Jenkins looked down at the whale with a sigh. Despite being in his 14th year on the whaling ship Anubis, this part never got any easier. He had already reached his maximum efficiency. He was one of the few true masters of whaling left in the world. He had earned his 10th degree black belt in whaling several years back, but never took any students.
Over the years, Jenkins had started to identify with the whales. They were both travelers on the vast ocean, the outer space of the sea. They both travelled in small groups, moving through the water and consuming other life forms to continue their voyage. They had their differences though. Jenkins was a pirate. The whole boat was full of pirates. Jenkins was the first mate.
Normally, the first mate wouldn't be responsible for whaling, but Jenkins happened to be in the right place at the right time, and he wouldn't let a whale get away on his watch. They never ate the whales. The boat ran on whale oil, and there was nothing better than fresh squeezed. Like the Native Americans with buffalo, they used every part of the whale. The blood was used to attract sharks, which they ate, and the bones were ground up and used in their blunderbusses.
Just as the ships gigantic metal mouth clanged shut, Jenkins' attention was turned to the port side of the ship. The lookout in the crow's nest had spotted another ship. The Anubis banked to the left and took chase. As they approached, details of the ship became clearer. It was a high-end yacht with loud music, dancing, and video cameras. They were probably shooting a music video.
The loud music masked the Anubis' approach as the fading daylight began to conceal both ships in darkness. The hulls rammed together, throwing the dancers and cameramen to the ground. Screams filled the air as the pirates boarded the yacht. After a violent attack and an easy robbery, the smaller boat was devoid of non-pirate life. The sea-bandits carried their new treasure back to their ship and shoved off.
The captain, who had been watching from the ship's bridge, walked out onto the balcony overlooking the deck.
"A fine raid, my boys!" shouted Neckbeard the Pirate, raising his hands. The crew cheered and applauded their captain.
Neckbeard reached into his coat and drew forth a tablet computer. While the men were raiding the yacht, he had been entering coordinates which had been sent to his satellite.
"Ready, men?" he called to his crew. His question was met with enthusiastic cheering.
He turned to his first mate. "Mute Jenkins, would you like to do the honors this time?"
Jenkins nodded silently, walked up to the captain, and accepted the tablet. He pressed a red button, and the crew all turned their gazes to the yacht. The evening sky grew bright and a blinding beam of burning white light shot down from the heavens. The smaller boat erupted into flames. The fire quickly found the gas tank, and the boat exploded in a fireball that rocked the night air. The crew never tired of this.