Hi guys!
I am terribly sorry for being so late! With procrastination and my schoolwork, I was unable to finish this chapter
But, anyway, here it is!
As time passed by, the sun's heat radiated across the Sahara Desert whereas Tintin and Haddock walked its sands.
"The Land of Thirst. The Land of Thirst. The Land of Thirst." Haddock repeated as it is revealed that both of them have removed their outer clothes as Haddock is wearing her shirt and a scarf tied on her head while Tintin retained her shirt as she tied her sweater around her waist.
"Will you stop saying that!" Tintin said in annoyance since she's carrying her while dragging her feet across the desert sand.
When the girls saw what had become of Haddock and Tintin, they all felt sorry for them that they're enduring this perilous trial.
"How long have they been walking," Tamao said, seeing that the two of them are severely dehydrated.
"It must have been hours for them. Their bodies are getting tired due to the heat and how far they've walked." Junna said, noticing that their movements are becoming more sluggish.
"You don't understand. I've run out, " Haddock cried as she knelt to the hot sands, saying "I've run out. You don't know what it means."
"Captain, we have to keep going. One step at a time. Come on, on your feet! Lean your weight on me." Tintin said to the captain as she hoisted her up and began to carry her.
"A man can only hang on so long without his vitals," Haddock said to the lass while Tintin said to her, "Captain, calm down. There are worse things than sobering up."
"I agree with Tintin. There are worse things than being sober. They could end up having heat stroke or worse, getting lost in the desert." Akira said, making the girls more worried about them.
"Look! Tintin!" Haddock cried out as she pointed her finger into the sandy wasteland. She then replied that they're saved as she found water even though there's none of it in the desert.
"Why's Haddock acting like that!? Is she being delusional!?" Tamao said in a concerned tone.
"You're precisely correct Miss Tamao. Because of the heat, Arsenia is experiencing hallucinations caused by their time in the desert. You should all be glad that you haven't experienced it to some degree." Edward said to the girls nonchalantly, making some of them alarmed at Haddock's mental state.
"How could this man stay so calm!?" Mei Fan and Fumi instantly thought.
Snowy noticed this as he tried to stop Haddock by pulling her overalls, leading her to tumble into the desert whereas Tintin said, "Captain! Stop! It's just a mirage!"
Tintin hurriedly went to the captain as Haddock said to her, "But it was here. I saw it."
"It was just your mind playing tricks. It's the heat." Tintin said to the delusional Haddock.
"I have to go home." Haddock said.
"What?" Tintin said, flabbergasted that the captain is not snapping back to reality.
"I have to go back to the sea," Haddock replied, leading Tintin to be more annoyed that the captain is becoming more delusional than before.
"Captain, you're hallucinating!" Tintin reminded the captain.
"What does she mean by 'go back to the sea'!? Has she lost her mind!" Fumi said in shock.
"Poor Captain Haddock…. The desert must've taken a toll on her mind." Mahiru said with a sigh.
The rest of the girls are starting to get worried about the two of them since they've been walking in the desert for so long.
"Look. Did you ever see a more beautiful sight?" Haddock said to the lass as she pointed her finger across the sands.
As she stood up, Haddock said to Tintin, "She's turning into the wind, all sails set. Triple masted. Double decks. Fifty guns."
When Tintin heard what Haddock's been saying, she realized that the captain was talking about the one ship she only knew of.
"The Unicorn?" Tintin said as she finally realized that Haddock is starting to remember the story.
When the girls see what has transpired, they all stare in shock that the captain is finally remembering the story of Lady Frances Haddock.
"She's doing it….. Arsenia's remembering Lady Frances' story!" Aruru said with joy as her counterpart was about to tell the story of Lady Frances.
"Isn't she a beauty?" Haddock said to Tintin as she replied, "Yes! Yes, she is!"
"Tell me, Captain, what else can you see?" Tintin said to the former drunkard as she narrated to the girl, saying, "She's got the wind behind her. Look at the pace she's setting! Barely a day out of Barbados, a hold full of rum and the finest tobacco and the hearts of the sailors set for home."
And from it, a ship's topmast begins to appear out of the horizon as both Tintin and Haddock are both envisioning the Unicorn as it sails across the sand. Soon, the sand changed into the waves, sending the Unicorn into the stormy seas.
"That's so cool!" Aruru and Karen said in unison wherein, the rest of the girls are in awe of the story's transition from the desert to the raging seas.
"If our stage can transform itself during scenes such as this, I believe that many other students would be determined to be a part of our school," Maya said as she felt that if the school can increase its budget, they could be able to recreate this kind of transition in some way.
The camera zooms into the ship revealing a woman wearing a purple coat as she looks at her telescope revealing a pirate flag whose upper skull and the tips of its swords are stained red.
