I'd like to write additional levels of the other crews doing their first islands. We'll see if I feel like it!

Part 4: Green Lagoon

The mist of the acidic sea made the pirates want to gag; it smelled like a cluster of bug spray, strong perfume, and factory smog. "It doesn't feel strong enough to kill us," Laruta cringed, "but I don't know how much more I can take!"

"I can't take any more!" Mali cried. "It's so yucky! I'm gonna throw up!"

"Where's the island?" Jason wept. "Just show us the island so we can get the compass and get out."

"I think I see it." Isabelle gazed through a scope. "Still pretty far away…? What's that over there?"

A tower of white mist with a pinkish hue drew their attention. "Joaquin, fly to that and see if you can tell us what it is." Ralph instructed. His .I.E. companion chirped his name and flew to the mist. Joaquin sniffed it and perked up. He returned and happily gestured toward it. "You're saying we should go in it?"

"Orright, Shimmy, change course to the mist!" Jason pointed. "Maybe it'll help us with this poison."

With Sector GF to follow them, the two crews were shrouded inside the cloud. It was a huge body of soapy air, bubbles rising from the surface. Mali took delight in watching them pop, but took more delight in refreshing her lungs. "SNIIIFF, AAAH, SNIIIFF, AAAA." The kids gasped in chorus. "Much better, much better!" Ralph huffed.

"Still a wee bit smothering, but a right bit better than before!" Jason sighed.

"Hey, guys!" Frida called. "Can any of you help with Twig and Alfur? They're kind of ill."

"The gas was too strong for their little lungs." Hilda said, her Minish friend lain in her hand. "Poor guys…"

"I'll try to bend the gas out!" Laruta rocketed over and examined Alfur. Her fingertip close to him, she waved it in a way to make the gas flow out.

"Cough, huff…" Alfur sighed. "Much thanks, my dear! I'm much more used to the rich forest air, and the occasional smell of coffee in the morning."

"Ahooooyyy! You kids ain't with those pirates, are you?" Through the mist, a motorboat sped between the ships, driven by an old Mobian monkey with a long beard.

"Pirates? What pirates?" Christina asked. "And who the heck are you?"

"Oh, I'm just a coast guard. I'm talkin' about the pirates that made base on the island to the southeast."

"He could mean the island we're going to." Ralph figured. "Probably the Contest Crew. So, what planet is this?"

"We're in the Zoness Sea of Planet Venom. Don't know how you kids wouldn't know what planet you're on, but Venom's a poisonous planet. What you're in now is a Sud Zone, one of thousands built around the sea. Ya know who designed the first Sud Zones? Dr. Andross. Lot of people give him flack for allying with the Irkens, but not many know he wanted to turn Venom into a green paradise. He's been gone for decades, but we still keep his research alive. Venom's slowly becoming a better place to live."

"Mmmmm, fascinating…" Abel decided to jot this bit of lore into her notes.

"Well, this planet ain't becomin' better fast enough, it stinks out there!" Jason whined.

"Mali, I think if you and I concentrate our bending, we can keep the gas away for a while." Laruta suggested. "We can at least make this voyage a bit more tolerable."

"I think we'd like to stay here and rest for a while." Hilda said. "Let us know when you find the compass and we'll 'chase' you again."

"Orright, but don't blame me if the island turns out to be pretty cool." Jason replied. "But I wonder if we'll run into any more enemy crews…"

Scurvy Sands

The first objective in Matilda's morning was to head to the Cruncher Club and ask the junior pirates for an update. …However, none of them were watching the tele. The four cabin kids sat glumly around a table where a photo of the Jolley-Rogers sat. Matilda recognized Jim Lad's cute, 8-year-old smile with a missing tooth, and Nugget's more calm and innocent-looking pose from two years ago. "Um…did something happen?" Matilda was almost afraid to ask.

"I guess you didn't catch it." Katie said. "Probably conked out 'cause lubbers are too used to bedtimes."

"Just tell me what's wrong!"

"The Blackhole went up in flames." Gurdy revealed.

"What?!" Matilda stepped back in horror. The Crunchers recapped the family's encounter with the Lagoon crew and the tragic outcome. Since then, the spectators never provided any updates on the Jolley-Rogers, leading everyone to assume the worst. "No…" Matilda was on her knees, unable to hold back the tears. "He can't be gone! Jim can't be gone!"

"It's what happens." Gerald said. "Pirates always fight each other at sea, but not all of them are honorable like Jim's family. I asked my da about the blokes who took 'em out… He said the Lagoon crew ain't good pirates. They're just smugglers who do shady business for crooks. Their captain used to be a GUN navy officer. He's pretty strong, but that girl, Revy is even worse. She's a nutcase who'd kill anyone and don't care about anything. All the pictures we see show her with guns blazing and a crazy smile. I dunno much about the other crewmen."

"I thought this race was only for rookie pirates! Like, kids and stuff! They couldn't just let dangerous grown-ups like them in!"

"They've only been active for a few years, I think. I guess they still count as rookies…" Katie figured.

"The Lagoon Company is closing in on their 3rd island!" The TV showed them sailing a green, gaseous sea. "It seems they've arrived at the same sea as the Raccoons and Deer-fox Hikers, but we've yet to see an update on their skirmish inside the Sud Zone. The winners better prepare their selves for another nasty encounter!"

