Chapter 2: Pirate VS. Ninja
(200 years ago…)
Sailing through the waves of the Endless Sea, the Destiny's Bounty rode through the storm as the crew of Pirate birds attempted to keep their ship afloat.
Down below in his quarters the ship's Captain, a parrotlike Ornithian, was writing in his Log Book. His feathers were tan, black, and red, he wore a black pirate captain hat and jacket, his left talon-foot was a peg-leg, and his right claw was a hook, and he work an eye patch over his left eye.
We have spent months searching the Endless Sea for this fabled Island of Darkness, but for a dozen moons, all me eye sees is nothing but water.
I fear me crew has given up, believing the legend to be false, but I hold out hope that it exists.
-Captain Salt-Beak
With that final line, Captain Salt-Beak closed the book and headed out on deck as his crew was dancing, drinking rum, and singing shanties. "Hardy, hardy, hardy, ho. Hey, we all in a yo-yo-yo," they sang as the captain glared at them.
"This is no time for fooling around!" the captain told them. "Who's steering the ship?!"
One of the drunken crew members answered. "Don't worry, captain. No-Eyes is behind the wheel," he assured.
The captain gaped in shock before smacking his face. "No! Not No-Eyes!" He looked to the helm and saw a pirate bird with two eye-patches over his eyes and a white rat on his shoulder.
"Left!" the rat said as No-Eyes turned the wheel to the left. "No, your other left!" the rat quickly warned as No-Eyes grumbled. Then, through the fog, the crew could make out some rock formations.
"The Island of Darkness?" one of the Pirates asked as Salt-Beak recognized the rocks and rushed to the bridge.
"No, you fool! He steered us back into Equestrian waters!" Salt-Beak warned as he grabbed the wheel from No-Eyes. "All claws on deck!" he ordered as all the Pirates head for their stations, but Salt-Beak could not turn the ship around fast enough, as it headed right for the rocks!
"Brace for impact!" were Captain Salt-Beak's last words before the Destiny's Bounty crashed into the rocks and sunk behind the waves and killing all aboard it.
(200 Years later…)
In their rundown apartment, Flash was training Lloyd with some oven mitts as makeshift boxing pads while the colt kicked and punched them as hard as they could. "Good, keep it up!" Flash encouraged as Lloyd keep up the attacks.
"Hooves of Havoc!" Lloyd called out while giving some more punches. "You can't even see 'em move, I'm so fast! Ha!" He gave one last punch.
"Save the gloating," Flash said as they took a short breather. "It can only be used against you by your enemy; it gives away your position and distracts you."
"Oh please!" Lloyd waved off with a confident smirk. "I'm ready to face whatever you throw at me!" He gave a flying kick to the mitts knocking Flash against the wall.
"Whoa there, grasshopper. You're not even ready to face the tip of my hoof," Flash quoted the same words Wu said to him when they first meet.
"I see the student has become the teacher," Wu said after taking a sip of tea while observing Flash's lesson. "You will learn fast, Lloyd, with lessons from the six Ninja."
"Great, now that that lesson is over, how about some target practice..." Landrush suggested before adding with a smirk, "…on Trail?" Trail flinched at that.
"You'll each get your turn," Wu said, "But first I don't want you to be late for you next lesson with Aqua."
Lloyd whined, "Aww, but when will I learn Spinjitzu?"
"Patience. It will only be unlocked when the key is ready to be found," Wu sighed as Lloyd groaned and then left the room.
"Hmm, sound familiar to you, boys?" Gaia asked, glancing at Trail.
"Come on, I wasn't that whiny," Trail retorted.
Frost shook his head. "No, you were worse," he joked.
Thunder laughed. "Guys, I know we're trying to prepare Lloyd," he started before gesturing to their apartment, "but it's hard to give him the best training in these conditions."
"Thunder's right. I miss the Destiny's Bounty," Landrush said, before looking down. "Too bad it's gone."
Wu looked around and indeed saw this room was nowhere near big enough to train Lloyd. "I see your point," he reluctantly conceded. "Perhaps we could find somewhere else to aid in his journey."
"Sounds like a good excuse to tour the rest of Equestria City," Flash said as the others nodded.
Lloyd made his way on the roof where Aqua and Ultra Dragon are. "Now that they had their medicine, they should be able to fly properly soon," Aqua told Lloyd.
"Yes, and it's important to know how to ride us, because one day we will be yours," Nimbus added, which made Lloyd excited.
"Whoa, really?!" He asked.
"Yup, when we were just Six Elemental Dragons, we were loyal to the six Ninja," Flame answered.
"But as the Ultra Dragon, they're now meant for the Light Ninja to ride," Aqua finished.
"Whoa, I didn't know that," Lloyd said as Ultra Dragon stretched its wings.
Rocky's head then turned to him, "Well, just goes to show that even a six-headed dragon and Samurai like us can teach you a few things," he said.
"But I don't know how to fly a dragon," Lloyd admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
"It's all in the hind legs," Aqua said as Lloyd looked at his hooves. "They'll be the fastest and strongest dragon in all of Equestria!"
