The King's Palace : Crustacean Capital City : Indian Ocean
Gawr Gura and Co&
" You see, I am something of a weapon analysis myself during the free time. That's the reason why I keep all kinds of war-related technology information
Atlantean ever produced in my personal data pad. You can asked Isla about this is you doubt me!" Tigre explained, showing the small information screen
made from genetic engineering cuttlefish he kept inside his hoodie pocket for everyone to see.
His daughter snorted. " For a hundred times, pop. My name is Itsuka the blue moon!"
Tigre sighed. " See? This is why I hated human influence. She became like this since the day Gura introduced some human media called Ar-Ni-Meh to her.
Watch out your kind before they will start speaking nonsense after watching some weird thing on screen!" He gestures at a bunches of Atlantean around
them, making Gura shuffled uncomfortably behinds.
" Can we get to the point, please?" Shark girl asked.
" Yeah. Yeah. Most of the weapons in the list are what we already known and still using nowadays. But there is an incomplete record that being written by
someone named 'Shiori' from the time since Gawr Gorgo( Atlantean first emperor.) is still alive. One of his priests has claimed to gaining knowledge from
gods.
About special kinds of microorganisms that can consumed any kind of wastes Atlantean societies ever made.
And cleans their environment as if there never been any kind of problem before. Everyone knows that in earlier time.
Our society still produced pollutions like everyone else, right?" Tigre paused to looks around the room, causing everyone to nodded solemnly.
" Okay, but if it is that good. Why don't you try to recreated it or something?" Crustacean king asked.
Tigre scratches his head. " Yes, there are some organic materials that in theory could have cooked this thing up again in Atlantean major cities' laboratories.
But there are some problems too.
First. The report said that Gawr Gorgo decided to not allow his priests to using it. Despite his brother pleading.
Yes, that Gorgo. The shark king who let his enemy being dried alive on land. Imagine he hesitated in doing something?
Using this microorganisms is one of them. If someone like that refused to using something. Then you better not trying it too!"
Gura frowned. " Wait a sec. Wasn't Gorgo's brother is also the one who killed him to seize his throne? If it has anything to do with the fact that they
argued about using this 'cleaner'?"
" Why?" Amelia unceremoniously asked, but the Atlantean who start get used to her human mannerless behavior let it slide for the favor of discussion.
" Because I remember that during the eclipse of Gorgo reigned. Their ocean start becoming more and more polluted.
This may be the reason why they have to created this 'cleaner' thingy in the first place. And I recalled that Gorgo's brother has a weak body since he was
born. Maybe he decided to, you know? Seize his throne because he cannot convinced his older brother to use the thing that could cleanse their ocean."
Martillo frowned. " A bit reach. And even if it is true. Then the new king must order his priests to used the super cleaning microorganisms they have invented,
or god given whatsoever.
But everyone know that the Atlantean original planet being cursed until no one can living in it shortly after death of Gorgo… Oh, are you gonna tell us that-"
Gura nodded. " Yes, at first. Our society blame Leviathan for the demise of our original Atlantis. But after I have befriended him.
We knows that he is not the cause and shoved it back to the natural disaster. But what if it isn't? If the destruction of our homeland caused by this
god-given pollution destroyer thingy?"
" That's kinda tinfoil theory there." Ina'nis protested. But every Atlantean seems to seriously considering it.
"Make sense, if those supreme cleaning materials thingy actually that good. Why would our ancestors have to prevented them from activating,
separate and then put those things in the heavily-defense laboratories? It sound sus to me." Tigre nodded.
" Okay, assuming that these speculations are true. How can we sure it has something to do with Moenaomii labs raiding that just happened earlier?" Martillo
asked.
Tigre cleared his throat. " Look. I can't said that I am 100% sure of what that Shark and whale abomination is aiming to when my daughter sending the lists
of place that being raid. It's happened to be the same labs I known containing the materials to recreate the 'super cleaner' microorganism.
I may be wrong, of course. But you guys should at least consider that as a possibility."
" So, Moenaomii. If he is really a child of that orca girl Shylily. He must being trapped in Atlantean original planet like the rest who being sacrificed to the
Leviathan right? Then how can he learned about all these crap? Assuming that it is really his goal to clean our ocean for whatever reason.
