big bubble to give Mack air.

Erin blew a bubble stream that quickly had him enveloped in foam, Soothing him further and shrinking his aura. Hody fought free of the foam, but desperate to revitalize, he reached for more Gnosis… and found nothing. "All out of your pills, Hody?" Fukaboshi smirked. "Well, you're doubtful to find more. We've found your other three factories and had them destroyed."

The factory in the Marianna was destroyed by Sea Knight Aquarileri, a tall Fishwoman with dark skin, blue attire, and glowing light-blue ponytailed hair that matched her trident. She did battle with Attuma, a Fishman warlord from Superbia's ocean. The one in Bikini Bottom's Industrial Park was destroyed by the GKND operatives Firaga, Tiffi, and Marty. The one in the Red Sea was destroyed by Sectors GF and NW.

"And we've rescued the operatives and civilians you had enslaved in them. It's over!"

"It's not over until this world DROWNS!" Hody spun his trident and hurdled it into the dome, aimed at the civilians.

But before it could even pierce one of them, Melody seized it by the blood already inside it with her bending. "I think that's enough of that."

Jinbe seized Hody's neck in his right arm while Fukaboshi got the legs. Lulu wrapped Erin, who donned her Sponge Gloves for even more powerful bursts as Lulu whammed Erin against him. Hody pulsed the mermen off him, dealt a karate chop to K.O. Fukaboshi, followed by a kick to K.O. Lulu. Erin bubbled her for breath, but when Hody swam to eat her, Erin stopped him directly with a storm of bubbles. Hody viciously tore through the bubbles, hungering for her flesh, but in the process gagged on the bubbles that made it down his throat. Erin tried to Soothe him inside and out, his aura flickering both from her effort and his fatigue. She could almost see Hody nodding off and merely relying on instinct.

Perry was able to chop each of Hyouzou's swords in half, the octopus sobering up as he could only crawl toward his opponent. Kawamatsu then demonstrated a maneuver for Perry to try, so he did: "River of Retribution!" Perry charged at Hyouzou while spinning a whirlwind from his sword, finishing the blue-ringed octopus at last. Christina destroyed Dosun's hammer with self-conjured emerald flaming horns, burning the hammerhead in the process. Zeo created a "zone" by wildly swinging his chain around his space, making it impossible for Silica to get through. However, Silica merely expanded a Shadow Shockwave, inching closer to Zeo's zone to get the radius through. It barely reached him just before Silica herself touched the zone, allowing Inky to zip through and gnash the wobbegong to unconsciousness. Ikaros' Squidward surgery ended in tragedy as Max and Zoidberg were forced to remove it and throw it in the molten ooze of Chocolate Mountain.

"The Fishman Pirates aren't looking good, ladies and gentlefish! This match is just about over!" announced the Realistic Fish Head.

"Where did you come from?!" Shyarly asked.

"I forgot to throw my laundry in the dryer!"

With that, Erin sucked the bubble off her trident and blew directly through its hilt. She puffed an enormous bubble out of the prongs, enveloping Hody. He was about to rip through, but found the bubble growing bigger as his weight squished down the bottom. Void of rationality, Hody tried to climb the side of the bubble, determined to reach Erin. His fingers gripped the rubbery side tight to assist his climb, but Erin would expand those sides to become more horizontal and ceiling-like. Hody's toes lost their grip as he dangled from the ceiling. He pulled it down with his fingers to bite the bubble, pouring the water inside: alas, this was his downfall. The water poured and pushed him down… but the bubble had already connected to the Bubble Dome.

Hody plummeted straight past the dome's barrier. He had no supports and nothing to float with on his descent to the city. "JAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa…" The colossal shockwave restored hope to the citizens. (End song.)

Hody's crater would be the symbol of his shame and failure. A Fishman Pirate flag that was hung close to it would flutter down and drape over his unconscious, gawking head. His aura faded and his muscles rescinded. The people of Oceana looked up at their victor: a mermaid with a bright white, neonish tail and a dorky face with big, askew glasses and buckteeth. The girl Hody claimed was their princess, who was Melody's daughter. Melody gazed at her in deep admiration. "Hahaha…" Erin blushed at the attention she was getting. "See? I told you they weren't a big deal!"