Ultra Dragon then stood up. "It looks like we're already feeling better!" Rocky pointed out as Ultra Dragon flapped its wings.
"Let's catch some air!" Wisp shouted as Ultra Dragon took off into the sky.
Later, Lloyd returned to the others near a bus stop. "It's time we search Equestria City for a more suitable place to train Lloyd," Wu told his pupils.
"Oh, but sensei, Equestria City is huge," Thunder complained. "It'll take us all day to find it on hoof."
"And without our golden weapons, we have no Spinjitzu Vehicles," Frost added. "How are we going to get around town?"
Wu the showed them some strange circular items. "You'll learn to travel using these," he said.
"What are they?" Gaia asked.
"They transport you anywhere in the city," Wu explained as the Ninja grew excited.
"Like a magic portal?" Trail asked.
"Ooh, or a Spinjitzu vortex?!" Thunder guessed.
Flash took one of the objects and then noticed something. "Hey, wait a minute… These are just bus tokens!" he exclaimed with disappointment as Wu chuckled and the others grimaced, realizing their master just conned them.
Meanwhile, on the Black Bounty, Garmadon, Chrysalis, Tirek and the three Serpentine Generals were looking at the newly forged Mega Weapon. "So, this is all six Golden Weapons merged into one?" Chrysalis asked as she sounded unimpressed. "Doesn't look all that powerful to me."
"What doesss it even do?" Acidicus asked Garmadon.
"The Weapon possesses unspeakable powers," he answered.
Fangtom pressed onwards, "Like what exactly?"
Garmadon groaned, "I told you fool, they're unspeakable!"
"So, we went to the Golden Peaks to create this Weapon, and you don't even know how to use it?" Chrysalis asked before she chuckled. "Oh yes, the Recreator of Equestria, indeed…"
Garmadon then turned to her with a fierce growl, silencing her chuckles. "I freed you from that stone prison, and I can put you back into it, just as easily! So, watch your tongue!" he warned as Chrysalis gulped and he turned back to the Weapon. "And of course, I know how to use it! I just... don't have anything to use it on!"
"Lord Garmadon! We spotted something!" A Serpentine said as he entered the room. They went outside and saw Ultra Dragon flying up ahead.
"Ah. The Ninja's pet dragon," Garmadon remarked as he, Tirek, and Chrysalis walked out to the helm of the ship with the Mega Weapon. "What better way to test out the Mega Weapon's power."
Tirek then turned to the Serpentine. "Keep up with that flying Hydra, you slithering idiots!" he ordered, "Don't let them get away!" With that the Bounty began the chase.
Flame looked behind them and saw the Black Bounty. "Hey, isn't that the Destiny's Bounty?" he asked the other heads and they turned as well.
"Whoa, it is! But… why does it look so evil?" Orchy asked.
"Who cares? It's coming right at us!" Shard reminded her.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Nimbus said as they began flying around in zig-zags.
"Eliminate dragon!" Garmadon shouted as he pointed the Weapon at Ultra Dragon, but nothing happened. Both the Bounty and the Dragon did a sharp turn in the sky. "Keep it straight!" he warned his crew before he called for the Weapon again. "Destroy!" He tried again with the same results.
The Bounty the rammed into the Dragon. "Ouch!" the heads said before spinning back around and kept on flying towards the sea stacks.
"Fire! Annihilate!" Garmadon commanded again but still nothing. Ultra Dragon just kept on flying as the Bounty was falling further and further behind it. Soon, they were flying over the sea and dodging some large rocks. "Bad dragon! Shoot it down pretty, pretty, pretty please?!" he begged the weapon and even banged it against his head.
Chrysalis and some of the Serpentine snickered behind him, as Ultra Dragon was soon out of range of Garmadon. "Can't concentrate with all this jostling around!" he said as the Ship landed in the water.
"Well, that didn't work," Tirek said bluntly.
"Oh yes, you know how to work it just fine," Chrysalis told Garmadon while trying to hold back her laughter.
"Obviously, if we had a proper crew that could fly this ship, I would've had a clear shot!" Garmadon shouted at her before he turned to the Serpentine. "This is all your fault!" With that he marched off deck and inside the captain's quarters.
"Agh! They dare mock me?!" he asked himself slamming the Mega Weapon around, "How does this accursed Weapon work?!" He then slammed it on the desk and a logbook popped out of a hidden slot.
"What's that?" He turned to see both Tirek and Chrysalis standing by the door before they walked in and Tirek picked up the book. "He just wanted to what you were doing down here, while I just wanted to mock you some more," Chrysalis admitted with a smug chuckle. "You obviously have no idea how that Weapon works."
"Of course, I don't know how it works!" Garmadon shouted at her, his horn glowing and aiming at her. "But you know I can easily turn you back to stone and throw you overboard right now!"
"Both of you be quiet!" Tirek shouted as the two turned to him before he started reading the logbook that he took from Garmadon. "Captain Salt-Beak... Island of Darkness... interesting," he rubbed his chin.
Garmadon looked at the log with interest, "You mean this ship belonged to a pirate crew long before the Ninja ever had it?" he asked with interest. "Now this crew sounded like they knew how to fly a ship! I wish they were here to show these scaly idiots how it's done!" He slammed the Mega Weapon down and Chrysalis noticed the black aura around it.
