In Unsalted Waters
Shion has come to a lake on Groz Island to practice an underwater Bonsai art described in Samurai Handbook: Extra, a tome she dug up from the ground. Halfway through training she starts daydreaming about relaxing with Mirin, only to be awoken by a giant octopus.
Bamboo Tube: ...
From the surface of a quiet lake near the river mouth, a bamboo tube is sticking out.
Bird: Chirp...
A bird lands on it, hoping for a moment of respite.
Curious as to the nature of this perch, the bird sticks its head into the tube and pokes away with its beak.
???: Mnnng!
Bird: Chirp!
Any version of
Shion is a crew member
Shion: Pwaaah!
Huff... Huff...
Shion: What a surprise... I didn't expect a bird to block the other end while I was down there...
Shion gets up from the lake with a splash, bamboo tube in hand.
No version of
Shion in crew
???: Pwaaah!
Huff... Huff...
???: What a surprise... I didn't expect a bird to block the other end while I was down there...
She gets up from the lake with a splash, bamboo tube in hand.
Her name is Shion. She is a traveling swordswoman seeking a way to the far east in order to learn more about samurai culture.
While taking on a bodyguard job in the midst of her travels, she crossed paths with the crew and her childhood friend Mirin.
It was then that she brought a certain matter to the attention of (Captain) and company.
Shion: Samurai culture hails from a nation far to the east.
Shion: Although I may be from there originally, I moved elsewhere at a young age.
Shion: That is why my mannerisms may not be entirely accurate to my birthplace, and why I consider myself a false samurai in many ways.
Various setbacks during Shion's journey led to her running out of travel funds.
Seeing the plight she was in, (Captain) invited her to join the crew. They've been traveling together ever since.
Continue 1Shion: I suppose I've met my goal for now...
The sand in the hourglass by the lakeside has fallen completely, indicating that Shion was able to stay underwater for quite a while.
She takes the dog-eared book next to the hourglass into her hands and flips through its pages.
Shion: Now that I have the breathing-underwater part down, maybe I can start practicing underwater sword techniques as well.
Shion: Whatever it takes, I'm going to master this.
This is how it all began...
The crew follows the Divine Generals to a campground on Groz Island.
Mirin and Shion accompany them, hoping to join in on the fun.
Upon seeing the still, blue waters of the placid lake, Shion expresses a desire to focus on practicing a particular technique.
Vyrn: An underwater Bonsai art?
Shion: Indeed. Take a look at this manual.
Lyria: Hm... "Samurai Handbook: Extra," it's called.
Mirin: Let's see... "The ultimate underwater technique where you control the flow of water, forming an aqueous layer around your katana..."
Mirin: You're trying to master something this difficult? I'm impressed, Shion!
Vyrn: A lake's got depth, but it's not so bad that you'll have to worry about being swept away by the waves.
Vyrn: Still though, I dunno about this. The handwriting looks like a kid wrote it; the binding's kinda shoddy too.
Shion: Well, as the manual's title suggests, it's an "extra." It's bound to be different from your typical publication.
Shion: I followed a rumor that led to a plot of land in a remote village, where I found this secret tome. I have no doubt of its authenticity.
Lyria: You had to dig it out of the ground? This book is starting to sound more and more incredible!
Mirin: Gozaru! It's the same idea with fossils—gotta dig them out of the ground!
Vyrn: Aren't old books usually tucked away in some kinda storage vault though? Why would anyone bury a book in the ground?
Vyrn: The special move it teaches seems kinda flaky too. "Form a platform by pressing water together, then leap off of it"? "Utilize the constant motion of water to immobilize the enemy"?
Shion: Every move Master Bonsai devised seems impossible at first glance.
Shion: But only after you've mastered those moves can you call yourself a samurai. Simply donning a kimono and brandishing a katana does not make one a samurai.
Mirin: Gozaru! You're so cool, Shion!
Mirin: And you make a good point. I can't call myself a samurai either just by looking the part.
Mirin: There's so much more to it—like your frame of mind and how you wield your katana!
Shion: Indeed. That is why I must master the technique inscribed in this manual.
