Everyone was getting settled in on the Going Tiger and Snotlout was standing proudly at the bow of the ship.
"You pathetic little maggots," he said as he flexed his muscles. "You would knowingly attack the mighty Snotlout and his crew on the Going Tiger?" He then immediately jumped onto the deck swinging his fists about. "That sack them and show them no mercy!"
Snotlout then noticed for the first time that everyone was just lying about. Toothless was lying down having a nap, Astrid was sharpening her axe, Fishlegs was looking at several sea charts and Hiccup was scribbling down in his notebook.
Snotlout sighed. "I thought that you guys to be a lot livelier than this."
"All you have us do attack every single ship that appears on our port bow?" Hiccup asked.
"Isn't that what pirates do?" Snotlout frowned.
"They don't attack ships every single day," Hiccup pointed out. "If you want something productive to do have how about you help me, with a design for a pirate flag. Now that we have a total of five people, we almost have a full crew so we had better show are marked."
"Not a bad idea, we need something to intimidate our foes," said Toothless.
Astrid nodded. "We need something that strikes the fear into the hearts of our enemies."
"But we also want to appear as friends, we don't want to scare people unnecessarily, right?" Fishlegs asked.
"Then it's a good thing I have the perfect mark," Snotlout beamed.
In no time at all they got a black flag out and Snotlout began painting, that the pirate right that he designed wasn't exactly what they all had in mind. It was a skull cross bones, but the skull resembles Snotlout and there was a large red S over it.
"Now is this the best flag ever or what?" Snotlout announce proudly.
"I'm going to go with what," said Astrid rolling her eyes.
"What is the S for?" Fishlegs asked.
"We wanted something to stand out, right?" said Snotlout.
"You just painted a flag with your face on it," Toothless muttered.
Hiccup face palmed himself. "I suppose I asked for that. Okay, let me have a shot."
Hiccup soon began painting on another black flag and this one was practically perfect. It had a cross bone mark, but instead of a human skull it was a dragon skull that resembled the kind that Hiccup transformed into.
"And you like this?" Hiccup asked.
"That's actually pretty good," Astrid beamed.
"I'd say that's a keeper," Fishlegs nodded.
"So we finally agree that this will our mark?" Toothless asked.
Snotlout grumbled to himself. "I still say the mind was better." He then looked up at the sails. "If that is going to be our mark we might as well painted on the sails as well."
"That's not actually a bad idea," said Hiccup.
In no time at all Hiccup painted their skull and cross bones on the sails and attach the flag to the mainmast.
Hiccup then rubbed his hands together. "Now we have everything we could possibly need."
Soon everyone was relaxing as they carried on their merry way, but dark clouds began to form in front of them.
"Are we going the right way?" Hiccup asked. "It seems rather dangerous."
"What is that?" Astrid asked.
Fishlegs immediately began looking through the charts. "Hold on." He then immediately poured out a pair of binoculars and saw an island beneath the dark clouds. "That's it, there's no doubt about it."
"Don't keep us in suspense," said Hiccup.
"We're heading to the legendary Treasure Island," said Fishlegs looking at them.
Snotlout immediately rubbed his hands together excitedly. "You mean that Treasure Island?"
"The very same," Fishlegs nodded. "This place is famous the world over and so are the crazy stories about it."
"My dad mentioned it briefly, he said there was some sort of deity on the island," said Hiccup.
Fishlegs nodded. "That's right, legend has it whoever is dumb enough to sell close to the island incurs a god's wrath."
Soon they were sailing towards the island and the sea began to get rough as rain poured like buckets.
"More than likely it's the storms that frighten the people off, it does feel like a god wrath," said Astrid as she hanged on to the side.
"Well, we're already committed," said Hiccup.
Snotlout smiled broadly. "Treasury here we come!"
All of them had to work together in order to keep the ship stable, Astrid and Toothless pulled on the ropes to secure the sails and Snotlout was steering the rudder. Hiccup and Fishlegs were doing everything in their power to navigate through the storm.
It took some doing but eventually they managed to reach the island and the storm began to let up. It appeared the water was far calmer the closer they got the island. Once they secured the ship they made their way onto dry land and began searching the island.
It was a dark and gloomy place with strange-looking plans all around them, some of the plans even appear to have teeth. It also appear that the island was completely uninhabited and so far there was no trace of any god.
"This place is a little creepy," said Fishlegs nervously.
"No kidding," said Toothless.
"It said that somewhere on this island rests on unimaginable fortune just waiting to be found," said Snotlout with a greedy look on his face.