A place he never even live in the first place, mind you." Crustacean king asked skeptically.
" Who knows? The only way to be sure is to asked him directly, but I don't think that he will be in a mood for Q&A anytime soon." Gura snorted.
Sea otter king cleared his throat. " Let's moved back to the provable facts, then. Some of the prisoners was willing to speak after being 'convinced' by our
Moray teams for a while. They swears they did not know about the exact location of Moenaomii and Scylla, of course.
But some has admitted that the funds from their little war project has come from cephalopod kingdom.
Like those giant cargo octopuses and humbodlt fighter jets. Among with some mercenaries." He reported.
" Is it from Takoz?" Gura asked. Sea otter king frowned before he will answering. " Their sponsors never make an appearance.
But judging my those military grades weapons. I am willing to bet that someone higher up or even Takoz himself must have know it.
If not directly doing it themselves."
Gura gets up from her chair. " Good news then, prepared my personal army. I will asking Takoz himself if he knowing about any of this or not!"
" Sorry to say this, Gura. But you don't have Leviathan with you right now. And a number of hundred or so personal guards are not enough to scared Takoz.
How about calling some reinforcements from Atlantis too?" Martillo asked.
Gura shook her head. " Atlantis may being under attacked again. It's our heartland and I need the city to be as well defense as possible.
Your city too, old lobster." Gura says to the Crustacean king before he could offer half of his remaining soldiers to tagging along.
" You must accept at least ¼ of my army. Every shrimps are so eager to serving the last Gawr in person that they might killing each other just to be a part
of your journeys." Old lobster insisted.
Gura chuckled. " I am not the last Gawr now. Don't you remember? Moenaomii is also part of my family. Or even my own brother.
If you guys theory are true." Shark girl losing her trail of thought for a moment. Imagine what it be like to having a cousin.
Someone who can help carry the burden of last 'Gawr' with her.
Crustacean king aggressively shook his head. " Don't say such a thing. You are my one and only emperor.
No matter if there are million of Gawr out there or not. We shrimps have should our master. And it is Gawr Gura. Not everyone else."
" Thank you. I guess?" Gura scratches her cheeks, help the old lobster to get up again after he has kneeling down to prove the points while Ame and Ina
are clapping their hands in admiration.
" I have an army with me not too far away. Perhaps we could escort you to Takoz kingdom too." Tigre cleared his throat.
" And I insisted on bringing someone from Atlantis with us too. The city may or may not being target again.
But we have reason to think that Moenaomii is targeting you right now. Judging by everything we knows about him.
It is our duty to protect you. Let's us do our job like how you have done yours!" Martillo insisted.
" Me too!" "Me too!" " Don't forget about us!" " I don't have much army. But here we go!"
Sea serpent queen, penguin king and sea Lion princess are all heated up too. Even Poe tried to contact her home if she still have up to 100 good men or not.
" Attacking octopus empire? Sound fun!" " They kinda like my back for some reason. Let us aid you too!" Amelia and Ina'nis also joined the shouting,
turning the event into some kind of short concert that the name 'Gura' being yelled all over the room for some reason.
" Seriously, you shrimps!" Gura wiped her eyes before she will making a decision.
" It is decided! All of us! To the Cephalopod kingdom!" Shark girl yelled, rising her trident and causing everyone to cheered at the same time.
It takes a minute before the hype will finally dies down.
" But where is the Cephalopod kingdom though? I always sleep when traveling there." Gura tilted her head, causing all of her ministers to groaning in pain.
…
A Day Later
Preparing armies from so many Atlantean kingdoms to moving in the same pace are not quite simple. But in the end, they can pulled some 60,000 man and
ships to be ready for Gura's travels in a nick of time. The rest is to sending messages to the Cephalopod kingdom about the news of their arrival under the
cover of 'Emperror Tour' campaign that has to be made after the shambles of their nation under the rebellion attacks.
" Wow! I never seen such a colorful gathering before!" Amelia exclaimed, pointing at the green and red jellyfish with the size of a cruise ship that slowly
swimming passed them. The thing is transparent enough for everyone to see hundreds of soldiers in their sea creature hoodies as they are doing their own
stuffs inside this enormous jellyfish. But it is not the most bizarre thing in the line. Since there are giant tuna, sailfish, starfish, sea anemones and even a
blue whale that carrying Atlantean warriors on or inside them marching to join their ranks in Gura's touring parties.
