"Again!" Cassandra planted her elbow on the table and firmly grabbed Damien's hand. He gave a wide grin as his metal-enclosed fingers wrapped around her hand. They stared at each other challengingly as they prepared to arm wrestle. Damien waited for Cassandra to initiate the struggle, his arm as steady as stone. The pirate captain waited for her breath to slow before initiating her overload. "Voluntas Carnae."

Energy flooded through her limbs, and she drummed her fingers on his black gauntlet. His grin only widened. The point of the exercise was to try to catch him unawares, and she wasn't surprised to find that goal nearly impossible. While ordinarily Damien's restraint was virtually non-existent, there were times when his amusement overcame his impatient nature.

The instant she put pressure on his hand, he was pushing back. She strained herself past her limit, feeling the muscles and ligaments in her arm threaten to give way. Slowly but surely, he relentlessly lowered her hand until her knuckles hit the table. She grimaced as he released his hold, allowing her to flex her arm and repair the damage it had sustained. "That's just not right, you know that?"

"Sore losers ain' fun, Cap'n."

"Even with that blow from Madaxe and injuries from Brickwork not fully healed, me with adrenaline should have been able to do something. You're still recovering from that foodless week, and it's my dominant versus your non-dominant hand too."

"Aye, but I bet y' can beat tha' royal fuckin' brat with th' same rules."

"I still don't understand where your reflexes come from," she said as she leaned back in her chair. "You've got damn good nerves under all that meat you call muscle."

"And you muscles 'tween skin 'n' bones."

"Hey, just because I'm not built like Cain doesn't mean I'm not strong."

Damien threw his head back and laughed. "Aye, an' strength ain' everythin', now ain't it? Else Biggun would be be'er than Blackie 'n' me 'n' you, an' that ain' the fuckin' case. That said, 's fun goin' agains' strength like tha'."

The knife she threw lightly bounced off his forehead without leaving a mark. "Only you would think getting pounded into the dirt was fun."

"Wha' doesn' kill me'll really fuckin' regret it."

"Any advice on how to kill you next time?"

"Yahahahar! Yer th' brains; you figure it out!"

"You know, most captains don't have to have contingency plans in case their own crewmembers turn on them."

"But you ain' mos' cap'ns, now are ya?"

Cassandra chuckled. "And you are not most crewmembers."

"How touching," Morgan drawled. "I think I might shed a tear."

"Hey! Quit moving!" Lyn scolded. "You asked for my help-"

"I didn't ask you for your help; I asked if you knew how to-"

"You asked for my help, so I'm giving it to you!" she finished. "So quit moving."

Morgan sighed and leaned back in his chair. Lyn stuck her tongue out in concentration as she gently dabbed his finger with a sponge. "Wait a second," Cassandra said, "didn't Alexander say you were supposed to do your own nails to help with your recovery?"

Lyn sighed exasperatedly. "He doesn't know how to do ombre nails, so I'm doing them for him."

"Teach a man to fish-"

"Yeah yeah, stop moving!" She smacked him in the side of the head. "Damien didn't budge an inch, and he was arm wrestling with Captain!"

"He only had five fingernails to do."

"Quit being such a baby. Remember that I pulled you from laundry for this. Captain could send you back there with wet nails."

The prince scowled at her. "I still have to do the laundry. You are merely providing a momentary respite from it."

"Still, isn't a break nice?" Alexander held up his nails to see them in different angles. "Why red?"

"I thought it would be hilarious. And it was!" Lyn's giggles forced her to stop lest she mess up her work on Morgan's fingers. "I didn't think you'd let me do yours!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't think Damien would let you do his."

"You were the one who told me you can get him to dress however depending on his mood."

Cassandra frowned at this. "Have you tried to get him in a dress?"

At this, everyone broke into laughter at the mental image, Damien included. The one to quell their hilarity first was surprisingly Lyn, who fixed the navigator with a speculative gaze. She tilted her head from side to side as she appraised him. "What do you say I give it a shot?"

"Yahahar! Just fuckin' try it!"

Lyn beamed at him. "Okay! Next island, you and me are going dress shopping!"

