This preparatory drawing depicts an Ama (海女), a female diver who harvests seafood, being assaulted by a giant octopus.

The woman is struggling against the octopus's tentacles that are wrapped around her limbs, its mouth penetrating her genitals. To the left is a jagged rock at the base of which is an upturned abalone, one of the diver's catches, and on the floor is an unsheathed knife.

This scene is likely a parody related to the story of Tamatori-Hime, or Jewel-taking Princes. In the legend, the Princess dives to retrieve a sacred pearl that was lost at sea and has been taken by the Dragon King to his palace at the bottom of the ocean. Having stolen back the pearl, the Dragon King sends the sea creatures of his court to catch her. The princess, unable to both hold the pearl and swim to safety, cuts open her chest and hides the pearl inside as she escapes, but ultimately succumbs to her injuries after giving back the pearl to the rightful owner on the shore.