"Um, Garmadon?" she said, pointing to the Mega Weapon as Tirek noticed it as well.
Garmadon raised a brow at her before he noticed his Weapon as well, "What? What is happening?" The black aura then looped around the logbook. Tirek quickly tossed the book down as a golden aura on the top of the weapon mixed in with a black aura and Garmadon's magic grunted in pain.
"What is this?!" Tirek asked in shock.
"The power...of the Mega Weapon...It won't let...me let...go of it...!" Garmadon strained as he fell to the floor.
"I...feel weak," he said as they heard talking up above.
"All hands on deck!" an unfamiliar voice said from the main deck.
"What has it done?" Garmadon asked as Tirek and Chrysalis helped him up.
"I am Captain Salt-Beak!" the unfamiliar voice said again.
"Captain Salt-Beak?!" The three villains said in surprise.
Back in Equestria City, the Ninja got off the bus and stood in front of a dojo. "This is where Lloyd is going to train?" Landrush asked when they saw the sign that reads 'Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo'.
"It is the first Dojo we've found," Flash pointed out.
Gaia smirked. "And anyplace is more adequate than our rat's nest of an apartment," she joked and then they walked in.
They walked into the dojo area when suddenly, appearing from the bead curtains of the door opposite to them came a tannish brown stallion, with brown stylish mane, wearing all brown and sloppily tied brown belt. "Welcome to 'Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo'," he welcomed, "I am Grand Sensei Dareth, and I 'Dareth' you to join my dojo. Heeya!" He then did some karate moves, only to get tangled in his bead curtain.
"Is it too late to go back to our apartment?" Gaia whispered to Trail as Dareth untangled himself.
"Face the wall of karate trophies," Dareth told them as walked over to a few shows with trophies on them. "If you look closely, my name is on all of them." he bragged as he picked one of them up. "That is because I am a highly skilled karate machine."
"Look, Dareth, we're wondering if we could share your dojo," Flash said as he stepped up with Lloyd. "You see, we've been put in charge of training this little guy to become the greatest Ninja in all the Equestria."
Dareth looked unconvinced. "Not possible because I am the greatest in the land," he said before looking at the Ninja. "How many trophies do you have?"
"Now look, pal, we're the ponies who saved the city from that giant snake!" Thunder told him.
Dareth laughed and deadpanned at Thunder. "Am I looking at Lord Garmadon? Because unless I'm stupid, and I'm not, Lord Garmadon was the one who destroyed the Devourer," he pointed out.
The Ninja just sighed. "Are creatures seriously still talking about that?!" Trail asked. it was as if all Equestria had forgotten that the one who saved them was also the greatest villain ever.
Thunder laughed sheepishly, "Hehe. That's been a huge misunderstanding. Actually, we were the ones who dest-" He tried to before Dareth interrupted him.
"However! I'll let you train here, but only on one condition. You can defeat me. If you succeed, we will share the dojo," he declared before getting a combat stance, "Unh! That's right. I, Grand Sensei Dareth, master of all animal fighting styles, challenge one of you to a battle." He then went on to do absurd fighting styles.
"I know the Roaring Tiger." He growled and acted like a tiger.
"The Coiling Python!" He stood on his back hooves and swayed while hissing.
"Marching Penguin!" He stiffened up and made penguin squawks.
Flash rolled his eyes before he gestured to Gaia who smirked. After flipping her hood on, she pounded her front hooves, and did Spinjitzu. Dareth screamed as he spun around on his belly and looked up at Gaia who stood in front of him smugly. "How did you..." he tried to ask but trailed off.
"You might know 'Zoo-Jitzu', but we know Spin-Jitzu!" Gaia declared as Dareth stood up.
"You can train in my dojo, anytime!" he said with a bow.
On the Black Bounty, the Serpentine were shouting at a pirate crew that had suddenly appeared on board as Chrysalis was looking at the pirates with confusion. "It makes no sense," she whispered to Garmadon and Tirek. "That 'Island of Darkness' was the last thing written in that log, a surefire sign that those pirates perished. Yet, here they are now."
"Curious that they appeared, after you wished that they were here to show the Serpentine how it's done," Tirek noted to Garmadon as he looked at the Weapon, putting the pieces together.
"When I commanded it to destroy the Ultra Dragon, it didn't," Garmadon recalled before looking at the pirates, "But when I wished for Captain Salt-Beak and his crew to be here..."
Then they realized it. "Could it be?" Chrysalis asked in realization.
"It's the only conclusion," Tirek told as he thought the same.
"The Mega Weapon doesn't have the power to destroy, it only has the power to create!" Garmadon confirmed.
Meanwhile the Serpentine and the pirates were still arguing, "I ssstill don't sssee how you got on our ship!" Acidicus told the pirates.
"Yer ship?!" The pirate asked, "We built 'er with our own claws! So why don't ye slither yer'self off the plank!" He suggested as the Venomari General growled.
"I finally have an army I can be proud of," Garmadon said with a smirk before turning to the Pirate Birds. "Batten down the hatches, fellas!" he commanded.
