A small white Lupe and a green Kougra were playing with their toys by the docks in Krawk Island.

"Why did Scarblade attack Maraqua Jutta?" asked the Lupe. Jutta the Kougra replied

"How am I supposed to know that? Why yew asking me?"

"Ye want to know why Scarblade attacked Maraqua?" asked an old Pirate Lenny. The young pets nodded, Smiling as they went over with their toys.

"Arr, 'tis a long story. Some say Maraqua were like a sitting mallard. No defenders for it, y'see? Others say King Kelpbeard wanted guards, so he hired Scarblade, who wanted protection money. Then they say Kelpbeard didn' want to pay 'im so Kelpbeard refused and Scarblade got angry. T'aint no good saying what happened 'cos yew wanna know why 'e attacked Maraqua don' ye?" the young pets nodded as they sat down to listen.

"Well t'is all the fault of a Pirate Lupe an' an invizzible Koi…"

Scarblade watched the ship roll with the waves as the sun set. Scarblade had been negotiating with King Kelpbeard the terms of protecting Maraqua. He anticipated the arrival of King Kelpbeard's protection money greatly. He pondered on how best to spend the money. Maybe upgrading the ship, The Revenge, to a bigger man-o-war. He heard Goldfang, a yellow Gelert hiccup. He remembered Goldfang's love of ales and grog. If he gave the protection money to him, the pubs all over Krawk Island would be the richest in Neopia. As Scarblade turned to get into his bunk,

Fred shouted

"Little Jolly boat to Port!"

The pirates turned to see a small rowing boat with three figures in, two cloaked pets and a Maraquan Acara inside. Scarblade hoped that the money was inside the boat, inside those suspiciously heavy sacks. Scarblade leant over and hailed,

"Are you from Maraqua?"

The Acara shouted up,

"We are the representatives."

Scarblade signalled to Redclaw, a red Krawk to throw a rope-ladder over the side of the boat. The bags of money were making Scarblade shiver with excitement. An Orange Mynci climbed down to the boat. He passed the sacks up to a yellow Kyrii who passed it to another Kyrii to be hauled onto deck by a Bori. Scarblade watched the sacks of money being hauled over the side of The Revenge. A few minutes later the pirates saw the occupants row their rowing boat back to sea. As the boat approached the distant horizon, Scarblade ordered that Nathan finger open the first bag of Loot, then the next and the rest. His expectations of money and more riches faded like the sun as it set as Nathan opened the sacks, tingeing it blood red.

He had been tricked!

Scarblade cursed aloud angrily.

Inside the sacks were pebbles! No wonder that the money didn't sound real. Kelpbeard had tricked him. It was too late to catch the rowing boat, it was probably at Maraqua. Scarblade seethed with anger. He wanted revenge.