Drums rolled in a joyous rhythm, their thumping beats spread outward in waves that brought to life the celebration. Streamers of all colours swayed gently overhead, stirred lazily by the warm evening wind, like dancers moving in time with the music below. Laughter spilled freely between clusters of fishmen and merfolk gathered shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand.
Ever since they were but little ones, they had been spoken over, told to endure a reality they loathed to live, down here… ten thousand meters below sea level.
They dreamed of the world above where the sky was as high and wide as one could ever imagine, even in their wildest of fantasies. They couldn't help but want to travel across it freely without restraint.
A dream born a long time ago when they were young and foolish—foolish enough to slip away from their homes, if only to catch a glimpse of the surface they'd always been told to keep away from, where Sabaody Archipelago shimmered like a distant star that seemed impossibly out of reach, completely unaware of the unspeakable horrors that awaited them if they were not careful, unspeakable horrors that had already claimed so many and would only continue to do so.
Even as children, they had never once expected their silent dream to ever get this close to becoming a reality, and yet here it was, unfolding before their eyes. What had once felt like an impossibility was now so vivid that they were afraid that they might wake up, that all this was nothing but a wishful illusion and that they were either drunk or asleep.
Queen Otohime stood there, a still point at the center of the plaza, carrying a serenity no one would expect from someone that stood so dangerously close to a fate worse than death… ignorance truly is a blissful thing.
Far above the plaza, in a shadowed room perched within a building taller than most others you'd find here. Hordy Jones, formerly a soldier of the Neptune Army, stood by the window, eyes fixed through the brass scope mounted at its frame.
From there he surveyed the crowd below with a cold, contemptuous glare. "Traitors… All of them!"
His gaze was sharp and unforgiving, laced with simmering disdain, that only served to fuel the cold-blooded resolve that drove him toward his despicable goals.
So far, everything had seemed routine but then, a sudden, piercing glint tore through his focus, stabbing at the edge of his vision like a warning. It unsettled him, a sharp sting beneath the cold glare he wore like armor. A shard of light fractured off a bubble floaty as it shifted rapidly within the crowded plaza. Hordy's breath caught, his grip tightening on the scope as it locked onto a shifting figure—a mermaid draped in a dark cloak, her hand clutching her hood against the relentless breeze.
She moved like a whisper, gliding low on her bubble floaty, eyes flicking sharply from shadow to shadow. Moments ago, she had spotted a figure slipping near a cluster of brightly colored banners, crouching briefly to plant something beneath the folds of fabric.
Now, she edged closer, slipping between bodies with practiced ease. Her tail flicked beneath the floaty in subtle, controlled sweeps, propelling her forward without a sound. Hordy's eyes narrowed as she crouched, fingers brushing aside fabric to reveal a small, metallic object nestled beneath. Without hesitation, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small, indistinct tool, its shape blurred through Hoardy's narrowed gaze. She worked quickly, fingers moving with practiced precision. Moments later, she slipped the tool back into her bag and melted away into the crowd without a backward glance.
She broke through Hordy's cold scrutiny like a flare in the dark, igniting a sharp, uneasy tension beneath his glare. A dark, condescending chuckle escaped him. "Jaha ha ha! This stunt's gonna cost you little mermaid," he muttered, voice low and dripping with scorn. "I hope it was worth it, making an enemy out of me!!"
…
Tucked into the plaza, a stall—if it could be called that—stood out for its neglect. A shabby wooden table, hastily assembled, bore scattered carved shells and faded trinkets. The owner seemed more absorbed in a folded newspaper than the momentous occasion taking place right infront of him.
He flipped through the paper, fingers brushing over the pages without care. His eyes flicked up occasionally, restless and distracted, as if waiting for something.
PERO PERO PERO!
A sudden, jarring cry burst from the baby transponder snail that he'd left to nestle in his ear so long that he'd nearly forgotten about it. His eyes widened with shock, in a panick he jerked back so violently his chair tipped over.
BANG!!
"GYAAH!!" He yelped as he hit the ground so hard, his eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets for a split second in a ridiculously, cartoonish way. For a moment he lay stunned, stars swirling atop his head.
PERO PERO PERO!!
"ugghhh.." After a few shacky breaths, he rubbed his aching head as he pushed himself up to a seated position.
"Who the hell…." he muttered under his breath, voice low and wary. The ringing continued, demanding his attention.
He paused for a moment before pressing his finger against the baby transponder's shell. A soft click that felt almost mechanical sounded as a result followed by an odd verbal response.
KATCHA
"What is it! Don't tell me you can't even pull your own damn weight!?" he snapped as he glared at the very memory of his so called partners.
"Hagh?, the hell did you say!?"
A rough, impatient voice came crackling through the transponder snail. 'That voice, i-its him, the mystery man running this entire operation' the man thought, his heart skipping a beat at the sound.
Caught off guard, he stumbled over his words. "S-sorry forgive me sir, I wasn't expecting you to call at a tim-."
"Shut your worthless trap and listen close," the voice barked, cutting him off before he could say more. "There's a mermaid in a dark cloak about two hundred meters to your left. Do you see them?"
"Uh, yes of course, just give me a moment…" he muttered as he nervously sweeped his gaze over the crowd as a restless unease settled over him.
Then something caught his eye—a dark cloak slipping quietly between people. It was subtle, something he might have missed if he hadn't been told to watch. His breath caught as he spotted her sneaking by like a phantom that
"Y-yeah, there's no mistaking it, I definately got my eyes on her" he stammered, straightening in his seat.
"That little pest just disabled of the fire starters," the voice growled. "Though she shouldn't be able to put so much as a dent in my flawless plan, it would be best if she were to, hmmm… disappear."
KATCHA
His fingers lingered, pressed lightly against the baby transponder snail's shell for a moment longer, as if reluctant to let go. He sighed, voice low and tired. "This is what you get for being a greedy fool Walter..., I better not get caught up in this."