Zoness Sea

"Man, this place stinks to shit!" Revy complained, the crew armed in gas masks. "Why'd you have to get a compass to a dump like this?"

"I'm not the one who designed this contest!" argued Rock, a scrawny former businessman. "And by the way, what're we going to do about those two?"

Jim Lad and Nugget were tied up on the deck, unconscious with bruised heads. Before the ship's explosion, their father had thrown Nugget off the deck, while Jim Lad had already been pulled aboard the Lagoon. The smugglers had shown an ounce more mercy by not letting the child drown at sea. "We'll just dump them at the island. Maybe the Contest Crew will take care of them, who knows?"

"Hey, Dutch, how come you keep staring at that cloud of smoke?" Rock asked the dark-skinned captain, his eye through a telescope.

"It's not smoke." corrected Benny, the blonde man with glasses and orange Hawaiian shirt stationed at the computer. "According to satellite info, the surrounding sea is toxic, but those milky spires are safe zones with undersea soap-producing machines."

"Exactly." Dutch said. "That's why I reckon if there are other racers here, they'd wanna camp out in one of those. …Oh." Though the Sud Zone was miles away, he could make out a reddish-brown ship with yellow rim sailing out, its color tainted by the acidic atmosphere. "Right on time. We're gonna have some company."

"Well, we found the island first," Revy said, "so it's our game this time."

"That place looks pretty fortified." Rock observed. "Should we go in together?"

The Raccoon Pirates sailed from the Sud Zone after a half-hour of reprieve, the poisonbenders projecting a "barrier" to keep the gas off the deck. The residual smell of the soap was allowed to linger, creating a more pleasant voyage. The shore of the island had a military blockade, the crew under fire by cannon towers. "It looks like a military island." Isabelle observed. "Maybe Silica's a good choice for this after all. Her stealth can come in handy."

"And I bet ya there are strong pirates there!" Christina smirked. "So, I'm a good choice for this, too!"

"And Oi think we're close enough to launch!" Jason said. "Mali, you know what to do!"

"Then I needs a please from all of you!"

"PLEASE let us get this over with." Silica huffed.

"PLEASE quit being picky." Christina followed.

"HMPH!" Mali faced away in a huff.

"Oi, tryin' to get a 'please' out of you is like tryin' to ask bees for their honey." Jason said. "Mali, if you launch us over, I'll play dollhouse with you later!"

"And you'll play the puppy, right?"

"Fine. …Woof, woof."

"Heeheeheeheeheeheehee!" Her heart throbbing with delight at the prospect, Mali scooped the three up onto the catapult. She slammed it with an extra hearty force and sent them flying over the barrier! (Play "Fear Factory" from DK Returns!)

Map 3: Roguefort

Destination: Helipad Hoedown

Jason, Chris, and Silica landed at the edge of a target field. Silica quickly pulled them into Veil as rounds were fired, hiding behind a wall of sacks. Silica Veiled her way behind other sack walls in-between targets, later to make it behind the line of guns where the soldier-dressed pirates (Re-Kruits) were stationed. One by one, Silica dragged them in her Veil and KO'ed, enabling her friends to join her. They traveled up stairs to a walkway, where several Klumps chucked Orange Grenades. The tubby troops were decent warm-up training for Jason and Chris… or at least they would be, if the path weren't already covered with fallen Klumps. "Hey, why are the rest of them already down?" Christina asked.

"Pirates who got here earlier already wasted 'em." A Klump said.

"Crikey, we're late!" Jason punched him unconscious. "Now we really need to hurry!" On the bright side, the Klumps' bellies were bouncy enough to gain height and glide over gaps. Jason saw a platform with a chest off to the right and bounced a Klump to glide to it. The walkway led into the base; the first hallway was blocked by several security lasers at different angles, the kids carefully jumping between the gaps. Past the hall was a wide room where search lights skimmed around. The floor panels would send out waves of light with each step the kids took, drawing the spotlights in their direction, so Silica's Veil was needed in navigating the room. That said, her shadow would be easily spotted in the lights, so she maneuvered around them 'til they reached the exit. The following passage was a small maze where Kops patrolled, flashlights aimed forward. The exit door was locked by three keys, so Silica had to sneak behind the correct Kops and swipe them. One of them was backed up against a wall, requiring Silica to sneak through a vent to get behind.

"Why can't we just beat these guys up, they don't look tough." Chris said.

"You want the Stealth Bonus or not?" Silica retorted. "Speaking of which…" There was a Kop sitting on a treasure chest, but a vent was under it. Silica found the vent's other end in a separate hallway; once under the chest, she was able to pull open a compartment on its bottom and take the gold. The unlocked door led the crew outside: before them was a long road set over a chasm and within a trench. The huge cannons stationed along the left cliff gave them a bad feeling.

"Oi'll go first." Jason smirked. The captain dashed bravely, the cannons immediately training on the path and shooting massive beams. He maneuvered around sack walls and spin-punched lines of Re-Kruits like bowling pens. His speed reached its peak near the ending door, so he kicked off the ground and Tail Flew to a platform above it. Jason pressed a switch to disable the cannons, allowing the others to cross with ease. The door led into a room with a floor covered by security lasers, with tall pillars built throughout. Each pillar had searchlight skimming it. Silica would Veil them against the sides of them; while evading the lights, she would face them toward each new pillar, Unveil, and they would kick off to said pillar and quickly Reveil. One of the pillars had a hidden compartment with a chest.