"BREAKING NEWS, FOLKS!" announced Realistic Fish Head. "Today, Oceana has seen its biggest battle in decades! The Fishman Pirates, who terrorized our kingdom for months and attained a monopoly on Oceana's criminal underworld… have been vanquished by this army of human children and Sea Knights alike! And this man we believe to be the captain has fallen before this child alleged to be the Sea Princess! Tell us, young one! Were the pirate's words true? Are you the descendant of King Kyogre, the princess?!"

"No." Erin said. "I'm no princess. I'm just…uh-oh." Her Fury dispelled and her bubbles popped. "AAAAAAHH!"

The citizens flinched. She crashed into a sea tree… hanging upside-down with her pants nearly pulled off and glasses vertical. "Dwoopsie…"

"You heard it for yourself folks: let this heroine's words be remembered for all time: DWOOPSIIIIIIIEEEEE!"

…

The Sea Knights and OKND operatives rounded up all the pirates and contained them in prison carriages. They would all be checked for how much of the Gnosis they consumed; some like Capote, Porche, or the Groggy Monsters didn't consume any and claimed they were afraid to, so they were given lighter sentences. This was also in respect to the comrades they lost to Hody. Erin's friends woke up after an hour as they hurried to the town square to reunite with their princess.

"ERIIIIIIN!" She couldn't be happier to receive Nora's hug. "I can't believe I missed the big finale! Why didn't any of you wake me up?!"

"It's okay." Madeleine smiled. "I'm just glad we won!"

"You were all spectacular." Mindy said, ruffling the young mage's hair. "I wish I could've done more to help…"

"You taught me magic, Mindy! You helped me the most!"

"Awe…"

"Hyeah, we sure did a lot more than Sector V this time!" Mack remarked.

"Oh, you must feel SO proud of yourself!" Christina ran up and raised the boy by his collar. "Just 'cause ya got a few measly hits in on the boss. Why don't we show Oceana who the other princess is?"

"Always thought you were more of a prince. DWAAAAH!" This earned Mack a grand kick across town.

"Hey, Sector L really worked hard this week." Perry smiled. "I say we dangerously throw them in the air to celebrate!"

"Oi, no one ever dangerously threw US in the air when we beat the pirates and demons!" Jason shouted.

"That's 'cause we're not nerds!" Christina grabbed Erin and THREW! "Except Laruta!"

"WHOOOOOA!" Erin cried.

"WOOOOOO!" Nora was thrown up by Jason.

"Wheeeeee!" Mali scooped up Madeleine and flung her like a catapult.

"SILENZIO!" Massimo was blown up by Ralph's Joaquin.

"Ribbiiiiit!" Lulu sprung off Trella.

"And ZOIDBERG!" Zoidberg jumped on Silica and squished her. "He kept everyone's smiles up!"

"I WAS BOOTING MY GAME UP!" Silica tore him up.

"YAAAAAAAAHHH!" Mermen and Fishmen alike were ecstatic. "ERIN! ERIN! ERIN!"

"WOOHOOOOO!" Sector H came skating to the plaza. "You showed that shark who's da SHARK, Sector L!" Otto cheered.

"Where'd you guys come from?" Joto asked.

"I'll tell you where!" Nora pointed. "They abandoned us when Erin needed us most!"

"W-We're sorry!" Squid stuttered. "We weren't a match for that monster! You guys had the waterbenders!"

"Yeah, screw you!" Mack came back. "We could've been killed!"

"And where'd you come from?" Chris remarked.

"It's okay." Erin said. "I was scared, too. But we're still alive and the fight's over. Just promise you'll train more, okay?"

"It's a promise, dudette!" Twister thumbed up. "But seriously, you sent that dude crashin'!" He twisted his knuckles into Erin's hair. "Reggie's gonna have ta hand that crown over to you!"

"My Princess Waikikamukau crown?! No way!"

"So, what now?" Lulu asked. "We got these Talismans from Hody's… gut." She cringed, holding the Blue Squid and Brown Shark.