"I've heard that many a pirate have landed here in the past, but they all fled in absolute terror before they ever had a chance to look for it," said Astrid. "I've even heard that one pirates face suddenly turned into a boars face and another pirates moustache stretched out like a couple of snakes and strangled him."
Fishlegs looked utterly terrified. "But none of that is true, right?"
Hiccup looked at him calmly. "I'm sure some of the stories have been exaggerated."
"Let's just find the treasure guys and get off this rock," said Snotlout.
Hiccup then came to a stop. "I think were being watched, guys."
"What is watching us?" Fishlegs asked.
Certainly all different kinds of animals appeared from out of nowhere and they were growling at them angrily. Amongst the animals were wolfs, bears, boars and lions.
"What's going on?" Fishlegs panicked.
"Leave now!" said a large and booming voice above them.
"Who's there?" Hiccup demanded.
"Leave now!" the voice repeated.
"Where's that voice coming from?" said Astrid as she reached for her axe.
"It sounds as if it's all around us," said Toothless pulling out one of his swords.
"I am the vengeful island God, leave it once if you value your lives!" said the voice.
"Island God?" said Hiccup.
"Wait, you guys are pirates, right?" the voice asked.
"Well, yeah," said Hiccup taken aback.
"I knew it!" the voice grumbled.
Astrid frowned. "Why would a god want to ask something like that?"
"I don't know," said the voice. "I mean… take one more step into the forest, the instant that you do you will feel my divine punishment and meet your doom, which is my punishment! Wait, um…"
Hiccup looked at the others and they looked as confused as he was. "That made no sense at all."
"This guy is weird," Toothless agreed.
"What exactly is going on around here?" Hiccup frowned.
"What did you say runt it?" the so-called God asked.
Hiccup looked at the others and shook his head. "How come I'm always called a runt? I'm the tallest one here?"
Astrid shrugged.
The creature that had surrounded them were now advancing closer towards them and they looked pretty angry.
"And what are these things?" Snotlout asked.
"They used to be humans, they came looking for treasure but all they found was my wrath," said the voice.
Hiccup looked a bit dubious. "How do we know they weren't animals that lived here before?"
A particularly large Ryan then immediately advanced towards Hiccup and roared in his face. Hiccup just stood there and then immediately transformed into his dragon form and roared in his face, the line was completely taken aback and immediately ran into the forest looking scared.
"You just transformed into a dragon? What kind of freak are you?" the voice demanded.
Hiccup reverted back to his human form. "I ate the Devil Fruit and now I have the ability to transform into a dragon."
"Yeah, right," said the voice sceptically. "A Devil Fruit. I heard those stupid stories back when I was a pirate, but I—"
Astrid looked up. "Back when you were a pirate?"
"I mean, uh, no! I was reminiscing about the old days, another that kind of nonsense! I do not want to hear about the old days got it!" the voice roared.
"Then why did you bring it up?" Hiccup asked.
"I don't know who this guy is, but there's no way he's a god," said Toothless.
"Yeah he's too stupid to be one," Astrid agreed.
"Shut up!" the so-called God roared. "If you won't leave them prepare for my divine judgement!"
Suddenly launching out of the bushes were several wooden spikes which narrowly missed them. Then a wooden container of rocks dropped the entire caboodle right down on top of Hiccup.
"Hiccup above you!" Toothless yelled.
Hiccup, fortunately, understood his warning and quickly transformed into his human dragon form. The remarks fell on his head and then simply slid off his rockhard skull.
"Exactly what I expected from a god," Hiccup smiled.
"How are you not dead!" said a voice behind him.
Hiccup turned towards the bush with a voice came from. "There you are!"
"Don't move," he said, but Hiccup ignored him and turned to face the bush which then pointed a pistol at him. "I said don't move!"
He then fired a shot, but the bullet just bounced off his scales and landed on the ground bent.
"That can't be!" the bush cried.
Fishlegs smiled. "Hey, island god, dragon scales are stronger than steel."
"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I like them," said Hiccup.
"You're some kind of monster!" the bush cried.
Then suddenly to their surprise the bush ran off dropping its pistol behind.
"There it goes!" Snotlout pointed.
"After it quick!" Hiccup ordered and he, Astrid and Toothless gave chase.
Fishlegs then picked up the pistol and showed it to Snotlout. "Hey, look, I found his gun and it's really old."
Hiccup and the others soon reached the edge of a cliff, but the bush had completely vanished.
"How could we lose a walking bush?" Astrid stared.
"Technically was running," said Hiccup.
"Never mind that how could it even move?" Toothless asked.
They then heard a noise directly behind them and saw the bush.