"Who ye callin' fellas, pony?!" Salt-Beak demanded, pointing his sword at Garmadon.
"Me, Lord Garmadon," he answered through his panting. "I created you, you fool. I am your captain now."
"'Created me'? I be Captain Salt-Beak, stealer of the seas," the captain told Garmadon. "Raise your weapon!"
One of the Serpentine whispered to another. "The Mega weapon musssst've created them, but now Garmadon isss too weak to ussse it again," he said, noting the Dark Lord's fatigue.
Tirek noticed this as well. "Hmm, it seems the cost of using the Mega Weapon even once is all of your magical strength, leaving only enough for you to at least hold it," he hypothesized.
"Take it from him," Salt-Beak ordered as one of the pirates walked towards Garmadon to grab the Mega Weapon.
"Unh! No, don't!" Garmadon tried to warn him as the body of that pirate began to disintegrate while the Weapon glowed. "It's too powerful! Only I can-" But it was too late as all that was left of that pirate was his hat while his crew was shocked about what they just witnessed. "Only I have the power to wield the Mega Weapon. It may have drained my power for now, but when my strength returns, I'll deal with you."
"Well, too bad for ye then! Because we're takin' back our ship!" Salt-Beak declared.
Chrysalis then leapt in front of him. "Excuse me, but just because Garmadon is weak now, it doesn't mean we still can't fight!" she said, powering up her horn as Tirek powered up his magic too.
Salt-Beak however was unfazed by their threats as he raised his sword up and it glowed bright. The blade then turned green before shooting out two beams at both Tirek and Chrysalis. When it stopped, Chrysalis tried to power up her magic but nothing worked, as did the same with Tirek which baffled the two.
"What have you done?!" Tirek demanded.
"As I told ye, I be stealer of the seas," Salt-Beak repeated with a smirk and a sly chuckle, "of both riches and magic."
"Wh-what did you-?" Chrysalis tried to ask.
"Lock them and all their reptilian friends into the brig!" Salt-Beak ordered his crew.
No-Beak stepped forward as his rat spoke, "Left!" No-Eyes grabbed Salt-Beak and the captain grimaced at him. "No, your other left!" the rat shouted. No-Eyes then grabbed a Fangpyre and threw him down below.
Tirek, Chrysalis, and Garmadon looked at each other, suddenly feeling that their good day had just taken a nose dive.
Garmadon grunted as he dropped down into cage with Chrysalis, Tirek, Acidicus, Skalidor and Fangtom being the last.
Chrysalis rubbed her head as she groaned, "This is madness! How did that featherbrain cancel out our magic?!" She asked, still baffled by what happened and Garmadon answered.
"It can only be the Emerald Cutlass of Hazador," he said, sitting up. "It is said when you are struck by its power, it forces a block on any and all magic you have. But fortunately, it can be easily removed, if I am at full strength."
Chrysalis groaned realizing all they could do is wait. Tirek then crossed his legs and arms and hummed in thought. Well, the apprehension aside, at least now we know what the Mega Weapon's true power is," he said, glancing at the weapon.
"Yessss. Ssso once we get out of thissss cage, we'll be able to use it to dessstroy the Ninja and the Council of Friendship," Fangtom said.
"If we get out of here, you mean," Chrysalis pointed out, as on deck the oirates reattached their symbol onto the sails while Salt-Beak and a crew member went to the bridge.
Salt-Beak then noticed the buttons and electronic devices around them. "It seems somecreature's done something to me ship," he summarized as none of this technology looked familiar to him.
The crew member with him scratched his head, "Aye, she ain't like how we left her, captain," he said scratching his head.
Salt-Beak then walked over to the screen which showed a map of Equestria. "Hmm, must be some sort of treasure map," he guessed and then noticed a button. He pressed it, and then the pirates were surprised when the ship started shaking and then to their surprise started rising.
No-Eyes's rat then saw what was happening. "Flying!" he squeaked. "Flying!" Soon, the Bounty was in the air as Salt-Beak came up on deck.
"Ah, your rat speaks the truth," Salt-Beak told No-Eyes. "A flying ship! Oh, this be too good! Just wait till Equestria get a load of us!" The Black Bounty then took off to who knows where.
Meanwhile, unknown to Captain Salt-Beak and his crew, another flying pirate ship was following behind it.
Meanwhile in Equestria City, Starlight was walking with the Young Seven, Sunburst, and Trixie through the streets. "A field trip to Equestria city was a great idea, Sunburst," she told him.
Sunburst blushed and fiddled his glasses. "Heh, well, I figured since this is the place where so many creatures gathered to help rebuild after the Devourer's attack, it'd be a good place for our lesson in teamwork."
"I just wonder how Lloyd is doing," Cozy said, sounding a bit concerned. "I'm a little worried since he's going to have to fight his own dad someday."
Gallus ruffled her mane. "Hey, he's still only a squirt," he reminded her. "Even if they have to fight, it could be years away from now."
"Yeah, it's not like he's going to go through a growth spurt or something like that," Silverstream said before they saw Twilight with the five baby Serpentines on her back and Spike up ahead.
