Chapter 7: Dread Pirate Scarbeard
It's early before school. Ondine is walking to swim practice while talking on her cell phone. She's talking to Tsuyu Asui, trying to get her to join the team. Tsuyu tells her that she's planning on it. She even just bought her equipment; however, she's unable to make it to practice that particular morning.
Ondine goes mute in mid-conversation. Across the street, she notices Le Chien Kim coming out of a rather nice jewelry store with a bag. Why was he in there? What did he buy? While Ondine has been sorta-dating Kim for several weeks now (since the Syren episode), she remarks that he has yet to call her his "girlfriend." She also still has insecurities about Kim's old crush, Chloe Bourgeois. How can I compete with someone so elegant, fashionable, and rich? Ondine looks at her own reflection in the store window. Instead of seeing herself as a cute girl, she sees the flaws: too fat, freckles, not elegant enough, her hair doesn't flow right, etc. She wonders if Kim cares about her as much as she cares about him. She carries these worries into practice.
It doesn't help that Kim is late to practice, allowing Ondine to spend time in the pool alone, worrying. Once they start swimming, she drops hints about if he was shopping that morning or if he saw anyone, if he bought anything or what's he thinking about. Kim can be pretty dense, so he doesn't get it at all. Furthermore, when he claims he wasn't shopping or anywhere near the jewelry store, it does confirm to Ondine that he's lying. She's now convinced he was buying a present for someone, probably Chloe, and that he's going to break up with her at any moment.
Kim can see Ondine is feeling down even though he doesn't know why. So to cheer her up, he suggests the play the bracelet diving game. After a few rounds, he slips something inside the bracelet. Ondine is fearing the worst—it's a break-up letter, she knows it. She hesitates, but she dives and retrieves it any way, sadness and jealousy taking over in her heart.
When she goes to open it, Kim tells her to stop. Ondine sees this as confirmation of her fears. Kim tells her to close her eyes, which she does, sadly. Kim opens the diving bracelet to reveal a lovely sea shell anklet inside. With Ondine's eyes still closed, he slips it on her ankle. He then tells her to open her eyes.
Ondine's heart is filled with uncertainty and jealousy up to this point, the negative emotion needed. However, when she opens them, all of that vanishes. She's stunned silent for a very long moment, causing Kim to worry that she doesn't like the present. "Like it?! I love it!" She finally moves, throwing her arms around his neck. Kim then explains that he was shopping for her because he wanted to get his girlfriend something nice. Ondine is on cloud nine at being referred to as his girlfriend.
Ondine dives back into the pool. This provides the element needed for that miraculous without a kwami: water. She starts thrashing. Kim panics, screams her name, and is about to dive in when she leaps high out of the water, transformed into a dolphin themed hero.
Her outfit resembles that of a pink amazon river dolphin with wide leg flippers, a tiny dorsal fin, and webbed hands. Her mask is a combination of her light pink wet suit having a hood (not unlike Carapace) paired with snorkel-style goggles (minus the snorkel, of course). She also has a white belly on her wet suit and two white spots not unlike the eye patches of an orca.
"You got me a miraculous?!" Ondine squeals. When she climbs out of the water, the transformation undoes itself. (Is the general public aware of the term "miraculous" at this point? Probably, since Hawk Moth demands those every time he akumatizes someone. Kwamis are not known.)
Kim is sheer, completely, and utterly dumbfounded for a long moment; it takes Ondine really trying to snap him out of it. Then he says he has no idea it was a miraculous; he just saw it for sale in the store and bought it from the merchant (implied to be adult future Bunnyx). He thought it would look gorgeous on his girlfriend, so he gave it to her.
They're both pretty giddy, laughing it up like young kids. Luckily, it's so early no one else is in the pool. Kim begs Ondine for the chance to try the anklet to see if it would work for him. She agrees, so Kim puts it on. Nothing happens.
Then he dives into the pool and surfaces as a dolphin themed superhero (as it still is charged from Ondine's prior jealousy). His transformation is very similar to Ondine's except instead of pink, his outfit is cerulean. He also doesn't have a hood on his wet suit, just a matching diving cap. His wet suit is short sleeved, though his hand flippers do go quite a ways over his wrists. This shows off his biceps. (Ondine's wet suit is long sleeved.)