Cassandra wasn't sure which of them was being serious, but she would put money on Damien's words being a threatening dare. Painted nails were one thing, but a dress was quite another. Anyone who could get a good look at Damien's nails would probably by flying through walls a half second later. The same could not be said for him in a dress. That being said, it would still take a ridiculously brave person to taunt Damien regardless of what he was wearing.

"Your Jolly Roger is fading a bit," the pirate captain observed as Lyn leaned forward over Morgan's foot. "You should get that touched up."

"She almost completely disregarded Raven's instructions for preventing fading," Alexander snorted. "It's no wonder the colors are already going."

Lyn rolled her eyes dramatically. "You still haven't told me what you want. You said you'd let me design it."

"No, I said I'd let you do one if you got good enough," he corrected. "You may be a painter, but what looks good on paper doesn't necessarily translate well to skin. You're not a professional tattoo artist."

"And Morgan's not a professional cook, and Cain doesn't know how to build a ship. What's your point?"

"I am learning," the enormous pirate grumbled. "Designing a ship isn't easy."

Cassandra extended her hand, allowing him to give her the model he had been carving. "He's not just designing a ship, Lyn. He's planning our future home. Even if it weren't Cain designing it, I wouldn't want it to be anything less than perfect."

"Even if it weren't me?"

"For someone so large, you have quite an attention to detail." She slowly spun the model in her fingers. "If it isn't right, change it so it is. Not all of us share that attitude."

Alexander laughed loudly. "Are you talking about the one who tried to take food from Damien because he didn't think it was good enough, or the one who spends half her money on drinks and the other half on art supplies? Perhaps the one who starts exercising spontaneously at the oddest of times?"

"It seems we all have something we want to perfect," Cassandra conceded.

"Perfection is overrated." Lyn put aside her sponge and grabbed another bottle of nail polish. "Nothing's perfect. Giving your best is better than trying to do the impossible.

"Some things impossible for you are not impossible for others," Alexander said. "After all, only one of us is going to become Pirate King."

"King Cassandra doesn't have quite the same ring to it. She'd be a much better queen."

Cassandra shook her head. "Being a king wouldn't be very fun anyway."

"Excuse me," Morgan interjected, "I don't think the issue is which one would be more fitting. Are women not queens and men kings?"

"Says who?" She jabbed a finger at the assassin napping in the crow's nest. "And what about Jay? King Jordan or Queen Jordan?"

His mouth opened and closed a few times before he pressed his lips in a thin line. "Does her family not have their own title?"

"All of ours do. It's more a formality than anything, tradition. The heirs have titles too."

"Don't you think it was a bit brazen to name your pirate crew the Black Glove Pirates?" Alexander asked.

"Of course it was. I may have been a touch bitter, but I've mellowed out. Besides, don't you think we have a nice crew theme going?"

The musician smiled broadly. "That we do. You know that when we're famous, tons of people will be copying us, right?"

"Let them. Influence will spread more quickly." Her arm had recovered enough to try Damien's strength once more. "Hey, I'm not finished yet."

Damien wasn't listening. His stare was focused on the sky, an unreadable expression on his face. When he noticed she was looking at him, he shook his head. "Wind's up again. Time t' sail."

"Hey I learned the funniest thing today," Lyn chirped. "Did you know Damien actually has a job besides trying to get himself beat up?"

He cuffed her in the back of the head as he ascended to the poop deck to take the wheel. He paused at the top stair before letting loose a round of wild laughter. "'Eads up, concubines! We got company!"

Cassandra was the first on her feet, easily jumping up to the women's quarters railing, then up to the poop deck. A large ship with an avian figurehead was quickly bearing down upon them. She could already make out the people gathering on the forecastle deck, armed to the teeth. Their Jolly Roger flapped merrily in the breeze, which calmed her down somewhat. The last thing they needed was to see another blue seagull.

"What are your orders, Captain Libera?"

She contemplated her options. She didn't really want to fight at the moment, but she still had to deal with any threat that might arise. "Wake Jordan and get her down here. Get suited up, but if you don't have time for full plate, don't sweat it. Just whatever you can get on before they arrive. Morgan, Alexander, fire off a cannon. See if that deters them."

"A cannon?" Morgan said incredulously. "You want a warning shot fired from one cannon?"