Hiccup and the others examined it just as Fishlegs and Snotlout appeared. All of them just stared at the bush blankly, because it was inside a wooden chest.
"What's this?" Snotlout frowned.
"The island god?" Fishlegs blinked.
Toothless looked at them. "Not exactly overflowing with divine power is it?"
Then suddenly it grew a pair of feet and ran off.
"Am I imagining things or do that chest grew a pair of feet?" Astrid stared.
"No you're not," said Hiccup.
Apparently the chest had no idea where it was going and slammed into a tree and fell over. They then went over to examine it just as the sun shone out of the storm clouds. Then to their utter bewilderment they found that the bush was not a bush, but in fact a man trapped inside a wooden chest.
"Stand me up!" he demanded waving his feet frantically. "Stand me up already!"
"It's a person?" Fishlegs stared.
Hiccup shook his head in disbelief. "Now I've seen everything."
"I wouldn't say that, we've only begun our journey and I'm sure that were going to find some strange stuff," Toothless assumed.
"Guess those stories were exaggerated, to thing everyone was scared of man in a box," said Snotlout shaking his head in disbelief.
"Please, stand me up now," he pleaded.
"We've got you," said Hiccup as he and Snotlout lifted him up.
"I'll let you off with a warning, this time," he said and immediately ran off.
"Hold it," said Hiccup grabbing the box stopping him right in his tracks. "I think we've got one or two things to talk about."
Eventually they all sat down and surrounded the little man in the box, which had to be the weirdest thing they had encountered so far. The animals in the forest had also emerged and were beginning to lick the little man.
"You seem to be quite popular," Astrid noted.
"Let me get this straight," said Snotlout. "All these animals help you scare off the pirates that come to this place looking for treasure?"
"I have to say, this is the first time I've seen a living Jack in the box," Hiccup admitted.
"It is rather ironic, I am stuck in the bottom my name is in fact Jack." He then stopped himself and glared at Hiccup. "Hey, I'm not some child's plaything! I've been stranded alone on this island and stuck in this contemptible box for 20 years!"
"That long?" Fishlegs stared.
"So you burn all alone on this island for 20 years," said Astrid in disbelief.
"And just take a look at me," he grumbled. "I've got a beer like a wild man, I even dyed my hair in order to look like the bushes. In fact in all that time you are the only people that I've had a real conversation with."
"Maybe if you didn't scare everyone who came to this island you wouldn't be so lonely," Toothless pointed out.
"So far everyone who's come to this island has wanted my treasure!" Jack roared.
"And so you've been playing the role of an island god, who would smite anyone who tries to steal your treasure," said Hiccup folding his arms. "Did it ever occur to you that that would only bring more people in?"
Jack blinked. "Now that you mention it, I hadn't."
Hiccup then got to his feet. "Well, let's see wouldn't get you out of this thing. Toothless?"
The two of them then began pulling upon Jack and his chest hoping to yank him out of it. However, the only thing they accomplish was actually hurting poor Jack.
"W-what are you doing?" Jack cried in agony.
"Just a little harder," said Toothless.
However, Jack was completely stuck with in the chest and soon they were forced to give up.
"Sorry, but I'm afraid your good and stuck," said Hiccup wiping the sweat of his brow.
Jack glared up at him. "Don't be stupid! I've been stuck inside this blasted treasure chest for so many years now that it has slowly become a part of my body! If you try and break it, you'll break my body too!"
"How did even end up in this mess anyway?" Toothless asked.
"That's enough about me," he said looking at them curiously. "What about you guys? You're certainly not like any of those other pirates have come around here, that's for sure."
"My name is Hiccup," said Hiccup as he sat down on a rock. "My goal was to become the King of the Pirates."
"What?" Jack stared.
"I'm going to get the One Piece and then I'm going to become the King of the Pirates," Hiccup explained.
"The One Piece?" Jack stared in bewilderment. "Don't tell me you idiots are actually planning on to sail on the Grand Line?"
"Sure am," Hiccup nodded. He then pulled out a map. "I have a chart right here."
"Don't be a fool," said Jack. "The Grand Line is a graveyard, I once saw a group of pirates who had managed to escape from that horrible place and I will never forget it. It was an awful sight, they were just hollow shells of the men they used to be. There's no telling what horrors they witnessed in that ghastly place. Not one among them even tried to speak."
Everyone just sat down and listen to his tale intently. "Now listen to me young pirates, the rumours of the One Piece spawn more rumours, who knows what is true. It has only been a 20 odd years since the start of the Great Pirate Era and the One Piece is already a dream within a dream beyond the legend."