It is clear that Mirin had been hoping to take this chance to spend time with her childhood playmate.
However, Shion ultimately decides to focus on training instead and moves to a secluded area along the lake.
Shion: (Curl up your toes in the shape of a sickle, then press water together as if forming a mud dumpling. Once a platform has been created, leap off of it and—)
Shion: Bwah!
Shion: (Ngh, it's not working... I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to go about this...)
Unable to make much progress, Shion lies on her back, floating on the lake's surface.
Shion: Sigh... Mirin must be having a great time with the crew right now.
Shion: I came alone because I was afraid that I would do nothing more than play if I was with Mirin...
Shion: But oh, how much fun that would have been...
Mirin: Ahaha! The cold lake water feels so good!
Shion: It most certainly does.
Shion: Ah... A rainbow-colored fish is swimming down there!
Mirin: It's beeaauutiful! I love how its translucent body sparkles in the sun!
Shion: The fish is swimming that way! Let us go after it!
Mirin: Gozaru! How did you do that just now, Shion? That's a really creative way to swim.
Shion: The sidestroke? It's not that difficult. If you'd like, I can teach you.
Mirin: Really? You mean it? I'd love to train under you!
Shion: Haha...
Wait. Did you say... "train"?
Shion: Ah! I'm supposed to be training!
Jolted back to reality from her pleasant daydream, Shion raises her upper body.
After floating in a supine position for longer than anticipated, the water has carried her quite a distance away from the shore.
Shion: For shame... To think that I would get lost in Mirin's cheery disposition even in a daydream...
Shion: I'll have to get back first... Huh?
Giant Monster: ...
Shion: ...
Shion: Eeeep!
A giant sea monster had made its way behind Shion.
Completion of her underwater training within the day is starting to seem less and less likely.
Salt's Best on Octopus
The octopus takes Shion's katana, mistaking it for food. Shion nearly drowns in her attempt to retrieve it, but then a sorceress comes to the rescue.
Shion: Eeeep!
To focus on her underwater training, Shion went to a secluded part of the lake, near the river mouth.
As she unknowingly drifted along the current, she bumped into a giant monster and let out a scream.
Shion: Why an octopus of all things! They told me this lake was absent of monsters!
Giant Octopus: Krakaa!
Shion: Eek!
Before the creature can wrap its slimy tentacles around Shion, she quickly turns around and sidestrokes her way to land.
Giant Octopus: Krakoo!
Shion: It's coming after me! It's huge yet so fast!
Giant Octopus: Krachaaaa!
Shion: Uh-oh!
Shion: Urk!
It flails its giant tentacles, the resulting ripples pushing Shion toward land.
Shion: Cough... That was too close... Thank goodness it gave up.
Shion: Wait... Where's my katana?
Realizing her katana is no longer on her, Shion panics and dives back into the lake.
At the bottom of the watery depths, she scans the surrounding plant life and gasps at the sight straight ahead.
Shion: (Oh no! The monster's tentacles are wrapped around it!)
Giant Octopus: Kraaah...
Shion: (Please, no... It's mistaking my katana for food!)
Eager to reclaim her weapon, Shion approaches the creature.
Giant Octopus: Krakraah...
Shion: (It's putting up its guard... But I have to get close...)
Giant Octopus: Krachaaaa!
Shion: Mnf!
Not intent on giving up what it believes to be food, the octopus strikes at Shion's back, knocking the wind out of her.
Shion: (This is bad! I need air!)
Giant Octopus: Kraarrgh...
Shion: (Ngh! Its tentacles are wrapped around me! I'm going to sink at this rate!)
Sorceress: Oh no!
I'm here to save you! Fireblast!
Giant Octopus: Kraah!
This woman who's appeared by the lakeside unleashes her magic, scorching the creature's abdominal area.
Shion: (It loosened its grip! Now's my chance!)
Shion: Phew! You saved me...
Sorceress: Get down!
Shion: Uwaaagh!
Giant Octopus: Kraah...
Shion: Wait! Give me back my katana!
Shion's plea goes unheard as the creature is too focused on fleeing, wincing from the pain of the fireblasts.