Cassandra shrugged. "Damien, bring her about. His Majesty insists on a full broadside. If even one cannon isn't fired, I'll tie it to his feet and throw it overboard."

"Yahahar! Aye aye, Cap'n!" He spun the wheel around, and the Howling Knave tilted as it began to turn.

She turned to the ashen-faced prince. "I'd get started loading those. Good leaders don't make empty threats."

Never had Morgan moved so quickly. Cassandra had half a mind to actually follow through with her threat, though she would send Cain in after him. She neatly sidestepped, barely avoiding the androgyne crashing to the deck beside her. "You were supposed to keep an eye out for things like this."

"Not a pirate. No wind. Got tired." Jordan poked Damien's shoulder, then cupped her hand around her mouth and snapped her fingers.

Cassandra wrinkled her nose at the exhalation of smoke, waving the pungent cloud away from her face. "You know, I heard of a new device they just invented. They're called lighters. You don't have to use Damien's power whenever you want to smoke."

"Ah, but where's the fun in that? Whaddaya say, Didi, race to see who gets the most? Winner gets to punch the other, no hard feelings."

"Pass."

"Good, now I figure we're going to get in each other's way a bunch and-" Jordan's cigarette dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry, what?"

Damien's feral grin widened. "I ain' fightin'. Ain' tha' right, Cap'n?"

"You're a dick," she informed him lightly as she loaded her pistols. "Why do I even put up with such a troublesome crewmember?"

"I'm gonna be th' best fuckin' fighter alive, an' yer too smart t' let that go."

"You're gonna get your dumb ass killed, and if I were half as smart as you all claim I am, I would have dismissed you long ago. Guess I'm no smarter than the rest of you."

"Yahar, whatever you say! Can' kill me without Blackie, and I ain' leavin'."

Jordan swatted his ear. "Hey, I bet if you didn't get the drop on me and I had your abilities, we could all bring you down."

Damien glanced at the assassin. "Wanna try it?"

She grew tall enough to throw an arm around his shoulders. "I bet I'll get the chance to redeem myself before Raerae arrives. Still, we gotta deal with these fuckers first."

"Indeed." Cassandra caught her sniper rifle without having to turn around, checking to see if there was a bullet in the chamber. "Lyn, where did you-"

She leaned to the side, letting the box of ammunition hit Jordan in the head. The androgyne looked at the box on the ground. "Wow, I didn't feel a thing. Are you sure you don't just have nerve damage from all those wounds?"

Damien's lightning fast rising kick sent her spinning into the air, crashing into the mizzenmast and bouncing to the ground. "Feel that?"

"You bastard…" she growled, rebounding to her feet. "What happened to no fighting?"

Cassandra was between them in an instant, a hand held out towards either one. "It's true that his injuries are not without their price. However, Damien, you could have demonstrated that less violently." As much as she wanted to smack the insolent grin from his face, she knew no good would come of it. Sighing, she turned to her Moon Sister. "Cain is going to bring you over. I can't have you damaging the Knave while we're out in the middle of nowhere. Be cautious, and try not to fall off."

"Yeah, yeah." The assassin took a deep drag as the Knave finished its turn. "Why cannons?"

"Why bullets? Just because some people can diminish or negate their effectiveness doesn't mean I shouldn't use them."

"That ain' why." Damien's muscles visibly strained to keep the wheel in place. "'S th' same reason we still 'ave sails. Gotta be true pirates! Ain' tha' right, Songbird!"

"The salt in our blood is as pure as the sea's!" the musician shouted back. "Ready to go, Captain!"

Cassandra smiled. "That's why, Jordan. We're pirates. Fire!"

The Knave rocked on its side as the cannons went off in quick succession. Cassandra ticked the shots off on her fingers, making sure every cannon had been fired. Many of the shots went wide or fell short, but even the direct shots didn't reach the opposing ship. They were knocked into the sea with such force that even Cassandra's keen eyes barely made out the spears piercing the metal spheres. The score of spear throwers by the railing prepared another salvo, one that she knew would not be defensive. "Incoming missiles!"

