Pirate Legacy
Chapter Six
While we were out at sky, a school of batacudas, which are barracudas with wings, looking for some tasty pirates to eat attacked us, but we managed to kill them all, and I figured the amount of batacudas we caught would keep Crimson Jake well-fed for a good long time, so we set course for Blood Shoals.
We returned to Crimson Jake, each of us carrying two batacudas by the tails.
"Ah, good – I'll eat well tonight, pirates." Crimson Jake said. "Moe's locket, I squirreled it away on Skull Island. It's buried under an empty chest, back behind the waterfall.
"Go quickly, pirates. When I think of Moe's story, it reminds me of my own true love, and… Oh, I forgot you don't care. Just go!"
As we left Crimson Jake's house and boarded the Highwind, I called, "Set course for Skull Island Town!"
As we made port at Skull Island, I said, "I have no intention of paying the Red Claw Gang ransom, so we'll mount a rescue of Young Nick."
The others nodded and Bonnie led the way to Black Rock Cave. As we entered the cave, we found a cavern where a young rat was tied up and dangling from the rope of a crane, moving slowly towards a cauldron of boiling hot water surrounded by three Crabs, two with daggers and one with a harpoon gun.
"Come for some rodent stew, have you? Well, we aren't sharing! Crush them, my boys! Crush them all!" The lead Crab shouted while brandishing his dagger.
"Help me! Jam the winch, or I'm done for!" Young Nick cried.
As he and his similarly equipped bodyguard ran towards us, the other one wielding the harpoon gun aimed it at the closest target, which was me.
Before he could even pull the trigger, a burst of electricity stunned him, and he fell to the floor. "Thank you, Bonnie."
As I ran towards the crane, I slammed the flat of my saber into the Crab thug's cheek, knocking him out, and I picked up his dagger.
I jammed the winch by sticking the dagger in between it and the crane, and Young Nick hung there, still dangling from the rope. "Thank you, Pirate! If you hadn't stopped the winch, I'd have been in the soup!"
"You can thank me later after I've cut you down." I said as I ran towards the lead Crab, who was putting up a quite a fight against Rena.
As his back was turned, I gripped my saber with both hands and jumped up to slam it right onto his head like a hammer, and he fell to the sandy floor, knocked out.
"Thanks, Matt." Rena said as she brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "Now let's cut Nick free."
"Now that I'm free, I need to get home. Can you take me back to Blood Shoals, Pirate? My mother's waiting for me there."
"Of course, but before we go, we have some business to attend to." I said gently as I patted his shoulder. "Now let's go find Nancy's locket."
After we had exited the cave, Bonnie led us behind the waterfall near the docks, where we found the empty chest, like Crimson Jake had told us. Rena lifted the chest up, and there shone the locket, like a diamond in the sand.
"Here's the locket – she's a beauty." I said as I held it up to the light. It was made of gold, and was very well-made.
"Let's take it to Nancy. I know where to find her." Bonnie said as she looked over my shoulder at the locket.
Bonnie led us to Nancy McGill's house, where she was leaning against the wall.
"What do you want, Pirate? I've no time for…" Nancy began, but I cut her off. "Moe's sent us."
"Moe sent you? I've nothing to say to him or to you." Nancy said coldly.
"He's dead, but he wanted me to return your locket." I said as I held out the locket.
"He got it back, did he? Well, it seems he could keep his word after all. Better late than never, I guess." Nancy said, softening. "I will never abide Moe's pirating and gambling ways… But at least I can forgive him. You can tell him that for me."
I nodded and turned back to my crew. "Set course for Blood Shoals. We've got a son to reunite with his mother."
As we arrived at Blood Shoals after an uneventful trip, Nick led us to his house, where his mother was waiting.
"Ah Nick, you're all right! I was worried sick about you, boy! Pirate, you're the answer to my very prayers." Nick's mother said as she shook my hand. "Thank you for saving my boy, and for fighting back against those accursed Crabs! It's a good deed you've done here."
