Fifth Intermission

Part 1: Mutiny By the Bayside

Edd and his compatriots, fresh off a great mutiny against the undead pirate captain Fernancito Cortez, managed to secure their prize of the Sapphire Crystal Star within the depths of Cortez's ship deep inside the Pirate's Grotto. However, their victory was not without great cost, as the life of their comrade Eddy was hanging by a thread after he was gravely injured by the sharp metal of Cortez's swords while defending Goombella. Having left the ship, they carried Eddy's limp, bleeding, barely-alive body into the previous room, where Flavio waited with Francesca, Frankie, Feal T. and his Toad sailors, and the human sailors from Earth – Jake Reynolds, Betty Reynolds, Marisol Veracruz, Antoine Harris, and Tyler Cheng - who all gasped in shock at the sight of Eddy's current state.

"Oh my gosh, what happened?" asked Marisol.

"Is he going to die?" asked Feal T.

"Is he gonna be okay?" asked Francesca. "Frankie? That little paisan's gonna be okay, right?"

"Me, oh, my, how did this happen?" asked Flavio. "Flavio simply must know!"

"He was… gravely wounded in our fearsome battle against Captain Cortez," clarified Edd.

Goombella looked down sadly, a tear trickling down from her left eye. He got hurt protecting me, she thought to herself. I mean, yeah, he's a smooth-talker, and he loves money and all, but I never imagined he would go and do something so heroic for meBut why did it have to be this way? The tear drop slid down her left cheek and dripped down onto the ground.

"Arr, we need to be headin' back to camp 'n FAST," Bobbery noted. "Here's hopin' that purty nurse can fix up this young buccaneer like she did wit' me."

"All the same, Eddy would be doomed to succumb to his wounds and the resulting loss of blood if we were to take the same path out that we took in," Edd noted.

"Well, this over here might be something," said Tyler, pointing to a nearby wall. "That battle you guys had was pretty intense. We could hear it from all the way in here. Something must've went boom or whatever, 'cuz while you were fighting that pirate, a crack formed in this wall right here. Hopefully that helps."

"Arr, well then, time fer this ol' salty sea dog to shine once more!" Bobbery proclaimed.

"So, like, are you sure about this?" Nazz inquired.

"Affirmative there, lass!" Bobbery declared. "If this wall be penetrable, then we be escapin' through here! Stand back, all o' yeh!"

Bobbery ignited his fuse and positioned himself closer to the cracked wall. as the crowd unquestioningly dispersed. Within seconds, he exploded, blowing a huge hole in the wall and allowing the daylight to pour into the cave's room.

Outside, the loud boom of Bobbery's explosion quickly drew Kevin's attention.

"HEADS UP!" he managed to shout.

In a split second, Kevin dove down to the ground, tackling Rolf in the process, as a large hole was blown out of the nearby cliffside from the inside; in that same split second, Koops yelped and ducked inside his shell to deflect the incoming rocks and debris. From within the part of the cave exposed by the blast emerged a group of people that Kevin's search party had not seen before. The first to emerge were Francesca and Frankie, whom Rolf did manage to recognize, but soon, Kevin and his search party were surprised to see the human sailors and Toad sailors following the Piantas. They themselves were followed by Vivian and Nazz, carrying Eddy's limp, bleeding body; Flavio exited the hole next, blubbering to himself; next was Bobbery, looking none the worse for wear after his self-detonation; behind him emerged the helmetless and still-crying Goombella; Edd was the last to emerge, and placed his makeshift hat back onto his head having apparently removed it in the cave; he had done so in great haste, because he was now trying to stuff his exposed hair back inside his hat without revealing the Eye of Wisdom to his peers.

"Ho, Rolf should have known his comrades would be close," proclaimed Rolf. He, Kevin, and Ralph T. climbed back to their feet as Koops emerged from his shell, relatively unscathed by the blast.

Kevin spotted Nazz walking in his direction. "Nazz!" he called. "I-"

He stopped as Nazz passed him without a word, she and Vivian still carrying the wounded Eddy back in the direction of the makeshift shantytown.

"Rolf still knows not why the Vivian-witch still consorts with us, but Rolf shall return the large Ed-boy to the little village as well," said the son of a shepherd. With a strained grunt, Rolf summoned the strength to hoist Ed over his shoulder.

"So where have you guys been? In that cave this whole time?" Koops asked. "We've been looking all over this jungle for you!"

