The Battle with the Giant Squid (Devilfish)

On April 20, while navigating the deep waters off the Bahamas, the Nautilus encountered a school of monstrous squid of colossal dimensions, each fully eight meters long. These creatures, with enormous staring sea-green eyes, eight writhing tentacles lined with 250 suckers, and parrot-like beaks made of horn, surrounded the submersible. The Nautilus was brought to a sudden halt when the horn-covered mandibles of one of the squid became entangled in the blades of its propeller, jamming the ship's movement. Captain Nemo, appearing gloomy and having been largely absent, entered the lounge and announced to Professor Aronnax that they would have to rise to the surface and slaughter the vermin at close quarters, as their electric bullets were ineffective against the animals' soft flesh.

The Assault and the Loss of a Crewman

The Nautilus rose to the surface, and as a seaman undid the bolts of the hatch, it was violently pulled open by the suckers of a devilfish's arm. A long tentacle slithered into the opening, and twenty more quivered above. Captain Nemo chopped off the first tentacle with a sweep of his ax, but as the crew rushed onto the platform, two more arms lashed out, seized the seaman stationed in front of the captain, and carried him away with irresistible violence. The unfortunate man, gasping and choking, cried out "Help! Help!" in French, stunning Professor Aronnax with the revelation that a fellow countryman was among the Nautilus's crew. Despite Captain Nemo and his chief officer rushing to his aid, the squid shot off a spout of blackish liquid from a pouch in its abdomen, blinding them. When the cloud dispersed, both the squid and the crewman were gone.

The Battle and Ned Land's Rescue

Enraged, the crew lost all self-control as ten or twelve devilfish overran the platform. The battle became a chaotic melee amid waves of blood and sepia ink. Ned Land, wielding his harpoon, plunged it into a squid's sea-green eye, but was suddenly toppled by the tentacles of another monster. The squid's fearsome beak opened wide over the Canadian, ready to cut him in half. Captain Nemo, arriving first, drove his ax between the two enormous mandibles, saving Ned Land's life. The Canadian then stood and plunged his harpoon all the way into the devilfish's triple heart. Captain Nemo acknowledged the act with the words, "Tit for tat. I owed it to myself!"

Aftermath and Thematic Significance

The struggle lasted a quarter of an hour. Defeated, mutilated, and battered to death, the monsters yielded and disappeared beneath the waves. After the battle, Captain Nemo stood motionless by the beacon, red with blood, staring at the sea that had swallowed one of his companions. Large tears streamed from his eyes. This was the second companion he had lost since the professor had come aboard, and the manner of death—smashed, strangled, and crushed by the fearsome arms of a devilfish—was particularly gruesome. The event deepened the mystery surrounding the captain, revealing a man capable of immense grief and a crew bound by a shared, hidden history. It also intensified the horror and revulsion felt by the prisoners, reinforcing the sense of being trapped in a world of sublime but terrifying wonders.