Going out onto a shooting field, several pirates were found dead full of bullets. "We're gonna miss out on a lot of points at this rate." Silica said.

"Nugget, look! It's those blokes!"

"Huh?" Jason looked to the pegs in the middle of the field and the people tied to them. "OI!" He rushed up to Jim and Nugget. "It's the rookies from to-"

"No, stop! It's a trap!"

"AH!" Bullets barely missed Jason's feet.

"MAN, MORE KIDS?!" Revy jumped out of hiding. "Sure is a ***ed up contest, don't ya think?!"

"I can think of worse!" Christina threw a fireball, Revy dodging and blasting twin guns at the evasive Uno.

Jason pulled Jim and Nugget free. "Looks like you lot made it, too! …Wot's your name again?"

"It's Jim, you dolt! That lady and her crew blew up our family!"

"You did what?!" Christina threw a fiery punch that Revy caught in a heat-proof glove, swinging a brutal kick at Chris's jaw.

"Yeah, that's what pirates do, dumbass! It don't matter if they're kids, pets, or grumpy old men, if they fly pirate colors, they're asking for a blasting!"

"I'LL BLAST YOUR HEAD OFF!" Nugget screeched, about to storm at Revy before Jim tugged her back.

"How many are in her crew?"

"I think three others. They went further in the island."

"Chris'll take care of that old wench. Silica, let's go beat up the others!"

"Not without me, you ain't! I've got to avenge my family!"

"Me, too!" Nugget threw on her Cannon Box. "I just earned me epithet! These blokes will be the first ones to learn it!"

"What are your Power Levels again?" Silica asked.

"That don't matter!" argued Jason. "They deserve to get some fists in! Come on, Jim!"

The four hurried up stairs and would have to jump burning oil drums over a barbed field, the drums' fires igniting on and off at intervals. There was a row of drums that were eternally lit, but a Kannon was shooting metal barrels through the flames. The friends had to begin jumping at the best time where the barrels wouldn't be touching the fire, albeit Jim asked Jason to carry Nugget. "Heh, you're not a bad jumper!" Jason praised the rival pirate.

"Yeah, we've been around…" The next zone was a more open field with several bomb shelters. "…BLIMEY!" Jim gawked at the sight of the giant bombshell descending from the sky. The crew retreated to the nearest shelter, surviving the explosion, but the shelter would be destroyed. The next shelter was guarded by a Blind Bartie, wherein Jason would have to shoot his Light Fist through the window and bring it around to punch the back of his head, KOing Bartie so the crew could get in. The 3rd shelter had a tiny gap under its sealed entrance, Silica Veiling them underneath. From there, they could either continue on the intended path or toward a treasure chest, but if they went for it, they may not make it to the next shelter. "You guys run ahead! I'm going for it!" As Jason ran for the chest, the bombshell targeted the others, whom were safe in the shelter. Jason rushed back after them once successful; Nugget used her cannon to blast a switch and open a door into the base, diving in and dodging the next bomb. Luckily, there was enough time before the next for Jason to make it inside.

In a seemingly straightforward hallway, the way back was sealed tight. A spike wall appeared just in front of them, slowly closing in. "What're these targets?!" Jason tried to punch the targets on either side, but they only seemed to reset. He and Nugget shot both targets simultaneously, causing the wall to rise back up. "So, now we're dealing with an actual crew of kids, huh?" a voice asked on the intercom. "Well, no reason to take you lightly."

"That sounds like one of the crewmen. The guy with glasses." Jim said. More spike walls came at quick speed, so Jason and Nugget would have to think fast in hitting the targets. They were able to bypass the hall and enter a larger room with second-floor walkways connected to a central tower. Robotic humanoid crocodiles patrolled the room, with two more manning spotlights in the center, and several Kops lay dead… except the one at the beginning. "Argh…that scurvy dog in the Hawaiian shirt hijacked the control room… He's mannin' the robots and all the security in this wing. If you brats aren't with him, there's an emergency override protocol built into three of these robots. Hope one of you's… a computer whiz." He fainted.

"Yeah, I hear ya." Silica wasn't as brilliant a computer whiz as her mom, but she hoped these mechs weren't that complex. Her first instinct was to Veil up the tower, slithering to its entrance on the upper walkway. Silica hid under the stairwell to replenish her Veil out of sight from the stairs' guards. They would patrol up and down with flashlights, Silica staying behind them as she Veiled up and maneuvering around when they turned. One of the two Robo-Kritters at the top had a closed computer on its back. Silica gently opened its keyboard and connected her game console to it; with a special chip inserted. She turned the control stick to find weak points in the firewall and clicked buttons to break through. With that, she unlocked its override protocol.

Silica snuck around the room in search of other Kritters with back computers. She second Kritter was a bit more complex, but when she tried to 3rd one, it triggered an alarm, forcing Silica to Veil into its shadow as the other Kritters headed her direction. "Oh, I added my own touches to that one, by the way. Good luck hacking it."

