Meanwhile, back in Bikini Bottom - er, the Evil Empire of Planktopolis - Mindy and King Neptune were still arguing.

"No, I'm not," said Mindy.

"Yes, you are," said the king.

"No, I'm not," said Mindy.

King Neptune grabbed his head and tore his his hair.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Neptune roared. "Where am I? In crazy town? I've had enough of this nonsense. Mindy, you are to wait in the carriage until the execution is done."

"But, Daddy-"

"NOW!"

Thunder and lightning flashed and the trident crackled with energy. Mindy scurried outside as fast as she could. As she went, Plankton stuck his tongue out at her.

To be extra sure that the princess wouldn't give them any more trouble, Neptune fired a blast from his magic trident. Chains and padlocks appeared, sealing the doors and windows.

"Ha, ha, ha!" chuckled Plankton.

Outside, Mindy banged on the doors.

"Oh, SpongeBob," she said quietly to herself. "Wherever you are, you'd better hurry!"

XXX

The lifeguard was swimming past a familiar island. He looked over his broad shoulders at his passengers.

"Okay, fellas, this is where you get off. Bikini Bottom is directly below."

"But we'll never be able to float down in time," cried SpongeBob, looking at his calendar.

The lifeguard smiled. It was as dazzling as King Neptune's shiny head. "Who said anything about floating?"

With that, he flexed his muscular chest.

SpongeBob's mouth gaped. Patrick's eyes were wide.

"Did you see that, Pat?"

"What control!" Patrick marveled.

The lifeguard grabbed the crown - with SpongeBob and Patrick hanging on.

"All hands on deck!" he said. Then he placed the crown, along with SpongeBob and Patrick, between his muscular pecs.

"Hang on, Pat!" cried SpongeBob.

"What choice do I have?"

XXX

Far below, in the heart of Planktopolis, Mr. Krabs was about to be punished.

"Eugene Krabs," said King Neptune as he warmed up his trident.

"No," Mindy gasped as she watched helplessly through the window.

"Yes!" cried Plankton, mad eyes gleaming.

"The time has come-," said the king. The tip of his staff sparkled with energy.

"No!" said Mindy.

"Yes...," hissed Plankton.

"-for your-"

"No!" screamed Mindy.

"Yes!" howled Plankton.

"-punishment."

Bolts of thunder leaped from the trident. The air in the Krusty Krab 2 crackled with power.

XXX

Meanwhile, on the ocean's surface, the lifeguard was ready to launch torpedoes!

With one last, mighty squeeze, the crown, SpongeBob, and Patrick were fired into the ocean's watery depths. Spinning wildly, and giving SpongeBob and Patrick the ride of their lives, the crown plunged toward the Krusty Krab 2. The crown smashed through the roof. Down came SpongeBob and Patrick!

And as Neptune fired his blast, SpongeBob held up the crown and deflected the bolt with its shiny surface. Mr. Krabs was saved!

"My crown...," Neptune said as he picked up his crown and held it close to his chest. "My beautiful crown!"

Just then Mindy came flying through the double doors.

"SpongeBob! Patrick!" Mindy cried, clapping. "I knew you could do it!"

"Oh, yes, well done, SpongeBoob," added Plankton in a mocking tone.

"Sorry to rain on your parade, Plankton," said SpongeBob.

"Oh, don't worry about me, my parade shall be quite dry - under my umbrella," replied Plankton, yanking down on a chord dangling from above.

"An umbrella?" said SpongeBob, baffled. "Huh?"

A trapdoor in the ceiling swung open, and a chum bucket fell right onto King Neptune's head.

"Daddy, no!" cried Mindy.

But the helmet was humming and Neptune's brain had already gone numb.

"Daddy, yes!" said Plankton, whipping out a remote control and pushing down on its big button. Responding to the signal from the remote, an antenna rose up from Neptune's helmet, and Neptune quickly stiffened.

"All hail Plankton," mumbled Neptune.

"Ahhhh!" cried SpongeBob, Patrick, and Mindy in unison.

Suddenly all the bucket-headed fish smashed through the windows of the restaurant. Quickly they surrounded SpongeBob, Patrick, Mindy, and the frozen Mr. Krabs, leaving them with no place to go!

On command from Plankton, Neptune fired up his trident.

"SpongeBob, what happened?" asked Patrick.

"Plankton cheated," said SpongeBob.

"Cheated?" said Plankton, jumping off one of the tables and walking over to SpongeBob and Patrick. He turned and raised a hand back in Neptune's direction. "Hold on, baldy."

On Plankton's command Neptune remained still.

"Oh, grow up. What do you think this is - a game of kickball on the playground? You never had a chance to defeat me, fool. And do you know why?" asked Plankton.

"Because you cheated?" responded SpongeBob.

"No, not because I cheated. Because I'm an evil genius and you're just a kid - a stupid kid! Ah, ha, ha, ha!" said Plankton as he burst into a maniacal laugh.

King Neptune and the bucket-headed fish joined Plankton, filling the Krusty Krab 2 with a booming laughter.

SpongeBob slouched. "I guess you're right, Plankton," he said, looking defeated. "I am just a kid."

"Of course I'm right," said Plankton. "Okay, Neptune, time to-"

"And you know," continued SpongeBob, "I've been through a lot in the last six days, five minutes, twenty-seven and a half seconds. And if I've leared anything during that time it is that you are who you are."

"That's right," replied Plankton. "Okay, Neptune, would you-"

But SpongeBob kept on talking.

"And no amount of mermaid magic-"

SpongeBob pointed to Mindy.

"-or managerial promotion-"

He pointed toward Mr. Krabs.

"-or some other third thing can make me anything more than what I really am inside - a kid."

"All right! That's great!" cried an antsy Plankton. "Now back against the wall!"

Just then a microphone dropped into SpongeBob's hands.

"But that's okay!" shouted SpongeBob into the microphone. "Because I did what everyone said a kid couldn't do. I made it to Shell City, I beat the Cyclops, and I brought back the crown!"

"All right, we get the point," Plankton moaned, now beating his head against the wall.

"So yeah, I'm a kid!" cried SpongeBob. "And I'm also a goofball! And a wing nut! And a Knucklehead McSpazatron!"

Smoke started to rise from the floor, and a spotlight was now shining on SpongeBob.

"But most of all, I'm...I'm...I'm..."

Eyes wide, everyone waited for Spongebob to tell the world what he truly was.