Prologue

Welcome to the Lemon Shark Fruit Cannery, the face of Gawr Gura's northern empire. A real banana republic.

The place from where the shark Queenpin controls the City. Billboards of their products - from canned fruit cocktails to dried pineapple - can be found everywhere. Even the Deadbeats in the South tolerate them.

Hell, even the fruit-cake that Detective Ouro ordered used stuff from this cannery.

Gawr Gura is quiet, but she's got this city by the cherries.

Canned cherries, specifically.

The new kid isn't from around here, so she probably doesn't know these things. She didn't know that we were in quite a pickle because of her.

And…

…

While Ame was speaking, she suddenly heard Kiara chuckle.

"What's so funny, new kid?" Ame raised her brow.

"You said 'pickle' just now didn't you?" Kiara explained, wiping her laughing tears.

"You heard that!?" Ame's face went pale.

"I haven't known you very long, senpai, but you monologue a lot." Kiara waved her hands frantically, "And I mean a LOT!"

Beads of sweat started forming on Ame's brow. Who else knew about her monologues!? A certain Tako doctor came to mind.

"I'm gonna have a long chat with Ina when I get back." Ame grumbled, "For now - we're in a tight spot, new kid."

"I know that. I was listening to your monologue, remember?" Kiara reminded easy-breezy.

"Then why aren't you worried!? We're going into the shark's den here!" Ame demanded.

"Because I'm an extrovert." Kiara winked, brimming with confidence, "Leave it to me!"

In a few heartbeats, the line moved along fairly quickly. Many of the people ahead of them were already returning, proudly polishing brand new shrimp pins on their shirts and coats.

"They're accepting everyone, huh?" Ame noted, adjusting her sunglasses, "I might have to apply here for real when I get kicked out of the force."

"C'mon senpai, don't think like that!" Kiara urged, "We'll be fine! Chin up, now - and smile!"

"Real detectives don't smile." Ame frowned in protest, whispering the word 'detective' around the crowd.

"Well, this one does!" Kiara beamed happily, "Now let's go! The line's moving!"

Kiara took Ame by the hand and dragged her along towards the side door of the cannery. Slowly but surely, the two plainclothes detectives reached that door. They found a table by the entrance where two men with shrimp masks were interviewing 'candidates' for the jobs that didn't exist.

The two detectives stopped to listen. They heard the shrimp-masked men asking the candidates how tough they were in a fight - if they had ever used weapons before - and if they knew about the buy-one-get-one promo on Lemon Shark brand fruit cocktails going on at their local grocers.

"There's a promo!?" Kiara squawked.

"That's what you're concerned about!?" Ame hissed at her partner.

Eventually, Ame's and Kiara's turns to be interviewed finally came up. The two of them sat across the shrimp-masked men on the table. They prepared themselves to answer the questions they had heard so many times before. Kiara even brought out her Lemon Shark brand coupon book for good measure.

However, this was when the side door of the cannery swung wide open. Ame, Kiara and the two shrimp-masked men turned to the door. There, they found the large hulking figure of a walking shark-man with a rugged white shirt, pants and suspenders. He wore a baseball hat backwards on his head and cast his shadow over the two detectives.

"Who's that?" Kiara whispered to Ame innocently.

"Oh shit… it's the lieutenant! Bloop!" Ame whispered back, her voice soaking with fear.

Bloop turned to the two shrimp-masked men and spoke with a powerful, albeit heavily Greek-accented voice, "Breaktime, you two. I'll take over."

The shrimp-masked men stood up from their seats and saluted the lieutenant. They then hurried back through the side door of the cannery, leaving the two detectives to the judgment of Bloop. That huge shark-man adjusted his backwards baseball cap and eyed Ame and Kiara.

"Welcome to Lemon Shark, the place where your fruitiest dreams come true." Bloop recited the company's tagline as easily as he breathed, "What brings you here today?"

For all of the bravado that the extrovert Kiara had earlier, coming face to face with THE Bloop silenced her. Her bright pink eyes darted towards Ame - and the veteran detective sighed.

Alright then, time to be a senpai.