She left the console hooked in and dangling from its computer; thankfully, the other Kritters weren't programmed to grab it. Even better was that, with the spotlights shining on it, Silica was able to stay hidden inside its heightened shadow. From there, she grabbed her controller's shadow and was able to resume hacking. The Kritters confusedly searched for her under the ongoing alarm, but Silica forced herself to maintain her Veil. The weak points in the firewall seemed to be moving around, making it hard to focus attacks, but the gamer was able to break through just in time. She popped out of her Veil to take a breath, but the Kritters had hung their heads, shut down. Two doors unlocked: the one to the control room and the way forward. "I'll take out whoever's in there." Silica offered.

"Good luck!" Jason, Jim, and Nugget proceeded. The passage led outside to a rounded trench with a ladder to climb the center. A gang of 10 armadillos sped away from them, but there was a motorcycle available to chase. Since Jim had experience with bikes, he rode the cycle around the looping track. He was meant to jump hazards and beat the 10 Armies in a one-lap race. Jim lost the first attempt, so he had to wait for the Armies to get in position and try again. Jim was able to succeed on the 3rd attempt… but, feeling the presence of a promising racer, a monochrome kitten in a gangster uniform came speeding in on her motorcycle, blowing a cigar.

"Wot is honestly the point of this?" asked Jim.

"Treasure trove, just do it real quick." Jason answered. Sighing, Jim raced the kitten; she was much faster than the Armies and required diligent speed and maneuvering to outpace her. After four attempts, Jim was able to win. Tipping down her sunglasses, the kitten nodded in approval and rammed one of the walls, unveiling the treasure trove. Jim had the honor of collecting this time, and was equally curious by the journal page.

It turned out, my father had left me a lot in his will. But I wondered if I was deserving of them… Even after hearing my uncle's answer, I still wondered who I really was. So, I tested myself. I trained. Grew stronger. We searched for areas with many animals, as well as strong animals, so that I could tame them. In succeeding, we realized we would need a few extra ships to hold them… so, we borrowed a portion of what my dad left behind.

The three kids climbed the ladder to the central platform: a helipad. There was a huge grizzly bear in an army vest and helmet, dry bullet holes all around his fur as he lay defeated. A helicopter was parked, a scrawny man inside it, and a larger man had just leapt over from the flagpole across the gap. The pole was now flying the Lagoon Company's colors. "His name was Bullet-Hole Billy." Dutch clarified to the kids, bouncing something in his hand. "He was a tough stuffed toy to crack… but I fought better."

"It's the captain!" Jim gasped.

"And he's got the compass!" Jason saw.

"SCRAWK!" A red parrot flapped out of the copter. "Jim! Nugget! You're alive!"

"CRAP!" Rock cursed. "Stupid cage!"

"Where you think you're goin', Polly?" Dutch grabbed the bird by the talons.

"HEY!" Nugget hissed. "Let Squawk go!"

"So, there was one more survivor…" Jim sighed in relief.

"No! Not only survivor!" Squawk flapped. "Family still alive! Captured by—SQUAWK!"

Dutch shoved him into a crate with a parrot shape. "They're still alive?! Oi, did you capture them?!"

"I don't know what that parrot's talking about." Dutch answered. "It's true we didn't see their bodies afterward, but if they survived the blast, we don't know what happened. Maybe if you wait on this island, they'll come find you. Our business here is done, so we'll get outta your hair."

"You don't think we're just gonna let ya go, are we?" Jason glared. "These tykes owe ya a bit of revenge… and Oi got me eye on that compass!"

"Mm-mm-mm." Dutch shook in disbelief and tucked the compass away. "You know… you look a little familiar, kid. You look like this pirate the navy used to chase around. She often hurt civilians without meaning to and liked to sink our ships for fun. She wasn't harmless, but she wasn't a dangerous criminal either. She brought sunshine wherever she went, bringing as much joy as she did accidental destruction. Oh…and she was apparently the Pirate King: Sheila the Sunny Fist."

"Hehe, Oi do look like her, don't I?" Jason grinned, Jim cocking a brow.

"It don't take a genius to guess you're her son. You're the spitting image of her."

"HA HA ha!" Jim laughed. "Hn, no way! No way this guy is Pirate King Sheila's son! I mean, he's…" He positioned his hands as a frame and studied Jason head to tail. "He's got the skin… and the hair… the tail and ears, and…and I'm a complete idiot, aren't I?"

"I knew all along." Nugget smiled. "Just thought everyone did."

"I got nothin' against your ma." Dutch said. "She and the KND back then, they were good heroes. Always savin' the day no matter what the nay-sayers said. I won't bore you with explaining why I do what I do, but I wonder if they'd call us bad people? What would you say, young man? I'm sure you're a pirate of morals, so how would you brand my crew after meeting them?"

"I mean, Oi thought you killed Jim's family, so Ah was gonna let him decide how we should handle ya."

"What business do you have in this race, anyway?" asked Jim. "You don't look like rookies. What's your business hurtin' pirates who just wanna have a good time?!"

"'Cause it sounded like easy money. Bunch of pirates just throwin' out some free treasure, why wouldn't we come? And if someone else won and tried to take something from our crew, we'd bust them right in the head."

"Then you're just dishonorable jerks! I don't care why you do what you do, you deserve a beating and then some!"