"Yes, we were in that cave," Flavio cried.

"And following a, well, very costly mutiny with Captain Cortez, we've finally procured the Sapphire Crystal Star for which we'd come," Edd explained. "But as you see, it came at a terrible cost…"

"…So wait, why's Dorky all slashed like that?" Kevin inquired.

"He… he… he's hanging by a thread… He got slashed with Cortez's large sword trying to protect me," cried Goombella, still inconsolable.

"Rough," said Kevin. "So… we got the stinkin' Star thing, is it over yet?"

"Far from it, Kevin," replied Edd. "We must restore Ed and Eddy back to health and escape from this jungle island."

Nazz, Vivian, and Rolf returned from the campsite after dropping off Ed and Eddy at the medical tent in their shantytown; as they arrived, Ralph T. was struck by a sudden hunch.

"Wait… hello? Brother? Are you in there?" Ralph called, approaching the group of sailors in the back.

One particular Toad emerged from the pack of castaways; he looked physically similar to Ralph, but bore orange spots on his cap, as opposed to Ralph's cap, which bore brown spots.

"Ralphie?" came the voice of Feal T. "That you? I thought I be recognizin' that voice!"

At the sight of Feal T., Ralph T ran toward him and pulled him into a brotherly hug.

"Feal! Brother!" cried Ralph T. "You have no idea, all this time I spent worrying about ya! You have no idea how happy I am to see you alive!"

"Ye sayin…. Ye came all this way to be findin' me?" Feal T. replied. "Th… Thank'ee, brother. Truly, thank'ee."

As Kevin watched this exchange, a small smile – a sincere smile, for the first time, instead of a sarcastic smirk – formed slowly across his face.

"So… how'd ye find me, brother?" asked Feal T.

"Well, I owe it to this guy and his friends for helpin' me out," answered Ralph, leading Feal T. to the shovel-chinned jock. "Hey, uh… Kevin, was it? Thanks again for helping me find my brother."

"So yer the lad who brought me brother to me, eh?" said Feal T., holding out his hand. "That be makin' yeh a hero in me book."

Kevin shook Feal T.'s hand in gratitude, after which the Toad resumed his brotherly embrace with Ralph. Huh, he thought to himself. That actually felt kindagood. Is this what Double-Dork was talking about- helping somebody being its own reward?

Nazz, having seen this interaction, slowly walked up to Kevin. "So… is that true? You actually helped him out?" she inquired.

"Yeah, so?" said Kevin.

"Huh. That was… surprisingly nice of you," she said, managing a slight smile. "Maybe I was kinda sorta wrong about you…"

"Um, well… this doesn't change who I am, just so you dorks know!" stated Kevin in an attempt to reclaim his pride.

BOOM!

Before anyone could respond to Kevin's retort, a loud booming sound echoed through the island.

"W-what in heaven's name?" asked Edd. "What was that?"

BOOM! The noise came again, followed by a loud splashing sound, coming from the direction of the shantytown.

Edd and the entire group dashed over to the beachside past the shantytown, discovering almost immediately the source of the noise: a large, ironclad warship in the lagoon, approaching their location menacingly. The booming noise came again, from its frontal cannon firing a third cannonball at the castaways, which again landed in the water. The ship itself bore massive spikes on its sides as a mechanism of defense, its large frontal cannon now aimed directly at the castaways. Its grey sails bore a massive logo depicting a large X, spray-painted in red. Red, of course, was what Rolf saw when he laid eyes on the vessel as the son of a shepherd narrowed his eyes.

"Ah… the X-harstimers have returned," he growled, grasping the Puni Emblem amulet he wore around his neck. "Rolf simply cannot believe the return of they who spread misery and misfortune."

However, their eyes were soon drawn to the horned figure making his way onto the deck of the ship, laughing menacingly.

"Pardon me, guys… Buh huh! I mean…" came the very-familiar voice.

"Wait- Four-Eyes?" called Kevin. "What the heck, man?! I knew you were a dork, but this is stupid!"

"You callin' ME stupid?!" laughed Four-Eyes. "Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh! BUH HUH HUH HUH HUH!"

"Wait just one minute!" growled Edd. "I recognize that laughter!"

"Ah, and I know dat nasally voice dere," laughed Four-Eyes. "Dat sock-hat who gave me grief back at da big tree!"