Sorceress: I threw you a rope. Can you grab hold of it?
Shion: But my katana...
Shion: Ouch! I'm starting to feel the pain from the back strike earlier...
Sorceress: Are you okay? I can come to you instead!
Shion: I shall manage... I simply have to get out of the water first.
Shion grabs the rope with a safety float attached at the end, allowing the sorceress to pull her onto land.
Salt's Best on Octopus: Scene 2
The sorceress expresses profound interest when Shion introduces herself as a practitioner of the Bonsai arts. Just as Shion wonders how she will take back her weapon, a fishing rod comes flying out of nowhere and plants itself in the ground before her. She decides to use it in place of her katana.
Sorceress: Well? Does your back still hurt?
Shion: It's much better now. Thank you.
Shion offers her gratitude for the healing spell.
Sorceress: I'm one of the staff at the camp on the other side.
Sorceress: I've been adept at magic since I was a kid, so now I patrol the surrounding area to make sure no monsters get close to the campground.
Shion: So I see. That was a splendid display of magic earlier.
Sorceress: (She's awfully formal...)
Shion: I apologize for discommoding you. I did not think a monster would be lurking in the lake.
Sorceress: (Discommoding?)
Sorceress: Our camp is pretty far out. Still, I didn't expect to see anyone wander all the way here...
Sorceress: But that's no excuse for us not putting up proper warning signs. Sorry about that.
Shion: No, it was I who chose this area to train in. You have nothing to apologize for.
Shion: Though I must say that encounter with the giant octopus was quite the surreal experience... To think that such creatures exist...
Sorceress: They may not be particularly sightly, but they certainly are tasty.
Shion: They're edible?
Sorceress: Mm-hm! You want to massage octopus meat with salt and dip it in soy sauce for the best flavor!
Sorceress: Which reminds me, I set up an octopus trap pot around here. It'll be a small one, but how about I give you an octopus as a gift?
Shion: I appreciate the sentiment, but I'll pass...
Sorceress: It's really good though...
Noticing her disappointment, Shion changes the topic to something more uplifting.
Shion: Once again, I am truly grateful for your assistance. I shall be setting out soon.
Sorceress: Already?
Shion: The octopus took my katana. I must retrieve it.
Sorceress: A katana... Does that mean you're... a samurai?
Shion: Although I was born in the far east, I was raised elsewhere. Thus, I cannot call myself a true samurai.
Shion: I am currently in training to make up for the path that I should have tread. I have much to learn...
Sorceress: Okay, so I was on the right track then! I could sort of tell from the way you talk.
Shion: Oh... Do you know of the samurai yourself?
Sorceress: I sure do! Have you heard of the Samurai Handbook, written by Master Bonsai? I've read it so many times over since I was a kid...
Shion: I most certainly have. That book is my guiding light, and Master Bonsai is the teacher I envision in my heart.
Sorceress: You're kidding! The Samurai Handbook is your study guide?
Shion: Indeed.
Sorceress: Wow... Wow, wow, wow! Who'd have thought I'd be meeting a samurai who follows Master Bonsai's teachings!
Shion: My sentiments exactly. I did not expect to meet a fellow samurai trainee today.
Sorceress: Me? A samurai trainee?
Shion: Haha, what a strange quirk of fate.
Shion turns her sights to the center of the lake, where the giant octopus lies in wait.
Sorceress: Do you really plan on getting it back? That creature is no slouch.
Shion: Yes, I must. I cannot even begin to call myself a samurai without my precious blade.
Sorceress: I know what you mean, but it takes all of my energy just to chase it away... I've never once gotten close to it.
Sorceress: Bonsai arts are powerful, but that's a moot point without your katana in hand...
Shion: Fear not. As Master Bonsai once wrote...
Shion: "Wield a katana in your heart. Only when you are capable of this can you call yourself a true samurai."
Sorceress: A katana in your heart...
Sorceress: Ah!
A fishing rod comes flying out of nowhere, planting itself into the ground.
Shion: Huh...