She then puts it down, revealing herself as Lady Frances Haddock, captain of the Unicorn and ancestor to Arsenia Haddock.
"The red pennant," she solemnly said as the screen reverted to Haddock on telling the story.
"The blood runs cold in every sea captain who looks upon that flag, for he knows he's facing a fight to the death," Haddock replied until she used her bottle as a telescope where she said, "But Lady Frances is a Haddock. And Haddocks don't flee."
"You bet she was! No one runs from a fight!" Aruru said, excited that she's finally going to see Haddock's ancestor in action.
"All right! Let's see what Haddock's story has to offer!" Futaba said with a big grin knowing that Lady Frances' leads her crew very well.
The Unicorn charged through the Atlantic Ocean where its cannons began to reveal themselves as its gunners went to their respective stations.
"Let's unload the King's shot into these yellow-bellied, lily-livered, sea slugs!" Lady Frances declared as her second-in-command, Mrs. Nicholls, is descending the stairs alongside Haddock.
When the girls saw the person beside Haddock, they were in shock that the person next to Lady Frances is none other than Misora!
"Wait, what!? Why am I beside Lady Frances!?" Misora said in shock, whereas Aruru realized something important on why Misora's counterpart is with Lady Frances.
"I got it! If Arsenia's ancestor is Lady Frances, then…. Misora's counterpart's ancestor must be the woman next to Lady Frances!" Aruru happily proclaimed, making the rest of the girls realize that Aruru's assumption is correct.
"So you're saying that the Misora next to Lady Frances is her ancestor?" Yachiyo said, whilst gesturing at the screen.
"Huh… I guess in another world, I must be bound to be with Aruru…." Misora thought to herself, surprised and happy that she'll always be by Aruru's side.
"Prepare to bring her about, Mrs. Nicholls," Arsenia said to her as Mrs. Nicholls replied, "Aye-aye, Captain! Prepare to bring her about!"
As the crewmembers began to turn the ship, a cannonball whizzed through the ocean waves as it hit the Unicorn near its forepeak. The Unicorn retaliated back by sending a barrage of its own towards the pirate ship.
The pirate's flag fluttered in the air as its crew reveled in joy as they fired back at the Unicorn as one of its cannonballs tore through the Unicorn's mainsail, burning it.
The girls are now in their seats as they witness the naval battle of The Unicorn and the pirate ship.
"So this is what naval battle looks like! This is going to be a good fight!" Futaba said with glee.
"Come on, Haddock! Show them what you're made of!" Aruru said as she cheered her counterpart on screen.
Haddock walked past her men as they kept on firing at the pirate ship when the two ships collided with each other, sending the Unicorn's crew to stagger.
During the collision, the Unicorn's topmast got snagged with the pirate ship's topmast as well, leading the Unicorn's crew to get ready for a possible invasion.
Lady Frances found Mrs. Nicholls as she said to her, "Mrs. Nicholls, secure the cargo."
"Right you are, ma'am," she replied to the captain, as Lady Frances raised her saber and shouted to the crew saying, "Prepare to repel all borders!"
As Lady Frances rallied her crew, Aruru, Lalafin, Ichie, and Karen roared in excitement, showing their support to Lady Frances' determination in defending the ship.
Still entangled, the Unicorn began to move to the right as the pirate ship was hoisted up in the air.
Like a flying galleon, the pirate ship swung into the air, leading to the dodge its swing whereas the pirates hollered in laughter, ready to board the Unicorn.
As the pirate ship swung into the air, some of the girls' jaws went agape, seeing that the pirate ship swung into the air like an amusement park ride.
The first to break the silence is Karen and Aruru as they screamed in joy of this amazing moment.
"That's so cool!" Karen and Aruru exclaimed, waking some of their classmates from their stupor.
"Holy cow! This is exceeding my expectations!" Futaba said as she marveled on how the pirate ship swung into the air.
One of the pirates spun the wheel of the ship, forcing it to swing back, leading the pirates to board the Unicorn from above. One of the ship's guards blocks the upcoming pirate's sword but another one drops on him, stabbing him in the neck.
Another pirate landed onto the Unicorn's cannons, slashing his cutlass on the crewmen's throats while another one stabbed his cutlass into another crewman's heart.
"I thought Lady Frances' crew was supposed to be able to fend off those pirates. Aren't they more well-trained than those pirates?" Akira said, leading Aruru to explain.
"Sure they are well-trained but they won't be able to take on the pirates in hand-to-hand combat. They're more unpredictable and they managed to take them by surprise." Aruru explained to Akira, shocking the Edels including Akira.