Four-Eyes jumped onto the cannon, gloating all the way. "Well, no need for dat fake politeness no mores. Good job gettin' dat Crystal Star! Oh yeah, seriously, good job gettin' it… fer ME! How's dis fer a dramatic entrance, huh? And look at dat – youse ijits seemed to figure it out. So I'mma come out 'n say it. Dat kindly sailor youse call Four-Eyes don't exist. I'm actually…"

Four-Eyes ripped off his pirate bandana and yellow coveralls, revealing himself as none other than…

"Da great Lord Crump! Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh!"

It was none other than Lord Crump, the lieutenant commander of the X-Nauts previously encountered in – and driven out of – the Great Boggly Tree. Crump looked out at the castaways' faces, some angry, some horrified, and continued his gloating.

"See, I was da mastermind in da shadows runnin' dis voyage! It hurts to be dis good!"

"Rolf should have known that he who savages would show your horrid face once more!" growled Rolf.

"Hey, say what ya will, 'Chosen Knight o' da Punies,' but I ain't the one on da wrong end o' dis cannon here," Crump laughed.

"I bet I could destroy that vessel with one spell!" Edd warned.

"Touchy, touchy, ain't we, sockhat? And since when can ya be usin' spells?" Crump bellowed. "Well, no matters. Methinks ya ain't gonna be doin' nuttin' o' da sort. Dat is, o' course, unless ya want roast dino-tyke fer dinner."

"And what is THAT supposed to mean?" asked Edd.

His answer came not from Crump, but from a child-like voice nearby.

"DAD! THIS GUY'S NUTS! GET ME DOWN!" called the voice of Junior, whom Edd had seen tied to the upper mast.

"JUNIOR!" called Edd in despair. "CRUMP! YOU RELEASE HIM IMMEDIATELY!"

"Ah, ah, ah. You are in no place to be makin' demands," guffawed Crump. "Enough o' dis! I'm on a schedule here! Hand over dat Crystal Star, or I'll make ya watch as I fry up yer kid!"

Oh, dear, what to do, what to do, Edd thought to himself, desperately trying not to panic as Crump resumed firing the cannon. Assistance, please! Assistance!

XXX000XXX000XXX

Ed and Eddy began to stir in their beds at the infirmary in the shantytown, startling the nurse.

"Oh, my, I'm glad you're alright, Ed," said the nurse. "Your recovery-"

"Where's Double-D?" asked Ed urgently.

"I think they're at a cliffside near the beach," replied the nurse. "I swear I thought I heard cannon fire coming from there, so..."

"Cannon fire?" gasped Ed, who, as it seemed, was in the midst of another sudden burst of intelligence. "This isn't good! I must go and save him!" Wasting no time, Ed jumped from his bed, grabbed his ratty green jacket, and dashed out of the tent.

"Wait!" called the nurse. But it was no use; Ed was out of earshot.

Eddy struggled to sit up in his bed, still weak and badly wounded from Cortez's blades, but nonetheless was able to sit up. "S-s-sockhead…"

"Pardon me?" said the nurse. "What are you doing? You should be resting! You're still very weak!"

"But… Lumpy said that… that Sockhead… Double-D… he's… in trouble…" Eddy protested.

"Please, listen to me. You're still very weak from your injuries. You must rest!" protested the nurse.

"N… No way, lady," said Eddy. "You really… think I'm making a mistake? Well, I've made a lot of mistakes… in my life, and I've handled them all. I think I can handle this one. You can't keep good old Eddy McGee down." Eddy, grasping the wounded areas of his body with one hand but nonetheless resolute, slowly left the tent to follow Ed's lead and rescue Edd.

XXX000XXX000XXX

"Starboard cannons! Port cannons! Fire at will! Buh huh huh huh huh huh!"

Crump's ship now loaded all of its cannons to fire at the castaways. With no other option, the castaways were forced to retreat back into the hole from which they had emerged previously.

"This isn't good, guys! Like, what can we do?" asked Nazz.

"So far, just what we can to stay alive!" replied Koops. "But we're running out of options…"

"It's obvious, isn't it? Cannons, people! We must flee!" cried Flavio.

"Aye, we be sailors, but we ain't much good fer nuttin' without a ship to sail!" said Pa-Patch.

"Wait!" proclaimed Flavio. "I have it! I am a genius! We have a ship at hand! And a fine one, I must say!"