The spears hurtled towards them like bullets, whistling through the air. Damien's metal wings snapped out, but a spear still found its way through one of the holes Jordan had torn and embedded in his side. The other weapons stuck fast in the deck, some piercing clean through. No screams from below indicated the spears had missed her crew, which Cassandra was extremely grateful for. She rubbed the closing wound on her ribs before going over to her navigator. "Hold still for a moment."

She braced her boot on his back and yanked out the spear. It had barely penetrated his muscles, simply adding to the countless scars covering his skin. He didn't even acknowledge her actions, his eyes fixed on the sky. The enemy ship drew ever closer, and more spears were in the pirates' hands. "More missiles!"

"Trompette Sonnerie!"

"Kamnepad!"

The spears had barely left the ship before they were intercepted. The rock splinters from Morgan's fists knocked quite a few out of the air, and Alexander's sound wave took care of the rest. The arrival two Devil Fruit Users meant Cassandra could depend on them to defend the ship while she ascended to her preferred vantage point. She was halfway up the rigging when another volley was launched, only to be struck down by Alexander and Morgan. By that time, the two ships were within boarding distance, and the spear throwers were quickly replaced by pirates with grappling hooks.

Just as the lines were thrown, the Howling Knave reared dangerously out of the water. Cassandra had to hang on for dear life, her grip nearly failing her. She recovered in time to see Jordan and Cain land on the enemy ship amid a flurry of action. To contrast Cain's massive size, Jordan had shrunk down to no more than a meter in height, but Damien's combat strength was not to be underestimated regardless of size. Cain had elected to use the battleaxe Basilikos, its green-white blade hacking through everything in his path.

Similarly, no few pirates boarded onto the Knave. Morgan moved easily among all three decks, his water elemental forcing enemies overboard as he coursed about. Alexander's trumpet blast rang out with decreasing frequency, though he was able to launch more attacks than he had been before. The first pirate that attempted to go belowdecks was knocked right back out as Lyn fought inside the medical ward. The narrow space would better benefit her limited mobility, so Cassandra wasn't too worried. She was able on sniping ranged attackers from the crow's nest.

It took very little time for the pirates to learn to avoid the Knave's poop deck. While Damien mostly ignored the fighting around him, any person who attempted to attack him found out very painfully that they should have left him alone. Jordan's adversaries were not as lucky, as they were forced to defend their ship from her attacks. Several pirates had to stop fighting and attempt to extinguish the sails as she gleefully set them ablaze.

It was inevitable that the man Cassandra supposed was the captain emerge. His armored helmet obscured his face, but his bare chest and arms indicated he was well-versed in combat. His sandals pounded the deck as he threw himself at Cain with a loud battlecry. Although he was only a head or two shorter than Cain, his blow would undoubtedly be strong. The bodyguard barely had time to bring his battleaxe around to prevent the leaf-shaped sword from cleaving his head in two.

What resulted was a bright flash of light and a clash so loud that Cassandra was forced to cover her eyes and ears. When she recovered, she saw with some surprise that the enemy pirates were just as curious as she was, staring at Cain in awe. He and the captain stumbled back a step, eyeing each other in shock. Everybody was frozen in place, unsure of how to proceed. Cain slowly extended Basilikos, and the captain mirrored his movement. When the two weapons touched, another flash of light blinded the pirates and another earsplitting crash shook the ships. Both crews were clearly unnerved by the inexplicable development, not even a sneak attack being attempted upon nearby unsuspecting enemies.

Cain and the large captain exchanged hasty words, each going over his weapon carefully. They all jumped then a third flash of light and crash of sound occured. When Cassandra opened her eyes again, black clouds filled with lightning had completely obscured the previously clear sky. The downpour was so unexpected that even she gave a shout of alarm. The temperature had risen several degrees, and she was soaked to the bone. Damien's maniacal laughter mingled with the thunder and pounding waves.

"Rope up or die, bilge rats! Those sails need t' go up, 'atches locked, cannons in an' bolted down! I ain' swimmin' t' th' next island cuz you shitstains sucked each other off! Yahahahar!"

She supposed the hot rain was better than the frigid sleet that had nearly frozen the Knave on the way to Juhla. The winds were only increasing, and she had precious little time. She used the rigging to descend, not wanting to risk jumping and being blown out to sea. By the time she made it to the main deck, she had to stab her knives into the main deck to fight her way over to the mast. A few enemy stragglers were huddled against the railings, but they couldn't do much but hang on for dear life. Alexander was already fumbling with his safety harness, his quick fingers securing himself sturdily.