"You don't seem like that bad a guy, honestly." Jason reasoned. "But Jim is right. You get what you dish out, ya drongo."

"What's that mean?" Nugget asked.

"Me mum says it means 'bastard.'"

"Watch your mouth, kid." Dutch said. "If you want a whoopin', you got one. Rock, get that engine revving. This won't take long."

"Aye-aye, Cap." Rock sighed. "Speaking of revving, I wonder how she's doing?"

Boss fight: Dutch

Dutch's fists turned black and hard as iron, and Jason's fists shone a bright gold. His light met Dutch's Haki, pain coursing through the raccoon's knuckles. He wanted to think Dutch felt his own share of pain, but it was clear the former soldier had seen his fair share of combat. Jason decided it was best to avoid his punches and thrust Light Spheres through the openings, sending some around to his back. After tanking a few hits, Dutch lunged at Jason and grabbed his right fist, throwing the captain against the ground and socking his stomach in a combo. Jason rolled away and flipped up, spinning both fists and charging. Dutch grabbed both fists and tried to crush them, but Jason surprised Dutch with a Light Foot, flipping it directly up to kick Dutch's face. Dutch kept his grip and was set on crushing Jason's fists. Jim ran to cut Dutch's arms with his cutlass, only for his Haki to protect him, but Jason flipped up and dealt repetitive stamps to the stomach before Dutch finally let go.

Dutch threw a punch to Jim's gut, blowing him far away as the boy's compressed stomach forced out a vomit. Jason dashed from a pursuing Dutch, spinning both fists in wheels of light. Jason threw the first one back, but Dutch dodged—a Light Rope yanked the wheel back, but Dutch clearly saw this and punched it away, afterwards blocking the other wheel, but Jason spun, flapped his light-tipped tail, and flung that light to slap Dutch's cheek. Meanwhile, Nugget got behind and shot a cannonball at the box tied to Dutch's back, setting their parrot pet free. Squawk decided to thank Dutch's treatment with a few droppings, disgusting and distracting Dutch enough for Jason to kick him in the knee. "Phew, I need to sit down! Rock, shoot 'em down!" Dutch leapt into the helicopter as it took flight.

"Squawk, give me a lift!" Nugget requested, grabbing hold of his talons. The parrot hoisted the 5-year-old to the helicopter's level. Squawk evaded the copter's missile launcher as Nugget shot the propeller. Even with what they heard about the KND, they could only call this little girl nuts for what she was doing. The propeller took too much damage and grew dented, sinking back onto the helipad. Dutch jumped out and drew a 629 Revolver, shooting an evasive Jason. He decided to redirect the gun at Jim, deeming him to be slower, but the lad ran straight sideways and was able to evade. "So, wanna make this a gunfight?" Jason employed a new tactic: lighting only the tips of his fingers and flicking them, Light Bullets hit Dutch with blinding speed. But they weren't quite strong enough to puncture him.

Dutch began to evade Jason's bullets while still trying to shoot Jim. As the Jolley-Roger raised his cutlass with the notion of blocking the bullets, Jason got a new idea. He spun a normal Light Fist and sent it at Jim, whose reflective cutlass acted as a bat in whacking it toward Dutch. The unsuspecting captain took it to the stomach, turning as Jason dashed toward him. His gun trained on him, Jason dodged and shot a bright beam from his finger, reflecting it off Dutch's shiny gun to create a glaring effect, but Dutch's goggles made him immune to the effect. Jason took a shot to the left stomach, but took a leap of faith at Dutch's head. The man grabbed Jason's legs, but the kid had enough range to headbutt Dutch and bite the bridge of his goggles. In Dutch's forceful motion of slamming Jason on the ground, his goggles yanked off. Dutch aimed his gun, but Jason kicked a Light Foot straight up at his eyes, stunning him with blindness, and afterwards swiping and crushing the gun.

"Captain, we're ready to take off again!" Rock called, the copter now using rockets to fly. Dutch leapt in the cockpit, and Nugget once more took flight to shoot cannonballs. The task was more difficult with the rocket-copter's faster evasion, especially that it was shooting a thin minigun from its bottom. Jason ran far back before running and leaping into a Tail Flight. Spinning his fist all the while, Jason smashed the end of the gun up against the copter. Any more rounds it tried to shoot resulted in the gun exploding, shaking the copter and knocking Rock off-balance. Nugget charged a stronger blast of her Cannon Box and shattered the windshield, bashing Rock square in the face and knocking him out. Dutch grabbed Rock and leapt out, leaving the copter to crash elsewhere. The charged shot dizzied Nugget, so Squawk set her down to rest.

Jason spun double fists and socked them at Dutch, who blocked with crossed arms, Jason leaping, flipping, and flicking his Tail Light over the cross to hit Dutch's face. He endured the light and engaged Jason in more fisticuffs, his smaller frame evading the Haki fists while his own met Dutch's abs. Dutch kicked Jason backward, but Jim Lad stabbed Dutch in the back—to no avail against the man's strong skin. Dutch kicked back, Jim falling on his rear, raising his sword defensively and scooting back as Dutch drew a shotgun. Jason ran around Dutch at an angle to see Jim, shooting two beams from his fingers. Jim reflected the light with his sword into Dutch's eyes, blinding and weakening his aim. Jason dashed and grabbed his gun arm, trying to tug it away despite the fists to the head. Jim seized this chance to jump and stab Dutch's head, only for the sword to pivot off the hardened skull. Dutch headbutted Jim back and forced Jason off. He pulled the trigger at Jason, but no bullet came out. Jason had taken the bullet during that struggle, throwing it at Dutch's forehead with a little light boost. Dutch suffered one last stab with Jim's sword to his rear, wincing backward in shock, allowing Jason to jump, grab his neck, and haul him back and down. The captain's head crashed into the pavement. (End song.)

