A small coral island not even properly recorded on maps. Clear seas. Warm sunlight. Abundant coral reefs.

And

A small tribe lived here. A village of shark demi-humans. Among them, there was one particularly noisy existence.

🦈 Sharky

"Yahoooo—!" Splash-splash 💫

A small shark demi-human cutting through the water, wagging her tail.

🦈 Sharky "Out of the way, out of the way!" "Sharky-sama is coming through!" "Today, Sharky-sama is going to catch the biggest clam! Jyoss! 🦈"

The other shark demi-humans watch with a smile. The adults hunt slowly, and those her age swim or run around between the corals. Sharky sniffs around, rummaging through the sand.

Sniff-sniff 👃 Sniff-sniff 👃

🦈 Sharky "Hmm..." "Here it is!" "Sharky-sama's nose is never wrong!" (Pulls out a clam) "See?!"

Another Demi-human "That one's small, though?"

🦈 Sharky "...It's not small!" "This is a strategic clam!" "Strategy! Jyoss! 🦈"

Adult shark demi-human laughs.

Sharky was the most accident-prone, the most curious, and the loudest female in the tribe. But— everyone knew. Sharky hated being lonely more than anyone.

Tribal Elder "Sharky. Are you out looking for human things again?"

🦈 Sharky "But it's fun!" "Sometimes there are shiny things too!" "Treasure!"

Tribal Elder "Humans are dangerous."

🦈 Sharky

"Humans are all villains anyway." "But..." "...I am a little curious."

Sharky finds a clam. Opens it. Sparkle.

A pearl.

Her eyes widen.

🦈 Sharky "Ooooh—!" "It's treasure!" "Sharky-sama found it!" "This belongs to Sharky-sama! Jyoss! 🦈"

Other demi-humans flock over.

"Show me!" "It's really big!"

🦈 Sharky "I have no intention of giving it away!" "I'm going to put it in Sharky-sama's treasure vault!"

Sharky climbs onto the island holding the clam. On top of a small bunker. Pose.

🦈 Sharky "Listen up!" "The best treasure hunter on Coral Island!" "It's the great Sharky-sama!"

The tribespeople laugh below.

Tribal Elder "There she goes again."

That day, too, was an ordinary day. A day with laughter, with family, and with the warm sea. No one knew. That before long—

This sea would be swept up in war.

---

The sea where sunlight descends gently. Sharky leisurely swims between the corals.

Splash-splash 💫

🦈 Sharky

"What should I eat today~" "Clams? Seaweed?" "Or treasure hunting?" "Jyoss! 🦈"

Suddenly— A flash of light in the distance. A flare.

🦈 Sharky "...Huh?" Sniff-sniff 👃 "Strange smell." "It's the smell of oil."

Her expression stiffens. In an instant—

Flash

A light so bright it's blinding. And then—

BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

A roar that tears through the water. A shockwave pushes the sea back. Sand and coral are swept away. Schools of fish scatter.

🦈 Sharky "What is it?!" "What is this?!" "Am-nya! 🔥"

Sharky comes up. The moment she pokes her head out of the water— The sky is burning. Warships. Missiles. Explosions. Smoke. Flames. The sea is shaking.

🦈 Sharky "It's the villain humans!" "They're fighting?!" "Here?!"

A missile falls.

BANG!!!!

The sea turns upside down.

🦈 Sharky

"Hey!!" "This is Sharky-sama's home—"

A massive explosion. The entire sea is distorted. A shockwave rushes in.

🦈 Sharky "Uh—?"

KABOOM

A water pillar. Waves. Light. Sound. Everything gets mixed together.

Sharky is swept away. Spinning around. She falls deep into the sea.

🦈 Sharky "Wait—" "This—" "Is too—"

Strong. Blackout.

Deep under the sea. It's quiet. Debris slowly sinks. Broken metal. Shell casings. Oil.

And one small body. Slowly sinking. Sharky. Unconscious.

A moment later. A finger moves. Eyes open slightly.

🦈 Sharky "...Ugh." "My head..." "What was that..."

She looks around. The water is murky. Debris is floating around.