"Twilight!" Starlight waved as Twilight turned and approached them. "What're you doing here?"
"Oh, hey Starlight," Twilight greeted. "We're just here to see the progress is doing."
"That, and because the little snake babies missed their daddy," Spike added while Twilight blushed a little. "We're on our way to a place called 'Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo'. Want to come with?"
"Sure, lead the way," Starlight said, with that the group began walking to the dojo and eventually reached it.
They walked in and saw the Ninja and Lloyd already practicing. Both he and Flash were standing on wooden poles on one leg each, before Lloyd jumped forward and Flash jumped back. He lost his balance but quickly regained it.
"You gotta be light on your hooves," Flash told him before he jumped forward and Lloyd jumped back.
"Looking good, Lloyd!" Cozy said as Lloyd smiled and they stopped.
Lloyd then moved onto Landrush and Gaia stacking up ten boards of woods. "When you strike with your hooves, concentrate," Gaia told the colt.
"Right, you may be small, but you're strong," Landrush added, as Lloyd focused.
With his hoof starting to glow orange and brown, he struck the planks so hard it caused a mini earthquake that knocked everycreature back and split the boards clean in half, even creating a crack in the floor.
"That was the power of the Scythe of Quakes!" Trail said in awe as Lloyd looked at his hooves. "And you did it without the Golden Weapon!"
"That must be why you have the potential to be the greatest Ninja," Frost told him. "You can harness all of the elemental powers."
"Just as you saw in your dream, Frost," Flash reminded.
Lloyd looked down at his hooves with interest, never realizing the power he had. "Really? Ha, cool!" Lloyd said.
"With this power, you must be careful," Wu advised the colt as Lloyd frowned. "You must learn to control it before it controls you."
"Yeah, take it from me: Power has a nasty habit of getting to your head," Cozy said, remembering her days as a villain.
"I have to admit, not bad for a kid," Dareth said as he walked in with two colts behind, carrying boards. "But instead of ten boards, how about fifty? Stack 'em, boys."
Wu sighed as the colts stacked the boards.
"And perhaps if I, Grand Sensei Dareth, can break through them all, you will allow me to join your team and become…" he said before he put his own Ninja hood, "...the Brown Ninja!" he declared.
The Ninja and the other snickered. "The Brown Ninja?! Seriously?!" Smolder snorted.
"Even Trixie will admit, it must be a joke!" Trixie spoke up.
"Sorry, pal. Club's already full," Landrush told Dareth.
"Okay, okay. Then maybe this demonstration of my superpony strength may persuade you," Dareth told them before he walked over to the boards. "Boys, are we ready?"
"Yes, Grand Sensei Dareth!" Both colts said with a bow.
"Observe," Dareth told them as he stood on his back legs as they watched. "I call upon the greatest animal to give me strength, the Dragon. Hee-yah!" He slammed his right hoof down on the boards, but they did not break, although his hoof did become visible redder. There was a bit of silence for a few seconds before Dareth broke it. "YYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He held his hoof in pain as the others minus his students burst into laughter at that performance.
"Looks like the Dragon didn't have much to give today, huh?" Smolder quipped in her laughter.
Yona then stepped forward. "Yona want to try," she said as Dareth, still nursing his hoof aside. Yona then lifted her hoof up, giving a yak cry as she slammed it down on the wood, shattering them to pieces. Everybody applauded the young Yak while Dareth was astonished that a child managed to outdo him.
"Nice job, Yona!" Sandbar complimented as Yona smiled brightly and blushed.
Meanwhile outside the city, the creatures were just going about their day when suddenly a dark shadow fell over them. They looked up and screamed in terror as the Black Bounty flew over them, on deck Salt-Beak and one of his pirates looked down at the unfamiliar world below them.
"What be this place, Cap'n?" the pirate asked his captain.
Salt-Beak smirked. "A place to plunder. Never have me eye seen such treasures," he answered and then turned to the rest of his crew. "Boys, take whatever ye want!" he told them.
In one of the buildings, some ponies were preparing for a meeting when they noticed the Black Bounty flying by with the cannon aimed at them. "Are those… pirates?" the head mare asked.
"Fire!" Salt-Beak commanded as the Bounty shot a cannonball at the window, shattering it.
In the streets, Derpy was delivering some mail when she noticed something, "Hey what's-?" She wondered before a pirate swung in and stole her mailbag. "Hey, you can't do that!"
The pirate just laughed at the Mailmare's shouting.
Meanwhile, Salt-Beak led another group in front of a bus, stopping it in tracks. The driver honked the horn to tell them to move, but it only aggravated them.
"Aye, a creature! Let's give it a taste of our steel!" Salt-Beak told his men as they started attacking the bus. The ponies on board then handed over their bits and valuables. "It surrenders and gives us its loot, Har-har-har!"
The pirates laughed as they took all their ill-gotten goods back to their ship. The group exited the dojo and saw the Black Bounty flying not too far from where they were.
"Hey, that's our ship!" Thunder pointed out when he saw it.
"But why does it look like that now?" Gaia asked as they wondered the same thing.
"And pirates...?" Trixie pointed out.