"Ow…dang…" Fatigued, Dutch reached in his vest pockets, withdrawing a lighter and cigarette. "For rookies… you kids got guts." He huffed his smoke and blew. "Heh…you gonna be the Pirate King, too? I guess I should call this defeat… an honor." His cigarette fell from his grasp as he fainted.

Jason picked the compass out of his pocket. "…" He held it to Jim. "Ugh, none of that." Jim declined the offer. "You did way more damage than I did. Heh…Pirate King's son. No wonder you're so tough. Pirate blood's way fresher than mine."

"Wot's that gotta do with anything? You're as much a pirate as me!"

"Hardly… I let me own crew get sunk to these blowhards. 'Guess it's a good thing Matilda didn't come."

"It ain't too late to save them! We'll find them after we get off this stink sea! First we need to round up me mates…" Jason looked to the flag flying the Lagoon's colors, "and change the flag."

The bullets of Revy's dual inox grazed Christina as the Uno rushed to deliver a flurry of fiery fists. Revy was too evasive for Chris's ranged attacks, but up close, the Chinese-American pirate still managed to evade most punches; otherwise, the embers were left to deal light damage. Revy tried to stomp Chris's foot, but she used this chance to throw a burning kick at her knee. Chris shot quick flares from her fingers to burn Revy's guns, but even against the scalding heat, Revy kept a firm grip and shot more rounds. Chris narrowly evaded them and splashed flames on either side of Revy, minimizing her escape options before rocketing at Revy straight-on. Revy fell on her back as Chris socked her jaw repeatedly, but Revy flipped her legs up to crunch Chris in a sudden, tight chokehold. Revy flipped and pinned Chris down, gun trained on her forehead, but Chris sporadically combusted into fire and forced Revy off.

Spinning like a fiery tornado, Chris dove at Revy, who could only run and shoot back. The spinning flames splashed out small embers that would aimlessly singe Revy, leaving no clear way to dodge. One ember hit Revy's left eye, and as Christina slowed to a halt, a swift brush of her foot spread flames along the ground to burn through Revy's boots. Seeing her left eye singed, Christina rocketed around that side and punched quick fireballs, Revy struggling to evade or keep track of her. As Chris concentrated fire on the left gun, the powder inside combusted, blowing the weapon out of Revy's hand. "You can have these back, too!" Christina tossed several fire bullets that grazed and burned Revy's skin; she had actually scooped up the bullets Revy already shot, scattered around the yard after ricocheting off the brick wall. "You about done, yet? You can sure take a lot of heat." Revy wasn't nearly as strong as that Demolt monster, but her speed and reflexes on the trigger finger gave Chris a run for her money.

"Yeah, that's what happens when you're raised by a deadbeat drunk. You act like a little demon yourself, but I can just tell you live a normal privileged life."

Christina wanted to comeback with "You kidding, my parents beat me all the time," but she could already guess Revy's were far different. "You know, if a bully were beatin' my ass now, I wouldn't crack down and tell them my sensitive childhood."

"Who's gettin' their ass beat?!" Revy shot the other gun, but Chris blasted up against the grazing bullets and punched Revy in the jaw, simultaneously taking a kick to the gut. Chris was blown upward by the attack, but she simply curled up and shot down like a comet. Revy dodged, but was burned by the outburst of fire. Chris quickly got up and slapped flames at Revy's right hand, knocking the gun out of it. The girls charged each other boldly and resorted to a brutal fist and kick fight. "Speakin' of demons, ever heard of Orchid Bay, kiddo?"

"I dunno, why?" Chris asked before her teeth dug into Revy's leg.

Revy punched her off, causing the teeth to scratch down the leg. "It's a town in Maine infested with demons. Dad came up with this rich story that his family were 'guardian warriors who protected the town.' He decided he ain't want anything to do with it and ran to New York. Then I was born as some kind of drunken mistake."

"What's your point?" Chris squeezed Revy's right fingers and tried to bend them back, while Revy used the other set to claw Chris's eyes.

"'Cause if my family fights demons, that means I'm your worst enemy. I can even smell the devil in you!"

"Is that right? Well, you ain't doin' a very good JOB!" A forceful stamp to Revy's knee keeled the pirate over, Chris redirecting her fists to bash her skull. She flipped to land one last stomp on Revy's grounded stomach.

"Alright, kids. That's enough." They turned to Christina's crewmates, along with Revy's Hawaiian-shirted ally. "We concede." Benny said, on his front and held by the collar by the shadowbender who beat him black and blue.

"We got the compass, Chris!" Jason cheered. "And guess what? Jim's family is still alive!"

