Meanwhile in the magical world of Never Land, all was quiet.
The sun was shining over the island, the Never Birds were singing and all was peaceful... expect for one place.
In a small cove, a pirate ship called the Jolly Roger was anchored in the middle and the pirates could be heard singing.
"Ohhh, a pirate's life is wonderful life
A-rovin' over the sea
Give me a career as buccaneer
It's the life of a pirate of me
Oohhh!
The life of a pirate for me!"
As you could tell, they were a band of ruthless, cut-throat pirates and their leader as none other than Captain Brine, Sherman's arch-enemy (or so it would seem).
Brine wanted Sherman dead more than anything. Why you ask? Well...
In a fierce fight, the captain had lost his left hand in sharp rocks while fighting Sherman. He blamed Sherman for cutting off his hand, even though it was not the boy's fault. Worst of all, the hungry crab Tamatoa swallowed Brine's hand and started following him since then.
Throughout the morning, the pirates were sitting around and doing pirate things like stabbing and throwing swords on wooden boards.
"Hey! Cut it out!" shouted a grouchy voice.
It was Mr. Francis, Brine's first mate and 'left hand' man.
Francis wanted to be captain of the ship more than anything. He was smarter than Brine and often took his captain's fear as an advantage underneath his 'naïve, stupid first mate' act.
"Why should we, Mr. Francis?" barked Hans, one of the pirates.
"We're here, collecting barnacles 'till our butts get sore!" complained one of the Stabbington Brothers.
Enraged, Francis glared at the pirates.
"Listen, you think you're not having a good morning?" he asked aggressively. "I have to put up with the captain every single blasted day!"
Eugene, Francis' big brother, grunted in agreement.
"Soon, we'll get back to looting ships" Francis said to the other pirates. "Before we forget how we slit throats."
"Why, I almost forgot" said Drago, swinging his spear.
Francis ducked in time before Drago could cut off his head.
"Now, remember, men" Francis continued. "We mustn't let Brine know what we're up to, see? Just keep quiet about it and act happy before I have you all... terminated."
The pirates agreed quietly as the first mate walked up the stairs.
"ACT HAPPY!"
Hearing this, the pirates started laughing clear and loud, acting as if they were having a great time.
Up on deck, Captain Brine was thinking where Sherman Pan's hideout was.
"Curse that Sherman Pan!" he snarled with a sneer. "If only I could find where he hides, I'd trap him in his lair! But where is it?"
Looking on a map on the table, Brine traced all over.
The pirates searched in Mermaid Lagoon, twice in fact. They bombed Cannibal Cove.
Brine thought hard, his hand on the hook that replaced his left hand.
At that moment, Francis came up.
"Good morning, Captain" said Francis, in a false naïve voice.
"Hello, Francis" Brine muttered quietly.
"Want the morning report?"
"Fire away!"
Francis started rambling that the sun was shining, the Never Birds were singing. Then, he said the Indian, Adira was hunting in the marshes with the lions, tigers and bears.
"Oh, my" mocked Brine.
But then, Brine realized something.
"Wait, Francis" he said. "That young warrior knows this island better than I do with my own ship."
"You think she'll know where Pan is hiding?" Francis asked.
"Of course I do. But... if she won't talk, a little persuasion might be in order..."
Francis knew that he shouldn't interfere with Brine's thinking, but he thought up a trick question to throw the captain off.
"Oh, Captain Brine, don't forget" he said to the captain. "Anything with shooting or boiling over oil ain't good form."
Brine stopped for a moment and seemed to smile at Francis.
But at that rate, he slammed the map off the table in a rage and growled at Francis.
"WHO CARES ABOUT GOOD FORM?!" he shouted, raising his hook. "Did Pan show good form when he did this to me?!"
As he turned away, Brine felt remorse. Not only his hand, but something else...
"It was only a childish prank" Francis said with a sly grin.
"Childish, yes, but prank, no!" snarled Brine, throwing his coat to the ground.
Brine was panicking on the inside, remembering that dreadful day or at least how he remembered it.
He looked over the edge of the ship, his only hand on his forehead.
"Throwing my hand to the giant crab" lamented Brine. "That cursed beast of a crustacean liked the taste of me so well, he's hunting me down ever since... licking his lips for the rest of me."
Brine slid down to the floor, his head between his knees.
"He would have had you by now, captain" Francis, pretending to be comforting. "If it weren't for that alarm clock. And he's about, he's gonna warn you with the sound of a tick-tock."
As soon as Francis left, Brine was all by himself again.
Why could I let some kid ruin me? he thought to himself. I'm such an idiot.