"And Master San let us have her Orange Turtle!" Nora presented. "That means we're just missing the one from Bikini Bottom."

"We have to put SpongeBob's treasures inside secret compartments in his house." Erin explained.

"How do you know that?"

"SpongeBob told me… in my dream."

"Wow, you really did get waterlogged." Mack said.

"I don't think so." Melody smiled. "SpongeBob might've helped a little more than we think. Right, Erin?"

"Hehe! I guess we'll just swing by SpongeBob's house real quick. Heh…we're gonna meet the Sea King. Isn't that crazy, guys?"

"Well, don't keep us in suspense!" Reggie perked up. "Get going!"

Prison Tower

Arlong sat quietly in his cell. He heard the hallway door open and close. The seahorse warden arrived with two visitors: Hatchan, his left arms bandaged with crutches, and Madame Shyarly. "Hello… Brother." The fortuneteller greeted.

"Shyarly… Surprised to see you out of your hideout."

"It was hard to go anywhere without being judged by my radical brother. But I'm not afraid, anymore. Not of you… or foreboding prophecies. In fact, I decided I'm retiring as a fortuneteller. It's much better to see the future as it unfolds."

"What about you, Arlong?" Hatchan asked. "What will you do when you get released from here?"

"Hmm…I don't know. If I go back out there… I'll be forced to like humans. I'll be surrounded by Fishmen who want to be friends with them. I don't care what becomes of them, anymore… I'm done hunting humans. But I…I will never like them."

"Then live and let live. You don't have to like them… but we shouldn't hurt them. But I hope we can be friends again after you're out of there. I brought some takoyaki." Hatchan presented a plate of five. "I'll send more later… if you want."

"Sha…that would be nice…" Arlong took the plate and ate.

Krusty Krab

The original restaurant has barely seen any changes since its inception. Creaky floorboards, nails sticking out, cracks in the window… this was the true, authentic, expensive experience. "Here you are, Mr. Apocalypse!" An old sponge placed a patty on the helms-shaped table. "One Krabby Patty Original, with extra pickles!"

President Otto chewed the sandwich delightedly. "Fresh from the source… you're a natural, Mr. SquarePants."

"As fresh as the day we met him!" Mr. Krabs sung. "And cheaper by the decade!"

"I heard the chaos in the capital is calming down." Otto said. "Do you think we'll see the palace soon?"

"I sure hope! The branch in the capital's had drop in profits by 99.99%! King Manaphy was our entire income!"

"Nyeh, say Mr. Krabs, maybe I can go to the capital and serve the king personally." SpongeBob proposed. "He's gonna be hungry after being cooped up all that time."

"That's a marvelous idea, lad! Go there and make us a profit 99.99% profit and the other 0.01% is all yers! Us managers need a moment alone in the conference room, anyway."

"Oh, goodie! That'll be just enough to buy a new jellyfish net string!"

…

The door to SpongeBob's house was left open for Sector L to enter. They inserted the spatula in a slot above SpongeBob's grill. They placed the jellyfish net behind the stereos. The karate gloves went under his bed. The bubble soap went on a switch above his bathroom sink. The clamshell went above his stairs. Mermaid Man's belt went in the library, within his bookshelf of comics. His Goofy Goober Guitar went in the pedestal of his Goober statue. They felt rumbling and believed the Talisman would reveal itself in a dramatic fashion. …The pineapple leaves on the roof simply opened, revealing the Green Fish Talisman in its nest.

Oceana

The seven gems gravitated around the palace grounds. With a blinding glow, their light rose to the surface and became a colorful spire. The moon shone a splendid blue, puncturing the ocean depths and granting form to the Sea Temple, Samiya. The holy sanctuary that was the Sea King's home… to gaze upon its marble marvel was truly a blessing for the heroic youths.

Jinbe, Aquarileri, Aladine, Namur, and other knights faced the KND before the palace stairs. "King Manaphy awaits, Lady Erin." Aquarileri smiled. "Will… all of you be accompanying her?"

"As a matter of fact," Perry began, "we will not."