No need to talk about light cavalrymen like normal sharks, seals and even a dolphins or turtle riders that floating around like a school of sardine from this far
distance.
" This is just a small part of it! You should visit me again during the festival time. We have a decoration that can make these guys feel poor in comparison!"
Gura bragged, riding on her Megalodon and ready to moves toward the center of the army before she will realize something.
" What about you guys? Wanna ride this big girl too?" Shark girl asked, lightly hitting the empty space on the Bloop back as she is talking with Ame and Ina.
" Nah! Shartson seems ready to be my guide." Amelia chuckled, stroking the blue shark that swimming above her shoulder as she is speaking.
" I think my jet propulsion can served me well enough!" Ina'nis said.
" Sorry for interrupting. But you might want to ride on something too. Your jet propulsion may being affected by the mana flows in our 'Ocean Highway' "
Crustacean king said, wearing the red lobster hood above his head as he is speaking.
Gura frowned. " Never heard about that. Care to elaborate?"
" Of course. After the departure of Murasaki Shion, the great Magi. She has left some unfinished projects in the hands of her students,
some Atlantean whose wanted to be a magician too. And this Ocean Highway is one of those.
Basically, our magicians can manipulate the ocean waves that linking between one Atlantean city to another and make it flows very fast.
Like some sort of way to speeds up our traveling.
In short, everything inside the mana tunnels will moved with hypersonic speed. We will visit Cephalopod kingdom in matter of hour.
Not a day like how we normally swimming there. It is not as good as Magician portals, of course. But good enough for casual mana user to perform without
much training." He explained.
" And you afraid that my jet propulsion mana will affected the mana flow inside that tunnel? I see!" Ina'nis nodded.
Shion is one of her magic teacher after all, even if it is for a short while.
" So Inya has to ride something too, right? Can you fetch a mounts animal for her?" Amelia questioned.
" I already did." Crustacean king proudly nodded, revealing the massive shrimp that slowly towering behind his back.
" Ebi-chan is ready to served too. And now everyone can compare it side by side with Tigre's…Bloop. To see which is the right one to be emperor of the deep's
mounts animal."
" Cool. I guessed? Ina'nis scratches her head before she will sitting on the shrimp's back, surprise when the transparent shield suddenly grows from the
animal and covering her whole front.
" It is quite comfy here." Ina'nis laughed, realized that the shell on the animal's neck is very soft, while it long antenna can be used as a safety belt.
" Glad you like it!" Crustacean king laughed, before he will riding his big-ass lobster toward his own position along side with Poe and the killer whale that she
has borrowed from Chloe.
Gura, Ina and Ame then riding on their sharks and shrimp toward the center of the waiting army. Before the magicians that standing on top of the city's wall
will blasting their magic toward the waves above their heads, creating a tunnels that big enough for every Atlantean to go through.
Gura rising her trident in silence, causing the soldiers and their fleets to marched on. All of them visiting the tunnel and being turned into a small dot which
being shoots away faster than how human eyes could captured it properly.
" Guys, maybe this is the bad idea-" Ame start chicken out when it is almost their turns. But Gura simply told Shartson in shark language to swimming
forward as she and Ina'nis are visiting the tunnels too. The trio then being suck inside, breaking through the sound barrier in matter of seconds.
" Woo!" Gura whoops. The Megalodon continues to swims with usual pace while it is being pulled forward with incredible force,
making the view outside the tunnel to turn into a random shapeless colors as she has swimming passed them.
" This is like VR game. Amazing!" Ina'nis shouts in excitement as she is being pulled along with the giant shrimp and everyone else.
The shield in front of her protecting Ina from being blown by the intense tide that being caused by the magic power inside the tunnel.
" Heelp! My face is melting!" Amelia broke her vocal cords as she and Shartson are being pulled forward with the speed she never know is possible.
Everything become blurry as the water starts repeatedly beating Ame's face like angry slapped from disappointed girlfriends.
Detective's hands starting to slipped as she is out of breath despite just eating 'Air Toffee' a moment ago for some reason.