"Don't tell me Dutch lost to you punks." Revy chortled, lighting her own cigarette. "Prob'ly Rock's fault. Whatever, I'm tired. You kids better run now, 'cause I'll be gunning after your heads."

"Heh, good luck with that." Chris smirked. "Let's hit the salt, Captain. …Or the sulfur, in this case. Is sulfur a gas?"

"Oi dunno." The crew backtracked to the ship on that note, Silica dropping Benny.

The computer hacker crawled up to Revy as both sat up to stare at the wall. "Pretty sure I've seen that kid before. A famous gamer on the Internet… usually streams the KND games."

"So, that's who they were… Callin' their selves pirates, what a bunch of shits."

"I wonder if this means we lost the race? You think the Contest Crew's gonna capture us now?"

"Contest Crew… no, that's not who they are." With a knowing smirk, Rebecca Lee looked to one of the fallen Re-Kruits. His human mask had been ripped off, exposing the scaley crocodile head underneath. "We'll see how those kids handle that."

Roguefort flew a golden flag of the Jolley-Rogers' colors; a profile view of Grandad's skull, his drunk smile wide. The young sailors returned to the Young Sunny, following the compass's arrow. "The contest runners kidnapped them?!" Jim gawked at Squawk's tale.

"Skraye! Thought they were gonna help, but knocked 'em out cold! Didn't wanna get caught, too, so flew after you! Squawk!"

"You coward! Why didn't you save them?!" Nugget asked.

"Hard enough saving you. Unrewarding, too, skrawk."

"It's just like we heard." Laruta said. "They really are kidnapping the losers…"

"I hope you weren't hurt too bad, Nugget-chan." Mali consoled, on her knees. "Those pirates sounded scary."

"I WASN'T SCARED!" she snapped up at the startled giant.

"I-I'm sorry! Do you want, um, some of my apple juice?"

"ALL OF IT!"

"H-H-Hai…"

"I wonder if the Contest Crew will come after the Lagoon Crew?" Ralph inferred. "Maybe we can hide and follow them to see where they bring the losers."

"We're staying on course." Jason decided.

"But it's a good plan!" Laruta argued.

"We could maybe use Sector GF for bait." Chris suggested. "If we give them a tracking device and pretend we beat them, they might get kidnapped, too."

"That's a questionable plan!"

"That turtle guy said that his 'boss' was looking for strong rookies. Oi don't know why, but Ah bet the boss will be waiting for the winner. If we keep following the compass, we'll find the bloke in charge. Then we'll make him cough up the prisoners!"

"That… does make sense." Ralph reasoned. "But a kidnapper wouldn't just expose their self without some kinda trap involved."

"I say we just go to the next island, anyway!" Shimmy shouted. "I wanna get outta this gas pool, and I bet GF's tired of waiting, too!"

"Ah'm pretty sure the racers are being broadcasted, anyway." Jim replied. "They're prob'ly watching us now, so they'd know if we follow them in secret."

"All right." Laruta shrugged, running short on better alternatives. "Shimmy, eyes on that compass."

The crew signaled the Deer-fox Hikers and made sail, eager to be off this venomous planet. "Oi, Jim, who's Matilda?" Jason suddenly asked. "You mentioned 'er earlier."

"Oh…she's one of the mates I said couldn't come. Well, she's actually me first mate." Jim sported a smile. "I ain't meet too many lubbers who likes pirates like she does."

"I mean, lots of normal kids like pirates." Isabelle replied. "It's easy when they don't know the kind of danger that comes with them."

"Yeah, but she's different. Ah've taken her on a few voyages… We fought a sea squid, checked out a ghost ship, we've fought the law… and she smiles almost every turn. She might've been raised a lubber, but she's got the pirate heart, I can tell. That's why I…I really wanted her to come. Pirating just ain't as fun without her. I'm used to wakin' up to gunfire and the smell of sardines, but havin' her around just makes it all feel… new."

He remembered when Matilda would cringe in disgust at the smell of roasted sardines, trying to hold her breath when the junior pirate spoke to her. But as soon as her tongue met its first sardine, her freckled face was awash in delight. The fish would smoothly swim down her smiling mouth, and many other fish would follow. He remembered when Matilda experienced her first curse, a curse of misfortune, having to perform all sorts of embarrassing deeds to free herself. She had the right blend of girliness common with lady lubbers, and the right blend of tomboyishness common with lady pirates. Overall, she was openminded and adventurous. Jim couldn't have found a better first mate.

"Hehehehe!" Isabelle giggled.

"Wot's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing…" She could read it all in Jim's eyes. The genuine truth in his words, the joy he felt thinking of his best friend, and the sadness that she was unable to come.

"Hm…anyway, if she saw all this; worse, if she came and lived through all this, no way she'd wanna be a pirate. She wouldn't give two doubloons over… becomin' a full-fledged crewmate."

"Well, now we have a whole new reason to save your family!" Isabelle grinned.

"Huh?"

"So, you can return to your first mate with a proud smile!"

"Heh heh…" Even if Matilda didn't want to go sailing forever, just being able to return to her hometown and play pirates was more fun than any amazing island they could find. "Oh, and before I forget to mention… YOUR MUM IS THE PIRATE KING?!"

"Look, mate, Ah don't want you to fall in love with me over that. A pirate's gotta build his own reputation. Just talk to me like any old codger."

