Everyone was dead silent, waiting for the pink fishysauz woman to elaborate on the perils of the Ocean Kingdom. She raised her flipper, opened her mouth wide to expound at length, but instead a dry choke came from her mouth. Her large eyes grew veiny and she managed a raspy "Water!!!"

Suddenly, everyone was scrambling around the cabin looking for something to douse the choking fish woman with. At last, Captain Abacab grabbed a bottle of Yo-Ho and poured it on her gills.

The pink fishysauz stopped hyperventilating. She took a deep breath with a wall eyed stare before her eyes went half lidded and she sighed. "Wow, this chocolate fizzy water is amazing!"

"You arrrrr right about that!" Captain Abacab smiled. "That's why I drink it morning, noon and night!"

"Care to tell us..." Chloe started. "Why the Ocean Kingdom is in danger?! Not that we pirates care or anything, but we are passing through there on our journey to the Underpass!"

"Pirates?!" the pink fishysauz squeaked. "Oh Yertle the turtle, I'm really done for now!"

Ramone, even if he was still drying his fur, quickly interjected. "Well, technically, my good sea madam! I am actually a fashionista and Annabell here is the queen of the Mainland!"

Ramone sneezed as loudly before Monica added, "And I am a swordswoman!"

"And I..." Vinnie the Eel began. "Am actually a sea gangster" he clutched her flipper with love in his eye. "By the way, pinky, are ya free, Friday? Owch!"

Monica slapped his wrist before Abacab at last added, "And I'm...well, actually I'm a pirate. So there's one pirate here and a buncha freelancers I hired to help me find the polka dotted whale!"

"Whew," the pink fish lady sighed. "I thought I was a goner. I thought you'd string me up by my gills and make me choke on the air!"

"Nope!" Chloe said, with her arms crossed. "But I am tempted to do that if you don't tell us who you are and what's going on in the Ocean Kingdom!"

"Oh right..." the pink fishysauz said airly. "My name's Luna and I'm the co-owner of the fish catching selling service, Luna's Tuna! Our motto is, "Fresh off the boat like me!"--she giggled softly--"Me and my big bro, Gillian run it."

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"And the danger...?" the young queen asked, growing somewhat impatiently.

Luna thought for a second, closed her eyes and then wearily shook her head. "I forgot!"

"You what?!" everyone exclaimed, flabbergasted.

Luna shook her head. "Unfortunately, being a fishysauz we don't have the best memory..."

"Arrr?!" Captain Abacab roared. "Have we just been cat phished?"

"She can phish me anydays!" Vinnie the Eel chuckled.

"I'm sorry," Luna said. "I wish I knew more. All I know is I've been separated from my big bro and there's something direly wrong in our domain. But that's all I know."

"Well..." Chloe said at last. "We'll probably be stopping off there on our way to Serpant's Pass. While we're there we'll let you know if there's anything...fishy."

Everyone groaned loudly and Chloe smirked. "You guys started it!"

Luna clasped her flippers. "Oh thank you," she cried. "I appreciate that sooooo much. But before we depart, can I please have a tank full of that chocolate fizzy water?"

"Get da lady anything she wants!" Vinnie the Eel screamed.

***

As Abacab started piloting the ship when the storm stopped, Chloe had been keeping her distance from Ramone after the incident. She was never one to play coy, but this was one time where their fight had left her flustered. But as she reclined on her cot, she heard the soft patter of hooves on the floor. She looked up and Ramone was standing before her, his hooves behind his back.

"Don't get too close to me, my queen," he said. "I think I'm getting a cold from being out in the ocean!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rammy," Chloe said with her hands to her blouse. "I'm...sorry I made you go out there in the first place."

"I think we can both admit we were wrong," Ramone said, a weary smile fixed on his goatlike face.

Chloe sighed. "We can. I don't really think you have sand up your buttcrack."

"And I don't think you really want to be princess of the paupers..." Ramone said. "My sincerest apologies."

The two were silent for a moment in time, before Chloe added with a soft whine, "Are you still going to leave us when we reach the Ocean Kingdom?"

Ramone shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not sure, my queen. I still would want to go..."

Chloe frowned deeply when he said those words.

"But...I should focus on getting better first!" Ramone held his hooves together. "Perhaps I can get you to fix me a bowl of chicken mango soup!"

Chloe frowned. "You want me, the bloodthirsty queen of the godforsaken pirates, to wait on her servant..." her face rose in a smile. "It would be my pleasure..."

"Argh!" Captain Abacab roared as he burst in the doors "No pleasure allowed."

"Aww man," Vinnie the Eel muttered as he eyed Luna and Monica.

"What's wrong?!" Chloe exclaimed.

"We're almost to the Fishysauz domain!" Abacab said, "but..."

There was a ear piercingly shrill animal roar from outside the Whaleboat.

"SHARK ATTACK!" the captain cried at the top of his lungs. "Every child, goatman, swordswoman, gangster and pirate for himself!"