Polluted Pirate's Lair
As Thematos, the cannibal giant, made his appearance, the pirates couldn't contain their horror. From their viewpoint, with the Secret Book regurgitating what it had swallowed, it must have looked like a five-meter titan plummeting from the sky.
"Keuhehehe… A feast. A royal banquet."
And how grotesque was Thematos? His welcoming grin sent the scattered food around them into utter panic.
"Uwaaaak! Monster!"
"Gods have mercy!"
But Thematos seemed delighted by the reaction.
"The prey's so fresh. Hehehe, wriggling like shrimp!"
Needing no further scouting, Thematos snatched a nearby pirate paralyzed by fear. With a flick like snapping a forehead, he bashed the head clean off.
Pong! Accompanied by an oddly jaunty sound, the human head sailed away like a golf ball.
Whoosh.
Thematos gulped down the blood gushing from the headless corpse, positively thrilled.
"Been a while since I wet my whistle. Keuhehehe!"
The sudden powerhouse's arrival tensed up the leisurely pirate triad leaders. The left one's hand hovered at his sword hilt, the right retreated a step, and the center shook his head with a deep sigh.
Thematos turned his attention to them.
"Peleus! Want me to handle these? Sniff sniff! Don't smell human. Fishy stench for some reason."
"Nah, you secure the village. Leave Aitos and his goons here. Same for the innocent slaves."
"Gotcha! Works for me! Starving my ass off!"
Unfazed, he wheeled around and charged the pirate village. Screams exploded everywhere.
Dong! Dong! Dong! Each step quaked the earth like war drums.
His enormous gut jiggled grotesquely with every stride—utterly bizarre.
Rip! The exhilarated fiend tore a man apart with both hands, ripping into the flesh like it was chicken.
Or snapped one like a pretzel stick, slurping the spilling blood.
Crunch. Squeezing his grip, blood squirted from the pirate like juice from an orange. Thematos's face gleamed slick with gore—terror incarnate.
A devil straight from hell, so merciless that even these pirates, who valued lives like flies, shat and pissed themselves in fright.
"Kwaaa! Mercy! Mercy!"
"Block him! Block that thing!"
One giant reduced their semi-peaceful village to pandemonium. Such a spectacle left the triad and me too mesmerized to fight—we just watched.
The triad, guts boiling, bellowed at their men.
"You morons! Gang up and drop him! Retreat now, and we'll kill you!"
"If death's coming, swing a damn sword first! Trash!"
Their razor-sharp roars snapped the fleeing pirates back to reality. Rallying around their stronger fighters, they counterattacked—but pathetically.
Thematos was sly, even against me. He zeroed in on the counterattack leaders, hurling them like ragdolls.
"Uwaaa!"
"Aaaak!"
Screaming skyward, the pirates smashed through village roofs with deafening crashes.
Grabbing the lined-up oars worsened it further. The village was curing long ship oars; Thematos swung them like poles.
Crack! Brute force splintered them, spraying wood shards everywhere.
Plenty of spares, though. Unsated, he flung them like javelins.
Swoosh! Boom! Oars speared down, scattering dozens like flies.
Some lodged in wooden huts, quivering.
All the while, Thematos devoured pirates nonstop. Like a demon possessed.
"Why the cannibal fixation?"
No answer to my mutter. Beyond hunger, his belly ballooned toad-like, yet he crammed more in—like a competitive eater, blood drooling like ketchup from his lips.
"Sorry for my buddy's manners. Gluttonous type, y'know. Show over? Time for ours?"
My quip hardened the triad's faces.
"Filthy human!"
"Hahaha, good pals make you puff up."
The center one stepped forward, face contorted.
"You wrecked our hard-earned nest. This was a sacred site for Su-sin devotion. Dare sabotage the grand undertaking?"
"Su-sin? Heard he's kicking up shit at sea lately. You guys involved?"
He bellowed, demonic.
"Insolent cur! A human profanes his name? It's ruined anyway—I won't hold back!"