Fortunately for her, before Ame could being pushed away from her shark. She suddenly being yanked back to her place by Poe who is riding on her orca next
to them.
" First time?" Orca girl smiles, patting the blue shark to make it help holding Ame steady as they are moving forward with hypersonic speed.
" Isn't that freaking obvious?" American who just learned how to deep diving yesterday yelled back in frustration. But judging by Poe's laughed and Gura's
" Let's go!" Yelling from behinds. Her suffering seemed to not ending at least for a while.
…
Octlantis : Great Barriers Reef : Australia
Gawr Gura & Co.
After a while. They finally visited the capital of cephalopod kingdom in the shallow water of Pacific Ocean.
Even Gura surprised at how close to the shore they are as she commanded her armies to start using their camouflage mode.
Avoiding some human divers and swimmer above and among them as they are marching into the beautiful coral of Australian coastal area.
" How can Takoz and his kingdom thrives here without being detected? Human are freaking everywhere!" Gura asked Martillo, stopping her invisible
Megalodon before it could've eaten one girl in snorkeling equipment that swimming very close to its mouth.
" Cephalopod are very good at sneaking. And walking among human help with his incomes too. A broadcast called " Dumpster human" is very popular in our
TV after all. He can just sends Atlantean to pranking on those human without they even realizing of what happening around them with an ease in exchange
of fame.
And since most Atlantean never seen the real sun and human before. This 'Octlantis' city has become a great tourist spots for over a century."
Martillo explained.
" Wait. He named his city 'Octlantis'? That's sound like a damn parody! How can we trust someone with that sense of humor?" Gura frowned.
" Hold up. Just because his joke is dry does not mean that he is a bad person. In fact, could he be one of my punple?"
Ina'nis seriously thinking about it for a moment before she will shook her head.
" We will know when we met him. Let's go." She concluded, causing Gura to nodded and commands her armies to marches forward.
They finally stopped in front of the great pile of corals that the map told them is the capital city itself. Gura then sending some soldiers to start knocking
the door, but getting no response as an answer.
" Maybe we were being trolled or something." Amelia whispered to Ina'nis who slowly nodded.
But after a moment. The corals suddenly shuffled, revealing the big city gate that hidden inside. Before hundreds of octopus soldiers will cancelled their
invisible mode. Showing up from where all of them has been hiding and points their guns and missiles launcher toward the approaching army in front of
them.
" Bow before Gawr Gura, the emperor of the deep, king of Atlantis, master of the great beast Leviathan and ruler of six oceans!" Martillo bellows through
the microphone, causing octopus soldiers to looks at each other eyes.
" May I asked why she decided to attacking our humble city?" One of the generals yelled.
Martillo snorted. " She is not. Emperor is here to talks thing out with Takoz. About the rumor that he could easily dismissed if it was false."
" Our king is not here." The octopus general answered.
" Bullsh*t! We just sending a letter to him yesterday. Is he daring enough to ignore the emperor host even after she has told him about the visit beforehand?"
Crustacean king yelled.
" But Takoz has left the city two weeks ago! You cannot find him here."
" But you can at least let us in, right? The emperor need a bit of rest before she will continue her tour somewhere else." Martillo questioned.
The general bow. " While Takoz is not here. His queen is still living in the palace. May I asked her first?"
Tigre snorted. " Tell her to open the door soon or we will marching in. In a not so friendly way too."
The general bows again before he will disappear inside the gate. After a minute or so. The big city gate finally open with one woman swimming out of it.
She is wearing a tentacles crown on her silver hair. The shiny scaly dress dancing with the sunlight as she reaches Gura on her Megalodon back and dipping
her head a little.
" Emperor of the deep. You never seen me before but I am Takoz new wife. Holf Enpiner, from cuttlefish clan."
" You are very pretty. Takoz must be lucky to find you." Gura frowned when her usual complement get a small laughed from Holf, but the queen of cephalopod
quickly hide it by lowering her head even deeper.
" As we have said earlier. I afraid that Takoz is not here. Along with most of his soldiers. But he always travel a lot nowadays and never told everyone.
Not even me about his destination." Holf explained.
" And since there aren't many people in the city. I afraid that your army will not met much comfort in my empty city.