"But the only pirates around are the ones me and my friends met when the Storm King attacked." Twilight reminded them.
"Those aren't just any pirates, though," A voice familiar to Twilight and Spike. The others looked up and then dropping down was Captain Celaeno and her crew dropped down from their ship. "That's Captain Salt-Beak and his crew!"
"Captain Celaeno!" Twilight called out. "What are you and your crew doing here?"
"And how do you know about the pirate that has our ship?" Flash added.
"To answer the first question, we were passing by when we saw the Destiny's Bounty flying toward the city and decided to follow," she answered before turning to her ship. "As for the second, I know who that old buzzard up there is, because he just happens to be the most determined and fearless Ornithian pirate in all of Equestria."
"The Destiny's Bounty was his ship, before you ponies found it." Mullet told them.
"They called him 'Stealer of the Seas'! He robbed and looted the Endless Sea along the islands and shores around Equestria, of any loot or magical artifacts he could get his claw and hook on," Boyle added.
"No village was safe from him and his crew!" Lix Spittle finished as Squabble just squawked.
"But what really confuses me is how he's here," Celaeno said, rubbing her head. "I thought he died at sea 200 years ago, searching for a lost island."
"I sense Lord Garmadon is somehow behind this," Frost theorized.
"We have to stop them before they wrecked the whole city," Flash told them before he turned to Celaeno. "You think you can give us a ride on your ship?"
"I could, but the Destiny's Bounty was the fastest ship that ever sailed the Endless Sea," Celaeno admitted. "Now that it's a flying ship, I doubt ours can keep up."
"Then how are we gonna follow them?" Sunburst asked as he pushed up his glasses.
"Perhaps this can be of some use," Trail told them as he held up a bus token. A bus then stopped right next to them and they all climbed in, with the pirates riding on the roof, as Trail put in the token. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but follow that ship!" He ordered as the bus took off.
The Ninja flipped up their hoods, but then turned to Lloyd. "I don't think it would wise for us to bring Lloyd. It's too dangerous." Gaia told the others.
Lloyd looked eager to help though, "Please, please, please! I'll be super good!" he promised as Frost kneeled next to him.
"The powers inside you are still too great. Too uncontrollable," Frost said as Lloyd went to the seat and sat in disappointment.
"One of these days you'll be able to join us," Landrush reassured him. "Sorry, kid."
"Me and Trixie will keep an eye on him with the others till you get back," Sunburst told them before the Ninja got on the roof of the bus.
The bus was coming close to the Bounty and they were prepared to board it by the anchor before it came to a sudden stop. They almost fell off when Trail quickly used his sword to latch onto it while they grabbed hold of one another. As they looked down at the front of the bus, the Ninja saw the reason why it had stopped: an old unicorn mare was slowly crossing the street and shakily levitating a bag of groceries.
"Come on ma'am, we're trying to save the city here!" Thunder shouted, but the old mare continued to walk slow.
"It's getting away!" Gaia told the others as the Black Bounty was getting further away from them.
Just when the old mare was halfway, the bottom of her bag ripped open and her groceries fell out, causing the Ninja to let out a sigh of frustration. This was going take a while.
Meanwhile on top of one of the building, Dareth with his Ninja hood looked at the Bounty. "This is my chance to prove they need the Brown Ninja!" Dareth declared before cracking his neck. "Let's do this!" he said before jumping on the deck, surprising the pirates. "Hee-ya! Surrender, or face the Brown Ninja!" he told Captain Salt-Beak and his crew.
"Pajama Colt! Get him!" Salt-Beak commanded his crew as they approached Dareth as he did his Zoo-Jitzu.
"The Howling Wolf!" he howled.
"The Hissing Spider!" he hissed.
"The Rampaging Hippo!" he snorted.
The pirates laughed while Salt-Beak sliced his shirt open with his talons.
"Oh! Those claws are really sharp, heh-heh," he said nervously, covering himself.
Salt-beak smirked as his crew tied up Dareth. "Aw, ponyfeathers," Dareth sighed.
"Boys, keep yer eyes out for any other silly masked pajama ponies," Salt-Beak told his crew.
"Oh! Please! Help!" Dareth cried out the ninjas as saw the Bounty from down a street from where they were.
"Ah, dang it, Dareth," Flash said as he facehoofed himself.
"We need to get onboard that ship," Landrush reminded them.
"Except the moment they see us, who knows what they'll do to Dareth," Gaia pointed out.
Thunder then noticed a costume store. "Ah-ha. There are other ways a Ninja can hide in plain sight," he said.
Moments later, after walking in, the Ninja walked out of the store wearing pirate costumes. "Hm, always wanted to dress like a pirate," Flash said.
They then snuck aboard the Bounty while the crew were distracted by Dareth.
"Haha! How about we have him walk the plank?" Salt-Beak suggested to his crew as he pointed his sword at Dareth and made him walked over to a plank. The crew laughed and cheered at that idea while Dareth looked really nervous.
"Y-you're making a big mistake," he warned them as he was pushed closer and closer to the edge. "Don't make me call upon the Dragon!"
"We have to save him," Landrush whispered to the others.