They're both thoroughly geeking out now. Kim gets out of the water and detransforms. They decide water must be the key to activating the anklet. They decide to do some testing. Kim gives the anklet back to Ondine, who puts it on. He then pours bottled water over her leg. This does not instigate transformation. They want to test more, but it's getting close to school starting, so they can't. They part ways with a kiss. Ondine is practically humming ever since Kim referred to her as "his girlfriend."
Meanwhile, back at school, Giselle Winters-Blanchet is at her locker, telling herself to remain calm and that her theory that Adrien Agreste is Hawk Moth is based on pure speculation and circumstantial evidence. She needs facts before she jumps the gun. Except Gorizilla did release Ladybug to save Adrien… She needs to stay calm—so for now, she'll just avoid Adrien.
Who does she immediately run into outside the locker area? Adrien Agreste. They talk a bit, and Giselle is stammering as badly as Marinette does around Adrien. Adrien, having had conversations like this before with Marinette, doesn't think anything unusual of it. Giselle tongue-ties an excuse and slips away, berated herself for getting so worked up. If he is Hawk Moth, he can't know you know!
At lunch that day, Tsuyu Asui comes across Marc Anciel, alone. He's very upset, cradling something in his arms. Tsuyu asks what happened. Marc doesn't explain; he shows her. His notebook/manuscript has been vandalized. It's pretty clear what happened. Marie Chauveau and Suzette Rault got a hold of it and marked out everything they didn't like. Instead, they turned his storyline into a very cringe-worthy yaoi romance with him and Nathaniel.
Tsuyu coaxes Marc to continue talking, and he says that their fake story doesn't bother him as much as the vandalism does, even though he doesn't swing in any direction. What bothers him the most is that all the words they blotted out—he can't remember them. He can't discern what they are. All those pages, and they'll never be read.
Hawk Moth picks up on his lament and send an akuma in his direction. However, by the time the akuma arrives, Tsuyu has calmed Marc down. Marc thanks her, and they head to lunch. No one sees the black butterfly that's just above them.
Hawk Moth is frustrated but tells his akuma to find a new target. Hormonal, emotional kids—there has to be someone around. The akuma winds up lingering until afternoon.
After school lets out, Ondine and Kim meet up at the pool again for more swim practice as well as practicing with the anklet miraculous without a kwami. They're excitedly talking when Tsuyu enters with her athletic bag and announces she's joining the community swim team too. Ondine is thrilled Tsuyu could finally make it. She and Kim are happy to have a new member, though they are a bit sad they can't continue talking about the anklet.
Meanwhile, the akuma flutters away from the school grounds. It comes across two boys playing pirates in the park. One boy's mother calls him, telling him it's time to go home and do homework. He insists he wants to play more. She demands he come home. He huffs and protests, but his mother won't let him continue playing. The akuma floats down. Hawk Moth tries to tell it to stop, but the akuma turns the boy into the pirate themed villain Dread Pirate Scarbeard.
"I hate working with kids," complains Hawk Moth. Nonetheless, he offers his usual deal. Dread Pirate Scarbeard floods Paris, making it look like Venice (so not nearly as flooded as Syren did). (Perhaps those who can't escape the flood are turned into pirate minions Pirates of the Caribbean style.) He also conjures a pirate boat out of the playground equipment and goes sailing for buried treasure. Hawk Moth tells him all the treasure he finds is his, but Scarbeard has to turn over Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculous.
The flood sweeps through the streets, causing everyone to climb to higher ground. Multiple Akuma Alerts flood the app as people report the affected areas. Marinette and Adrien find safe places to hide, feed their kwamis the aqua transformation potion, and transform into their aqua superhero forms. They meet up and immediately find the threat sailing down the street.
Meanwhile, at the pool, Tsuyu is on the high dive. The flood breaks in and sweeps both Ondine and Kim out of the building. Tsuyu's safe as she's higher, but she's very surprised. Both swimmers try to right themselves in the current and struggle for each other. Ondine sees the anklet float by (she took it off so as not to blow their cover to Tsuyu). Ondine snaps it on, transforms, grabs Kim by the arm, and makes for the surface. Tsuyu, meanwhile, cannot transform to her own frustration.