It's rare for someone who is able to be on Akira's level, especially when it comes to giving an important answer to her question.
"Impressive… It looks like I shouldn't underestimate her based on her actions…" Akira thought to herself.
Another pirate swung into the air, kicking another crewmate as he fell into the sea. He then fired his flintlock pistol at another crewman when he landed next to Lady Frances.
With murderous intent, he quickly pulled his cutlass when Lady Frances shot him with her pistol. Another pirate quickly charged at her when she blocked and punched him in the face while she quickly pushed another pirate to her right and proceeded to cut him down with her saber. She then immediately threw her pistol at the other pirate, knocking him out.
"That's so cool! She's able to fend them off all by herself!" Aruru said with excitement, seeing how Lady Frances is able to fend off the pirates without needing any help.
"I know right! I'm wondering if we can convince our school to invite students from the other class!" Futaba said with a grin, thinking of the possible fight scenes that include more and more people.
"It may be hard work but I believe that it could happen in the near future," Tamao said in response.
When the Stage Girls thought about it, they felt that they should invite their other schoolmates as well in their plays. Even though their roles could be minor roles, they still want them to shine alongside them.
Suddenly, the pirate ship immediately slammed into the ocean waves making the Unicorn turn on its side.
"This way! We need more men!" a pirate with an eyepatch said, leading his comrades to the Unicorn, steadily.
"So they're trying to overwhelm the ship with their numbers," Junna said, seeing that the pirates are forcing their way into the ship through their sheer numbers.
As the Unicorn is on its sides, the rest of the crew and pirates are still fighting, even though they're still hanging on.
Meanwhile, Haddock has just defeated another pirate as she immediately raced towards the topmast. She immediately cut the rope and swung all the way into the pirate ship's topmast.
With a flick of her wrist, Lady Frances cuts the pirate ship's topmast, flinging its would-be invaders.
With its final moments, the pirate ship began to sink into the sea due to its critical damage, leaving the Unicorn to sail onward.
"There goes the pirate ship! Now unto the pirates, Lady Frances!" Aruru cheered on as the girls were now on their seats that the fight was about to reach its climax.
Using a wooden stick, Lady Frances rappeled down the line like a zipline when she's nearing the burning sails. With her quick thinking, she immediately cuts the rope and swings in the opposite direction.
During her swing, she cuts down some of the pirates and kicks two of them in the face as she lands.
She cuts the ropes near the cannon and flips a burning torch as she sets the cannon's fuse on fire. With its rope cut, the cannon launches itself, dispersing a group of pirates and sending them into the ocean.
When the girls saw Lady Frances' feats, they were in awe ofhow creative and unpredictable she has become when she's against those pirates.
"Can't get Lady Frances any cooler! This story's the best!" Aruru said with a big grin.
"Lady Frances is really resourceful and creative. It's interesting how she's able to defeat a group of pirates all by herself." Maya said, impressed by Lady Frances' feats.
Meanwhile, a pair of boots was seen walking across the burning masts as Lady Frances had put a chokehold on another pirate. When her eyes looked at it, the figure stood triumphantly along with the flames.
"Wha-!? Who is that!?" Fumi said in surprise as the rest of the girls wondered who it was.
"I think it's the pirate captain! He must be the one who is after them!" Aruru said, anticipating the pirate captain's next move.
The screen faded into the sands as Haddock described what Lady Frances' saw, saying, "And then she saw her."
Haddock raised the bottle like a sword and said, "Like a phantom, rising from the dead."
"Who? Captain, who did she see?" Tintin said to the captain.
Haddock stared into the sky until she said to Tintin, "It's gone."
When the girls heard that, almost all of them groaned, especially Aruru.
"We were so close to the story's climax!" Aruru groaned as Futaba said, "I know right! Things were starting to get good until Haddock immediately forgot about it!"
"Let's just hope that the next time Haddock remembers, she'll be able to remember the entire story…" Fumi said, annoyed that Haddock has just forgotten the important part of the story.
"What do you mean gone? What happened next?" Tintin said, worried that Haddock is starting to forget the story.
"By Jupiter, I have lips! Since when did I have lips!?" Haddock screamed as Tintin immediately went to Haddock and asked him, "Captain, something happened on the Unicorn. It's the key to everything. You must remember."
"The Unicorn? What? I'm so terribly thirsty." Haddock wailed as Tintin tried to help Haddock until she started to faint.
Tintin caught Haddock and remarked, "To think all it took was a day in the Sahara. Congratulations, Captain, you're sober."
"Sober," Haddock said as she laid down on the desert sands.
"I think Haddock reached her limit. Her hallucinations must've tired her out." Junna said, noticing how Haddock is tired and her speech is slurring.