Hiccup then pulled out the chart and Jack looked over his shoulder examining it.
"So which one of these is the Grand Line?" Jack asked.
Hiccup looked at him. "Don't you know?"
"No, I never learned how to read a sea chart," Jack admitted.
"Fortunately as Captain I learned the basics of navigation," said Hiccup and then pointed to the line in the very centre of the map. "That is the Grand Line, happily named isn't it?"
"You're saying that the Grand Line is just basically a large line spanning across the globe?" Jack blinked.
Hiccup nodded. "It may look small, but there has only been one man capable of navigating the sea and that's the Pirate King himself."
"Personalising the sensible plan is to get as much treasure as we can then escape," said Fishlegs.
"You can do what you want, but I'm going to find the One Piece," said Hiccup stubbornly.
Astrid looked at him curiously. "Where'd you get all this confidence of yours?"
"I'll get it, you'll see."
Astrid shrugged. "Whatever you say."
Jack just stared at Hiccup and could tell from one look in his eyes that he was serious. "You're me," he finally said.
Hiccup blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
"You're exactly like me, young man I understand the pursuit of your dreams," said Jack dramatically. "When I was a younger man we used to feel the same way."
"What do you mean by we?" Hiccup asked.
"We put our lives on the line to search for treasure, it was that single-minded seal that changed the course of my life forever."
Astrid held a hand up. "Whoa, slow down. What are you talking about?"
"It happened 20 years ago," said Jack. "I was a much younger man then, me and my fellow pirates landed on this island with a single purpose… to find the treasure that was said to rest here."
20 years ago a young Jack and his pirate crew had landed on the island and began searching every nook cranny on the island for treasure. However they came out empty is the only thing they found was an empty treasure chest.
"200 men her search for an entire month and nothing has been found," said the captain. "The only treasure chest we uncovered is empty. Pack up men, we're leaving."
No one dead argued immediately began packing up their things, but a young Jack looked up at a tall cliff.
"What are you looking at Jack? It's time to go," said one of the pirates.
"Right," said Jack, but he looked back at the cliff pondering. 'Did anyone look at there? I know the captain stay down here the whole month.'
He knew that it was a long shot, but his curiosity got the better of him and he began scaling the cliff.
'I had better go ahead and doublecheck,' he said as he climbed. Soon he reached the top of the cliff and his eyes bulged as he saw several treasure chests sitting there in the open.
'I couldn't believe my own eyes,' said the present Jack.
The younger Jack eyes widened with excitement. "I've found it! Guys, it's up here!" He then quickly turned and looked down the cliff. "Hey, you guys!"
Suddenly the rock he was holding came apart and he was soon falling and landed right in the chest and somehow managed to find himself wedged inside of it. The impact of the fall caused him to pass out and since no one knew where he was none of the pirates bothered to start another search for him.
'And that's how I got stuck in this chest,' said the present Jack.
He soon regained consciousness and immediately scampered off and soon reached the edge of the island and to his holiday he found that all them were sailing away without him.
'When I came to my crew was already far out to sea,' said the present Jack regretfully.
The younger Jack was screaming hoping to gain their attention, but then a shrewd idea popped up in his head.
"Hold on, I believe this means that the entire fortune belongs to me now," he smiled.
However, when he returned to the cliff he found that he can climb thanks to his position in the chest.
"I can't climb up like this! I can't get out! I can't get out!" he screamed.
They soon returned to the present at the end of his story.
"And after all this time, the forging I only saw for an instant has never strayed far from my lonely old mind," he sighed. "Pirates have come here countless times to search for my treasure, but fortunately my friends here help scare them away." He gestured to the animals that had gathered around them. "That's how I've kept my treasures safe and sound for the past 20 years. It's my treasure!"
Hiccup nodded. "No question, it's yours all right."
"I think we can help you out," Astrid smiled. "Jack, we can get the treasure down for you."
Jack's eyes widened. "Do you mean it?"
Hiccup nodded. "Shouldn't be too hard, I can fly all the way up there in an instant." He then looked at Astrid and Fishlegs curiously. "Wait a minute, aren't you two thieves that only steal from pirates?"
"True, but we both have a conscience," said Astrid folding her arms.
Fishlegs nodded. "We would never stoop so low as stealing someone's treasure, especially after they protected the so long."
In no time at all they made their way to the cliff and it was certainly tall, it wasn't surprising that had been able to climb it in his condition.
"It's here?" Hiccup asked.
Jack nodded. "Yes, this is the place. It's at the very top." Everyone just smiled at Jack as he stared up at the top of the cliff. "The time has finally come, it's a great day! Get to it, kid!"