Perhaps you may considered visiting our second town instead?" She continues.
Gura snorted. "Let's get straight to the fact here. I aren't here just to chilling around. Not after the rebellion war you must've heard it from news.
I need to know where Takoz is and if he has anything to do with it or not. If you know anything. Please tell me before our people will being hurt any further."
Holf squinting her eyes. " You have grown up a lot then, just like in rumors." Before she will quickly asked. " Can I has a personal drinking party with you?
There may be something we can discussed over an ink juice."
" Know your place, woman. She is not a child you can orders around." Tigre walking toward Holf. But Gura simply raised her hand.
" I am interested in what she is going to says. Beside, her soldiers couldn't matched us in numbers and bits of drinking couldn't hurt.
I will go with her. Any objection?" Shark girl asked.
" I will blown the whole city up if you did not come back safe and sound." Crustacean king declared.
" No need for personal guards. But perhaps my friend would interest in joining the party?" Gura turning toward Ame and Ina, whose nodded.
" We wanna go to!"
Holf looking at two human for a few seconds. " Do you trust them?" She asked Gura, who slowly nodded.
" More than my own judgment." Shark girl said, causing Holf to grinned.
" I see. Let's go then. A drinks are waiting."
…
After walking inside the city of corals. Ina'nis gasped at so many paintings and pictures that being decorated on the walls.
Each one even bizarre than the last. But the one that captured most of her attention is the picture of big, glowing eyes from the depths of the black ocean.
Where hundreds of small creatures that looked like a purple cephalopod with human eyes and mouth a gathering around it.
" Ancient one? But why?" Priestess choked.
" Knowing him too? He is our gods since the beginning of cephalopod society. Rumors said that he is to every Atlantean too until they moving to worshipping
the new gods in the later era." Holf asked, causing Ina'nis to touching her squishy hair by instinct.
" He is not someone you supposed to worshipped. He changed me. Turning me into a monster!"
Holf frowned at Ina'nis. " You talks like you knows him before. Wait don't tell me you are-"
"""" Priestess!"""" A shouts from behind make all of them flinched. Ina'nis turning back to see group of familiar octopus soldiers in civilian clothes who
gawking at her before they will quickly kneeled. Looks like these guys are the one that faced her in Crustacean kingdom from earlier.
" She is here!" " We are not halu fr fr." " Please let us carry your back!" " Can I drawing it? Onegaishimasu!"
A creepy chanting taking Ina'nis and her friends a back a little, while Holf seems amused for some reason.
" I see! Ancient one priestess. Looks like you have got an interesting friend here." She laughed, kicking those moaning soldiers aside before they could
touching Ina'nis back and leading Gura and her friends toward her personal chambers.
Inside, there are eight octopus sofa with a showing case filled with decorated bottles made of shellfish. Holf picking one up and using her Atlantean power to
controlled the black liquid inside to moving through the small tube into three closed cups on the table.
" You want your ink sprinkled or not?" She asked, lifting the cup for those threes to see the swirling liquid that being stopped by air bubble before it could
being mixed with sea water.
" I don't want any ink, sprinkle or not!" Amelia sighed, placing the cup in front of her while Gura and Ina simply drinking it through their tubes.
" So, what do you want to talk with me in person?" Gura asked after finishing her ink.
Holf cleared her throat. " Here is the thing. I never seen you before. But I have heard about you a lot. Since your father has ordered so many of us to not
coming back to the Atlantis until we can find you for the day you have run away from the city 9,000 years ago.
Which, as you may already know, all of us failed and have to living in other planets for the rest of our lives. Until you finally returned years ago."
She continued. " By the time I returned. My husband already remarried. Hell, my son also remarried. It's a long f**king time since I last visit my home,
after all."
" Sorry about that." Gura muttered. Another life she has ruined by selfishly running away then. She get used to feeling like sh*t by now.
Before Ame could stepped in to defense her friend. Holf suddenly shook her head and make everyone surprised.
" No, I don't blame you. Your mother being sacrificed to the giant sea monster ffs. I would run too if I were you." She chuckled.
" And why do you want to tell us about this?" Ina'nis asked, wondering if there is something in the ink or not.
" I wanted to thank you. If I never being sent away from home. I might not be able to learn a lot of things I can do nowadays.
