Dismounting the Whaleboat in the harbor of Commerce, Chloe's crew could scarcely believe that someone had laid waste to the residential district. "There must be some real rapscallions here!" Captain Abacab roared. "To cause such a a ruckus in a peaceful neighborhood."
He swung his fist, nearly decking Ramone in the face. "I oughta give em an aye-aye for an eye!"
Monica proudly clutched her holster of purple velvet. "Now these are the sea scum I shall dispose of without batting an eyelash...unless they're into that, than they shall fall victim to my Loveblade!"
Chloe was strangely quiet as they walked. Captain Abacab growled to the young queen, "What say you, child?"
Chloe's regular eye glinted as she put her fingers together. "I like their looting and pillaging methods, but they're being used for the wrong means. If I was in charge, I'd have these brutes beat Fienmond and his demon pirates to a pulp."
"Now now, Annabell," Ramone scolded her. "You can't have every big hooligan join us. I don't take kindly to being trapped in close quarters with such hulking thugs!"
"Then don't go to prison!" Chloe smirked as they walked into the center of town.
Before Ramone could answer, he observed a bakery built into a verdant hill. It was a shop with rosy windows and decor. Inside, there were pink baskets of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavored pastries and a yellow-and-pink pinstriped sign read in elegant cursive, "The Dainty Danish." Unfortunately, the shop was in shambles after the pirate attack. Cracked windows abounded, as well as knocked over furniture and pastries that were stepped on so hard the delicious filing was squeezed out.
Upon witnessing such atrocities, Ramone threw his hooves up in the air and cried "Noooooo!" very loudly.
"Wow…" Chloe remarked. "Rammy. I had no idea you liked pastries so much."
"It's not the pastries," Ramone sobbed, "It's the principle. Whenever I did fashion shows on Central Commerce Island I'd always stop off at this cute, little bakery. I cannot believe they did this to such a sweet little shop…"
Suddenly, a friendly accented voice interrupted them. "I know, donchaknow!"
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Ramone's staggered backwards over the man who stood before them. He was tall, bulky, and blond with long blond hair, plaid overalls and a hat that resembled a green triangle. "Strudel Svend!" the satyr gasped. "Thank the heavens you are okay!"
"Are you the owner of this place?" Chloe asked.
"I am indeed," he said with a friendly grin. "And I know who dunnit, donchaknow!"
Chloe put her hand to her chin. "Did you say you know? Or are you asking us if we know?"
"I said I know, donchaknow!"
"Do you?"
"I do, donchaknow!"
"Gah!" Chloe said "This isn't going anywhere. Rammy, be my translator for this strudelhead!"
"So…" Ramone asked Strudel Svend. "Who did it?"
The blond man forced his face in a frown. He clearly had a chipper demeanor that was at odd with scowling. "The wife, Annie-Fried and I were baking the pastries in our domestic abode, ya, and den this tall, hooded guy comes marching in. He called himself, Vinnie the Eel."
"Vinnie the Eel?" Chloe exclaimed. "Who is he?"
"I dunno," Svend answered. "I'd never seen him before in my life, donchaknow, but he called himself the gangster of the sea. He had a bunch of mutant sea friends who demanded I pay protection tax. I told tha dingus to bite a jelly tart and that klaphat broke my little bakery into bitty pieces!"
Svend pulled out a plaid hankey that matched his clothes and loudly snorted into it. "And he stepped on my pastries...squeezing out all the delicious jam filling."
A fire seemingly burned in Ramone's eyes. "Nobody does that to such scrumptious morsels. Queen Annabell, please tell me we will get revenge for Svend's resturant."
"Wowee!" Chloe said, clapping her hands. A mischievous smirk on her face. "I'm liking this new Rammy. One who kicks booty and takes names. And we're all outta names."
Ramone snorted out of his thin nostrils. "Indeed, I cannot stand idle by and let scoundrels take what matters most: bourgeois food shops!"
"I want to meet this Vinnie the Eel too," Chloe grinned widely. "He sounds like the perfect recruit once I get him under control."
"Nonono!" Strudel Svend said shaking his head. "You don't want thees guy! He can turn his hands into electric eels and blasted you with 200 watts! He cooked my apple turnovers all by himself."
"A man with eel hands?!" Chloe winked. "Sounds even better."
"Sounds like he's part Demollusk," Rosemary said. "Any way for us to get closer to Fienmond is fine by me."
"Anyway, strudelhead," Chloe said. "We're gonna protect your bakery from further damage. And I, the great and legendary pirate queen, Chloe Cutlass will take Vinnie the Eel and make him a subservient subordinate for myself."
"Oh would you do that for me?!" Strudel Svend said, his eyes shining like specks of sugar. "Perhaps I was wrong about ya, donchaknow!"
"Oh my dearest Svend!" a beautiful blond woman called from the distance. She was in a matching plaid dress and had her blond hair tied in braids. She was waving a note in her hands.
"Annie-Fried!" Strudel Svend cried as she ran to his arms. "What's wrong?!"
"Oh eets most terrible," the woman said in tears. "I was in the market place trying to get help and one of those sea gangsters showed up and gave me this. It is a death notice."
She unfolded the note. It was marked with black ink and depicted a skull shaped mollusk shell. It read "Nightfall: We return for your lives."