Calm Before the Storm
I left the Foundation and stepped onto the deck to soak up the sun.The sea air was fresh. The sky was clear. The waves were calm.
Luffy was playing with SCP-999 and Chopper at the bow of the ship. They were building a tower out of wooden crates.Nami was checking her map. Vivi was helping her, learning the basics of navigation.Sanji was cooking in the galley, the scent of grilled meat drifting through the air.Zoro was sleeping against the mast, as always.Usopp was tinkering with something that looked like an upgraded cannon.Mr. Fish was quietly reading in a corner, enjoying the sun.Walter was sleeping on Vivi's lap, purring softly.
Two days without trouble. That's almost worrying on the Grand Line.
I lay down on the deck, arms behind my head, and closed my eyes.Peace. Calm.
It wouldn't last.
The Attack
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.[ALERT: SCP DETECTED][DISTANCE: 200 METERS][RAPID APPROACH]
I jumped to my feet. "Shit…"
Before I could even shout a warning—
BOOOOM!
A violent impact slammed into the hull of the ship.The Going Merry lurched dangerously. Everyone lost their balance.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Usopp screamed."ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?!" Nami yelled.
The entire crew rushed to the sides of the ship.
And then they saw it.
A wave. A HUGE wave.But not a normal one.
It moved freely. Without wind. As if it were alive.And it positioned itself behind the ship. Like it was hunting it.
Then it bit the hull.
Yes. BIT.
Because inside the wave, there was a shark ghost.
Transparent. Massive. With black, empty eyes. And teeth sharp as blades.
CRAAAAASH!
The ghost shark tore a chunk of wood from the hull.
"THE MERRY!" Usopp screamed in panic.
Failed Attempts
Luffy was the first to react.
"GOMU GOMU NO… PISTOL!"
WHOOSH!
His fist stretched out and struck the wave head-on.
Nothing.
His fist passed straight through the water without causing any damage. Like punching empty space.
"WHAT?!" Luffy pulled his arm back, confused. "IT DIDN'T WORK?!"
Usopp aimed his slingshot and fired several explosive pellets.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions detonated inside the wave, but only scattered the water temporarily, which reformed instantly.
"THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE!" Usopp shouted.
Even Zoro woke up.
He drew his three swords and positioned himself at the stern.
"Oni… Giri!"
SLASH!
Three blades of energy sliced through the air and split the wave in two.
But just like with the explosions, the water immediately reformed.
"Tch. What is this thing…?" Zoro growled, frustrated.
BEEP.[IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED: SCP-054-FR][CLASS: EUCLID][ABILITY: INTANGIBLE AQUATIC ENTITY][WEAKNESS: DIRECT WATER MANIPULATION]
I stood up and shouted loudly to be heard over the roaring wave.
"IT'S AN SCP! AN ANOMALY! IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY!"
"THEN DO SOMETHING!" Usopp yelled. "THE MERRY WON'T HOLD!"
I summoned the Foundation door.
"MARINE INTERVENTION UNIT! DEPLOY!"
Arrival of the Intervention Forces
The door swung open.
And ten figures stepped out.
Arlong. Kuroobi. Chew. Hatchan.Plus six other guards equipped with tactical diving suits and breathing masks.
They all carried harpoons and specialized underwater combat equipment.
They snapped to attention in perfect unison.
"MARINE INTERVENTION UNIT, READY FOR DEPLOYMENT!"
Nami saw them.
Her face darkened. Her fists clenched.
Arlong. Here. On the Merry.
But there was no time.
The ghost shark bit the hull again.
CRACK!
"ORDERS, DIRECTOR!" Arlong shouted, completely ignoring the murderous stares from the crew.
I pointed at the SCP. "Use Fish-Man Karate to injure or stun the SCP! I'll open a door to contain it, but you need to distract it first!"
Arlong looked at the anomaly with curiosity.A giant shark fused with a wave. Fascinating. Monstrous.
Kuroobi analyzed it quickly. "Since the shark is made of water, Fish-Man Karate should be able to hit it. That's our specialty—manipulating water."
He nodded. "Understood, Director."
Hatchan raised his six arms. "But who's going to distract the SCP?"
I took off my shirt.
Everyone froze.
Under the crew's stunned stares, I frowned at their shocked expressions.
"What? You think that as the Foundation Director I'm just going to watch with a coffee in my hand? No. I'm joining the fight."
Luffy burst out laughing. "GYAHAHAHA! YOU'RE GONNA FIGHT?!"