Like sneaking into the king's bed and forced him to married me in order to preserve 'his' honors. Lmao." She whispered,
making the trio cringed a little before quickly changing the subject.
" But that's not the point. My point is that during the time I traveled. I have joined the special forces called 'Dead Beat' and met a group of very important
friends while fighting Undead's army." ( Holf is referring to the event from ' History of Holoearth extra book : The Lost Song of Life and Death' arc.
If you wondered what the hell is all this about.)
"Of course we have separated since then and I kinda keeping their memories in my heart. But there is one thing that keep bothering me.
You guys are friend with Phoenix, right? I saw her in the news during the time council has attacked New York City."
" Oh yeah, I suppose so. What's the deal?" Gura asked.
To her surprise. Holf seems to be on the verge of crying as she is holding Gura's hands. " Her name is Kiara, right? If she is.
Please asked her the next time you guys met if she has found someone name Calliope or not. It's been more than two thousand years since I have seen them
together. She said she will sends a letter if she ever find Captain Mori- I mean Calliope, but it never come and I assumed that they never finding each other
again."
To Holf's surprises. Gura, Ina and Ame suddenly laughing their asses off.
" Bro! Where have you been? Calli and Kiara already met for years. She is the girl human called 'Reaper'!" Gura laughed.
" Wait, but how?" Holf stuttered.
" It's long story. But in short, right now they are the gayest couple on this planet. Hell, they even have adopted son together!" Ina'nis elaborated.
" But if you are not sure… do you have any human contacting systems? I can giving you their DM right now." Amelia offered, opening her phone.
" Uhm. I am not ready yet! My hair is messy and my dress is sh*t!"
" Squidsh*t! You are beautiful now. Let's me sending your picture real quick!" Amelia snapped Holf's picture and quickly sending them toward Kiara with.
'Remember this girl'? In the caption, causing Kiara to quickly sending surprise emoji and demanded to talks with Holf as fast as possible.
So, Amelia handing her phone to the cuttlefish queen before she will signaling Gura and Ina'nis to leave the room while the old friends has met each other
again. Blonde detective then closing the door as girls squealing start blasting from the inside.
…
After 20 minutes or so of waiting. The trio finally looked up again after Holf has opened the door again. Her face gleaming with happiness.
" Happy now?" Amelia raised her eyebrows, accepting the phone Holf has given back to her.
" I am good now." The cuttlefish queen's body seems to changing colors on its own as she is wiping her eyes.
" Thank you. I've owned you guys big time." Holf holding the tro's hands with both hands. Struggling to find the right words to thanks them properly.
" Takoz's location is enough to repay us!" Gura sighed.
Holf touching her own chin as she is thinking.
" He really never told me about his whereabouts. But I may have an idea. He have a favorite place somewhere in Pacific Ocean.
I never really care to research about it. Gotta check his letter first."
Holf walking right into the king's chamber and kicks the door open, scaring the maids away as she start open every basket and drawer in the area.
" Gotcha! I think this is his favorite place! Takoz is probably here at the moment." Holf said, spreading the poster on the table for the trio to see.
There are pictures of many great white shark swimming on top of one floating building in the middle of dark ocean with the words 'White Shark Café '
written on top of it.
" What the heck is it? Amelia asked.
" White Shark Café. A hotspot in mid-Pacific Ocean for so many great white sharks to hangout with each other. Look like Atlantean has taking part of the fun
too and building something there. If Takoz is really there we should be able to talks to him in no time!" Gura eyes light up after seeing the possible lead
toward the king of cephalopods. But Holf decided to breaks their excitement with her warning.
" But his army is also there too, remember? And I guessed that you don't want to fight with him. Not with the risks of civil war all over the kingdoms like this
time."
" Yeah…" Gura lowering her gaze.
" But perhaps we can still talking to him in peace! I will be the head of the meeting myself. But we will need a bit of help from ancient one priestess over
here." Holf smiled, pointing at Ina'nis who is just playing with the small octopus on the sofa.
" Me?" Priestess asked, pointing at herself in disbelief.
" Yes, or rather. Your back." Holf grinned.
Gura looking at the ceiling. " Gotta give her some big hoodie then. Do you have any to spare?"
…