"WHAT?!?" his operatives burst.

"Eh heh…I mean, Sector L's the one who went on the quest. They did most of the work. It's only fair they get the glory. We don't all need to meet the Sea God."

"But Oi wanna adventure in the palaaaaaace!" Jason cried.

"That's so lame, man." Otto kicked the ground.

"But if you guys really wanna go in, feel free."

"Way to set a trap for the rudes, dude." Twister said.

"Whatever, guys." Reggie led her team away. "Let's hit the Krusty Krab. (We'll wait for our chance…)"

"So, what's this Groggy Ring thing you were sayin', Mowchan?" Kansai asked as his sector walked away with the giants. "We gotta elect someone to be a ball?"

"And just who are you thinking?!" Chuko stomped.

"Right then." Jinbe smiled. "Follow us." (Play "Eryth Sea Night" from Xenoblade!)

The knights led Sector L to the palace gates. The song of the sea radiated within as exotic fish swum peaceably about the corridors and ancient murals decorated the architecture. Some depicted the legendary knights Triton, Perseus, Arthur Curry, and the ancient royal Mermage Shirahoshi.

The throne room roared with great, parallel waterfalls. A creature that seemed a mix of a whale and a manta levitated above the altar. He had long antennae and a smile with vibrant eyes. "Erin! I'm so happy you finally made it here! Welcome!" His voice was youthful and approachable. "You're even cuter than Melody described!"

"Y…You're…"

"Mana-Mana…PHYYYYYY!" The Sea King cast red beams from his antennae, linking the Sector L kids and Zoidberg.

"W…What was…" Madeleine mumbled, struggling to stay balanced in the air. "W-What happened to my…AAAAAHH!"

"Madeleine, what's wrong?!" Nora asked. "HUH?! My voice! M-My body!"

"BRO!" Erin screamed. "We switched bodies!"

"Egads!" Lulu gasped. "I am young and smell slightly less worse even!"

"Ewwwwww!" Zoidberg moaned. "Gross gross gross grooooooss!"

"Okay, let's figure things out for a minute…" Mack suggested.

Massimo was in Erin's body, Erin was Nora, Nora was Zoidberg, Zoidberg was Lulu, Lulu was Mack, Mack was Madeleine, and Madeleine was Massimo. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Melody came in dying of laughter. "The Heart Swap! It never gets old! The worst part about it is getting used to new bodily functions!"

"Okay, Madeleine, how do you work yourself?!" Mack turned on Madeleine's bubble float, but couldn't keep his body steady.

"I can't tell if I'm sick or if these are new intestines." Nora cried in Zoidberg's moaning manner.

"Lulu, your cheeks appear to have a swelling problem." Zoidberg said. "I'll have to cut them off."

"I'm feeling all kinds of wrong in me!" Lulu stumbled on Mack's straight, non-froggy legs.

"How is this even a waterbending move?!" Mack questioned. "It'd make sense if you switched our blood, but that's just gross to think about!"

"At least my body has the pleasure of housing Erin's soul." Nora wept. "Oh, I'm not worthy for her blessed heart."

"Heheh…" Erin blushed. Truthfully, she felt very strong and healthy, but this just wasn't her. "This isn't permanent, right?"

"Of course not." Manaphy smiled. "But it's always fun to give people a new perspective. Helps friends understand each other better. But moving on… welcome to my palace, Sector L. And I'm sorry for not coming to your aid. As a god, it's not my place to interfere in the affairs of mortals. You must be able to grow on your own… and I'm proud that you did."

"I guess a god's not much of a guardian, huh?" Mack remarked.

"Don't be so insolent!" Aladine stamped his trident.

"At ease, Aladine." Manaphy said. "But there were other reasons. Naturally, I couldn't let the pirates enter the palace and seize the Sea Crown. But it was also because my powers have waned. You see, I-"

"Your Majesty!" A small red crab skittered into the room. "The egg is—aaaaaaahhh!" He gaped seeing the group of children and familiar woman.

"Sebastian!" Melody skipped up and scooped the crab in her hands. "Awe, you get cuter every time!" She hugged him to her chest.