In one bold stroke, Shion pulls the bamboo fishing rod out of the ground, then tries swinging it.
Sorceress: Where did that come from?
Shion: I do not know, but I can feel the craftsman's soul resonating from it.
Shion: It is lacking in neither resilience nor length. The samurai god must have sent this my way to save me from my plight.
Shion: Heavens above, thank you for this kindness. I will not let it go to waste!
Shion: This shall serve as my blade!
With the fishing rod in hand, Shion jumps into the lake.
Salt's Best on Octopus: Scene 3
By mimicking the octopus's underwater movements, Shion successfully retrieves her katana—mastering a new Bonsai art in the process. Before returning to the crew, she hands over Samurai Handbook: Extra to the sorceress as a parting gift. It turns out this training manual was something that the sorceress had written and buried long ago as a child.
Giant Octopus: Kraaah...
Shion: ...
Shion: (I can see the tip of my katana. I must retrieve it before it gets swallowed up!)
Breathing through a bamboo tube, Shion proceeds through the lake to confront the giant octopus.
Alerted to her presence, the creature's body changes color to black and white, concealing itself among the billowing water.
Shion: (Camouflaging, huh... But no matter—I shall stay my course!)
Giant Octopus: Kraaah!
While dodging the currents whipped up by the creature's flailing tentacles, Shion closes the distance between them.
Giant Octopus: Kraaargh!
Shion: (I must do something about the tentacles guarding its mouth if I am to retrieve my katana. Perhaps some provocation is in order.)
A determined Shion swiftly rushes in. However...
Giant Octopus: Krachaaa!
Shion: Rgh!
Finding herself unable to move freely, Shion suffers a direct blow.
Sorceress: I'll distract it with my magic! Get away as soon as you have an opening!
Shion: That won't be necessary!
Sorceress: Huh?
Shion: This is my battle. And it also happens to be the perfect opportunity for me to train in underwater Bonsai arts—an opportunity that may not come again!
Shion: I must triumph alone. I only ask that you standby and watch.
Sorceress: ...
Sorceress: Okay then. I'm rooting for you, Miss Samurai!
With a firm nod, Shion dives back underwater, bamboo pipe in mouth.
Giant Octopus: ...
Shion: (I must admit your maneuverability in the water far exceeds that of mine.)
Shion: (Being the novice that I am in underwater combat, I shall look up to you as a teacher on this occasion.)
The octopus whips up an eddy, hoping to draw Shion in and strike at her.
Shion deftly dodges the attacks, all the while carefully observing the creature's every little movement.
Shion: (Tentacles resembling whips, a body that propels itself forward by following the currents, and an underside that opens up like an umbrella...)
Shion: (I see it now. Becoming one with the water and matching its rhythm is the key to controlling water flow...)
Mimicking the octopus's movements, Shion swings her fishing rod and dangles its tip. Gliding through the water soon becomes almost second nature to her.
Giant Octopus: Kraaah!
Shion: ...
Giant Octopus: Kraaaw!
Shion: ...!
Sorceress: She's just keeping her distance and swimming around... Is she mimicking the creature's movements?
Giant Octopus: Krachaaa!
Shion: (There! I see it now!)
As if suddenly reaching an epiphany, Shion twists her body to dodge an attack.
Giant Octopus: Krah?
Shion: (I can move freely! I stand a chance!)
No longer feeling disadvantaged, Shion swims around every which way, as if mocking the octopus.
Giant Octopus: Krachaaaa!
Shion: (Your tentacles cannot reach me now!)
Shion: (Time to go on the offensive!)
Tucking away her bamboo pipe, Shion rushes forth with her fishing rod at the ready.
She dodges three tentacles, takes aim, and swings her rod.
Shion: Bonsai Underwater Art: Cold Noodle Slurp!
The line attached to the fishing rod shoots out and loops around the creature's tentacles.
Shion gives a hard tug, cutting off the line from the rod and binding the creature's legs. It flails about in panic.
Sorceress: Wow! You've got the octopus at your mercy!
Shion: (I have to finish this before it breaks free!)
Shion: Bonsai Underwater Secret Art: Watermelon Crusher!