After a moment, Brine soon fell fast asleep.
But then suddenly, there was loud TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK, TICK-TOCK noise in the distance that caused Brine's eyes to squint up and down with the rhythm.
Down below in the water, two large eyes emerged and Tamatoa appeared, staring at Brine.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he asked.
Brine, upon seeing the giant crab, trembled in fear and backed away far as he could.
"You cannot run away from me!" bellowed Tamatoa.
Panicked, Brine ran for his life screaming 'Francis!'
"Oh, you can, you're hard to catch" the crab said in mock surprise.
Brine was about to race down the stairs, but bumped into Francis.
"He's back?" gasped Francis.
"Just save me, Francis! Please! Don't let him get me!" panicked Brine.
Annoyed, Francis approached Tamatoa.
"Hey, you ought to be ashamed of yourself" Francis said, frowning. "Come on, shoo, shoo!"
Tamatoa rolled his eyes and dove into the ocean.
"You pirates are so stubborn" muttered the crab.
Once the giant crab was gone, Brine poked his head from behind a curtain.
"Is he gone, F-F-F-Francis?" stammered Brine.
"Yep, captain, all clear" answered Francis.
But poor Brine was still shaking and started gasping, his skin all pale as white paste and his arms like Jell-o.
"I can't stand it any longer. I tell you I can't."
Francis, however, grabbed Brine and helped him on his feet.
"Just relax" said the first mate in false comfort. "What you need is a nice rest in your cabin."
He brought Brine to his cabin and placed him in bed.
Feeling somewhat content, Brine sighed and went out cold.
"Toodle-oo!" Francis said to Brine softly as he placed earmuffs on the captain's ears.
But then, a mischievous grin appeared on Francis' face as he left, locking the door.
"Shall we begin, boys?" he asked the crew.
"AYE!"
Pulling out their swords, the pirates were practicing sword play.
But after an half an hour, Eret, who was on the look out, called out to Francis.
"SHERMAN PAN AHOY!"
"What?! Where away?" Francis called.
"Three points off the starboard bow!"
Snatching a eyeglass, Francis removed his own glasses and looked through.
"Ah-ha! It is Pan!" he said. "Back from his mission to find his shadow and brought more brats to the island."
Francis was enraged. If Sherman told Brine the truth about Francis, his plan to mutiny would be ruined.
"All hands on deck!" he hollered. "Look alive!"
He then turned his attention to Rumpelstiltskin, handing him the keys.
"If Brine wakes up, unlock him and bring him to the island to hunt for Adira" he said to the short pirate. "Make sure he doesn't come back to the ship alive."
"Aye, aye, Mr. Francis" Rumpelstiltskin. "I mean Captain Francis."
"I will be captain, Rumple, don't you worry."
As soon as Rumple left Francis, the first mate barked orders to the pirates.
"Man the Long Tom and double the powder and shorten the fuse!"
Drago and Eret were operating the cannon, placing a cannonball inside and ready to shoot at Sherman and the Darling children.
They were going to get them like a hunter to sitting ducks.
"All right, men, range 42!" Francis ordered. "Elevation 65! Three degrees west! Steady now, steady..."
Meanwhile up in the clouds, Sherman was showing the Darling children the view of Never Land.
"Isn't it great?" smiled Sherman.
"Oh, Sherman, it's just as I dreamed it would be" cried Elsa. "Look, Lincoln, there's Mermaid Lagoon!"
"Oh, my gosh!" gasped Lincoln. "And the camp of Adira the only Indian!"
Bamm Bamm then pointed at Cannibal Cove where the Jolly Roger is sitting. He sensed something was up.
BOOM! The cannon fired.
"Look out!" cried Sherman, pushing the children way from the incoming cannon.
The children were scared. Brine was really after them.
Judy Bell flew to Sherman.
"Quick, Judy, take Elsa and the boys to the island" Sherman said bravely. "I'll stay here and draw Francis' fire."
Hearing this, Judy Bell nodded and flew away.
Sure, she already hates Elsa, but Judy didn't want the children getting hurt.
"Follow me!" rang Judy Bell.
At the same time, Sherman distracted Francis.
"Francis! Francis, come and get me, you old codfish!" Sherman called.
More cannons were fired and Sherman dodged every single one.
Judy Bell lead the children far away, but was going so fast.
"Judy Bell, wait!" cried Elsa. "Not so fast! Please! We can't keep up with you! Wait!"
But Judy Bell didn't wait, she was jealous and angry with Elsa and flew ahead to the island.
"I've got to get her away from Sherman" said Judy to herself. "But how?"
To be continued...