A mass of vines shot over and tangled around the mast. Cassandra followed them to Morgan, who had converted his elemental into a single pair of viny arms. The vines pulled taught, then snapped suddenly over to the ship. A child crashed through the railing, dislodging the other pirates, and skidded across the deck with their claws. Once Jordan managed to stop, he effortlessly dispatched another enemy by kicking them out to sea.

"Harness!" Cassandra shouted, gesturing at the mast as she climbed the rigging once more. A loud crack distinguishable from the thunder rang through the air, and the enemy ship heeled dangerously towards them. Its main mast leaned towards the Howling Knave, then abruptly changed direction and fell away. Angry shouts followed Cain back to the Knave, but the bandit paid them no heed. The wave that swept over the ship nearly knocked him off, but his grip on the fore mast kept him aboard. He ducked his head as he climbed down to the main deck to put on his own complicated tether. Unlike the others, who could get by on thick ropes, his size required steel cables to anchor him to the ship.

"Get Damien's harness on!" Cassandra yelled at Jordan over the wind. "He says he doesn't need it, but he does! It's beside the wheel!"

"Yahar, won' make much difference! If I'm gone, Cap'n, yer all fuckin' dead too! Those sails ain' furled yet, sea lice! Quick afore we go keel up!"

"I need help with the cannons down here!" Lyn's voice could barely be heard over the wind. "Hallways are filling up!"

"Morgan, inside! Cain, see if you can reach over and shove them in! Bailing out below won't be easy!" She struggled up the rigging, soon catching up to her second mate. "Come on, we need these sails furled!"

"Easier said, Captain! I wish we had time for the raingear!"

"Less wishing, more furling!" She made it to the spar first and crawled as quickly as she could, taking care not to get her safety rope caught. When the alchemist was in position, they both grabbed their respective lines and began pulling. While the way the sails were rigged allowed them to be raised and lowered by a mere two people, the system was still strained to its limit by the gale-force winds. Cassandra and Alexander worked in perfect tandem without needing a voiced call, each working in a comfortable rhythm. As soon as the sail was raised, they lashed it in place and climbed to the next yard.

The Knave began tilting back, forcing the two Devil Fruit Users to cling for their lives. An ever-increasing slope of water rose before them, and the galleon gave a mighty groan. Damien's wild laughter only grew louder as he fought to keep the ship straight and prevent them from rolling. "Aye, I missed this! Show me watcha got, devil!"

When the Howling Knave crested the swell, the ship seemed to hover in midair for a moment. Then, with a stomach-churning drop, it rushed down the opposite slope, gathering speed as she went. The figurehead pierced clear through the surface of the black waters, submerging most of the ship. Cain was rocked backwards, only his head and shoulders remaining above the water. As the bow stayed underwater, Cassandra prayed that everything would be all right. All she could see from the main mast forward was seawater. Finally, after what seemed like far too long, the bow emerged dripping from the ocean, water gushing overboard through the scuppers. She gave a shaky laugh, but couldn't dwell on her relief for long. There were more sails to raise.

The spray coming off the bow was a mild annoyance to her, but she knew Alexander was having a bit of trouble. His glasses were next to useless in this weather, and he was nowhere near as strong as she was. That being said, he still seemed to be able to find his way up, and that was what mattered. Far below, she could see Morgan and Jordan climbing onto the foremast to furl those sails. A quick look around revealed the pirate ship they had encountered previously was valiantly keeping on their tail. Their sails were already up, though the toppled main mast was causing them no end of trouble. Cassandra could barely make out the pirates attempting to disentangle it from the other masts and throw it out entirely. Their three additional masts would still carry them through the storm, but keeping up with the Howling Knave would be a difficult task.

"Again!" Having been locked up for the previous journey between islands, Damien was enjoying himself to no end. It was always difficult to come up with convincing reasons for why he was on her crew, but his insane enjoyment and complete resolve to conquer the sea was definitely one of them. There weren't many people who would refuse to leave the helm until calm waters, regardless of what the weather threw at them.

