Jean, a 14-year-old orphan, sailing into Paris to help his uncle design an airplane for the Paris Exposition's flight competition meets a pretty young girl named Nadia and her pet lion cub, King. He ends up rescuing her from a woman named Grandis who is trying to get Nadia's jewel, the Blue Water. Nadia leaves the only home she ever knew - a circus - as Jean has offered to help her search for her place of origin, starting with the random choice of Africa...

Jean, Nadia, Marie, and King are taken aboard the Nautilus with their new enemies-turned allies, Grandis, Sanson, and Hanson. Technophiles Jean and Hanson are thrilled to be aboard the Nautilus. Grandis becomes dangerously smitten with Captain Nemo, much to Sanson's consternation. Nadia, meanwhile, is very suspicious about the submarine and its crew, particularly Nemo, who reacts with surprise upon seeing her for the first time....