They find a safe place and catch their breaths. Then they hear the fighting of Dread Pirate Scarbead's cannons against Ladybug and Cat Noir. Both decide they have to help. Kim tells Ondine to swim for the fight and see what she can do while he'll see if any people need help finding land. Ondine hesitates, then gives him a quick kiss and goes on her way. Kim is then walking on cloud nine himself as he goes to help people to safety.
Ondine makes it to the boat very, very quickly as her swimming speed is highly augmented. She sees Ladybug and Cat Noir are really struggling due to the sheer amount of weapons this villain has, on top of pirate minions. Ondine reaches for the rope to pull herself on deck and help when she remembers that dry land undoes her transformation. She debates about what to do—what can she do? Can she do anything as just Ondine? However, the desperation of the situation is something she can't ignore. She hauls herself on deck.
And is amazed that she retains her transformation. There has to be more to this than just water. But what? No time for that now! Ladybug and Cat Noir are flabbergasted by yet another hero. Ladybug gasps "again?!" Ondine introduces herself as Dauphine and begins to help them battle, getting them closer and closer to Scarbeard. Her weapon (same as Kim's) is a surfboard that they can use in the manner of sign spinning. They realize the akuma is probably in Scarbeard's wooden-turned-real sword.
Scarbeard, not wanting to lose his chance at treasure, grabs the wheel and plows the boat into the side of a passing building. The inertia throws Cat Noir from the ship and sends debris raining down on him. Ladybug calls out to him. Dauphine tells her not to worry. She'll get Cat Noir. Ladybug needs to deal with the akuma; she's the only one who can. Ladybug nods and focused on the pirate while Dauphine dives overboard.
She finds Cat Noir pinned beneath debris. Fortunately, he's in his aqua transformation, so breathing isn't an issue. However, he is really tightly trapped. Dauphine pulls and tugs but can't get him free. Then she gets an idea. She tells him to hold tight; she's going to get help. (It would also have to be that Cat Noir already used his Cataclysm. Otherwise, he'd Cataclysm the debris away. Which means he's fine but only for now; his transformation is ticking down, and when it comes undone, he'll drown (or get turned into a pirate minion).)
Dauphine swims like a torpedo back to Kim, who is helping people out of the water. She calls him aside and quickly explains the situation. She hands him the anklet, detransforming herself. He puts it on and transforms and races to Cat Noir. He's slower than Ondine, but when he arrives, he possesses more physical strength and is able to get Cat Noir free.
They both break to the surface. Cat Noir tells Kim, who calls himself Dauphin, to go help Ladybug while he recharges. By now the pirate ship has pulled away, so Dauphin has to catch up. Cat Noir slips into a stairwell, detransforms into Adrien, feeds Plagg, and transforms into normal Cat Noir.
Meanwhile, Ladybug is surprised that Dauphin comes back "blue." Dauphin says there's no time to explain, but Cat Noir is safe and he's here to help. The two of them fight against Scarbeard; Dauphin's augmented strength comes in handy. They catch Scarbeard in a triangle when Cat Noir sneaks up from behind and Cataclysms the sword. This releases the akuma, which Ladybug promptly purifies.
She uses her world-healing wave to set Paris right. "Pound it!" She and Cat Noir then turn to Dauphin and demand answers about who he is and what his miraculous is. Dauphin says he can't, he promised not to tell. Then he dives into the Seine to escape before he accidentally says something he shouldn't.
Ladybug is frustrated as she knows she needs the information—what is going on with all these new miraculous? Where are they coming from? Cat Noir says he wants to know too, but on the other claw, Alpha and Snow and the rest seem like they have good intentions. How far should he and Ladybug pry and how much should they trust? Ladybug just says she doesn't want innocent people to get dragged into this, and she's worried Hawk Moth is behind things. If only they had some answers… Cat Noir points out they do know one of the new heroes. Crow-man.
To be continued in Chapter 8: Queen Wasp…