That being said, the rest of them also had to do their parts. As the Knave climbed another swell, Cassandra and Alexander hauled away at the next sail. The musician was flagging slightly, but he pushed through his weariness to keep up with his captain. Even when the ship began careening downwards, he refused to stop. The jarring impact of the Knave hitting the ocean forced them to pause for a moment, but they were able to hold on and continue.

When they lashed the sail in place, Cassandra felt a familiar pounding at her temples. She spared a moment to see Lyn using her spirit to close and lock the doors to the galley and men's quarters. She nodded, then waved to get Alexander's attention. "Get to my room! It's safest right now!"

Her words were partially drowned out by the wind and rain, but when he wiped his glasses and followed her finger, he nodded and began carefully climbing down. He was forced to stop when the galleon caught a swell unevenly and tilted dangerously to the side. Cassandra clung to the rigging for dear life, not even wanting to look below her. She knew there was only rain between her and the raging sea, and she had a healthy appreciation for how useless she was in water. She huddled on the ropes, her body painfully tense. A light pressure enveloped her, the echo of Lyn's comforting hug, and she managed to relax slightly, though her fingers were still as stiff as stone.

Only after the Knave righted did she release the breath she had been holding. She cracked an eye downwards to see Cain center himself once more, having leaned in the opposite direction in an effort to keep the galleon from rolling. His weight did serve as a useful counterbalance up to a point. He grasped the two handles he had installed in the deck, bracing himself against the oncoming wave. Even when lightning crashed into the ocean nearby, he only averted his head.

The only times Cain released his hold were when he leaned to the sides and when he retrieved Morgan and Jordan. The pair had had a much easier time than their counterparts on the main mast, as they had identical strength and the ability to ascend and descend the yards by coiling around them. The two were indistinguishable save for the female body Jordan had. Cassandra was grateful she was minding the rule not to completely impersonate any of the pirates, even if the man who necessitated that rule was completely occupied.

"We ain' turnin' right! We got too much fuckin' water in th' wrong places! You poxy blaggards better sort that out! Check tha' fuckin ballast!"

Cain pried open the hatch to the medical ward, allowing Jordan and Morgan to jump through. Lyn and Morgan knew how to operate the ballast pumps, and Jordan could help regulate the water inside the hull. Cassandra wanted to take shelter inside the ship, but she was more concerned with keeping an eye on the ship on her tail. Joining the people working below and letting Lyn scout was an option, but she didn't want three Devil Fruit Users and a comatose woman fighting against seawater. One wrong move and all four of them would drown.

She settled for fighting her way over to Damien. While the crow's nest was a much better vantage point than the poop deck, it was way too vulnerable a position for her right now. As she dropped to the main deck from the rigging, she glanced over to make sure all of the safety lines were where they should be. Three led below, Alexander's flapped as he struggled down the ratlines, and hers was clearly visible. She had to detangle her tether from the rigging, but she was beside her navigator in no time.

He didn't even glance down at her as she latched onto his arm. "Th' fuck you doin' 'ere?"

"Their hel-" She paused to push some of his dreadlocks from her face. "Their helmsman is in a cabin, so I can't snipe them. That ship is bigger than ours, and it could still ram us."

"Yahar, they're doin' a fine job keepin' up, I'll say that! Don' answer my question, though. Wha' good're you if you can' use yer guns?"

She braced herself as the Knave punched through a swell instead of riding it, jolting the ship mightily and drenching them from head to toe. Damien's skin heated up beneath her hand, but not to an uncomfortable degree. It was as if he didn't mind being completely soaked. "I still need to figure out what to do. I can't just have Cain go back over there, and I don't think he can slice that entire ship in half."

"Th' fuck you need Biggun for? Songbird'll do just fine."

"Have you forgotten he's not as physically able as you and Cain? He fought earlier and just finished with the sails. Cut him some slack." Her eyes widened as she saw that they were about to glance off a particularly large swell. "Damien…"

His only response was a round of insane laughter. The Howling Knave shot into the air, hanging still for a long moment. When they landed back in the ocean, Cassandra's grip finally failed her. She smashed facefirst into the deck, dazing her significantly. She crashed to a stop against the railing above the women's quarters and lay motionless for a second. She was remarkably unhurt, even considering the short time her body had to heal. She clambered to her feet, wiping at her face, before she froze in surprise.