"Hello? Is your brain working? Your ship was destroyed on the way here!" yelled Koops.

"I wasn't talking about MY vessel!" said Flavio. "You! Eddward! Take me… to Cortez!"

"Of course! For once, Mr. Flavio appears to be talking sense!" said Edd. "Perhaps we can convince Cortez to allow us to borrow his vessel!"

"Yes! My brain remembered! You said Cortez had a ship! If the legend is true, then we should be unstoppable in that cursed ship!"

"Seriously?" griped Goombella. "You wanna deal with HIM again after what he did to Eddy? That's insane on SO many levels!"

"Perhaps so, but we are faced with no alternative," said Edd. "Come with me, Mr. Flavio."

With this, Edd and Flavio left the castaways and re-entered the cave through the hole that Bobbery had blasted into the cliff, using this shortcut to make their way back to Cortez's ship.

XXX000XXX000XXX

Edd and Flavio returned to the captain's quarters inside Cortez's ship, awaiting with bated breath for their audience with the captain. The twister reappeared over the desk, and once more, with a creepy "OoOoOoOoOo," the skeletal head of Cortez manifested as the whirlwind petered out.

"Arr, what?" he groaned, realizing who was in front of him. "Ye be back once more, chico? Have ye forgotten something?"

"AYYYYYYYEEE!" Flavio screamed. "C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-CORTEZ! Oh, me, oh, my, oh, me, oh, my…"

"Um, yes, Captain Cortez, what the esteemed Mr. Flavio is trying to say is, we must speak with you," said Edd.

"Then speak, amigo, and do make it fast, as me patience be wearin' thinner than me bones," demanded Cortez.

"Well, first of all, I must thank you once again for the Crystal Star. It should be most helpful to us," said Edd. "But if we are to return to the mainland of Rogueport-"

"C-C-Could you l-l-l-lend us your sh-sh-sh-sh-ship?" interrupted Flavio, quaking in fright.

"¿QUÉ?" bellowed Cortez, causing Edd and Flavio to jump back. "And what would be possessin' me to lend yeh me ship? And while I be on the subject, ¿quién eres tú?"

"W-w-what?" quavered Flavio.

Edd turned to face Flavio and replied, "He's asking who you are."

"Oh!" yelped Flavio as Edd turned back to face Cortez. "M-m-m-m-m-m-my name is F-F-F-Flavio! We're in big trouble and we really need to use your ship in order to protect our crew outside from bad pirates who are blasting us to bits!"

"Yes, what Mr. Flavio said," affirmed Edd.

"So," continued Flavio. "If we could just… borrow your ship for the teensiest little while-"

"What be this madness ye speak of, muchacho? I ain't rentin' me ship for pleasure cruises!" shouted Cortez. "And besides, even if I were to lend ye me ship, she be a magical vessel, the ol' girl, 'n she can't be movin' now. She needs the skull gem in order to power her up, ye see… arr, but that skull gem was pilfered from me long ago… by a landlubber by the name o' Flamenco Lambada!"

"Skull gem… Pardon me, but are you referring to this skull-shaped ruby in Mr. Flavio's possession?" inquired Edd.

"Ah!" said Flavio, now with a tinge of pride blending in with his fear. "Yes! He must mean this lovely beauty!"

Flavio held out the ruby skull proudly, as though it were a form of leverage against the fearsome pirate captain. As he lay eyes on the glistening jewel, his eyes began to glow with rage.

"YOU!" shouted Cortez. "YOU have me ruby skull!"

"Yes, yes, I do, so… All right, what say you to this proposition?" began Flavio, in an attempt to parley with the captain. "I give you this gem, which was handed down by my family through generations, and in return, you lend us your ship! I find that to be a pretty fair deal. So whaddya say, Cortez, old friend, old buddy, old pal?"

"'OLD FRIEND?!'" bellowed Cortez angrily, enough to cause Edd to lose his balance and fall backwards onto his rear. "I be seein' it now! Ye are the descendant of Flamenco Lambada, the swashbucklin' scurvy dog who bested me on the high seas, who pilfered me ruby skull and left me 'n me ship to rot, and ye have the nerve to be callin' me 'old friend?' I ought to make ye walk the plank, ye struttin' peacock! Either ye be brave or ye be a fool to ask such a thing o' me! I ought to turn ye into a piñata 'n have me a fiesta on the shores!"