"Not exactly."
I turned toward the ghost shark charging again.
Then I jumped into the water.
SPLASH!
The Bait
Cold water hit me like a wall.
But I felt nothing. No cold. No panic. Just… water.
I started flailing around, arms and legs thrashing like a beginner.
"HEEEY! SHARK!" I shouted, deliberately swallowing water. "I'M DROWNING! FLOP FLOP!"
I sank slightly, then resurfaced coughing dramatically.
The ghost shark froze.
Its black eyes turned toward me.
Then it charged.
VROOOOM!
The wave moved at terrifying speed, rushing straight at me.
"GOOD! IT TOOK THE BAIT!" I shouted.
The Intervention Unit jumped into the water.
SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!
All ten members dove in perfect synchronization, disappearing beneath the waves.
[POV: ARLONG]
Shock and Pride
I dove into the water with my team.My gills opened automatically. Saltwater filled my lungs. It felt good. Natural.
The Director… he jumped in to act as bait…
I was shocked. Truly shocked.
At Arlong Park, I would have thrown a weak human to distract a monster. Without hesitation. Without remorse.
But him? The Director? He jumped voluntarily.
I'm glad I'm not the fish-man being thrown to an unknown anomaly.
I swam quickly, encircling the SCP with Kuroobi, Chew, and Hatchan.The six other guards covered us, harpoons ready.
The ghost shark rushed toward Marc, jaws wide open.
"NOW!" I shouted underwater.
[POV: MARC]
Unexpected Distraction
I kept splashing around like an idiot.
BEEP.[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED][DOOR ENLARGEMENT AVAILABLE][COST: ENERGY PROPORTIONAL TO SIZE]
I froze in shock.
"YOU'RE ONLY TELLING ME THIS NOW?!"
[FUNCTION UNLOCKED AT 12 SCP CAPTURED]
"YOU COULD'VE WARNED ME BEFO—"
SNAP!
The ghost shark's jaws closed around me.
"MARC!" Nami screamed from the deck.
I was stuck horizontally in its mouth made of water. Its teeth—though liquid—held me firmly in place.
But they didn't hurt me.
[IMMORTALITY: NO DAMAGE]
I raised my fist and punched its throat.
POW! POW! POW!
"TAKE THAT, ASSHOLE!"
It did nothing to it. But it was fun.
On deck, everyone was screaming.
"IT'S GOING TO EAT HIM!" Usopp yelled."MARC, FIGHT!" Luffy shouted.Vivi covered Walter's eyes. "Don't look!"
Counterattack
Arlong and the others took advantage.
They completely surrounded the ghost shark.
Kuroobi raised his hands. "Hyakumaigawara Seiken!"
WHOOOOSH!
An underwater shockwave slammed directly into the SCP. The water inside the creature compressed violently.
The shark let out a horrible screeching sound, like shattering glass.
And it spat me out.
SPLASH!
I was launched from its mouth like a cannonball.
"WOAH!"
The ghost shark immediately turned toward Arlong, enraged.
GROOOOAAAAAR!
It charged.
Arlong smiled. A predator's smile.
"Come on, little fish."
He swam like a pro—fast, fluid, perfect—straight toward the door I had opened.
I focused.
[ENLARGEMENT: ACTIVATION][SIZE: 4 METERS WIDE x 8 METERS HIGH][ENERGY COST: 15%]
The door expanded instantly, becoming massive. Big enough to swallow a ship.
Arlong dove through.
The ghost shark followed blindly, lost in its rage.
VROOOOM!
It entered the door.
I closed it immediately.
CLANG!
The SCP vanished.
[SCP-054-FR: CONTAINED][LOCATION: CONTAINMENT POOL – AQUATIC SECTOR]
Arlong emerged from the other side of the door unharmed. Just a small cut on his calf.
Back on Deck
Everyone climbed back onto the deck.
The guards helped Arlong out of the water. His cut bled slightly, but it was nothing serious.
Luffy ran toward me. "MARC! ARE YOU OK?!"
"Yeah. Just a little wet."
Chopper immediately scanned me with his doctor's eyes. "You're not injured?! The shark bit you!"
"I'm fine. Promise."
Nami approached, trembling. But not with fear. With rage.
She looked at me. Then at Arlong and the other fish-men lined up behind me.
A heavy silence fell over the deck.
Vivi held Walter tightly. Sanji smoked nervously. Usopp hid behind Zoro. Luffy watched, confused.