"Easier said than done. Ah might get a wanted poster just talking to you!"

"Then ya might get an even higher bounty for beatin' me up! Wanna test your fists?"

"Hnn…why not?"

Scurvy Sands

Matilda had no desire to watch any more of the race. They didn't want to end this mini-vacation early, so she halfheartedly munched pretzels at the Cruncher Club restaurant, debating what else she should do. "Matilda! Oi!" Katie raced up. "Hurry! Come look at the tele!"

"What's happening now?" Both girls joined the other kids, whom were alit with newfound excitement.

"For those tuning in, the Raccoon Pirates seem to be leaving Roguefort Island! The Lagoon Company made port on the island earlier, but it looks like the merciless mercenaries were felled by the young scallywags! But, it seems the Raccoons are carrying some extra passengers." The camera zoomed in on the side of the Sunny: Jim Lad was pounding Jason like a punching bag, the tan-skinned Faunus barely budging. If not for the fact Jason was nigh exhausted fighting Dutch, he could probably remain still as a statue during Jim's beatdown. "They appear to be two survivors of the Jolley-Rogers!" Nugget's teeth were deep into Mali's pinky finger, the giant child crying and trying to wiggle her off. Unlike with Jason, her role in this was completely involuntary. "Judging by the skirmish, it seems they've been taken hostage by the Raccoons! Depending on who wins this, the Jolley-Rogers may not be out of the race, yet! Meanwhile, the Deer-fox Hikers played the Hide-and-Pounce tactic and are now pursuing the Raccoons full throttle! With the different routes closing in on each other, our competitive cutthroats are fated to meet in a climactic clash!"

"Jim…" Tears welled in Matilda's eyes, awash in joy. "Nugget… and the parrot, too! They're alive! M-Maybe the others survived, too!"

"We haven't seen 'em, yet, but if Manaphy be merciful, maybe they are still alive!" Gerald exclaimed.

"That raccoon boy's a friend Jim made before the race!" Gurdy said. "We ain't gotta worry 'bout them!"

"That's good… Come on, Jim! You're almost there! You're gonna make it back!"

"Now, let's check in on our other racers! The Shorescrubber Pirates have docked on their 3rd island: the Moo-Moo Farm, located on the Milky Sea of Sweetopia! But, will these sugar-soaked scrubbers be a match for the incoming Gabi Gang? Or perhaps I should be asking… why haven't the former leading racers caught up, yet?"

Milky Sea

"CHECK AGAIN!" Gabi screeched. "Maybe she's hiding under a loose floorboard! Maybe she's stuck in the fridge!"

"We looked everywhere, Captain!" Gilda answered in panic. "Nel's just not here!"

"I noticed one of our rafts is missing…" Don said. "And it looked like our wood was picked through, too."

"ARE YOU SAYING SHE ABANDONED SHIP?! WHY?!"

"I-I-I dunno!"

"We gotta go back and find her! If Captain Augustus finds out we lost his daughter, I'll NEVER be Top Cabin Girl!"

"B-but Gabi, the Sky Tunnels are only one way." Falco said. "Our best option is to abandon the race and fly to Avalar manually. But then we'll have to find whatever part of the Under Sea we were in…"

"No, we can't drop the race! They'll find out and ask why! Are you sure she didn't just fall off somewhere on THIS ocean? We'll backtrack and look around!"

"But I saw Nel go down into the brig before she disappeared, and we were still on Avalar." Don reasoned. "I have to wonder if she tried to help those other kids-"

"If you SAW her go down, why didn't you STOP HER?!"

"I-I didn't know what she was doing!"

"Well, I hope you don't mind taking the blame if we get in trouble with Captain Gus!"

"W-What?!"

"And what about YOU, Gilda?!" The girl flinched at the shift in accusation. "If Nel tried to help our enemies, it must be because you put those thoughts in her head! Or maybe you convinced her to do it in secret?! Maybe you WANT me to get in trouble!"

"N-n-n-none of that is true!"

"Oh yeah?! Then why're you always saying, 'I wish Emma coulda come, I wish Emma coulda come,' are you trying to sabotage me so EMMA can become the Top Cabiner?!"

"No, Gabi! I only meant that she would love these islands! I don't like either of you more than the other!"

"But if she were here, we wouldn't be fighting like this." Don said.

"SHUT UP! Now, how's this for a plan: we finish the race normally, and THEN we go back through the Sky Tunnels and make our way back to Avalar to find Nel. We still have the compasses, so we can just follow them again. And if anyone asks, we'll say, 'Oh, we lost our locket, or something, on one of the islands and we have to sail back through.' See, perfect plan!"

"Er, okay, but is Nel gonna be fine-" Gilda began.

"They're still close to that island, right?! So, she's probably gonna camp at that island with those shipwrecked losers! And we're gonna make sure they STAY shipwrecked so they don't go blabbing! GOT IT?!"

"I still think it would be faster to hyperspace back to Earth and go from-"

"We're staying in the race so no one questions us! That's an order! And Nel will be fine, 'cause if she isn't, YOU'RE walking the plank!"

The crewmen were silent and anxiously stayed on course. Internally, they questioned if Gabi had her priorities straight… and a few were even considering mutiny.