"Poor Haddock, I hope someone will be able to save them right now." Nana said in a worrying tone.
After a while nighttime came to the desert as Snowy barked across the desert, hoping that someone would save Tintin and Haddock.
Miraculously, a light bounces off Snowy's white fur when a man popped out of the desert sands and shone his light onto Tintin.
Aruru jumped for joy, seeing that Tintin and Haddock were finally saved while the rest of the girls sighed in relief.
"They're saved! They're finally saved!" Shiori said in joy.
"Oh, thank goodness they're safe! I'm just glad someone found them!" Tamao said that Tintin and Haddock are finally safe.
"Good dog!" the man said as he patted Snowy for doing a good job.
He then checked Tintin's pulse and said, "This one's alive. Check the other!"
"Yes, sir!"
The other man turned Haddock over to check her out to see if she's still breathing.
"Yes! Good boy, Snowy!" Shiori said, seeing that Haddock and Tintin are in safe hands.
"Man, I hope I get a dog as loyal as Snowy!" Karen said in joy.
"I hope the dog's also white as well…." Hikari mumbled to herself.
Morning comes around as the scene changes into an outpost where some of its soldiers are doing their exercise drills. Another soldier is also seen raising a flag, revealing it to be France's flag.
"Mon dieu! Are those my countrymen!?" Claudine said, surprised that she's seeing her people.
"You're correct Ms. Saijo. What we're seeing here is the French Foreign Legion, France's special forces that are stationed overseas." Edward explained to the girls, learning about the FFL.
"I'm Lieutenant Delcourt. Welcome to the Afghar Outpost." a familiar voice said, revealing it to be Tamao, who is walking alongside Tintin.
"Tamao-senpai! You finally appeared!" Rui said happily, seeing her counterpart walking alongside Tamao-senpai's counterpart.
"So I'm playing as the lieutenant of that outpost. I guess I must be a good leader to my soldiers." Tamao said.
"It looks like all of us are part of the story!" Ichie said, noticing that all five of the Rinmeikan are part of the story.
"Edward-san! Do you think we might see this happen in the near future!" Ichie said to the host, as the rest of the girls are curious if their respective groups would appear in the near future.
"Well… in this case, it is a rare occurrence but… most of the time, some of you will appear in some stories while the rest of them won't. It's not that every story you girls will appear on them y'know." Edward said to the girls, making them realize that not all stories would feature all of them.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. We owe you our lives." Tintin said to her savior.
"Did you find my friend?" Tintin said to Delcourt as she said to her, "Yes, but she's not in good shape, I'm afraid. She's still suffering the effects of acute dehydration. She's quite delirious."
When the girls heard about Haddock's condition, they were a bit worried that she's still suffering from the after-effects in the desert.
"On the bright side, at least Haddock's about to recover!" Nana said in a chipper tone.
"No kidding. Their experience in the desert surely took a lot out of them." Michiru said.
Delcourt opened the door, revealing Arsenia who is holding a glass of water in a curious manner.
"Haddock! You're awake. Good! I have a visitor for you." Delcourt said to the captain.
Tintin approached the captain and said, "Captain?"
"Hello! I think you've got the wrong room." Haddock said.
The girls went into shock that Haddock just immediately forgot about Tintin.
"I just…. How did this happen!" Fumi said, shocked at what had happened to Haddock.
"Edward-san is this the side effect Haddock is experiencing right now!?" Tamao said, hoping that Edward would explain it to them.
Tintin felt shocked by what Haddock responded to her as she said, "Captain, it's Tintin. Our plane crashed in the desert. Don't you remember?"
"Plane? No, no, I'm a naval woman myself. I never fly if I can help it." Arsenia said to the lass as she replied to the lieutenant, "She's got me confused with someone else."
Haddock raised her glass and started inspecting it and said, "What is this particular liquid? There's no bouquet. It's completely transparent."
"Why it's water." Delcourt said to the captain.
The girls are dumbstruck by Haddock's behavior. They never believed that Haddock doesn't know what water looks like.
"Are you serious! How in the world did Haddock not notice what water is!?" Claudine said, shocked that Haddock is not her usual self.
"It looks like that side effect must be that worse for Haddock," Junna said, concerned about the captain's well-being.
Haddock went in awe, thinking of water as the next best thing as she said, "What will they think of next?".
Snowy notices why Haddock's acting like this and proceeds to get the nearest drink.
"We suspect she has a concussion. Heatstroke. Delirium." Delcourt explained to Tintin when Snowy sniffed the jug of medicinal spirits and grabbed it.
"Snowy, put that down!" Shiori said in horror, seeing that Snowy is trying to do something terrible with it, especially since Haddock's doing ok.
