Nobita's Time Heist

"Yes."

"The 'Integrity Tape' is on; he's absolutely telling the truth." Nobita's expression relaxed slightly. The description didn't match any of the gadgets in his memory. At least, this naturally reduced the suspicion surrounding Doraemon.

Although it didn't drop by much...

"What is his purpose?"

"Ensure the failure of this great voyage, kill the crew, and leave a few 'survivors' to return to the human world and spread the terror of the sea to them. Increase humanity's dependence on the land and delay the discovery of this continent."

"Back to human society?" Fat Tiger looked at his body covered in scales and couldn't help but click his tongue. "Dude, what are you talking about? Look at you, you'll be arrested and dissected before you even get into the city."

“We can still transform back into human form, but… on this vast ocean… it’s not necessary!” Columbus twisted his thick neck with difficulty, turned around, glanced at Fat Tiger, and sneered, “Such weak and useless bodies are no longer our first choice. The great savior promised that as long as we complete the mission, he will reward us with a more profound surge of spiritual energy.”

"Compared to this, power, money, women, wine... any desire in the human world seems so inferior."

Nobita and Dekisugi exchanged a glance, both seeing wariness in each other's eyes.

This so-called "Dragon Disease" seems to modify not only the human body, but also the mind. Rather than being brainwashed, it's more accurate to say that this former pioneer no longer sees himself as part of humanity.

Such a terrifying virus, yet no broad source of infection can be found.

"What exactly is Dragon Disease? Tell me quickly!"

"Ha... Nobita, even though you have the upper hand, you don't feel any sense of victory at all." Columbus sneered. "Only ignorant mortals would call it a 'disease.' No, it's not a disease, it's a 'spiritual surge,' manifested in the body, a great gift."

"However, since it is a gift, it must be biased... not everyone is worthy of it."

"Those with weak minds will become intoxicated by physical changes, gradually losing themselves, and eventually turning into a subspecies of primitive dragons. But those with strong enough minds can gain enough benefit from it."

……

"Boom————!!"

A bolt of lightning flashed across the horizon, and something seemed to be slowly unfolding in the gloomy sky. Da Xiong clearly felt the ship's speed increase, as if the sea was carrying this enormous sailboat, propelling it forward at full speed in a specific direction!

"Nobita, something's wrong... The sonar detected some strange shadows, but can't detect anything!" Suneo's voice was slightly anxious; clearly, the current situation was also unexpected. "The ocean current speed suddenly increased to 8 knots, and I'm... *zzzzzz*..."

"Suneo?" Nobita quickly checked his headset, but all he could hear was the sound of radio interference.

The next moment, Shizuka's voice came from another channel, which reassured Nobita somewhat. Although the situation was still unclear, Shizuka also had a dimensional pocket. If all other options failed, she could simply teleport through the pocket and survive.

"The signal interference here is terrible! That shadow detected by the sonar seems to be moving rapidly in your direction... Nobita, be careful!"

……

"Ah……"

"Hahahahaha—!!"

"Are you laughing at your mother?!" Fat Tiger was annoyed and kicked Columbus hard, making his head snap back.

After knocking out one of his teeth, Columbus stared at them with an incredibly sinister look and mocked, "Even if I couldn't stop you, it doesn't matter, Nobita."

"This journey is destined to fail, therefore..."

"They have already deployed henchmen in the deep sea that humans absolutely cannot defeat."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"boom--------!!!"

With a roar like that of a whale, whirlpools rose on the sea surface, and the enormous creature made its entrance, abruptly appearing and drawing the sailboat into its domain, slowly revealing itself.

Is it a big dragon?

Is it a giant spirit?

Or is it a moving natural disaster?

When its nine heads, as large as small mountains, appeared together and opened their blood-red maws, all that remained for everyone was a sense of oppressive power, as if the world were about to be turned upside down.

……

"Let them remain at the bottom of the sea forever..."

Columbus rolled over and, in an extremely devout tone, proclaimed, "Hydra, the nine-headed serpent!!"

Chapter Fourteen: The Value of Elemental Life

"Thump—!!"

The ocean currents crashed against the submarine, causing it to shake violently. Suneo and Shizuka both felt an invisible pressure.

This wasn't the second time the two had gone on a mission as a solo team. During the battle to attack the Pikachu government, Nobita, Gian, and Doraemon, the three reckless guys, charged straight in, while Suneo and Shizuka stayed behind at the asteroid base as support personnel. Even so, they still provided strong support at crucial moments, saving the group from being executed.