"L-Lady Melody! W-What, who…"

"Erin, kids," Melody spun, "this is Sebastian, the palace's long-time attendant. He's actually a spirit crab inhabiting a Gigai. He even wrote Oceana's anthem."

"H-Hi, Sebastian." Erin waved. "I'm Erin. …Actually, this is Nora's body. My body's over-" Red beams switched everybody back to normal. "Ah, never mind! Here I am!"

"Ah, I love having teeth inside my mouth." Massimo smiled.

"Lady Erin!" Sebastian jumped down and approached her. "What an honor! I had no idea you were coming today!"

"Hehe…me neither. So, um, you were saying something about an egg?"

"Y-Yes! Dis is perfect! Hurry dis way!"

Sebastian led them to a chamber where a flight of stairs led up a tall altar within a room full of waterfalls and tunnels. The pure, jeweled Sea Crown rested up top… and before it sat an egg, shimmering blue. "An… egg?"

"Don't tell me…" Melody said quietly.

"This egg is my child." Manaphy answered. "And it feels your presence. Erin… would you hold it?"

Erin gulped, suddenly feeling very anxious. She carefully put her hands under the egg and raised it to her chest. Its glow brightened, everyone agape as the egg cracked. The light shone beyond the palace walls as the operatives looked curiously. The mermen were aghast, believing what this truly meant… and the light shone across the entire ocean.

"Sandy… isn't it beautiful?" SpongeBob asked.

"Purdier than a Texan sunset." Sandy smiled.

"OH YEAH!" Triceps flexed. "The miracle of birth ROCKS!"

"Ah…I hope you're seein' this, Johnny." said Zoidberg's uncle, Harold Zoid.

"Lulu… you're there, aren't you?" Tsuyu smiled.

"Hack… is that…"

"It is, Koala. The prince is here."

"Look at that, Arlong." Hatchan smiled.

"Sha…"

A beautiful blue baby rested in Erin's arms. It had a point beneath its chest, but no legs, only two stubby arms. A red jewel was on its chest, it had a flotation sac with a long, ribbon-like antenna, and its closed eyelids were blue, connected to blue circles on its forehead. "…Phi?" Its voice was pure as it opened its eyes, dark and blue as the deepest sea.

"It's a boy!" Manaphy cheered. "Welcome to the world, little one!"

"Phi…Phi!" He smiled at Erin and patted her cheek. Her friends' eyes melted from the pure sight. Fish began to swim in from the tunnels, circling the blessed being. A group of monochrome catfish called Bloops were in a frenzy to swim down and give him cheek nudges.

"Erin… say hello to your… uncle? Uncle, right?" Melody nodded. "I forget sometimes."

"Er…i?" The baby touched both her cheeks. "Eri! Phi!"

"H…Hello, Uncle!" Erin teared up, rocking the baby gently. "What's your name?"

"Phi! Phi!"

"You can name him, Erin."

"Well, you keep saying 'Phi'… and you're a little one… How about Phione?"

"Seriously?" Mack asked. "The Phi part I get, but the 'one'? Really?"

"I like it!" Nora chirped. "Phione! Phi-o-ne!"

"Phi-neeeee!" the baby cheered.

"Reminds me of some phoenixes." Aquarileri mentioned. "I like it!"

"Reminds me of an ogre princess." Massimo remarked.

"Erin, may I hold her?" Nora asked.

"Of course." Erin handed him over.

"Hi, Phione. I'm Aunt Nora. Can you say… Nora?"

"Neeeeee!"

"Is it that hard?"

"Phiiii…" Phione snuggled into her chest.

"Hmm…he's beautiful, Erin."

"He is. …Wait, if you're his 'Aunt Nora,' that would make you my great-aunt, right?"

"Oh gosh, I didn't think of that! Um, I meant that I'm your other niece! Niece Nora!"

"Hahaha!"

"Hehe…" Nora looked Erin in the eyes. "But, Erin… I really wish I'd gotten to fight beside you the whole way."

"That's not your fault, Nora. You already did plenty before I woke up."