Giant Octopus: Kraah!
As if smashing a watermelon on the beach...
The powerful surge of water resulting from Shion's swing violently shakes the creature's water balloon-esque body.
Shion: (It's not over yet!)
Shion: Bonsai Underwater Secret Art: Shaved Ice Brain Freeze!
As if carving a dazzling white crystal from a glacier...
Shion strikes at her surroundings in rapid succession. The resulting pockets of water dizzy the octopus, forcing it to relax its tentacles.
Giant Octopus: Kraah...
Sorceress: Wow! You pull off those Bonsai moves like a real pro!
Sorceress: I can't believe I just witnessed the Watermelon Crusher and Shaved Ice Brain Freeze with my own two eyes!
Shion: (My katana is halfway out of its mouth. Now to finish this!)
Shion swims circles around the octopus at a breakneck pace, generating a whirlpool to immobilize it.
Currents rising from Shion's propulsion encircle the fishing rod.
When she comes to a sudden pause, the water currents are instantly compressed and solidify, forming a platform that Shion kicks off of.
Sorceress: She jumped! And her fishing rod's encased in water!
Shion: Prepare yourself!
Shion: Bonsai Super Art: Flowing Noodle Rush!
Like flowing noodles coming down a bamboo flume that elude the chopsticks of hungry diners...
The torrent surrounding the fishing rod morphs into a sharp blade that puts a giant dent into the creature's soft flesh.
It is akin to a muddy stream penetrating a waterfall basin, or a meteor hurtling into the earth.
Shion's almighty strike plunges the octopus into the watery depths, the ensuing kickback generating a monumental splash.
The large fish and rubble nearby are caught in the impact, a splash so large and forceful that it reaches the river flowing from the lake, as well as the lakeside where the sorceress stands.
Sorceress: Eep! Cough...
Giant Octopus: Kraah...
The octopus spits out the katana and swims off, a sign of capitulation.
Shion: You proved to be a wonderful teacher. Truly, thank you.
Shion bows at the creature, retrieves her katana, then swims back to the lakeside.
Sorceress: ...
Shion: I apologize for making you worry. My katana is mine once more.
Sorceress: Your Bonsai super art left me speechless...
The sorceress stares wide-eyed at Shion.
Sorceress: I'm so glad I met you, Miss Samurai!
Shion: That passion in your eyes... It tells me you wish to become my disciple.
Sorceress: Huh? A disciple? Me?
Shion: Even if you do not say it, I can tell that you, too, wish to tread the path of the samurai.
Shion: But I'm afraid I must turn you down. For I am but a false samurai—one unworthy of taking in disciples.
Sorceress: Oh, please don't say that! You were truly incredible back there!
Shion: I appreciate the praise.
Shion: Which reminds me, I am still in your debt for your assistance earlier. I shall offer you this as thanks.
Shion takes out the training manual from earlier and hands it to the sorceress.
Sorceress: Oh my...
Shion: Samurai Handbook: Extra... This is the training manual for the underwater technique I just mastered.
Shion: Having memorized every word within the tome, I no longer have need of it.
Sorceress: ...!
Thank you so much, Miss Samurai!
Shion: Well then, I shall be off now.
Sorceress: ...
Shion takes off, her hair fluttering in the wind. The sorceress bids her farewell, then looks down at the training manual.
Sorceress: This brings back memories... How old was I when I first wrote this?
After a quick scan of the childish handwriting contained within, she looks up at the sky.
Sorceress: The characters in the Samurai Handbook were so cool, I couldn't help but think of my own special moves for them.
Sorceress: I wrapped this thing up and buried it in the ground, hoping to open it back up as an adult. But I'd completely forgotten about it.
Sorceress: Haha, who'd have thought my childish fantasies would come true one day! Maybe I can even write an illustrated storybook or design compilation based on the Samurai Handbook one day.
Brimming with childish joy, the sorceress takes off with a skip in her step.
Shion: I've made significant progress in my training. I should report to everyone.
With fishing rod strapped to her shoulder and katana by her waist, Shion proudly struts back to the camping grounds.