As we left Nick's house and arrived at the cavern where the ghosts were waiting, the ghosts of Manny, Moe, and Jack rushed to us.
"You paid back Uncle Scuttles for me? I thank you, Pirate. I hope your life follows a better course than mine ever did. Farewell." Manny said to me as he faded away.
"Thank you, Pirate. I could never win her back, but Nancy knows my love is true. You've brought me peace to rest in." Moe said to me as he also faded away.
"Thank you, pirate, for doing the right thing, even for me. We might've been enemies had we met in life, but now you've set me free." Jack said to me as he also faded away.
"I thank you, Pirate. I got those poor lads mixed up in this business, and now I've done right by them. It's time to deal with Ratbeard." Lasko said. "I don't know where Ratbeard's gone, but I wager I know who does."
"He's the hidden mastermind behind every black market, criminal scheme, and dirty deed from here to MooShu. Go to Jonah Town, and find Captain Ahab. Tell him you want to talk to the Frogfather."
I nodded and we left the cavern to board the Highwind. As we sailed away from Blood Shoals, I asked, "Does anyone know where Jonah Town is?"
"According to Nikolai's atlas, it's built on the back of a giant sky whale!" Rena said as she opened the book.
"So now we have to track down a giant sky whale?" I asked as I steered the Highwind. Rena shook her head.
"Not quite. The whale stays south of Rapa Nui, so we should find it in that general area." Rena answered.
I pushed the handle of the rudder so that we turned left to the south and we sailed past the home of the Nui tribe of Water Moles, a friendly group of platypuses that Rena and I had met previously.
We soon spotted Jonah Town, and it was a sight to behold. It wasn't because the architecture was amazing or anything, because it was just a bunch of shacks made of salvaged wood, but because all of it managed to stay on the whale without being bucked off.
We made port at the docks that spread out from the whale like a left wing, and we asked around for Captain Ahab, and we soon found him standing near a very large boatswain's chair hanging above the whale's blowhole, which was a good ten feet in diameter.
Captain Ahab was an elderly pelican wearing a dark blue hat and coat, and he held a telescope in his right hand.
"Excuse us, sir, but we want to talk to the Frogfather." I said politely.
"You want to talk to the Frogfather? Aye, I've heard of him. You seem a decent sort – what the blazes do you want with the Frogfather?" Captain Ahab asked.
"We're looking for someone, and we think the Frogfather can tell us where he is." I answered.
"I'm afraid I can't help you. I know where the Frogfather is, but I don't talk about it – the Frogfather is not someone I want to offend." Captain Ahab said. "I have other troubles to attend to. We here in Jonah Town are humble fisher folk – our lives are only as good as the day's catch."
"My best fisherman, Brody, was due back yesterday, and there's no sign of him. He was trawling for sky clams out by the Vortex of Doom." Captain Ahab continued. "Hmm… Now that I say that out loud, it doesn't sound like a good idea at all!"
Of course it doesn't! I thought, but I kept it to myself.
"I fear the storm may have drawn him in! Captain, you're tougher than any of us fishermen, can you brave the Vortex and see if you can find Brody?" Captain Ahab asked. "It's to the southeast of here."
"Thank you, Captain Ahab. I'll be back with Brody." I said. As we sailed towards the Vortex of Doom, I shouted above the howling winds, "Everyone, tie yourselves to the mast! We're going in!"
We all tied coils of rope around our waists and the mast so that we were secure when we entered the Vortex. "Bring her to full sail!"
As they raised the sails for maximum speed and entered the walls of the vortex, the ship tilted to the right, sending everyone towards starboard side. Luckily, the worst was over as the ship passed through the wall of the vortex and tilted back to normal.
In the center of the vortex's eye, was a Pelican wearing a brown coat and hat holding a fishing pole and lantern aboard his fishing boat, the brass letters on the bow reading "Amity," whose mast was knocked down and the keel broken beyond repair.
The Amity was surrounded by four storm sharks that were leaping out of the sky to try and get Brody. "Help me!"