"Shiori-chan wait! I think Snowy's doing it on purpose!" Aruru said, leaving the girls to be bewildered with Aruru's answer when some of them figured out why.
"She's sober," Tintin said to the lieutenant as she grabbed the glass and said to the Captain, "Now, Captain, out in the desert…"
"The desert?"
"Yes. You were talking about Lady Frances." Tintin said as the three of them are not noticing Snowy putting the medicinal spirits near Haddock.
"Lady who?"
"Lady Frances. And you were telling me about what happened on the Unicorn." Tintin said, annoyed that Haddock had forgotten everything about the Unicorn.
"Come on, Haddock! Try and remember the Unicorn!" Karen said.
"I don't think it's because she hasn't drunk any alcohol, didn't she…" Yachiyo said with a grin, leaving many of the girls wide-eyed with her response.
"Wait a sec… You mean the reason Haddock's acting like this is because she hasn't drunk any alcohol!?" Fumi said in shock as the rest of the girls know why Snowy grabbed the spirits.
"So that's why Snowy grabbed the spirits. She has to make Haddock drunk to remember the story!" Shiori said, realizing that Snowy is trying to help.
"The unicorn!" Haddock exclaimed as the Tintin said, "Yes!"
"Ahhh…. The stuff that dreams are made of. Wee children's dreams." Haddock said in a happy manner.
"No, the ship. Please try to remember, Captain. Lives are at risk." Tintin said to the captain.
Then, Haddock was about to reach for the glass of water when Snowy spins the platter, leaving Haddock to grab the spirits by mistake.
Tintin saw what happened as he exclaimed, "Snowy, what have you done?"
Haddock proceeds to drink the bottle until she stops in her tracks.
"Oh this isn't gonna end well…" Misora said, knowing what would happen when Haddock drinks alcohol again.
"Well, Snowy had no choice so…. This better work." Shizuha said to her friend, hoping that Snowy's plan would come to fruition.
"I'd stand back if I were you." Tintin said to the lieutenant as Haddock's face starts to grow red until she screams while holding her throat.
"Out! Everybody out of the room!" Tintin said as Snowy starts to wonder if he made the right call.
"Snowy!" Tintin said as she grabbed the dog
"This woman is insane!" Delcourt remarked as Tintin shut the door, hoping that Haddock wouldn't cause more chaos.
That is, until Arsenia bursts through the door, surprising Tintin and the girls.
"Holy cow! How did she do that!?" Fumi said in shock, seeing how Haddock was able to burst through the door like that.
"She must've been really strong… or really drunk to do that." Rui said, surprised at what Haddock could do.
Haddock pushes away one of the officers as she grabs the officer's saber and swings it in the air saying, "Show yourself, Red Rackham!"
"Red Rackham!?" some of the girls exclaimed.
"Haddock's finally remembering! And it looks like the pirate captain's name is Red Rackham!" Aruru said in excitement.
Then, the scene changes back into the Unicorn as Red Rackham reveals herself to the audience. Flowing with blonde hair and sporting a grey outfit, Red Rackham is wearing a red cape along with a hat with red feathers. It's also seen that she's covering her face with a mask.
"So that's what she's wearing? I thought pirate captains would wear extravagant clothes?" Karen said, curious of how simple the pirate captain is wearing.
"Well… It could be her preference to wear such a thing. Not all pirates wear something like Red Rackham would wear." Yachiyo said to the brunette.
Lady Frances saw Red Rackham but suddenly, she immediately blocked one of the pirates attacking her.
"If it's a fight you want….." Frances said as she tossed the pirate until the scene changed into Haddock, "...you've met your match!"
Tintin said to the delusional captain while Delcourt is in a fighting stance, "A fight with who?"
"To the death…..
Red Rackham!" Haddock/Lady Frances said.
"I got it! She's recreating the story of her ancestor! That's why she's acting like that!" Karen said, shocking her fellow Stage Girls.
"It looks like Snowy's plan did work. He managed to get Haddock drunk enough to re-enact the story." Akira said, surprised that Snowy's plan worked.
Lady Frances jumps off the deck as both captains stare off. Red Rackham swings her burning cape as she fights off Frances with her saber. The two of them went at it, Lady France using her superior fencing skills while Red Rackham utilizing her burning cape as a weapon.
"That's so cool! She's also using her cape as a weapon as well!" Karen said with joy.
"How come I never thought of that!" Futaba said, inspired how Red Rackham was able to use her own cape as a weapon.
Haddock tried to pierce Red Rackham but was able to dodge it using her cape as she covered Frances with her cape, tossing her aside. She flicked her sword in victory when one of the masts fell onto Haddock.
The girls were surprised that Red Rackham was able to defeat Lady Frances, using her adaptable sword style.
