BOOM! BOOM! The sounds of cannon fire from the Black Skull echoed across the empty ocean. They could easily be lost in the dark waters of the night.
"Faster, amigo!" Cortez instructed Bobbery. "We mustn't let them escape with the treasure!"
"Aye-aye, old friend!" Bobbery nodded. "Pa-Patch! How are they looking?"
"They're still moving quite quickly." Pa-Patch reported.
"Wait!" Rob-omb poked his head into the binoculars. "They're turning! Right, it looks like."
"Bobbery!" Cortez ordered. "Starboard turn!"
"Yes, Cortez!" Bobbery nodded. The ship changed course.
"Wait!" Rob yelled. "They're pulling up to an island! They look like they're unloading! Yeah, I see the treasure coming off the boat! They're taking it into a large mountain. And there seems to be ships hovering overtop!"
"X-Nauts!" Red realized. "They're preparing to send the treasure and Sapphire Star to Grodus!"
"We can't let them do that, Red!" Aimee reminded. "We have to get there, quick!"
"Aimee's right." Flavio agreed. "Cortez! We need more speed!"
"Well, what can I do about it?" Cortez asked. "We're packed, here! We just need someone to distract them so we can safely land."
"I'll do it." Red nodded. "It's our only chance." He jumped to the front of the boat. "Shied, extra large!" He activated a shield.
"Fred!" Erick called. "Good luck!" Red nodded, and then surfed out to the island.
"Look at this treasure, Phun!" Crump laughed.
"Grodus will be pleased." Dr. Phun nodded. "Octowser, Will. Let us head inside and help with loading up the treasure." They nodded, and the four headed inside.
"Watch out for the Red Yoshi, X-Naut," Crump ordered. "He's bound to pull something." The X-Naut nodded, and dozed off. Red surfed onto the shore.
'I need to draw their attention.' Red remembered. "Hey! Over here!" The X-Nauts all spotted him, began to yell to their cohorts and gave chase. 'Perfect!' Red spotted the ship. 'They can pull up safely now.' Red ran into the mountain.
Meanwhile, the Black Skull had safely landed on the beach. The Toads began to quickly unload. "Go!" Cortez ordered. "We need to get off quickly. Robbie, cover fire, amigo!"
"No problem, Ma'an!" Robbie spun his blaster, before firing three shots at some approaching X-Nauts. Erick and Gyanna, who cleared a trail into the mountain, soon joined him.
"They've cleared a path to the mountain!" Bobbery realized. "Cortez, we must make our move!"
"Agreed." Cortez took the lead. "Everyone, behind me! I'll show these scallywags a fight!" Cortez activated a bone sword form the sand, catching the X-Naut guards off guard.
"We can't let them in!" An X-Naut in a black uniform ordered. "Form a wall!"
"We've been cut off!" Paul raised his roller. "I can clear a path."
"No." Cortez moved to the front of the group.
"He's right." Bobbery agreed. "Get the team into the mountain. We can't lose Red."
"Get ready to move, amigos." Cortez ordered. His skeletal head floated forward. A bone from behind his head tunneled into the sand. His eyes glowed blue, before he summoned a large number of large bones from the sandy beach. A number of them created a clear trail to inside the mountain. The rest of the bones impaled some X-Nauts.
"My turn!" Bobbery smiled. He pulled a whistle out. He blew into it, and activated a few mini Bob-ombs. Pa-Patch and Rob-omb also got into it. "The Bomb Squad will handle these blokes!"
Paul nodded. "Everyone, quickly! Into the mountain, we've got to stop those X-Naut ships from leaving with the treasure!" The group charged forward behind Paul, who rolled a trail quickly. Upon entering, they realized a dark detail: The mountain was actually an active volcano!
Red walked through the volcano, taking notice to the abnormally high temperatures. He reached a large room with an opening to the sky. He looked to his left and right, and all he saw was lava surrounding the large rocky platform. In the centre of the platform, he saw what looked like a large beacon. "Welcome, Red." Dr. Phun spoke into his microphone. Octowser stood to his left, while the powered-up Will stood to his right. "Welcome to your demise. It ends here, Red. Turn back, while you can still breathe." Red turned around. A large digger had sealed the exit to the room with a massive chunk of debris. "Your death."