Alexander was struggling with an unknown assailant who had her hand clamped over the musician's mouth. He managed to keep her knife from cutting into his throat by pushing away with both arms, but the blade only needed another jarring impact to plunge into his neck. Cassandra shouted for Cain to help, but the enormous pirate was almost completely over the starboard side as he tried to keep the ship upright.

The assailant heard Cassandra's yell and looked up. She evidently realized she had to act quickly, and she did. Just as Cassandra slid down the wet stairs, the pirate released her hold and spun around. She met Cassandra's tackle head on, grunting in pain as they crashed into the mast. They were swept to the side as a wave washed over the ship, both slamming into the railing. Cassandra felt her limbs slow as the seawater enveloped her and began sapping her strength. As the water rushed overboard, she looked around for her adversary. While she did locate the pirate huddled by the galley door, she was more drawn to the length of rope undulating on the deck. Her horror grew as she followed it to the set of ropes by the main mast.

Three ropes led below, and one led to her. The fifth wriggled on the deck like a decapitated snake, the clean cut visible even in the gloom.

She knew it would be suicide to search for Alexander in the water. Even Damien or Cain would have trouble retrieving him amid the raging waves and pounding rain. She stared overboard for a moment, then slowly turned to the enemy pirate. The woman had the gall to smirk victoriously and brandish her knife threateningly. Her smirk was wiped from her face when Cassandra's hand struck her neck and smashed her into the wall, fracturing the boards. Cassandra dragged the coughing woman to the poop deck, adrenaline and rage fueling her body. She didn't need the sea interrupting her revenge, and she didn't know how kindly Cain would take to what she was about to do.

Damien glanced at her when the first scream pierced the air. His lips spread in an amused grin as she cut off the scream with another blow to the neck. Although she wanted to exact as much revenge as she could, Cassandra didn't need the others hearing her work. She buttoned her black overshirt despite the warm climate, but didn't bother to roll down her sleeves. Blood would show up on her tank top, but the rain would take care of her arms and face.

"His name was Alexander," she informed the enemy pirate quietly. She didn't know how Damien would react, and she needed him at the helm. "He was one of the best men I've ever met. When the gods ask you why I sent you, tell them that."

Grieving would come later.

All that mattered was transferring her pain to her enemy.

\\'/.\\'/.\\'/.\\'/.\\

Inside the ocean was surprisingly relaxing. It was true he could barely move, but the flow below the surface was significantly calmer than the raging above. He felt himself tugged slowly back and forth as he sunk. Instead of his life flashing before his eyes, he saw everything he hoped his life would have. Captain would become Pirate Queen, Damien would be satisfied that he was unbeatable, Raven would become friends with her crewmembers, Morgan would become a great leader. He would be on stage playing for the entire world. He didn't want to die, but he knew better than to fight the inevitable. There was nothing he could do. He had already tried one last time to turn his surroundings into air, but to no avail. His lungs burned for air, but he refused to inhale seawater until he had no strength to resist. There was nothing to do but accept his fate.

The fact that he was at sea made it easier. If there was one place he would rather die besides of old age in bed, it would be in the ocean. His parents said he was born at sea. It was only fitting he would die at sea. He could feel the fingers of the Sea Devil pulling him down, but he was more looking forward to meeting Sir Jones. The gods of the sea were both kind and cruel. It would be an interesting conversation.

His peaceful descent was interrupted as he was seized by the back of the jacket. He rocketed upwards at an astonishing speed, the ocean pulling at his clothes, trying to retain its hold. When his head broke the surface, he inhaled air so quickly he gave himself a coughing fit. He had an instant to realize was falling back in to clamp his hands over his mouth and nose to prevent himself from trying to breathe in water.

The next time he surfaced, he found himself flying over the Howling Knave. At this point, he wasn't entirely sure he hadn't died. Lightning flashed as the grip on his collar vanished. His eyes widened as he saw a white figure soar above him. The last thing he thought before he struck something hard was he didn't know the sea had angels as well as devils.