Drawing on his years of experience operating various vehicles, Xiaofu immediately pulled the lever, and the nuclear submarine stabilized itself amidst the raging undercurrents. Almost simultaneously, he activated the weapon system. The full page of munitions data displayed on the virtual interface reassured the two of them.

"We've lost contact with Nobita!" Shizuka tried several times, but all attempts failed. "Suneo..."

"Ah, I understand!" With his hands on the control panel, Xiao Fu smiled. "It's okay even if we can't get in touch."

"Once we blast all the enemies to pieces, our mission will be complete!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, on the Santa Maria, the deck began to rock like a pirate ship in an amusement park. Before long, several black dragons leaped from the water, circling the ship. However, compared to the mountain-sized Hydra Hydra, they were too small to pose any threat, more like filler characters there to add to the atmosphere.

Regardless, with this grand spectacle unfolding, Nobita and his friends knew very well that the time for the final battle had arrived!

"Roar------!!"

The nine heads roared in unison, creating a harmonious chord that whipped up the seawater, forming a torrential downpour. The icy water splashed against their faces, but Nobita and Gian showed no emotion. They simply tilted their heads back, looking at it calmly, as if it were merely a game boss waiting to be defeated.

"It's huge." Fat Tiger crossed his arms, his eyes slightly narrowed. "Of all the opponents we've fought, this must be the biggest, right?"

"It doesn't seem as impressive as the giant octopus of the deep sea," Nobita thought for a moment. "No, even the Great Demon King's heart in space is..."

"Hey! Is this the time to talk about this?" It was Dekisugi's first time entering a dungeon with them, so he was inevitably a little nervous, and his voice was no longer as calm as usual. "Nobi-kun, hurry up and use your invincible item to think of a way!"

The good news is that before Nobita could pull out the corresponding gadgets, several missiles trailing flames had already pierced the water's surface, flying towards the mountain-sized Hydra like leaping swordfish.

The bad news is...

"Boom-!!"

"Boom-!!"

"Boom-!!"

……

Halfway through its flight, the missile's central core separated on its own, and nearly a dozen miniature missiles, each the size of a bottle cap, were then launched from it.

In their initial encounter, Xiaofu didn't go straight for the heavy weapon. Instead, he opted for a slightly flashy cluster munition, fully utilizing his expertise in micro-management. He divided the command screen into over sixty displays, manually controlling and planning the trajectory of each missile as much as possible. Like a shower of petals, the miniature missiles steadily struck the black dragons who had come to create a spectacle. A series of explosions rang out in the air, leaving them disoriented. Like dumplings being dropped into a pot, they fell back into the sea less than two minutes after their appearance.

"Hmph." Fat Tiger sneered, wiping his nose. "Paper tiger..."

"Wait a minute, Gian, something seems off." Nobita keenly sensed something, his air cannon aimed at the target, his right hand already deep in his pocket.

In that volley of fire, only a small portion of the ammunition actually hit the Black Dragon; the vast majority of the firepower was poured onto the Hydra. A thick cloud of mist and smoke immediately filled the air. Despite his teammates' excellent suppressive fire, for some reason, Da Xiong had a very ominous premonition.

Finally, the steam slowly dissipated, revealing the Hydra's true form to everyone—its massive body riddled with countless holes, the kind that would kill someone with trypophobia on the spot. But what gushed from the gaps wasn't blood, but seawater.

Why does the ship's log say that some sailors saw a strange, giant shadow underwater?

Why can the sonar of an atomic submarine scan a shadow but never detect the actual object?

The answer is revealed at this moment.

"Good heavens..." Fat Tiger gasped, "This thing is made entirely of seawater!"

The Hydra, with its two heads growing back after each one is severed, is also regarded as a deity that controls abundance due to its powerful regenerative abilities.

At this moment, its nine heads circled around, as if mocking the ignorance of mortals, their mouths wide open, and azure light gathered in its fangs.

"Xiaoshan, Panghu, Asur! Come here quickly and hide behind me!!"

"Roar------!!!"

Nine beams of light shot out simultaneously, their deafening roar comparable to a nuclear explosion! High-pressure water jets erupted from its mouth, condensing in the air into a torrential rain of icicles, ready to baptize the Santa Maria. Each icicle was as thick as a small tree, enough to pierce through an adult. The icy rain pierced the air with an incredibly shrill sound, sweeping backward.

At the last moment, what Nobita pulled out of his mouth was a spherical start button no bigger than the palm of his hand.

"【Softball】—!!"

With a gentle press of his thumb, he said, "Let Takeshi Gouda, Hideaki Dekisugi, and Asur come in!"

“Buzz——!”