Red smiled a cocky grin. "So this is how it goes down, eh?" He glanced at the Sapphire Star. "I did get close, huh? Gave you guys a run for your money!" He chucked, drawing his hammer. "You know, I'm not gonna go down easy, right?"
"We expected this." Octowser growled, amused. "Want me to finish him before he even starts, boss?" Octowser barred his claws, ready to take Red on.
"Do as you wish." Dr. Phun dismissed. "I am merely waiting for our transport. Finish him. Spill his blood on this mountain!"
Octowser dashed forward. Red was ready. As he made contact, Red felt himself be moved back. This battle had already started in the same fashion as the first. Red tried to hold him off, until he realized he was slipping into the lava! "Shield, small!" Red flung a small shield into the face of Octowser. Octowser blinked and stepped back. Red was gone by the time he opened his eyes. 'Ha! Worked perfectly.' Red was flying through the air, cloaked. He drew his hammer, and dive-bombed for the confused Octowser. He laid a hammer blow on the Octokoopa, catching him completely off guard.
"GRAHH!" Octowser shrieked. "I know you're there, Red Yoshi!" He brought out an Echolocator. He activated it, and Red began to fly as fast as he could to avoid being caught by it.
'I'll take the fight to Octowser!' Red planned. He flew to attack Octowser, but he was ready with a Point Sensor. He broke it at his feet, locating Red with ease. He activated an OctoClaw, and began to block Red's hammer strikes.
"Got you now!" Octowser laughed, as he slashed with his large OctoClaws. Red was on the ropes.
'I have to fight him off!' Red thought to himself. 'That's it! My spear point!' He drove it between Octowser's large claws and gave him a jab.
"GRR!" Octowser grunted. "How dare you-" Red had already landed a Piercing Smash to his head, ending the fight.
Red emerged from the shadows. "That the best you got?" He pointed at Will, "You're next!"
"Will, stand back." Dr. Phun stepped forward. "I've been wanting a piece of you for a long time now."
"Ah, the witch doctor." Red retorted. He repositioned his hammer, ready to charge. Just before he was about to dash forward, the large debris blocking the entrance was exploded. The Inklings and the crew burst in.
"Red!" Aimee ran up. As she ran, Octowser grabbed her leg, tripping her and trapping her in his grip. Octowser rose to his feet, and threw her at the lava.
"Oh, CRAP!" Red flew over to catch her. "Too far! Shield, extra large!" He flung a shield that caught Aimee safely. "You okay?"
"I am now!" Aimee sighed. "I was about to be barbecued squid!" She looked behind Red. "Will! He's making a run for it with the Sapphire Star!"
"Uh-oh." Red dropped Aimee off by the group, and ran to pursue Will.
"Where's he going?" Dr. Phun asked.
"Will can handle him." Octowser shrugged. "We've got some more party guests, though!"
"We can handle these clowns." Erick quickly interjected. "Right, team?"
"Aye, amigo!" Cortez declared. "Let's show these guys what they get from messing with Keelhaul Key!"
"Smashing idea, lad!" Bobbery agreed. "Let's show these guys Red isn't only one they have to watch out for!"
Red ran through multiple hallways the X-Nauts had tunneled through the volcano. He ran up a long, cramped staircase to a large landing dock. It was fairly large with a relatively low ceiling. The sky in front of him was blinding. Will was standing on the edge. "Like all of this, Red?"
Red approached him. "What are you talking about?"
"All this?" Will continued, his back facing Red, head facing the sky. "This conflict? This fighting?" He paused. "Remind you of anything?"
"If you want info, I'll provide you." Red kept walking. "This reminds me of the war you and your Octogoons waged on Inkopolis for your sick ambitions."
"Is that so?" Will responded, simply. "What I remember was a city on the verge of falling to the Octarians was taken back by an Inkling with an unquenchable thirst for violence. That's right. You." He faced Red. He stared at him, before turning away. "Ever think about us, Red? The Octarians?"
"You're not even one of them, you traitor!" Red's pace quickened.
"They need a home, Red." Will explained. "If you hear their story, you want to help them."