"Now hang on one moment! Do not make me have Eddward here trounce you once more!" quavered Flavio.

"Pardon me?!" gasped Edd in horror and disgust.

"Yes, while the two of you are clashing with one another, I will just toss this gem into the sea where you will never find it!" boasted Flavio. "How would that be?"

"Mr. Flavio! I must protest!" yelled Ed.

"Just go with me on this," whispered Flavio to Edd.

"RRRRRRRR-AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGH!" howled Cortez, the volume of his voice once again knocking Edd as well as Flavio onto their rear ends. "Ye rattlin' me bones, Señor Peacock!"

Cortez darted his eyes from the gem, to Flavio, to Edd, then back to Flavio, then back to Edd, then back to the gem that Flavio was now threatening to dispose of if the captain did not agree to his terms. The atmosphere grew even more tense as the undead captain considered Edd and Flavio's offer, as well as the latter's blackmail.

"Arrgh… very well, I accept yer bargain, jefe," grumbled Cortez. "Now ye be truly careful wit' that gem, ¿comprende?"

"Ah, yes! Check and mate for Flavio!" Flavio boasted. "I did not amass my fortune by failing in negotiation, no sirree Bob! The way I see it, you can talk your way into any deal!"

"And in that event, if Eddy survives, I must insist that you not take him on as your pupil," grumbled Edd to Flavio. "His so-called 'business endeavors' would grow exponentially more nefarious, if not extremely dangerous, under your tutelage."

"Right, well," said Flavio, ignoring Edd as he presented the ruby skull to Cortez, "you take this…"

As Flavio held up the ruby, the ruby itself floated out of his hands and toward Cortez, who proceeded to absorb the gem into his own head (though Edd apparently knew this was Cortez's way of reclaiming his stolen priceless artifact).

"Arrgh, yes!" proclaimed Cortez. "At last! With this, me precious Black Skull shall sail the seas again! And not a moment too soon- I was gettin' annoyed by the sound o' cannons outside, anyway!"

"Oh, dear! Our fellow castaways! They remain under attack from Lord Crump's cannons!" Edd wailed.

"The time has come! 'Tis time fer this salty ol' cap'n to really stretch me bones 'n wreak havoc on the seas as in the days of old!" proclaimed Cortez proudly. "¡Gracias, amigos!"

"So, Eddward, do feel free to thank moi for saving us all," boasted Flavio, to Edd's annoyance. "But for now, we sail!"

Edd shook his head as he and Flavio left Cortez's quarters and made their way back onto the main deck of the Black Skull, and was shocked to be greeted with the sight of Francesca, Frankie, Pa-Patch, Jake, Betty, Antoine, Marisol, Tyler, Ralph T., his brother Feal T., and the latter's crew of Toad sailors.

"Hey! We're comin', too!" said Antoine.

"Let's take 'em!" proclaimed Francesca. "C'mon, everybody! All for one!"

"Aye! I ain't lettin' ol' Fancy-Pants Flavio hog all the glory!" proclaimed Pa-Patch.

A whirlwind appeared above the main deck of the ship, and as it petered out, the head of Cortez materialized.

"Arrgh! 'Twas a millennium since I gazed out upon the open sea!" the captain proclaimed. "Ahoy, me hearties! All hand hoy! To the open waters! Let's set sail!"

At the captain's command, a massive crew of Embers materialized in front of the ship's sails on the mast, ready for battle.

XXX000XXX000XXX

Edd's friends and much of the heroes remained under attack from Lord Crump's cannons, and Eduardo Junior had been taken hostage and was currently tied to the mast of the X-Naut warship.

"Ugh! What's takin' Double-Dork and Fancy Pants so long?" Kevin groaned as Crump launched another cannonball, which barely missed the edge of the island by mere inches.

"When my dad finds a way to beat ya, you'll be sorry, Horns!" Junior proclaimed.

"Oh, is dat so? I'd like to see dat!" laughed Crump.

As the X-Naut lieutenant continued his onslaught, Junior happened to make out the figure of Ed dashing along the beachside toward the hole in the cliff.

What the- Ed? thought the little Yoshi. How is he up and about so easily? Last I saw him, he couldn't even stand up!

Ed wasn't the only person Junior saw heading for the cave. He caught another, smaller figure, that of Eddy, making his way to the hole as well, albeit much more slowly, staggering as he struggled to keep up with his larger friend.