"It looks like the pirate captain beats the naval captain." Rui said, cautious about what would happen next.
Then, in the present time, a ceiling fan fell onto Haddock as the soldiers immediately entered the room, ready to apprehend the drunkard captain.
"No, wait!" Tintin said to the soldiers.
The scene changes once again as Haddock tries to get back up as a group of sabers corners her.
It then changes back into the present time, as Tintin goes to Haddock's aid.
"Captain…" Tintin said.
"I remember everything now. Everything Granddaddy told me. The Unicorn was taken. The pirates were now masters of the ship." Haddock said to the lass.
"So the pirates managed to take the Unicorn. And the pirates held Lady Frances and her crew hostage." Junna said, shocked that the pirates were able to defeat the Unicorn's crew.
"But on the plus side, Haddock finally remembers everything!" Aruru said with joy.
"Now we'll be able to know the entire story!" Lalafin said as the rest of the girls will now know the full story.
"The crew surrendered?" Tintin said, shocked at what happened to Lady Frances' crew.
"Granddaddy said that Red Rackham called Lady Frances the King's dog. A pirate hunter sent to reclaim their hard-won plunder." Haddock said to Tintin.
When the girls heard, they were surprised that Lady Frances is a pirate hunter, tasked by the King to reclaim their treasure.
"So Haddock's also a pirate hunter!?" Tamao said in shock.
"I get it. That's why history said that Lady Frances is a merchant. It's to hide her secret job as a pirate hunter!" Junna said, realizing the secret behind Lady Frances.
"A pirate hunter…." Aruru thought to herself, seeing that Lady Frances has become more cooler than she'd ever thought.
Then, the pirates slammed Lady Frances on the post, when Red Rackham said in a raspy voice, "Why would I waste my time on rum, tobacco, molasses, and dates when you have a more valuable cargo onboard? Where is it?"
Lady Frances smirks at Red Rackham and says to her, "You'll have to kill me first."
"Oh no! Red Rackham knows about the secret cargo!" Tamao said.
"It looks like Lady Frances won't allow Red Rackham to take the cargo. But even so, show her that you won't give it up!" Mei Fan said.
"Not first, no," Red Rackham replied, revealing that the pirates rounded up Frances' crew to be tossed overboard, "I'll start with your men!"
When the girls saw it, they were appalled by Red Rackham's decision to force Lady Frances to give up her cargo.
"How dare she! Using her crew to force her to give up the cargo!" Fumi said, seething in anger.
The rest of the girls now know how ruthless Red Rackham was, seeing how she's willing to sacrifice Lady Frances' men in exchange for the cargo. They hoped Red Rackham would get her comeuppance.
Haddock got up and said to Tintin, "To save her men, she would give up the secret cargo."
"And where was it?" Tintin said to the captain, as she placed her hand on one of the books on the shelf, as it transitioned back into the past as the book Lady Frances pulled is actually a fake.
"It's a secret lever!" Lalafin said in excitement.
"So Haddock also commissioned a secret lever for their cargo. How interesting~" Yachiyo said.
Then, the sound of gears was heard as a hidden door revealed itself.
Red Rackham went down the hidden passageway as her eyes were in shock as the hidden doorway revealed a motherload of treasure.
"Four hundredweight of gold, jewels, and treasure." Haddock said, revealing how much treasure the Unicorn is carrying.
The girls are in shock, seeing how much treasure Lady Frances was delivering to the King. They all knew that Lady Frances is tasked to find stolen treasure from pirates but they never even imagined this would be this many.
"No…. No way….." Junna said in shock.
"So much treasure…. So much gold….." Rui said.
"This is incredible. To think Lady Frances' was tasked to deliver this much treasure. It's amazing." Claudine said.
Red Rackham inspected the gold and with a flick of her wrist, she said to her crew, "Kill her men!"
"Wait what!?"
"No, Rackham! No!" Lady Frances said to the captain as the screams of her men were heard. The pirate crew then pushed the remaining men to their doom as one of the men was devoured by a shark.
"Rackham, you gave me your word! Rackham! Rackham!" Frances screamed.
When the girls saw what Rackham did, they were in shock at what Rackham did. Karen was sobbing while Mahiru and Nana were calming her down.
"That monster!" Shiori screamed, with tears flowing in her eyes, seeing the men drown in the ocean or eaten by sharks.
"She said she'll keep her men safe! Why did she break her promise!" Aruru said in anger.
"Not all people are able to fulfill their promises, you know. Sometimes, they will take advantage of you." Edward lamented as the rest of the girls were in anger at what Rackham did to Lady Frances' men.