Ame cleared her voice and started speaking like an Italian gangster to Bloop.

"We're lookin' for work, see?" Ame moved her hands around frantically, making all sorts of gestures, "The kid and I got roughed up by the Deadbeats in Industrial Way, see?"

Kiara, on the other hand, stayed deathly silent. She watched Ame's act, absolutely amazed and terrified at the same time.

"Condolences. The Deadbeats are rough folk." Bloop spoke with surprising compassion, "Since you're here - in the heart of Shrimp territory - you do know what sort of work you're signing up for, right?"

"I ain't no fink, dig?" Ame continued her bluster and bluff, "The kid and I aren't gonna let the Deadbeats walk all over us."

"I like your spirit." Bloop folded his arms. His thick shark's tail waved behind him, "Well then - can you handle yourself in a fight? This is a rough part of town, after all."

Just as I thought - they're preparing for war with the Deadbeats.

Ame leaned back into her chair and answered with a sliver of truth.

"I fought in the war, see? Give me a rifle and I'll show the Deadbeats a thing or two!"

Bloop nodded, happy to hear Ame's fighting words. He then paused for a moment and realized something.

"I admire your spirit, ma'am." Bloop set his large hands on the table, "But I realize that I didn't get your names. And why hasn't your 'kid' been talkin at all?"

Oh crap… I forgot about that too!

Kiara shrank and slumped into her seat further. Ame, on the other hand, gulped and crafted her story on the fly.

"The kid's 'Erika'. She's an immigrant that came here after the war, so she still doesn't speak a lick of English." Ame explained.

Ame elbowed Kiara, urging her to say something - anything.

"K-kiki… riki?" Kiara stammered.

"Oh, avian language. I see, I see." Bloop hummed. He then turned to Ame and asked, "What about you?"

"Me?" Ame put her hand over her heart and spoke with all the confidence she could muster, "I'm Amelon!"

The table fell silent. Then, Ame heard a loud, hysterical laugh coming from the side door of the cannery.

Standing there at the threshold was a peculiar white-haired yet youthful figure wearing a smart blue suit and sleek white pants. That figure was laughing, absolutely losing it over Ame's 'name'.

"Amelon!" The figure repeated, barely able to catch her breath, "It's 'a melon'! Get it, Bloop?"

"Ma'am!?" Bloop was shocked, "What are you doing here boss!?"

Boss!? Don't tell me… that little girl is Gawr Gura!?

The short figure walked towards the table, giving Ame a better look at her. True enough, it was the same Gawr Gura that she saw in the newspapers - and the same one that Ina sketched on the blackboard at HQ.

It's really her. Damn.

"I wanted to see how the interviews were goin'! I overheard you talking with these two girls." Gura answered Bloop with a wide grin, "Welcome to Lemon Shark, the place where fruitiest dreams come true!"

She said the company tagline too. And her little tail's wagging behind her.

Cute.

"I like the cut of your jibs." Gura turned to Ame and Kiara, smiled at them and offered her hand to them, "The name's Gura - Gawr Gura, by the way."

"E-Erika." Kiara said her fake name and shook Gura's hand.

Gura's firm handshake took Kiara by surprise, but the Queenpin's smile calmed down her nerves just a little bit.

Next, Gura turned to Ame with great expectation.

"I'm…" Ame paused, hesitating to say her dumb joke again.

"Say it again! Don't be shy~!" Gura smirked at Ame, "With feelings this time!"

"I'm Amelon." Ame conceded.

Once again, Gura burst out into laughter. She then shook Ame's hand and wiped the happy tears from her eyes.

"Bloop! I like these two!" Gura declared, "Send them inside!"

"Y-yes, ma'am." Bloop nodded obediently. He reached into a box and brought out shrimp-shaped pins. He handed them to Ame and Kiara and shooed them away, "You heard the Boss. Go inside - and wear these!"

Ame and Kiara promptly obliged. They put on the pins and followed Gura into the Lemon Shark Fruit Cannery.

And just like that, the two detectives joined the Shrimp gang.

Things are about to get real fruity. I can taste it!

…

Queenpins

A Fruity Situation

…

To Be Continued