Chapter Two:

The Sea Skirmish

The Juggernauts began with a single battleship firing. This resulted in the damaging of another ship. Promptly, it fired back, as did dozens of others.

" Battleships, FIRE!" screamed Geno.

The Juggernauts' ships took a heavy beating, but fired back again.

" Submarines, dive and advance!" called Admiral Jay. The subs did so, becoming invisible to the Juggernaut battleships. Their fire rained down on the spaces the submarines had just been occupying, but also sank many others.

" They're piercing the hulls! Fall back and let the subs do the work!" ordered Jay quickly. Already the battle was in the Juggernauts favour.

" He's panicking, the young fool," humoured Geno to himself. " Strike quickly! They're losing morale, and the battle!" ordered the CO. The battleships took aim once again, this time targeting the fleeing Dredger-naut ships. But the submarines that Geno didn't know about were right in their path.

Like a flash, five to ten battleships sank instantly, the submarines hitting their marks perfectly. They rose, fired a parting shot, then dived and retreated.

" Submarines! All right then, two can play at that game," said Geno. It was at times like this that the robotic mask changed Geno's voice, making it sound much more deadly and evil.

" Transform!" called Geno. And a transformation took place. The Juggernaut ships stopped completely, and a thick sheet of steel slowly shifted into place, covering the entire deck but leaving holes for the guns. After this, the ships sunk into the sea. Or at least that was what Admiral Jay thought.

" What's going on? They're sinking but we haven't fired… What is Geno planning?" Jay asked himself.

" Admiral! Do you think we've won, sir?" asked a sailor.

" No. This battle hasn't lasted long enough to have a winner. I may be the youngest CO, but I've been around long enough to know that the Juggernauts don't give up easily," Jay told him. " This Sea Skirmish isn't over yet…"

Just as the Admiral had said that, a few of the retreating ships exploded, setting off a chain reaction of fires. Geno's ships had dived, just like submarines, and used torpedoes instead of cannon fire to attack the Dredger-nauts.

" Take that, Admiral!" laughed Geno. He punched the air, chuckling at the recent development of the battle. By now, both the Dredger-nauts and the Juggernauts' sea forces had been reduced greatly, but they both had much to reveal.

" No! Grrr… retreat to the harbours! Every ship, now!" ordered Admiral Jay. The Dredger-nauts took heed and retreated further.

" Hahahaha! That's right! Flee, cowards! Attack with everything, we've got them on the run! Rise, battleships!" said Geno.

Things were not going well for the Dredger-nauts, but their saviour flew across the sea, and sank the leading Juggernaut ship.

" Boon! I'm glad to see you!" said Jay.

" I thought you might need help. Geno isn't the best CO to take on at sea," answered Boon through radio-link.

" But I battle better at sea as well! It's my element!" shouted Jay indignantly.

" Yeah, but you're young. You've still got a lot to learn, boy. Dredger-naut Air Force, advance and attack!" ordered Boon.

A mixture of bombers, fighter jets and B-Copters flew over the Dredger-naut Sea Port. They all chose their targets and succeeded in sinking a dozen more battleships.

" Not another CO! Hmmmmm… I'll destroy Boon as well! Transform!" called Geno. And another transformation took place. The thick sheet of metal whirred back to their original positions, and the torpedo launchers flipped over to reveal anti-air missiles, as the battleships dived again, but this time leaving the guns in the open.

" Thank you, Nami," said Geno to himself. The anti-air missiles locked onto the aircraft, and fired. Now, all of the planes had to fly frantically to escape the missiles. After the fuel ran out, the missiles would drop to the sea. But some pilots weren't that lucky.

" Say that again, Geno. Say it so I can hear it properly," said a familiar voice. The familiar voice was coming from nearby, at this depth. Very strange, to Geno at least. Nami herself had appeared, and she was traveling in a morphed tank/submarine, and was talking to Geno by video-link.

" What are you doing here, Nami? Aren't you supposed to be attacking Zen's forces?" answered Geno.

" Take that look off your face, Geno. You're glad to see me really," called Nami. Geno was infuriated at the face remark. Especially as she knew fully well he couldn't remove his mask.

" I've come to show you my latest invention. What d'you think?" continued Nami, pointing at the tank/submarine.

" What, that mess of a vehicle? Tell me, are you losing your spark?" taunted Geno.

"I admit the design is a little… rough… around the edges. But the idea is sheer genius. Imagine, a tank underwater without leaking or any major problems," cackled Nami.

" I'm sure you weren't the first to try out that…bulk of scrap metal. But do tell me that you brought extra troops. Two combined COs are easier to take on with a larger force," asked Geno.

" Huh! … Yes, I did. They're taking formation now…" sighed Nami.

" I presume they're airborne? I don't need submerged tanks that can't fire back on aircraft," said Geno, folding his arms.

" Ah, but they can, Geno," replied Nami, with a smile on her face.