"On it," said Hiccup and transformed into his human dragon form.
He then immediately began flying up towards the cliff and in no time at all he landed on the very top. Everyone at the bottom just stood there waiting for Hiccup to come down with the treasure.
"Do you see the chests?" Jack asked.
However they didn't hear a single sound from Hiccup, making them deeply concerned.
"What's going on up there?" Toothless frowned.
"Hey, you are right up there?" Astrid yelled.
"What's the hold-up?" Snotlotut yelled.
"Is something the matter?" Fishlegs asked.
They then saw Hiccup approaching the edge of the cliff with a treasure chest under his arm.
"I found them," he said. "Six treasure chests."
Jack beamed. "Yes, good work! Now it's mine! Get my treasure! Come on, toss it down I want to see it! Go ahead and toss it down, boy! Let's have a look at it!"
Hiccup then smirked. "No way."
"No way?" Jack stared.
Astrid and the others were surprised by this attitude, it was so unlike Hiccup.
"Sorry Jack, but this treasure won't be any good to you," said Hiccup.
"What's gotten into you?" Astrid yelled angrily. "Give the man his gold!"
"Yeah, that treasure belongs to Jack and you know it!" Fishelgs yelled. "Toss it all down now!"
Hiccup just stood there in utter silence and Toothless could tell that something was up.
"I'm not joking around here!" Astrid roared furiously.
Jack sighed. "It doesn't matter, it's all right."
Astrid looked at him bewildered. "It's not all right."
Fishlegs nodded. "Jack, you have been guarding that treasure with your heart and soul for the past 20 years."
"Hiccup…" He then looked up at Hiccup with tears in his eyes, "you're a great guy."
Astrid was completely taken aback by this announcement. "What do you mean that he's a great?"
"I always had an inkling that this might be the case," Jack cried. "I tried not to think about it, but still… they're empty."
Everyone gasped and looked up at Hiccup as he opened the chest to reveal that it was in fact empty. In fact the other five chests behind him were also empty.
"I'm afraid so, I checked every last one of them," said Hiccup regretfully.
Astrid looked at Jack with sympathy. "How sad. The treasure he guarded for 20 long years was just a bunch of empty boxes."
"It happens all the time with treasures that have maps leading to them," Jack cried as he rubbed his eyes. "You set out on a quest to find it, but someone else got to it first. That's the kind of risk you have to take when you're treasure hunting pirate, you could waste a whole lifetime searching and never once find treasure. Tons of pirates lived like that, believe me."
Hiccup chuckled. "Try not to be too upset, Jack. It's a good thing we came along after 20 years. 30 years later and you might be dead."
"Good point," Jack cried.
Astrid blinked. "Hiccup?"
Fishlegs frowned. "What is he…?"
"Since this treasure hunt is a bust, you're going to need something else to fill your time. You could join up with us and search for the One Piece," Hiccup offered.
"What? Really?" Jack asked. "You're asking me?" He then cried out in buckets. "I know I must look to you. Other people when even speak to me but you are one-of-a-kind. It's been so many years since I had a friend. Thank you!"
Later that evening Hiccup and the others started to get their ship ready to set sail. Despite Hiccup's offer, Jack decide to stay on the island.
"Are you sure you want to stay on the island, Jack?" Hiccup asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," he smiled. "There is something here far more valuable then treasure that I must protect."
Snotlout blinked. "What's worth more than gold?"
He then looked to the animals that he had lived with for the past 20 years. "For the past 20 years these guys stood by my side through thick and thin. I can't leave them."
In gratitude some of the animals began to lick his face and he laughed.
Hiccup and the others smiled, knowing that Jack was going to all right by himself.
"Now that I know this no treasure here I somehow finally feel free," he said looking at them. "Without that heavy burden I can concentrate on the things that really matter to me and besides after all these years I have grown fond of this little box."
"Too bad, your good guy, for someone in your condition," said Hiccup.
"The animals on this island are your true friends," Toothless nodded.
"Looks like you're back to being the weird one on the ship now," said Astrid looking at Hiccup.
Hiccup and Jack immediately looked at her. "Who are you calling weird?"
Then they all laughed.
Soon Hiccup and the others set sail and waved goodbye to Jack.
"Goodbye, Jack!" Hiccup yelled. "Take care, okay!"
"I hope we meet again!" Astrid cried.
Jack just waved goodbye. "Hiccup D Haddock, don't you ever give up on making all of your dreams come true. If the legendary One Piece truly does exist, then it is yours for the taking and I hope it finds you well."