Eddy, too? thought Junior. He's a total wreck! How'd he get that huge gash? What happened to him?

"Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh! I got ammo to spare!" Crump boasted. "How's dis fer a 'boom-bassa-boom festival?' OPEN FIRE!"

At Crump's command, his troops continued firing cannonballs. Eddy, injured as he was, didn't flinch even as the ship aimed its cannonballs in his direction; however, as he was still very badly wounded, the aftershocks of each cannonball's explosion caused him to struggle to maintain his balance. By a stroke of luck, though, despite the aftershocks, none of the cannonballs struck Eddy as the wounded, diminutive scammer made his way into the makeshift hole after his friend Ed.

As Crump's forces prepared to load another cannonball, a loud, booming voice rang out:

"Ye be firin' cannons herewithout MY permission? Ye have some nerve, mortal!"

Crump rounded on one of his troops, Johnson, but as the X-Naut second-in-command open his mouth to berate Johnson, a loud rumbling came from the cliff wall. Before long, the wall itself blasted away, leaving a huge, gaping maw in the cliff. From within, Cortez's ship, the Black Skull, emerged.

"WHAT THE-?!" was Crump's very shocked reaction.

The Black Skull boasted quite the crew on its decks; the human sailors and Toad sailors on the main deck, with brothers Ralph and Feal T. standing stalwart on the upper deck; Flavio standing boldly on the tip of the ship's bow; Cortez floating above the main deck, his Ember army cloaking the sails; and Edd stood near the front, behind Flavio. The X-Naut tanker and the Black Skull circled one another menacingly.

"GRRRRGH!" growled Crump. "I'm gonna sink dis ratty old ghost ship to da bottom o' the ocean!"

Crump immediately grabbed the wheel and gave it a sharp turn; the X-Naut ship made a sharp left and rammed right into the side of the Black Skull, narrowing the gap between the two vessels. With both ships stopped, this allowed the Black Skull's crew to extend a bridge to the cliffside, allowing the remaining heroes (including the newly-recovered Jimmy) to board the ship.

"So!" Crump yelled out. "Shall we do dis thing?"

"X-FIEND!" yelled an angry voice.

The source of the shout came in the form of Rolf, the son of a shepherd. The tall Old Country boy pushed his way through the crowd on the main deck to face Lord Crump, his familiar adversary from the Great Boggly Tree. Rolf's Puni Emblem, which he wore with great pride, glistened in the sunlight.

"You and Rolf, right now!" he proclaimed.

"Oh, great, it's you," Crump growled. "Da funny-talker who trashed my Magnus von Grapple at da tree! Whaddya want now, hotshot?"

"Rolf challenges you to a duel!" Rolf shouted angrily. "As Rolf's ancestors would, we shall duel for keeps! If Rolf emerges as victor, you shall surrender to us and return the dino-boy!"

"Da terms seem acceptable," laughed Crump. "I'll be likin' dis. And if I win, I get to capture da lot o' ya 'n bring ya's to Sir Grodus himself! I ain't knowin' what he'd do to ya's, but lemme tell ya it ain't gonna be purty."

"Fine! Yes! Rolf accepts the terms!" Rolf growled.

"Rolf! Do you believe we can take this risk?" inquired Edd, worrying for Junior's safety.

"Fear not, nasally-voiced Ed-boy," proclaimed Rolf, clutching his Puni Emblem. "Rolf remains confident in his abilities!"

"Well, fine then, how's it work, huh?" demanded Crump.

"The vessels shall be moved apart from one another by- how much, Ed-boy?"

"Ten meters should suffice, I suppose," said Edd.

"Yes! The vessels shall be moved ten meters apart from one another, and a bridge shall be secured between them for us to duel on!" yelled Rolf. "First to fall into the water is defeated."

"Fine by me, then, dem terms is acceptable to me!" said Crump.

The X-Naut warship and the Black Skull accordingly separated themselves by ten meters in preparation for the duel. A wooden beam was placed between the ships to act as a makeshift bridge, and both Rolf and Lord Crump walked onto the beam. The son of a shepherd narrowed his eyes as he locked his gaze with the X-Naut lieutenant, tightening his grip on his Puni Emblem and raising his new whacking bag in the air.

"So…" growled Rolf. "Any final words?"