"We can't get close without blowing our cover," Trail told him as Salt-Beak had Dareth on the edge of the plank.
"Who here wants to see 'im go splat?" Salt-Beak asked his crew as before they cheered for that.
"Who here wants to see 'im live?" Thunder asked in their accent and the crew cheered for a bit before they looked at each other and wondered who asked that.
"Hehe. The plank's gettin' shorter, huh?" Salt-Beak told Dareth as put his sword around his neck.
Dareth whimpered, "We don't have to do this, guys! I'm a lousy martial artist! In fact, what I do, I wouldn't even call it an art! I know say I'm a brown belt, but… I painted it! And my trophies, they're all fakes!" he confessed to being a fraud while the Ninja rolled their eyes and sighed, knowing he was not a real martial artist.
Salt-Beak then pushed Dareth off, who screamed as he fell to his doom. But at that moment, Lloyd flew in on Ultra Dragon and saved Dareth. "I... I called the Dragon?! I called the Dragon!" He shouted excitedly.
"Whatever you say, dude," Rocky said as they flew away.
"NINJA, GO!" the Ninja shouted as they did Spinjitzu, changing to their suits and revealing themselves while Captain Celaeno and her crew climbed up onto the deck.
Salt-Beak looked surprised, "More Pajama Ponies, and… pirates?!" He asked in shock.
"Where? I can't see!" No-Eyes asked.
"Ninja versus pirates. Who will win?" Trail asked as the Ninja ready their weapons Twilight got them.
Landrush then swung his scythe, slicing off the feather on Salt-Beak's hat. Salt-Beak growled at that before he and his crew charged at them.
As Captain Celaeno fought Salt-Beak and her crew fought some of his, Frost took out two smoke bombs and squeeze them to create a smokescreen before throwing his shurikens at one of the crew members of Salt-Beak's to pin them to the wall behind them.
Thunder managed to flip over two of his crew members, when they swung their swords at him before he took out his nun-chucks and whacked one of them overboard and another to the floor.
Trail was fighting some pirates before one tried to attack him from behind, but Trail saw his reflection in his sword and blocked it, he then jabbed his sword into the deck and spun around on it, kicking the pirates away.
Gaia dodged some sword swings from the pirates before she jumped and gave a split kick and Flash swung his bo at one pirate before he dodged only to swing again, but the pirate dodged again. Finally, on the third swing he managed to punt him back. Gaia then pulled out a whip as one of them charged at the two and try to strike them with said whip. They managed to dodge three of them before she spun around and knocked them back.
Landrush was dealing with No-Eyes, and surprisingly having a difficult time with him, mostly because of his rat. "Left!" The rat said as No-Eyes swung his weapon, missing Landrush but also dodging his attack. "No, your other left!" No-Eyes swung and missed again but Landrush got his scythe stuck. Landrush tried to pull his scythe out before he came up with an idea. Before No-Eyes' rat could tell him anything, Landrush quickly granted and closed its mouth so it would not say anything before he held up his hoof in front of No-Eyes.
"Right!" Landrush imitated his rat's voice. No-Eyes heard it and moved right in the way of Landrush's hoof.
As the fight went on, Squabble noticed a gumball machine and got an idea. He then smashed the glass Jar and the gumballs spilled out. That way, when the pirates stepped on them, they started to slip and fall over, but the Ninja and Celaeno's crew fell over also.
"Squabble!" Mullet, Boyle, and Lix said as they scowled at him. Squabble looked sheepish and squawked out an apology.
Salt-Beak moved his foot away from the gumballs and stayed standing and Celaeno did the same but put a claw to her head while Salt-Beak laughed. "Haha, a fine flock ye got there!" He mocked before pointing his sword at her. "And ye fight well fer a lass. There always be room in me own crew fer someone like ye, pretty bird… if ye be interested."
"Thanks, but I already have a crew of my own!" Celaeno told him before the two clashed blades and try to keep their balance. Ultra Dragon flew over the ship before Lloyd jumped off and swung on a rope down.
"NINJA, GO!" Lloyd cried out before he kicked Salt-Beak down and he landed on deck.
Salt-Beak got up and scowled at Lloyd. "PIRATE, GO!" he shouted, striking at Lloyd before Gaia blocked him.
"Lloyd! You aren't supposed to be here!" she said before stuffing Lloyd in a barrel. Lloyd grunted before he managed to tip over the barrel that she had put him in down before standing up and charging blindly into Salt-Beak to knock him down. Lloyd then lost his balance and hit a switch that lowered the anchor while the ship was in the air and moving.
He then rolled towards Gaia and she ended up standing on the barrel and rolling around. She then fell off the ship, grabbed on to the anchor as it fell. "Oh dear, not again!" she cried out as she hit the ground and the anchor was dragged along the road. "Oh apologies! I will pay for that! Ah, that's gonna leave a mark! Oops!" she winced as she knocked over cars and chariots.
In brig, Garmadon was using his Mega Weapon to reach for the keys on a hook. With luck, he smirked as he managed to snag onto the cell keys.
Back on deck, Salt-Beak tried to slice Lloyd in the barrel but the little Ninja just kept dodging. "Hold still, ye blurry little munchkin!" he demanded.