"Rena and I will board the Amity, so cover us from the Highwind!" I shouted over the winds as we drew next to the Amity. The others nodded and Rena and I untied the ropes keeping us to the mast and we jumped aboard the Amity.
I leaned back to the right to avoid an electrically-charged bite from a leaping storm shark, and I hit it to send it flopping onto the deck, where Rena stabbed it with her saber.
Bonnie was down on one knee, with the sights of her sparquebus up to her eye, where she shot a storm shark mid-leap, and it fell down into the clouds below.
Emmett had pulled out both his pistols, and as two sharks leapt towards him at the same time, he pulled the triggers, stunning both of them, making an easy kill for Bonnie with her hunting knife.
"Ahoy there, mates! Good thing you happened along, Captain! Aye, if I'm going to trawl a vortex, I need a bigger boat!" Brody said as he hopped onto the Highwind.
"This fishing boat's all beat up – we'll have to put her out of her misery." Rena said sadly.
"I'll ride with you then." Brody said. "But first…"
With a sigh, Brody took the still burning candle out of his lantern and threw it onto the deck of the Amity, and everyone except for Rena took off their hats and we all had a moment of silence for the Amity as it burned and sank below the clouds.
"Well done, Captain! Well done indeed! You've saved one of our best!" Captain Ahab cheered as we returned with Brody at the docks. As Brody left, Captain Ahab said, "I'm afraid I have another problem, and this one's even more serious…"
"My son Norville's not back yet – he went to Rapa Nui to sell the month's catch of fish and clams, you see. I expected him back while you were off finding Brody – it's not like Norville to be late. I'm very worried! We're just humble fisher folk – if we don't get that money soon, we won't be able to pay our… eh… upkeep. Go to Rapa Nui and find Norville, and maybe I can help you find the Frogfather."
"Alright, sir, we'll head there straightaway." I said as I climbed back aboard the Highwind.
As we made port at the small docks of Rapa Nui next to their canoes, we were greeted warmly by the Water Moles as we passed by.
"No Pelicans here. Maybe someone at the market's seen him." Emmett remarked.
"Good idea, Emmett." I said as we entered the marketplace, where several objects for sale were in front of the Water Moles on a straw mat.
"Market is open again! You have goods? We will trade." The Water Mole said cheerfully. He was wearing a head wreath of leaves, a necklace made of black nuts and he wore a white short robe with an orange hem.
"Excuse me, but have you seen Norville the Pelican?" I asked.
"Ah, you mean Fisher Bird! Yes, I saw him. He was at last market, sold his fish, and got his pay." The Water Mole answered. "Where did Fisher Bird go? I did not see. He left when Rat Pirate caused all the troubles, and the Waponis came – much confusion."
"You don't think he means Ratbeard, do you, Matt?" Bonnie asked. Instead of answering, I gestured for the Water Mole to continue.
"You want to find rat too? It's a long story. Ask Chief Omutu about that." The Water Mole spoke up, pointing with his hand at the Water Mole with the large mask with the mane of palm leaves and the carved wooden staff standing in front of the largest hut."
As we approached the chief and made a simple obeisance, I then asked, "Pardon me, sir, but have you seen Ratbeard?"
"Ratbeard was a friend of the Nui. But he betrayed us – he stole the Sacred Feathers for the Waponis, our enemies!" Chief Omutu said.
"It was Ratbeard. He's working with Water Moles now?" Emmett asked.
"The Waponis have no honor – they worship an evil Fire God, and forget their ancestors. Now they circle Rapa Nui, singing mocking songs at us!" Chief Omutu continued. "The Nui are peaceful, the Nui are traders – friends to all! We have no warriors to find the Waponis. Can you help us?"
"Of course, sir, it's the least I can do after the kindness your people have shown me and my uncle." I said respectfully.
"Take your mighty ship…" Chief Omutu said over Rena's snigger. "… and turn your cannons on the Waponis. Destroy their War Boat, and the Nui will do you great honor."
"Well mates, it looks like we've a War Boat to sink." I said as I turned to my crew.