Chapter One

A large ship rocked on the choppy waters of the Pacific Ocean. The occupants were seven young women. All of them, Pirates as can be told by the Jolly Roger flying on the mast in the crows nest. There were several Cannons placed at the wooden railings on the edge of the deck. The name "Canta" was engraved on both sides of the bow in large gold letters. A young woman was perched in the Crow's Nest. She was holding a telescope to her eye, looking out in the distance.

"Land ahoy!" called Kashiyuka from the crows nest.

The captain, complete with a parrot on her shoulder and a wooden leg ambled down from the navigation wheel onto the deck. To her left, a younger, rather weedy looking woman was vomiting overboard.

"Pull yourself together, Rina," said Mami the captain. "Whoever heard of a seasick pirate."

Rina looked at the captain. Her face was as white as the sails. She coughed and lurched once more, vomiting overboard again.

"Haruna!" she yelled at another. Haruna was second in command and was currently poring over a map in front of her. The little wooden ship she was using had stopped near an Island called, "Catfish Island." However, unaware to her. The map was upside down.

"You're in charge," barked Mami. She then turned to three others.

"Tomomi, Nocchi, A-Chan," she called to three others. All of them cleaning the deck of the ship. "You're coming with me."

They stood up and followed her to a small rowing boat. They swung it out of the ship and climbed in.

"Why can't I come?" asked Rina. She had recovered and her face was a shade of seaweed green.

"Because until you've learned to row and vomit at the same time, you're no good for going ashore," replied Mami.

In the row boat, Tomomi, A-Chan and Nocchi were imitating Rina vomiting and rowing at the same time.

Rina gave them a very rude hand gesture at them.

"Up yours!" cried the Parrot on Mami's shoulder.

Mami turned to look at Rina. Rina was hiding her hands behind her back, trying to look innocent.

"I hope that's a rag in your hand," said Mami. She turned around and went to the little row boat.

"Stop playing with that winch Tomomi," said Mami. "You'll break it."

She heaved herself with difficulty into the boat. It was slowly winched down into the sea.

"This ship better be here when I get back!" she called as the boat hit the water.

"If it isn't you won't be able to punish us," called Haruna after her. However, the little row boat was too far away for Mami to hear her.

"Quick," said Rina. "Let's become the most fearsome Pirate's while she's gone."

"Oh yeah!" asked Kashiyuka who'd just climbed down the crow's nest. "We're going to get far with a seasick Pirate and a Navigator who can't tell what side of the map is which."

"Well," asked Haruna, brushing off her comment. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Oh I don't know," replied Kashiyuka. She grabbed Haruna's Admiral's hat and stuck it on her head. "Rum."

"Heave!" cried Mami. "Heave!"

Tomomi and A-Chan pulled the oars hard. Nocchi sat at the rear, steering with the rudder.

"Come on!" she called. "Put your backs into it!"

They rowed harder, pulling with all their strength.

"Ark!" cawed Mami's parrot. "Weaklings."

The little boat approached the land. Mami stepped out on the soft white sand. The others dropped what they were doing and followed her.

"Do you know where we're going Captain?" asked Tomomi.

"Of course," she replied.

She dug into her pocket and pulled a tatty rag. She unfolded it and glanced at it. On it was an ink drawing of the island they were on. It showed a dotted line, with a number next to it.

"Follow me," commanded Mami.

She began walking across the Island, counting her steps. The map read "25". She stopped and consulted the map once more. It said to walk East for 15 steps, this was followed by an "X."

Mami followed the maps instructions.

She stopped on the "X" on the map.

"Here we are," she said. "Give me the shovel."

Nocchi passed her the shovel. Mami stuck it into the ground. She balanced her wooden leg on the sand and used her good leg to press the shovel into the sand.

She dug furiously until there was a clink of metal on metal. She had found the chest. The others bent down to help her. They uncovered it and lifted it from the hole. They dusted it so that it glinted in the sun. Mami took the key and unlocked it. She opened it carefully. It was empty, save for a small paper note that simply read, "I.O.U. Some treasure."

Mami was furious. She kicked the chest in anger, but achieved nothing but an excruciating pain in her good leg.

"Damn it!" she cursed. She stood up and punched Tomomi full on in the face. She fell in one.

"Damn you," she said. "It's all your fault!"

"How is it my fault?" asked Tomomi.

"You rowed us here!" answered Mami in a fit of rage.

"I owe you!" she cried. "I owe you this shovel. Which I'll shove up your ass!"

She kicked the chest again, but only made the pain in her foot worse. Nocchi quickly grabbed the IOU note before the chest was kicked again. She grabbed it and pulled a small leather pouch. She opened it to reveal a small stack of paper about the same size. All of them read the same words, "IOU Some Treasure."

"Come on!" cried Mami. "Back to the ship!"

She turned on her heel and stormed off back to the boat. The others followed her, rather reluctantly.

Back on the ship, the party was in full swing. Haruna, Rina and Kashiyuka were dancing around a large dining room each carrying a small bottle of Rum. The tables had been pushed back against the walls. A gramophone was playing loud, heavy dance music and there was a disco ball rotating on the ceiling creating glittery dots all over the walls. The door banged open. Mami stood in the doorway. The others stopped dancing and turned to look at her.