Nami spoke in a cold voice. "Why are they still alive?"
Confrontation
I sighed. "They went through hell to get here. They're not the same anymore. And it shows."
I gestured toward them.
Arlong and the others stood straight. In formation. Perfectly disciplined.
In their eyes, there was no longer contempt for the weak. Only the hardness of a soldier.
Hatchan gathered his courage and stepped forward. He bowed deeply.
"Nami-san… I apologize for what we did. We're not proud of it."
His voice trembled. Sincere.
Chew looked at Usopp with indifference. Not contempt. Not hatred. Just… acknowledgment that he had been beaten.
I know now that I'm stronger. But that kid had courage.
Kuroobi observed Sanji. He was evaluating his former opponent.
He's no longer the weak, arrogant man he once was. I've changed. So has he.
Nami clenched her fists. Tears welled in her eyes.
"I… I can't forgive you. At least not Arlong. He killed my mother."
Arlong lowered his eyes. For the first time in his life, he felt… regret.
Nami turned to me. "But… thank you for saving the Merry."
She walked toward her cabin.
SLAM!
The door shut.
Mixed Reactions
Each crew member reacted differently.
Sanji was furious. For Nami. He glared at me, then returned to the kitchen without a word.
Zoro stared at Hatchan defiantly. "Next time we fight, I'll cut you into eight pieces."
Hatchan nodded. "I accept."
Usopp trembled behind Chew, who completely ignored him.
Luffy looked at me with sparkling eyes. "Hey, Marc! Can we put SCP-054-FR in an aquarium on the Merry?!"
I sighed deeply. "No, Luffy. There's no room."
"AWWW!"
I opened the door again. "Alright. Back to the Foundation. Debriefing room."
The fish-men snapped to attention. "YES, DIRECTOR!"
They entered the door, which closed behind them.
[POV: ARLONG]
Regret and Reflection
I walked through the corridors of the Foundation, unhappy with myself.
I should have swum faster. I could have prevented him from getting bitten by that abnormal shark.
Even if it was an anomaly, that wasn't an excuse.
And then… the reunion on the Merry.
I didn't expect Nami's forgiveness. I didn't deserve it.
But I also didn't expect to be defended by the Director.
For the first time in my life, I regretted my past arrogance.
If I had been different…
But it was too late for that.
Debriefing
We sat down in a debriefing room. A large table, touchscreens, comfortable chairs.
The Director sat across from us.
"Alright. Positive and negative points of the intervention."
Kuroobi spoke first. "Positive point: We were able to hit the SCP using Fish-Man Karate. Advanced techniques work."
"Negative point," Chew added, "basic techniques did nothing. Only advanced techniques or those that control the water inside the opponent's body injured it."
Kuroobi frowned, clearly frustrated. "I thought our martial art would dominate all SCPs. But apparently, some are more resistant than expected."
His ego had taken a hit.
Hatchan nodded. "We'll need to adapt. Learn new techniques."
The Director smiled. "Exactly. That's why you train."
He pulled out bills and handed them to us. "Here's your payment for this mission. And you get one day off."
We took the money, surprised. "Thank you, Director."
Football Night
We gathered in my quarters—something we did after every training session.
We sat in front of the couch. Hatchan pulled beers from the small fridge the Director had given us.
I turned on the TV and put on an American football game.
It was my favorite sport. Violent. Strategic. Brutal.
The players collided with incredible force. The passes were precise. The tackles devastating.
"What is this sport?" Chew asked, fascinated.
"American football. A human sport. But a respected one."
We drank and watched until nightfall.
For the first time in a long while, I felt… good.
Not free. Never free.
But respected. Useful. Alive.
That's better than rotting in a cell.
[END OF CHAPTER 35][ANOMALIES CAPTURED: 13][SCP-054-FR: GHOST SHARK (EUCLID)][ABILITY: INTANGIBLE AQUATIC ENTITY][WEAKNESS: FISH-MAN KARATE][MARINE INTERVENTION UNIT: 1ST MISSION SUCCESSFUL][ARLONG: REGRET AND REMORSE DETECTED][NAMI: DOES NOT FORGIVE (EXPECTED)][FUNCTION UNLOCKED: DOOR ENLARGEMENT][COST: 15% ENERGY FOR 4x8 METERS][FISH-MEN MORALE: INCREASING][NEXT DESTINATION: ALABASTA (3 DAYS REMAINING)]