All of a sudden, the sound of thunder rumbling could be heard. Ominous storm clouds began swirling in the sky and covering the sun, darkening the area around the island; lightning subsequently could be seen crashing and crackling in the sky. Ed, Edd, and Eddy had seen this only once before – during Eddy's own ill-fated duel with Rolf back in the cul-de-sac, after Eddy insulted Rolf's customs.

"How does Rolf possibly do that?" asked Edd, in reference to the sudden change in the weather.

"Do what?" Eddy inquired.

"How does Rolf summon a lightning storm like so?"

"Final words? From me! NOPE!" proclaimed Crump. "We duel right here 'n now!"

Rolf wasted no time and seized the opportunity to smack Crump In the face with a hard blow from his whacking bag. Crump retaliated with a right uppercut to try and throw Rolf off balance, but Rolf countered with his own fist before smacking the X-Naut lieutenant once again, sending him stumbling backwards with a grunt.

"Dat's it! I'm through playin' games!" Crump bellowed, now brandishing his own X-Naut staff, which appeared taller and darker than the staff Jimmy had previously won from Xavier in the Boggly Tree. Rolf swung his bag again, but was countered by Crump's new weapon. More red clouds began to swirl overhead as the duel continued.

"Yeah, that weird thing with the sky – that's what happened when he dueled me," Eddy remarked. "Like, what the heck, man?"

"I concur, Eddy. It seems Rolf has been concealing many secrets hidden from us since our arrival in this world," noted Edd. "Secrets that I daresay are only now bubbling to the surface, as it were. I must make a mental note to question him for answers in due time."

"That reminds me," piped up Ed. "Earlier, I heard Rolf speaking of my actions."

Edd and Eddy had to do a double-take at this statement – they had recognized the speaker's voice, but were still surprised as to who was speaking.

"Ed?!" they both inquired incredulously.

"Yes, it is I, Ed," said Ed. "Why are you so shocked?"

"Well, because… you're speaking in clear, complete sentences!" Edd shouted. "How can this possibly be?!"

"I'm not sure myself," replied Ed. "It's happened only once before… back when you were in the cave. It's early to tell yet, but I think this… phenomenon may only be triggered whenever you find yourself in terrible danger."

"This is most bizarre indeed," Edd mused. "Our arrival in this strange world, Rolf's connection to an ancient tribe, my, erm, pyrokinetic prowess, and now Ed is experiencing a burst of intelligence at a magnitude never before seen…"

Edd's ruminations were interrupted by the sounds of clanging, bringing his attention back to Rolf's duel with Lord Crump. Rolf was standing angrily, panting heavily – it seemed Crump had managed to capture the upper hand.

"Rolf shall not allow you to dishonor the Punies as you have done!" growled the son of a shepherd.

"C'mon, y'all still mad at us for invadin' a tree?" Crump laughed. "Man, get over yourself. They was just a bunch o' dumb slugs."

"SLUGS?!" Rolf bellowed angrily. "You rotten harstimer!" The Old Country native was angry to the point where he lifted Crump off of his feet using his own bare hands, grabbing him by his uniform. "First you dishonor the Punies, then you play two-face spy! You have broken the celery stalk on the back of a sea urchin!"

"What da heck ya talkin' about?" Crump growled. "Ya know, dem insults youse hurlin' at me would be more intimidatin' if I could understand what the heck ya sayin'!"

With a shout in his native tongue, Rolf tossed Crump down onto the beam with such force that the X-Naut lieutenant lost his balance and fell. Crump, however, reacted quickly and managed to grasp the beam with his right hand. Rolf approached Crump and raised his foot, intent on stomping on the lieutenant's hand.

"The honor of the Punies has been restored, harstimer," growled Rolf.

"Da heck is a harstimer?" grumbled Crump.

"Face it, 'Lord' Crump," proclaimed Edd. "The hero of the Punies has emerged as the victor in your duel. Now you must honor your end of the deal and return Eduardo Junior to us, posthaste!"

"Well, fine," growled Crump. "I'm a man o' my word. Here ya go."

Crump held up the pole to which Eduardo Junior was still tied up. Slowly but surely, Edd made his way across the beam to retrieve his "son" from the X-Naut's clutches, cautiously maintaining his balance across the narrow beam. Edd had made it halfway across the beam when Crump suddenly shouted, "Start the engines!"

The X-Naut ship jerked forward, and Crump watched as the beam was jostled loose, plummeting into the water, with Edd dropping into the drink along with it.