"But I'm worried that…that you won't need me, anymore. I always knew you would find your strength, but part of me… really liked being that strength for you. I know it made you feel insecure, but… I only trained so much for you. Not because I'm Adabatian and you're the princess, or even as a teammate… but because I want to be with you forever. I mean, of course I'll give you privacy when you need it, but just… I want to always be there when you need me."

"You don't have to be so dramatic. I'll always need you, Nora. I hope we're always together… except when I want personal space."

"Do you want personal space now?"

"…No."

Nora pulled Erin in and nuzzled her in the hair. Erin and Phione shared a giggle.

…

When Twister twisted his knuckle in Erin's hair, he secretly dropped a mike bug in it. Sector H listened to the whole convo. "No way!" Twist gasped. "Manaphy actually had a kid! A new Firstborn! What a twist!"

"NO!" Squid bashed him. "I told you to NEVER make that pun!"

"Yo, this is big news!" Otto said. "We gotta tell the fleet STAT!" He brought up the transmission monitor. "This is Otto Rocket to General James. The princess just spoke with the Sea King! King Manaphy has a baby, repeat, Manaphy has a baby!" (Play "Team Rocket Motto" from Pokémon!)

The fleet of submarines were all modeled after Water Pokémon, headed by one designed like a Meowthfish. "What's this I hear?" spoke an elderly woman with long scarlet hair brushed back. "A new Firstborn born in the sea?"

"Sounds like a time for an invasion to me." replied a blue-haired man, a rose to his lips.

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet."

"A new Sea God is someone we have to meet."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of love and betrothed."

"To extend our reach to the seas below."

"JESSIE." The woman announced.

"JAMES." The man threw his rose back.

"Team Rocket, sailing off at the speed of a sailfish."

"Surrender now or be served on our dish."

A monitor switched on behind them, displaying a bipedal Persian sitting on a chair and petting a Sneasel. "Puuuur. Dat's right."

"Woooobbuffet!" A blue blob popped out of Jessie's pocket.

"Chiiiime." And a Chimecho flew around James.

"So, a whole new Foistborn, eh?" Persian said in a Brooklyn accent. "I bet even da Negatar didn't expect dat. Well, you know da drill: storm da palace and nab dat brat!"

"The KND are sure to be tired as our cadets said." Jessie replied. "Our only concern are the knights and Melody."

"But we'll fish them out even if we need to use a few hostages as bait." James smirked.

"And that could be your chance to rush in, Rocket Cadets. Run into the palace to help 'fend off' the intruders. And when no one suspects, grab the Firstborn and bail."

"Alright, sounds rad!" Otto nodded. "We're ready when you are."

"Boy, our first Firstborn heist!" Squid shook. "I'm so nervous!"

"Get in the game, Squid." Twister readied a Pokéball. "It's serious now."

Behind the fleet, SpongeBob had just arrived in a bubble floatie with a turbo, and Sandy on a seahorse. "Sandy? You don't suppose they're here to eat, are you?"

"I dunno, but Ah don't think I like what they're serving." Sandy answered, wearing a white diving suit with a helmet. "Whaddya say we give 'em an old school beatin'?"

"You took the words right outta me, darlin'."

Sector H exited their sub and viewed the incoming fleet through binoculars. "Here they come, dudes!" Otto exclaimed. "Time to watch the Rocket Fleet in-" one of them exploded, "action?"

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Three more subs burst.

"TEXAS LONGHORN HEADBUTT!" Sandy rammed a Magikarp sub headfirst, the shockwave spreading to three others and destroying each.

"BANZAI BUBBLES!" SpongeBob unleashed five giant torpedo bubbles and exploded five more.

"PROPANE PALM STRIKE!" Sandy thrusted palms at a Gyarados and Wailord ship, breaching the hulls with water as they sank.

"JELLYFISH JAMBOREE!" SpongeBob crushed three ships with giant jellyfish bubbles.

"Ten-Thousand Gallon HAMMER!" Sandy sent a huge Water Slice from her karate chop, sawing a Goldeen, Seaking, Remoraid, and Feebas ship in half.

"Triple Patty SUPREME!" SpongeBob squished the Meowthship with a big bubble spatula.