The scene changes to Haddock as she said to Tintin, "Lady Frances knew she was doomed. That she'd be hung up from the highest yardarm. But they didn't reckon one thing!"
She turned around to Tintin and grabbed a quill pen, saying, "Lady Frances was a Haddock. And a Haddock always has a trick up her sleeve."
While tied up on the mast, Lady Frances flings her head, leaving the feather from her hat float. She grabbed the feather by the teeth and spit it at her hand wherein she used the feather to cut through the ropes.
"I didn't know her feather could do that!" Tsukasa said, surprised that once again, Lady Frances has proven herself to be very resourceful.
"Lady Frances is truly an amazing captain." Akira said, impressed by how Lady Frances is able to escape. She has truly earned her respect.
"And with that, she hurls herself forward!" Haddock said to Tintin.
"On the pirates? Like that? Unarmed?" Tintin said in bewilderment.
"No! No, on a bottle of rum rolling on the deck." Haddock said as she grabbed a bottle of rum and said, "And she opens it up, and puts it to her lips, and…."
The soldiers immediately take aim at Haddock if it weren't for Tintin putting the bottle down.
"And then she stops. 'This is no time for drinking,' she says. 'I need all my wits about me'" Tintin said to the captain.
"Good job on adding some lines to Haddock's story, Tintin!" Mahiru said as the girls are glad that Tintin stopped Haddock from drinking more alcohol.
"With that, she puts down the bottle and…" Tintin said, motioning the captain to continue the story.
"Yes, yes, she puts down the bottle…." Haddock said, thinking about what's next, and immediately said, "And she seizes a cutlass."
Back in the story, Lady Frances grabs a cutlass as she makes her way down the ship.
"And then she makes her way to the ship's magazine, where they keep all the gunpowder and the shot!" Haddock said as Lady Frances grabs one of the barrels and starts to pour its contents while ascending to the ship.
"Wait a minute! Is she…. Is she blowing up the ship!" Mei Fan said in shock, as the girls realize that Lady Frances is destroying the Unicorn.
"Why in the world would she blow up her ship!?" Tamao said, wondering why she would blow up her own ship.
"She wouldn't blow up her ship unless…" Akira, Junna, and Maya thought until they realized the real reason.
Lady Frances is still dumping the gunpowder until Red Rackham appears with a cutlass saying, "You dog! You'd blow us sky?"
"Come on, then," Lady Frances said as she placed the barrel aside as she drew her saber.
"Let's have you." the captain, cutting a lantern from its ropes starting the countdown.
"Time for round 2, Rackham!" Futaba declared as the rest of the girls started to cheer for Lady Frances.
"Come on Lady Frances, show her what you can do!" Aruru said.
The lantern drops, lighting the gunpowder trail until Red Rackham spanks Lady Frances with her sword as she makes her way to the trail.
"Not this time." she said as she swiped the fuse with her foot.
They both resumed their fight until Haddock kicked the gunpowder onto the lantern, kicking it off once more as they made their way to the lower decks.
"This is amazing! With the gunpowder fuse, this fight's more intense than I thought!" Futaba said with a big smile, seeing how this sword fight became more intense than ever.
Rackham tried to slash Frances but only received a punch from her as they continued with their swordplay. She throws one of the sleeping pirates and kicks the fuse.
The captains continued their duel when Haddock cut another lantern, restarting the fuse. Luckily, Rackham kicks the fuse as Frances tries a thrust. Rackham dodges it but Frances punches her again, cutting another lantern in the process.
Unfortunately, Rackham tries to get to it but Frances is able to keep her occupied as the captains clash while the fuse is moving towards the magazine at a very fast rate.
The girls are in their seats as the duel is about to end in a draw if one of them is unable to beat their opponent.
"Come on Lady Frances, you got this!" Aruru said, praying that the captain prevails.
The duel kept on and on until Rackham tried to slash the captain until Frances reversed her saber, stabbing Rackham in the chest. She finished it by flicking her saber on her head.
Lady Frances is victorious.
The girls clap on the duel as Aruru and Karen screamed with joy as Lady Frances defeated Red Rackham.
"She did it!" Karen and Aruru said, jumping with joy.
"That was one of the best sword fights I've ever seen!" Futaba said, hoping that once the viewings are done, she'll use the moves that she saw from the story.
"Good work, captain. Good work." Claudine said, pleased that Lady Frances has avenged her fallen crew.
Red Rackham drops to the floor, seeing that she has been fatally wounded as Lady Frances points her sword point-blank.
Then, she cuts the mask away, revealing Red Rackham as none other than Fumi Yumeoji!
"What!?" the girls said, shocked that Red Rackham's identity was revealed.
"Fumi's/I'm Red Rackham!" Tamao and Fumi said in unison.