---

Sniff-sniff 👃 🦈 Sharky "The smell of oil..." "The smell of gunpowder..." "It's the smell of the villains..."

She looks upward. The burning sea in the distance.

🦈 Sharky

"...A fight." "...Human war."

She mutters quietly. And for the first time, a slightly fearful expression.

🦈 Sharky "...Sharky-sama's island..." "It'll be okay, right?"

---

In the calm sea. Sharky is sitting on the sand, catching her breath. A bizarre sound heard from afar.

Vrooooooooom

A metallic sound tearing through the water.

🦈 Sharky

"...?" "What is that?"

Sniff-sniff 👃

"...A very strange smell."

The sound gets louder.

Shoooooooooon

A massive lump of metal. It comes flying through the sea. Sharky's eyes widen.

🦈 Sharky

"Huh?" "Huh-huh-huh—?!"

She instinctively springs her body. Splash!! She avoids it by kicking the water with her tail.

⸻

The torpedo grazes past.

⸻

Sharky lands on the bottom. She stares blankly.

⸻

🦈 Sharky

"...What was that?" "...A villain toy from a submarine?"

⸻

The torpedo flies toward the coral island in the distance. A moment of silence. And then—

⸻

KA-BOOM 💥

The sea explodes. Light. Shock. Water pillar. Fragments.

⸻

Sharky's pupils tremble.

⸻

🦈 Sharky "...Huh?" "...Huh?"

The island visible in the distance. Flames. Smoke. Coral being crushed. Debris pouring into the water.

⸻

🦈 Sharky

"...Wait."

"...Wait."

⸻

Her expression gradually crumbles.

⸻

🦈 Sharky

"That..." "Sharky-sama's home..."

Sharky swims like crazy. Splash-splash-splash-splash 💫 The water is churned up. She becomes short of breath.

🦈 Sharky

"Move!" "Get out of the way!!" "Mom!" "Everyone!"

The sea is quiet. Too quiet. The coral is broken, the houses are gone, and only debris floats around. Sharky stops. Her breath hitches.

🦈 Sharky

"...Huh?"

She flips things over here and there. Rocks. Coral. Sand. There's no one.

🦈 Sharky "It's a joke, right?" "...You're hiding, right?" "You're doing this to tease me, right?"

The quiet sea. There is no answer. Sharky's hands tremble.

🦈 Sharky

"...They're gone." "...No one is here."

Tears well up. Sharky comes up to the surface. She looks at the burning island. She reaches out her hand.

🦈 Sharky

"Hey!!!" "Answer me!!!" "Mom!!!" "Where did everyone go!!!"

Tears fall.

🦈 Sharky "Don't leave Sharky-sama alone..." "I hate this..." "I hate ittttttttt!!!!"

Her cries spread over the sea. That day, Coral Island disappeared. And— so did Sharky's world.

---

As time passed, Sharky became accustomed to living alone.

When hungry, she gathers seaweed, and when bored, she wanders the sea looking for shiny things.

The little collector of Coral Island. That was the Sharky of now.

---

Sharky runs through the sea with an armful of seaweed.

🦈 Sharky

"Today's harvest is good!"

"With this much, I don't have to worry about dinner!"

"Sharky-sama is indeed great! Jyoss! 🦈"

Just then. A massive shadow cast on the floor. Sharky stops.

🦈 Sharky

"...Huh?"

A massive, rusted object that has sunk. A sunken submarine.

🦈 Sharky

"It's a villain human ship." "It's completely wrecked." "...Is there anything left?"

Inside the submarine Sharky goes inside. After rummaging around, she finds a piece of cloth.

🦈 Sharky

"Oh?" "What's this?"

She unfolds it. An Iron Cross medal attached to the chest.

🦈 Sharky

"It's shiny!" "It's a good item!"

She tries it on out of curiosity. Sharky stands still for a moment.

🦈 Sharky

"...It's warm." "...It's nice."

Her tail wags slightly.

🦈 Sharky

"This is Sharky-sama's clothes!" "I'll wear this from now on!" "Jyoss! 🦈"

After that day, that worn-out knit sweater becomes Sharky's most precious possession. A small treasure found in the sea.