His body ballooned, flesh ripping to bare scales. In a flash, he ballooned into a majestic five-meter fish-human.
"Huh…"
I'd seen wonders, but this shocked.
"Merfolk?"
The half-man half-fish of legend? Greenish amphibian-skinned musclebound humanoid, but a maw of hideous teeth, body slick with mucus. Fishy whiff now rotten.
Eyes wide. But the pirate minions freaked more.
"Boss turned monster!"
"What the hell!"
Some collapsed speechless.
Crack! Crunch! The other bosses transformed too. Center giant; flanks ~two meters. Left puffer-like, belly bloated; right gaunt, flying-fish fins on back.
"Merfolk! Bosses were freaks!"
Just the beginning. Hidden merfolk everywhere shed disguises; humans recoiled ghostly.
Deep infiltration into daily life horrified them—neighbors weren't human.
Too stunned, I yelled at pirate captain Aitos.
"Aitos! Rally folks and fight merfolk! Only way to survive—slaughter 'em all!"
Shadow engulfed me. No glance up; hands blocked overhead.
Boom! Like a boulder drop. Giant merfolk fist-slam.
But my defense is legendary. Nearly buckled a knee, held firm.
"Ridiculous! Grrraa!"
Flustered, it palmed down. Braced like propping a collapsing roof.
"Dream on!"
Heracles' Jewel superstrength; grapple ensued.
"Kraaap!"
Withstood the vise-crush. Manageable. One-hand viable? Left only. Right drew sword, stabbed palm swift.
Stab!
"Kwaaa!"
Howl echoed; retreated clutching.
Too huge for easy fight. Giant idea struck.
"Atalante! Holding?"
She dueled puffer and flyer duo. Tough, holding steady.
"Fine."
Heroic.
Left her those; focused giant.
"Bow."
Secret Book spat bow, quiver nearby.
Nocked, loosed.
Screech! Glanced off, scratched skin.
Prime taunt. Fled; roared pursuit.
"Grrraaa!"
Kill-intent burned nape.
"Coward! Tiny quicksilver anchovy!"
Sea similes. Land-lumbering merfolk lagged.
"Strategic withdraw. Oi, Thematos! Here!"
Way ahead, called muncher—ignoring merfolk chaos, snacking pirates.
Dolt. Temporary pirate truce needed, yet nah.
Sly fox knew, didn't care.
"Thematos!"
Ignored, stuffing faster.
Cheeky—recent niceties climbed head.
Scream; pirate snagged, squid-ripped mid-flight. Guts laundry-line long; slurped gleefully.
"Thematos!"
Ignored. Infuriating. Ring-tighten? Crueller plan.
Good, regret eternal.
Dashed, vaulted back.
"Grng!"
Shook; shoulders mounted.
"Bastard! Calls ignored?"
"Busy. Off!"
Gripped ear-stub hairs. Bald, but precious remnants—pride clutch.
Panic set.
"What! Release!"
Voice quavered—rare for Titan scion.
"Pluck time?"
"Why not!"
Yanked right; tilted.
Half-spin to greet arriving giant merfolk.
"Thematos. Disobey? True bald."
"Keuk!"
"Stub vs chrome-dome: worlds apart. Pauper vs tycoon. Obey! Abyss crave?"
"Sadist!"
"Shut it! No-return bald. Move!"
"Titan heir yields?!"
Stubborn till killer line.
"All lost?"
Sky-sigh.
Harumph! No mercy. Forward-thrust hair-lever.
"Fist!"
Reflex punch—boom! Iron to giant face.
"Grr!"
Bloody theatrical topple.
Hair-up; fists raised.
"Hold."
Half-rise timed; down-yank—double-fist smash.
Boom! Gore-soaked crash, houses rubble.
"Kuhahaha!"
Thrilling—giant-puppets giant. Genius confirmed.
"Kuhahaha! Snatching the final coin's the real thrill."
Heartless? Would've obeyed—no need. Disobey? Harsh penalty.
Gripped sparser hairs rougher.
"Forward! Thematos! Your follicles retreat, but victory marches on!"