The item activated, creating a hemispherical force field around the three of them, followed by a series of clanging sounds. The ice spikes shattered against this invisible wall, buying Nobita and his friends precious time to counterattack.

"Hey!"

A small discordant note disrupted Nobita's train of thought. Turning around, he saw Asur being thrown back by the force field, landing hard on her back. Fortunately, Nobita and the others were still directly in front of her. The force field generated by the Shield Ball was enough to keep most kinetic weapons out of the world, and a few ice spikes were no problem at all. As a result, the little girl was not seriously injured.

But... it also made Nobita realize something in an instant.

"As expected, 'Asur' is not her real name..."

In the blink of an eye, he had no time to think it through. Hydra's offensive continued, and they had to come up with a solution immediately.

A monster.

How can we defeat an elemental life form that cannot be harmed?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"call out----!!"

The second round of missiles struck. This time, Xiaofu was hit with pure, hard-hitting missiles. He could clearly feel that the power of the explosions and the heatwave were on a completely different level from before. Flames rose, blasting off Hydra's two heads. At the same time, small drones carrying seawater flew out of the sea, took up altitude, and formed a wave of crossfire.

Ammunition rained down, sparks flew, and the intense firepower instantly blasted it into countless holes. Judging from the result, it's hard to imagine that this was his first time using this vehicle.

However, such a powerful barrage of firepower ultimately only resulted in... Hydra's fury.

"Roar----!!"

Seawater was continuously pumped up, and the two shattered heads split into four, becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.

The ocean currents surged, and it manipulated the seawater with ease, turning it into part of its own body. It even managed to "grab" the submarine out of the seawater and trap it in its tail.

Chapter Fifteen: This is our exhilarating combination technique!

"sodium!"

In the midst of the crisis, Dekisugi suddenly slapped his forehead, "By reacting it with an equal volume of metallic sodium, a violent explosion can be formed."

The two academically challenged students exchanged glances. Nobita especially regretted not having studied enough, as he couldn't even assess the feasibility of the plan. Seeing his companions' expressions, Dekisugi also became somewhat insecure, shaking his head. "No, to be honest, where are we going to get so much sodium right now? Sorry, Nobi-kun, I just blurted it out in a moment of panic, but..."

"No, Shizuka and Suneo are in danger, we can't afford to delay any longer!" At this critical moment, Nobita showed a rare decisiveness, making a firm decision, "I have an idea in my head, but I need to sort it out... Let's do as Kogane says first, and buy me some more time."

"I'm fine with it, my invincibility hasn't worn off yet. At worst, I'll just carry the sodium and fly straight into that guy's body." Fat Tiger clasped his fists, brimming with fighting spirit. "But... where am I going to find so much sodium?"

"..."

In the silence, the prop genius's mind raced.

A flash of inspiration.

He lowered his head, looking at the deck beneath his feet, and his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

"when--!!"

The unique sound effect when the shrinking light is turned on was used. Nobita swept his gaze across the deck and shrunk the half-dragons lying on the ground, including Columbus, to the size of figurines.

"Asur, I'm giving you a very simple task. See those guys? They've been shrunk so much, they're no longer a threat." Da Xiong tossed the little girl a glass box and instructed, "Your task is to put them one by one into this glass box, understand?"

"..." For this little girl, the number of amazing things she had seen in one day was far too many, leaving her completely dumbfounded and at a loss for how to react. Da Xiong, on the other hand, was in a panic and was about to take out a mind control gadget to force her to move when she instead reached out her hands and took the small glass box.

"Nobita, you guys..."

The girl swallowed hard, a strange longing in her eyes as she looked at them. "Who exactly are they?"

This was clearly not the time to explain, so Nobita could only pat her head dismissively and say, "Whatever you want us to be, let's go!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"boom----!!"

Several more missiles were launched, all exploding on the Hydra's head. Even at this point, Suneo did not give up the fight, continuing to unleash as much firepower as possible on the monster, in a sense, to draw its attention to himself and give Nobita time to react.

He succeeded.

As it turns out, as long as he's not facing his opponent directly, but rather sitting in his most proficient combat vehicle, Xiaofu follows the reckless path, showing absolutely no trace of Nuo.

This is just a submarine with relatively low mobility. If it were equipped with the modified tanks used to attack Planet Bilica, it would have already shown off its skills.

The situation had drastically changed when one of Hydra's heads glanced at another battlefield. The deck was cleared, and a squid-shaped lifeboat was dropped to provide Asur with refuge, allowing her to escape the center of the battle. Meanwhile, Nobita and Dekisugi, equipped with bamboo copters, were shining an adaptation light on Gian.