"NO! DAD!" screamed Junior.

"Aw, ya want yer daddy? Fine! No skin off my nose, brat!" shouted Crump. The X-Naut lieutenant tossed the Yoshi child into the water, and as he was still bound to the pole, he couldn't swim free.

Appalled at the sight of what she'd just seen, Vivian let out a yelp and ran to the edge of the main deck of the Black Skull, using her good arm to climb atop the railing.

"VIVIAN! What ye be doin' lass?!" Bobbery shouted. "Ye can't swim wit' a broken arm in a cast!"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT MY ARM!" shouted Vivian. Immediately she ripped off the cast on her broken arm and tossed it into the water before diving in herself.

All the others could do was watch and wait with bated breath. Bubbles began to rise to the water's surface, and all of a sudden, there was a big flash from beneath the surface. Suddenly, both boats were rocked by a huge explosion. Vivian had burst forth from the water, carrying Edd in her arms, while Edd carried Junior in his; the three landed on the deck of the Black Skull with a splash, eliciting a surprised yelp from Eddy and a "Whooooa!" from Kevin. Vivian gently set Edd and Junior onto the deck.

"Thank you, Vivian," said Edd, smiling in her direction.

"Yeah, thanks for savin' me and Dad," piped up Junior.

"Look!" called Frankie, pointing out in the distance. "They's gettin' away!"

The rest of the crew followed Frankie's gaze and saw the X-Naut ship sailing away in retreat.

"They will most certainly pay for their treachery," growled Edd.

"Arrgh," growled Cortez, directing the crew's gaze to his floating skull. "You, amigo. Lad wit' da weird hat on his head."

Edd knew immediately that Cortez was talking to him, and responded, "Yes, Captain?"

"I understand ye have the pow'r to conjure fire."

"But what good will that do?" Flavio complained. "They're too far off!"

"Perhaps for ye, simple-minded chico, but they ain't too far for me Embers," said Cortez. "Eddward, be it? If ye can call on the pow'r o' flame, then ye should be able to summon Embers, as well."

Catching the spectral captain's drift, Edd turned and faced the direction of the escaping X-Naut vessel and raised his hand, pointing his thumb, index finger, and pinky finger. This may or may not be a grave mistake, but it seems I've no other option

"Em…BERS!"

Immediately Edd could feel an immense surge of power coursing through his body and raging through his outstretched fingers; the power was so great, in fact, that Edd had to kneel just to remain upright. He noticed a large blue flame, larger than the flames he had conjured in the past, emerging and separating from his hand. At least six more blue flames emerged from his hand afterward.

"Whoa… Double… Dork?" Kevin stuttered, in awe of what he had just seen.

"Like, what's up with your eyes, Double-D?" Nazz added.

Edd realized he had performed a spell that was completely new to him – he had just conjured seven Embers, all glowing with their usual bright blue hue; the same bright blue hue that Edd's eyes were now glowing.

"Aye, har har! That blue in yer eyes, chico! That means ye be in command o' me Embers!" Cortez explained. "Now! Make it count, jefe!"

"Right!" exclaimed Edd. "Embers! Hear my command!"

The Embers heeded Edd's call to attention and turned to face him, awaiting his next order.

"The enemy ship is attempting to escape from our sight! Pursue them and attack upon arrival!" Edd commanded.

The Embers exchanged a united nod with Edd, then darted at high speed toward the X-Naut vessel, which by now appeared as a mere speck approaching the horizon. After about two seconds of nervous anticipation from the crew, they saw a large explosion in the distance; Edd's eyes, in the meantime, reverted back to their usual hazel hue.

"So… did we win?" asked Ralph T.

Another loud bang, powerful as a sonic boom, rang out, and the now-wrecked X-Naut warship soared overhead, apparently devoid of crew.

"Perhaps the X-Nauts escaped prior to the explosion," said Edd.

Clink.

As the warship soared, a small metal box landed on the deck of the Black Skull with a small clink; Nazz picked up the box and opened it to find a small piece of paper with a warning hastily scrawled across it. Despite issues in the legibility of the handwriting, Nazz managed to barely make out what the note said, and read it out loud:

"You're good, but this ain't over. Take this as your first and last warning. Next time you see us, we, the X-Nauts, will be the victors. Mutinously yours, Lord Crump."

End of Part One