Chapter 6

Disaster At Sea

September 3rd, 2004. 3:30 P.M.

One mile west off the coast of Tokyo, Pacific Ocean.

A gentle wave rolled around the Zira-Maru, and seagulls passed overhead. The fishing vessel had left the harbor a few hours prior, and its crew was hard at work to reel in their catch of the day. Lively music played across the decks, and sailors chuckled amongst themselves as they reeled in their nets full of squirming fish.

Even with the reports pertaining to Godzilla, the fishing crews were more than eager to catch as much ocean food as they possibly could, despite the rumors of radioactive poisoning in the waters.

"Look at the size of that lunker." Fisherman Frikita remarked with glee as he observed a large salmon within the net.

"Yeah! Goddamn, we're going to be eating big for the next few days." Frikita's friend Ponji quipped, "It's been too long since any of us caught something to eat for dinner, and I've lost seven pounds since the last fish meal."

Pordi played a little tune with the guitar, "Oh, the joy of fishing, and reeling in the catch. We'll be eating it all tonight. Oh, fishing, the joy of fishing. Can you feel the glee of catching all the fish of the sea...?"

A loud boom resonated through the area, and the roar of the boat's engines suddenly ceased, leaving the Zira-Maru and the fishermen still in the ocean while waves passed them by. Every crew member glanced at one another, and kept their ears open, just before the sound of another boom shook the ocean.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Riliti questioned, "Is someone testing mines?"

"It doesn't sound like mines." Yivano said uneasily, "We're not in a war zone."

Loud thunder exploded, and people yelped in surprise. Moments later, a bright flash of light lit up the hull and the deck. The fishermen turned, and stared across the edge, baffled by the sudden turn of events. Another crack of thunder resonated across the fishing vessel, and the boat quaked in the water.

"AH! What was that?!" A man demanded.

"WHAT IS THAT!?" Someone yelled.

The Pacific Ocean, usually calm with a few traces of passing waves, gave off an eerie radioactive glow. Water began bubbling and boiling, with steam rising up from around the Zira-Maru. Just then, an explosion lit the ocean, and flames surrounded the fishing vessel.

"AHHHHHHHHRRRRRRGH!" The fishermen screamed, and a pair of them shielded their eyes. Panic set in, and people began scrambling. The flames crept onto the deck, and the Zira-Maru shuddered. Moments later, the structure erupted in a ball of fire, and a loud roar carried across the surrounding ocean.

"SKREEEEEOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNGK!"

"NO! IT'S GODZILLA!" The captain yelled, "GODZILLA'S HERE!"

"GODZILLA? GODZILLA!" The sailors screamed.

"GOD, HAVE MERCY ON US ALL!" Frikita wailed, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Godzilla himself rose from the ocean, flashing a radioactive shade of orange-red, and the surrounding ocean steamed and boiled. By this point, the flames had swallowed half the Zira-Maru, and many sailors were left helpless as the hellish fires consumed them all.

Smoke and fire permeated the air, and the burning ship jolted as it began sinking beneath the boiling waves. With no way out of the doomed wreck, Mshikio, an assisting fisherman, looked up into the face of Godzilla as the flames swallowed his body.

A scream escaped his lungs, and he felt his body smoldering, even as the waters relieved the pain before they swept through his nostrils and mouth.

Oil seeped from the sinking ruin of the ship, and ignited as soon as it touched the fires. The Zira-Maru smoldered away, until there was nothing that remained to be seen on the surface of the ocean, even as smoke billowed into the sky.

Godzilla let out a thundering roar, basking in his atomic glory, and his cry shook the ocean. An ominous wind swept across the Pacific, and the King of the Monsters observed the scene of the sinking before turning away, and he dove back into the ocean as the flames swallowed what remained of the crew.