Lloyd may not have been able to see him, but he was able to dodge each attack Salt-Beak threw at him as he hopped from side to side.
"NINJA, GO!" Lloyd shouted from within the barrel as he spun around until he spent so fast, he became a silver tornado. Lloyd suddenly realized that he had done Spinjitzu before he unknowingly stopped right in front of Salt-Beak. "Whoa! Spinjitzu! I just did Spinjitzu for the first time!" he celebrated too soon as Salt-Beak struck him from behind.
Down in the streets, Gaia was still riding on the anchor but was heading straight for a tanker. "Oh no, oh dear, OH CELESTIA NO!" she cried. Luckily for her, Lloyd bumped the switch again and the anchor was being pulled up, nearly missing the tanker. She was then helped up by the others and they stood their ground against Salt-Beak and his crew. From the entrance to the lower deck, Garmadon saw his son and could feel his power growing.
"My son. He's growing stronger," Garmadon whispered as Lloyd charged up his horn in a ball of light surged around him.
"Lloyd, don't! Your powers are too uncontrollable!" Flash tried to warn him before Lloyd launched the ball of light towards Salt-Beak and his crew. But then the light bounced off from Salt-Beak's sword and onto the mast. The Ninja and Celaeno's crew turned just in time to see the mast fall on top of them.
They crawled out from under the mast and looked up to see Salt-Beak and his crew over them. "Ye and yer pirate friends lose, Pajama Ponies," Salt-Beak said as the Pirate held their weapons close to them, "Now, ye all walk the plank!" As he and his crew laughed at their eventual demise.
Suddenly, a loud thud was heard, and then another, and another as one pirate noticed the liquid his cup was shaking. They all looked up and saw Aqua in her Samurai mech heading towards them. She climbed onto the ship and the pirates ran for it before she picked up the mast and used it to knock them down. She then put it back into place and Celaeno used her peg leg to keep Salt-Beak down while she took his Cutlass. "I'll be taking this, captain," she told him with a smug smirk.
The Ninja stood up as Aqua spun around her glaive and then slid down on it through the sail and landed on Salt-Beak. "Who wins in the battle between Pirates and Ninja? It's Samurai!" Thunder declared as Aqua chuckled and he sighed dreamily.
Soon The Ninja and pirates were rejoined by Twilight, Spike, Starlight, Sunburst and the Young Seven with Captain Salt-Beak and his crew were arrested for their crimes. As Salt-Beak was pushed into the prison carriage, an officer turned to the Ninja. "Good work, team," he congratulated.
"Hey, don't forget to include these guys too," Trail said, gesturing to Celaeno's crew and Lloyd and giving the colt a noogie as he laughed.
The officer looked a little unsure before turning to Flash. "By the way, sir, that your ship?" he asked.
"Sure is," Flash answered before they heard the engines turning on. They turned to see Garmadon, Chrysalis, Tirek, and the Serpentine on the deck as the Black Bounty was lifting up into the air.
"Sorry! You snooze, you lose!" Garmadon bragged at them as he, Tirek, Chrysalis and the three Generals stood up on deck.
"Lord Garmadon!" Flash and the others glared at him.
"Chrysalis!" Twilight and Starlight shouted as Twilight kept the baby Serpentine and Spike behind her and Starlight stood in front of Sunburst, Trixie, and the Young Seven when they saw them.
"Tirek?!" Cozy Glow gasped as she moved behind Twilight.
"Dad!" Lloyd said, reaching out to Garmadon.
"You're becoming stronger, little colt, but you'll never be strong enough to defeat your own father!" Tirek told Lloyd, attempting to break down the foal's confidence.
"He's right!" Chrysalis spoke up. "We saw how easily you fell to those pirates! If you can't even defeat them, what chance do you have against your own daddy?!"
"Give up, before it's too late!" Garmadon told his son. Lloyd took a moment before looking down in shame then looking at his friends who gave him a confident look, telling him that he could do it. He then had a confident smile on his face as he backed up to his friends, signaling his father that he's not giving up. "Have it your way! Another day, Ninja. Another day!"
"And don't worry, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer! You and your friends will be sharing the Ninja's eventual fate as well!" Chrysalis promised.
"And then, Cozy Glow… you're next!" Tirek promised to the filly who stood beside Lloyd, looking just as brave.
"Ah, great! Lord Garmadon is back with the Serpentine, he's freed Tirek and Chrysalis, and now they've got our ship!" Thunder complained.
"Well, at least we've still got this little guy," Landrush said as he patted Lloyd's head as the Black Bounty took off with the Villains laughing off into the distance.
As the heroes watch the ship fly off, knowing they would be ready for anything Garmadon could throw at them. Dareth was whistling as he walked up behind Gaia and in hopes to surprise-attack her, only for her to instinctively grab his hoof and flip him over her shoulder right in front of the group.
"Gaia two, Dareth zero," she bragged while dusting herself off.
"Oh, come on, guys," Dareth spoke up. "I 'Dareth' you to forgive me." The group gave a laugh as Flash gave him a pat on the back.