"But Inkopolis is the Inklings home!" Red urged. "There is a lot more land on this plan for them, Will! But us Inklings? We got to Inkopolis first. That's ours."
"You're so blind." Will dismissed. "The issue isn't Inkopolis. It's not even us. It's the future of two of the most dominant races in our planet's history. Only one can stand." Will turned to Red. "Let's see which of the two sides will survive this first battle. The tyrannous Inkling or the star-powered Octoling." He challenged. He turned to face Red, who had disappeared. "Mm." He smiled. "You're crafty, Red." Will commented. "But so predictable." He launched an Echolocator, finding Red's location. "There you are!" He fired a burst of Octo-Ink at Red, causing him to emerge from the shadows.
"That's what you want." Red figured. "Fine." He drew his Inkbrush. "May the finest win." The two ran forward, to meet in battle. Will formed a sapphire blue sword through the power of the Crystal Star. Red activated his hammer to counter his sword. The two weapons collided with a large boom. The recoil sent them both flying back, forcing them to take a more balanced stance. Will split his sword into two blades.
"This is pointless." Will dashed forward. He landed a slash on the back of Red's leg, causing him to bleed inky red blood. Red cringed, biting down to avoid screaming out. He glanced at Will, who was approaching him. Red swung his spiky chain at Will, tripping him up. He planted a Suction Bomb on him, and pushed him away. The explosive force sent Will into a wall, forcing him to drop the Sapphire Star. Red walked up, and picked it up.
"There we go." Red dismissed. "Game, set, match." He proceeded to the staircase to leave. He did not notice Will stand up in the distance. Will, through the power he had left, appeared in front of Red. As soon as this happened, Red felt excruciating pain in his legs, back, right arm and head. In an instant, Red was on the ground.
"You're right, Red." Will agreed, reclaiming the Sapphire Star. "Your game is set. Octolings are up one, while the Inklings have lost their most powerful member." He planted an Ink Mine beside Red, and proceeded to the sky to leave. "This was fun, while it lasted." A powerful shot of Ink flew past his head and hit his arm, causing him to casually drop the Sapphire Star.
"You will go no further!" Aimee yelled from where Red lay. "You aren't leaving unless you kill me!"
"Is that a challenge?" Will asked. He dashed forward, aiming to end Aimee. Aimee shoved Red aside the last second, and the Ink Mine exploded on both of them. Red woke up from the loud bang of ink, and spotted both of them, wiped out on the floor.
"Aimee!" Red ran over to Aimee to check her over. "Are you okay?"
Aimee coughed out some inky red blood. "I'm good." She grabbed onto to Red to climb to her feet, "My leg hurts a bit, though."
"Here." Red picked her up. "I can manage this." He spotted a note where an imprint of Will in ink lay. "You can take this Sapphire Star, Red. Grodus will have all of them, eventually. We will break the Thousand-Year Door and the world will be ours. Inklings will cease to exist in our world. Good luck, Red. More pain than ever is coming for you."
"Oh, my." Aimee commented. "We're in trouble."
"I still can't believe we got all of the treasure back!" Harr T. repeated.
"Well, I believe it, that's for sure!" Pa-Patch walked off the Black Skull into the rainy Rogueport. "Now, this is how it feels to be POOF! Rich!"
"At least it's only raining here now." Abbie covered her head. "Red, we'd better head to the Thousand-Year Door, there's no telling what those X-Nauts are up to now!"
"Abbie's right." Red agreed. "Cortez, thanks for lending us your ship to chase those X-Nauts."
"No problem, amigo!" Cortez responded. "If you ever need a boat, Bobbery and I will be here!" Red turned to Bobbery.
"That's right, lad!" Bobbery agreed. "I've returned to the sea. I'll be sailing until I go boom for the last time!"
"That's great to hear." Red nodded. "If we need a boat we'll come to find you guys." He turned to the team. "C'mon, gang! We're two Crystal Stars away from defeating the X-Nauts!"
After reclaiming the Sapphire Star from Will and the X-Nauts, Red and the team returned to Rogueport with the sailors. They are headed for the Thousand-Year Door, where only two more Crystal Stars are out thee! Can Red and the Inklings claim them before the X-Nauts?
