Finally, Aronnax stops acting like an idiot and obeys Nemo. Where's the ship from, Aronnax wants to know.Way, says Nemo, and you'd better not judge me for it. Aronnax asks Nemo if he's going to attack the ship.Nemo orders Aronnax and company to go down below. Just then, a shell bounces off the Nautilus.He knows where it's from, he says he doesn't need to see a flag. Nemo starts yelling at the other ship.This scares the bejeezus out of Aronnax.He threatens to nail Ned's 'miserable carcass' (2.21.39) to the front of the Nautilus and then ram it into the ship. Nemo is on deck, now, and he's mad as mad can be.Out of nowhere, he's knocked to the ground. Ned decides to try signaling the ship.For some reason, Aronnax, Ned, and Conseil think it a good day to stand on deck and watch.But, as usual, the 'bad guys' have terrible aim. All the while, the Nautilus is getting shelled.So, yeah, Aronnax is a little slow on the uptake, but he finally gets it. Aronnax understand that he probably sunk a ship that time he had them all thrown in the cell and drugged. But wait: Nemo's probably going to use the Nautilus for revenge, since he's been doing this kind of thing all along.In short, Aronnax realizes they're done for. Then he comprehends that they don't care either way they've probably figured out that the beast is a ship, and that they want to take it down anyway. They have to realize that they're firing at people, not at some kind of giant narwhal. Just then, the warship begins firing on the Nautilus.Aronnax must admit that Ned's plan would probably work. Ned's ready to throw himself overboard and swim to the ship.Now, Ned can tell it's a big warship, iron-plated. For fifteen minutes, the Nautilus idles while the ship steams closer.

But he can't tell where it comes from again, there are no flags in sight.

Ned, he of the eagle eyes, can tell it's a warship.

Aronnax looks back in the direction of that mystery ship he saw earlier, and sure enough, there it is, coming at the Nautilus at full speed.

Ned's right on it: it's a cannon, he says.

Soon, the Nautilus is back on the surface, and an explosion is heard in the distance.

He realizes that Nemo and his crew are seeking some kind of revenge for past war-time atrocities. Sure, the ship has some patriotic significance to Aronnax, a Frenchmen, but it tells him more about Nemo than anything else.

Aronnax feels like he finally understands the captain.

Prepare for ramming speed