"Kujo, get Mr. Mizushima down here. Shinya clear out the crew, not a word of what's in that freezer to anyone else. I'll keep Takanori."

The men dispersed while Takanori was trying to shake free from Skipper Aoki's grip.

"I said I was keeping whatever was in my net! I saved her. She was in my net."

"Those nets are your families income and ours, you can't claim a whole net, Takanori. The guys were teasing you. You can't keep something like that. Whatever it is."

"She's an Octopus-girl."

"Are you believing this?"

"No, ...but she's there. I knew I shouldn't of said anything."

"You don't think we'd have seen her in there as we were stacking up the fish?"

Dragged along the pavement and up to the beach by Aoki to meet his father, Takanori was dazing out. He knew he was arguing to whatever Aoki was saying but his mind wasn't registering anything. Perhaps the shock was finally hitting him. He didn't receive a slap or harsh words, there was only panic and rushed talking between the two men floating around his head. Kujo came running back down the beach dunes, cutting off the road to harbour in shortcut. Takanori vaguely noticed him dragging a too large crate with a rope and smaller finer netting bunch rolled under his arm, and then they were all together and running back to the anchored Trawler.

"The Crew know something's up, we cut the trip early. This needs to be kept undercover. Wanted to get to you as quickly as possible. You're not going to believe your eyes Mr. Mizushima."
Takanori's Dad was silent and grave as he puffed along beside the men trying to keep up. Takanori wasn't sure how he was taking it, but he was keeping his wits through the nonsense because he kept both his flip flops on as he ran, unlike Takanori who lost one and then the other in the rush.

"We tried talking with it, but it saw no reason. We then tried putting it in a larger box crate we found, but it's legs just kept flailing through the handle holes and it's got a nasty temper. Shinya got whipped round by his feet. We locked the Fish Hold but turned the temprature up a little just incase, for it's safety. The fish should be fine, their icing hasn't melted, ...unfortunately we couldn't pack and stack them, so they're everywhere."

"Takanori sure did catch something, I'll give him that. We might all be in for a fortune."

"How have you caught the Kraken on a boat that size?"
"It's not the Kraken Mr. Mizushima, but it's somewhat like it."
Climbing on board, Aoki held Takanori back while Shinya, Kujo and his Dad went forward.
"Dad!" Takanori tried calling out from Aoki's restraint, "me and her have already spoken, I should be going, she recognises me!"

Takanori watched as the men cantered down the decking and round out of sight to the fish hold. Kujo's crate following behind them, intended for Audrelina.

"Infact, you don't even need to be here. I'll take you back home, out of the way, then I can give them a hand," Aoki had decided.

~ *** ~