The Team Rocket agents were left afloat in the sea. SpongeBob blew bubbles to trap every one of them, and one more brush of Sandy's hand sent them blowing to the surface. They rose beyond the water and continued drifting to the starry clouds. "Well, this is rather embarrassing." James said.

"I guess it just wasn't our time, yet."

"At least we got off cheap."

"Woooobbuffet!"

"Team Rocket is being bubbled awaaaaay…" Twinkle.

"… … …" Sector H's mouths dropped. "HEY!" Joto suddenly resized and scared them. "Haha, gotcha! Hey, they got a whole Surf Zone on the southwest side, let's try it! What're you guys looking at, anyway? See a cool sea monster?"

"Now then," SpongeBob twirled his spatula, "ready to serve some hungry heroes?"

"Darn tootin' I am!"

The KND lived it up in Oceana! SpongeBob cooked a Krabby Patty buffet for everyone! …at a price, for Mr. Krabs' sake. Sectors JP and H donned swimsuits and surfed the waterbending-powered Surf Zones! Though the Hawaiians seemed rather unfocused as they kept slipping off. Later, Hatchan would teach Mazu the art of octo-style takoyaki, serving even more hungry mouths. Massimo and Fukaboshi spoke with Perry about transferring the former to the Human KND. Perry happily accepted, Massimo high-fiving Mack in celebration. So, his initiation test would entail throwing mud balloons at Christina and Laruta! The girls chased them in a rage, the boys escaping on Massimo's bike as Mack stuck his tongue at them.

Madeleine talked to Mindy about getting enrolled for tutoring classes at Magiconch Academy. Because Madeleine still wanted to be quickly available for missions, she would have a Conch Warp installed in her house, tailored to warp her to another one in the academy. "Except the KND has a policy about warping into treehouses…" Madeleine reasoned. "Actually… Mack, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah, what?"

"I was wondering if… I could live at your house for a while."

"Why mine?"

"I just thought you'd like the help… since it's just you and your dad. After hearing about what your mom did… I always wanted to help you more, besides just giving you hugs. You're always squirming in your sleep and waking up in panic, so I…I wanna try to help you out more."

"Well… sure, Madeleine, that would be great. I'd love having a little mermaid sister!"

"Well, what about a big fish brother?!" Massimo hugged Mack's neck. "If she's living with you, I want to, too!"

"'kay, gimme some time to think about that!"

"NOW I GOT YA, MINCEMEAT BROS.!" Christina tackled both boys to the ground. "Who's hungry for fishsticks and macaroni?!"

Madeleine smirked and recited the Shrink Spell, zapping Christina to a few inches tall. "HAHA!" Mack snatched her in his Mech Gloves. "You're a big help already, Mads—YIKES!" Christina broke free of the constraints, her tiny fists leaving Mack with bruises. Massimo kicked her off, but felt a sprain in his toes as he and Mack hightailed from the puny demon.

"I didn't know you were in Oceana, Mom!" Lulu hopped.

"Why wouldn't I be with what was going on?" Tsuyu smiled. "But I didn't think you'd already be done, ribbit."

"Hi, Mrs., um…" Erin greeted.

"Mrs. Koda. And pleasure to meet you, too, Er-ribbin! I'm glad you and Lulu had a chance to work together."

"About that, Mom, I was wondering if I could join Erin's sector. I had lots of fun and learned a lot! Plus, I can't really join a hero school until high school, can I?"

"Yes, that's the rules… but you can certainly join the Earth KND if you want to! No rule that says you can't! But aren't you gonna miss Chima, Shemoru, and the others?"

"I can bring Sector L to visit them! Or they can visit me! Maybe they can transfer, too, ribbit!"

"What kind of powers do they have?" Erin asked.

"Well, Chima's younger than me, but she's good at gravitybending, but likes to pull pranks and get in trouble a lot. Shemoru has purple mushroom hair, and she likes to flirt with older boys. And wait'll you hear about…"

The mothers smiled, letting Lulu ramble off as they gazed up at the palace. "And I thought we were done with new Firstborn." Tsu said.