"How is Fumi Red Rackham!" Shiori said, confused on why Fumi is Red Rackham.
"Wait a minute…. If Haddock's ancestor is Lady Frances, then….. Sakharine's ancestor is….. It's… It's all coming together!" Aruru thought, shocked that she finally realized why Sakharine is obsessed with the Unicorn.
"You!" Haddock said as Tintin replied, "Captain, what is it?"
"How could I be so blind?" Haddock said, realizing the most important fact.
"What are you talking about?" Tintin said to the captain.
"This isn't just about the scrolls or… Or the treasure that went down with the ship." Haddock said, thinking about the details more until she thought of one single answer.
"It's me. It's me she's after." Haddock said.
"What?" some of the girls said, dumbfounded at what Haddock said.
"I…. I got it! That's why Sakharine's after Haddock!" Junna thought as the rest of the smartest Stage Girls realize why.
The fuse is heading towards the barrels as Red Rackham said, "You'll suffer a curse upon you and your name, Haddock."
"She wants vengeance." Haddock said.
Rackham throws her sword at Haddock, saying to her, "Come back and face me!"
Lady Frances turns around, knowing that she has done enough.
"So Red Rackham cursed the Haddock because she didn't finish the job?" Futaba said, confused as to why Rackham wanted to fight Lady Frances again.
Then, Haddock grabs Tintin's arm saying they have to go, confusing Tintin more as Lady Frances dives into the water as Tintin and Haddock jumps from the building when the Unicorn explodes.
"There goes the Unicorn…. May it sail to the waters beyond the ocean." Tamao said, bowing to it as a sign of respect.
Haddock arises from the water as she dodges the falling mast and grabs onto it.
"I curse you! I curse your name and all who come after!" Rackham said while pushing the deck from sinking.
"We will meet again, Haddock! In another time! In another life!" Rackham declared to the captain as she sank to the bottom of the ocean.
Lady Frances grabbed her hat until a second explosion rocked the Unicorn as its treasure burst from the explosion.
"Look at all that treasure!" Aruru said as the Unicorn's treasure flies through the air.
Like a thirsty man in the desert, Lady Frances hoisted her hat in the air, collecting the coins and jewels that she's able to catch.
She looks at the Unicorn one last time as it sinks into the bottom of the ocean.
"It's not over. It was never over!" Haddock declared as Tintin asked him, "I don't understand. Who's after your blood?"
"Sakharine!" Haddock said.
"Sakharine?/Sakharine!? Why?" Tintin and the girls said.
"She's Red Rackham's descendant! She means to finish it!" Haddock said.
"So Sakharine is Red Rackham's descendant!?" Fumi said as the girls finally knew the truth.
"I get it! She wants to defeat Haddock, Lady Frances' descendant so that she can avenge her ancestor's defeat!" Tsukasa said as the girls are fully enlightened on why Sakharine is dead-set on defeating Haddock herself.
"That's why she did it." Tintin said as Haddock replied, "Did what?"
"Sank her own ship. Lady Frances sent that treasure to the bottom of the sea. She would be damned before she let Red Rackham have it." Tintin said, realizing why Lady Frances blew up her ship.
"She blew up the ship so Red Rackham won't sail away with the treasure!" Aruru said, completing the theory on why Lady Frances sank the Unicorn.
"So she'd rather sink the ship than let them have it! I guess Frances is desperate enough to not let the pirates sail it all away!" Misora said, confirming it.
"And she was."
"But she couldn't let it lie." Tintin remarked.
"No."
"Three clues wrapped in a riddle, concealing a secret." Tintin said to the captain as she placed her hand, saying to her, "But only a true Haddock would be able to solve it."
"What secret?" Haddock asked the journalist, saying to the captain, "The location. To one of the greatest sunken treasures in all history."
"The wreck of the Unicorn." Haddock said.
"Not only does Sakharine want to beat Haddock. She wants to humiliate her in getting the treasure!" Karen said.
The girls are now more determined to see Haddock restore her family's legacy. To find the wreck of the Unicorn, and show the world its history.
"She means to steal it! The third scroll!" Haddock said, determined to change her fate.
"Billions of blue, blistering barnacles! I swear, as the last of the Haddocks, I'll find that treasure before her!" Haddock declared in determination.
"To Bagghar." Tintin said to the captain, showing her hand as the captain spits on her hand, shaking it with Tintin's.
"To Bagghar!"
As the two women shake their hands, the girls now ready themselves for what will happen at Bagghar because soon, the Chase at Bagghar is about to begin.
And cut!
Finally, I got this one out!
Anyway, I might release the next chap next month because it's finals month for me so I have to focus.
So stay tuned and see you next time guys!