The morning sun glistened on the waters, and the shores of a massive bay lined the far horizon. The huge five-mast ship crashed through unnatural waves as water soaked the upper deck and poured down the steps into the decks below. Crewmembers held their stations with discipline, acting on every word barked by the first mate.
A dark, hulking mass rushed beneath the surface of the water ahead of the ship, leaving a massive, rippled wake that created the artificial waves. Six harpoon lines were held taut and extended out from the bow of the ship, connecting the ship to the beast that dragged it forward faster than it could have traveled with its sails unfurled. Between the lines, at the center of the bow, extended a disproportionately large ivory horn, mounted firmly to the ship and pointing out like a sharpened battering ram.
"We're in the bay now, Captain," the first mate spoke. Her hair was black, and her skin a pale blue.
"Drop the sails and slow us down," the captain replied, hands of smooth grey-blue scales constricting around the helm.
The first mate turned to the deck and barked booming orders to the crew. Masts turned and soon sails unfurled, acting not to propel the ship but instead as windbreaks to slow it down. The sails bulged back as they caught the wind, the ship lurching and creaking as it rapidly slowed.
A harpoon cable snapped, flying back and whipping into a crewmember. He was thrown back by the massive cable, slamming into a mast before falling to the deck. Orders were shouted, and soon the man was being carried below deck to the healer's cabin. No sooner was a new harpoon loaded and fired, traveling impossibly far and arcing through the air before fins at its base flared and abruptly turned it downwards. It shot into the water with a splash, and a moment later a giant serpent-like head erupted from the water and roared in pain.
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"Hit!" The harpooner called out.
The call was echoed down by crew members down the length of the ship until it reached the captain, who snarled in approval. The ship groaned and lurched as the head dove below water and the beast pulled ahead even harder.
"Captain," the first mate began hesitantly.
"She can take it," he replied sharply.
"You said that last time," she said bravely and with a defiant stare.
The captain turned his beady black eyes on her, squinting the blue, scaly skin around them as his snarl revealed rows of triangular teeth.
"You don't scare me," she said, pointing beyond the bow, "that thing does."
He glared for a second longer, and then erupted into laughter. His large shark maw was agape and all his teeth on display as his bellowed his deep, guttural laugh. As he regained his composure, he looked ahead to the bow of the ship.
"One of these days, Meredith," he said, before raising his voice to boom orders across the deck, "slack the lines and furl the sails, let her think she's escaped."
Harpooners released levers on their harpoons, and the spools of cable spun as they rapidly unwound. Ropes were pulled, and the sails began to furl closed again as distance grew between the ship and its quarry.
"Take the helm," the captain said to his first mate.
He stepped aside and removed his deep blue, gold trimmed coat, dropping it to the deck. From a distance he might look every bit a man with a shark's head on his shoulders, but up close it was revealed that his whole body was covered in the smooth scales of sharkskin. His chest, inner arms and chin were all creamy white and grey, while his pointed snout, head, outer arms and back where a light blue. His body was crisscrossed with scars, with several large gashes across his chest most prominent.
"Captain?" His first mate inquired as the Shark Titan stepped onto the railing of the ship.
"The beast may not stop before it reaches the shore, I'll need to be there if she gets feisty. The ship is yours until I return."
Without waiting, he dove into the water.