"Well, the other Firstborn didn't 'age' the same way Manaphy did… well, a couple of them, I guess. But Manaphy's chi felt a lot smaller. He's not in the prime of his youth, anymore. Phione succeeded him as a Firstborn, so he'll be the one targeted. Erin was right to make the choice she did…"

"He really likes you girls." Manaphy said. "I know this is sudden to ask, but… how do you feel about taking him with you?"

"I…I don't know about that." Erin frowned.

"Phi?" Phione frowned.

"I-It's just sudden, like you said… Firstborn are really powerful, aren't they? I don't think I'm ready for it."

"You wouldn't have to be his Guardian right away."

"I know, but the sea is still his home. He should get to know it first. But we can still visit each other. I like having a little uncle-brother!"

"Phi-Phi!"

"I'm sure I'll be your Guardian someday… but first I wanna be a strong bubblebender on my own!"

"'kay, but the second I see Uxie, she's mine." Mack smirked.

"I promise to protect Phione until that day comes." Jinbe assured. "It saddens me that my time of escorting you is at an end, Erin… but I am proud to have witnessed your growth and purity of heart firsthand. You and your friends will do fantastic things."

"And Zoidberg will be here, too." The Crabman assured. "But I think we should cut that growth off Phione's head. Goombas his age shouldn't have that."

Jinbe released a great sigh of dismay.

Phione swam between the and around the girls on a bubble float! With glee, he baited the girls into chasing him, so they did. They stepped over the tails of Aladine and his wife Praline, the hammerhead mermaid growling in anger, until Aladine consoled her. Jinbe chortled and shared a smile with Aquarileri. The two knights then left on a private walk together.

Prison Tower; two days later

The ghoulish moans echoed from the deepest chamber of the tower. Their decrepit voices haunted the prisoners' hearts. "All pumans will drown in the Locker…" Hody moaned, shriveled and struggling to support himself with a cane. His head was bald and he grew an old white beard. "Fishmen will reign supreme… the Sea King must be dethroned…"

King K. Rool looked upon Hody and the Top Bass with shame. "It's quite sad, Hody… you had a lot of potential in you."

"He's gat a whut?" Ikaros asked, raising a hearing horn. "He's gat a Squidward in him? I 'ad my Squidward removed when Ah was 30…"

"Foooool…" Zeo moaned. "Ah grew old on purpose… to trick them into giving me… tapioca for liiiife…"

"The pumans will use us… they don't want equality… we must kill them aaaall…" Hody drawled.

"My Shuri spies explained it all. Your breaths reek of disgusting drugs. You had a Vilgaxian agent in your ranks… and you even made exchanges with those salamanders. You secured a good monopoly over Oceana's criminals… but your ambition was tragically lacking."

"The pumans did this to me… The pumans cursed us… they made us soft… they made us weak!"

"Your brain is as aged as your ideals. But don't worry, Hordy… the humans won't see you in this state. You won't have to grovel before them." Kaido raised his fist, hardened with Haki. "I will give you one last kindness."

BAM. BANG. SPLAT. BOOM. SQUISH. CRUSH.

The king waved his fist for relief and turned to two other cells. "Still… they brought some clean fruit to the table." He studied Kisame and Dennis' chained bodies. "Perhaps I've yet found two good kandidates for my Krew. What do you think, Black Manta?"

The bandaged manta man walked in. Though he'd been left to drown outside Bikini Bottom's dome, the Kremlings found and salvaged him. "Yeah. I'd say they're alright."

…

"A break-in?!" Fukaboshi gasped.

"Yes!" Manboshi answered in panic. "All the guards and other prisoners were knocked out! The doors were forced open all the way down to the bottom floor. H-Hody and his officers… their heads were squashed, splattered! But Kisame and Dennis are unaccounted for!"

"Grrrr…" The Supreme Leader contemplated this turn of events. Now Oceana was well and truly rid of Hody's threat. But who did this and why? Simply an acquaintance of the latter two and they decided to betray their boss? At the very least, Oceana could still sleep peacefully… but for how long? He would have to watch over the newborn prince carefully.