Chloe sighed as the Whaleboat emerged from the Serpent's eye pass. She clutched at the ends of her short white skirt as the wind billowed around it. It had seemed like just yesterday they had entered it and met the king of the pirates. And that's because...it was.

Chloe sighed again. And this time, she caught the attention of Captain Abacab. "Ay Missy," he said to her. "We ought to call yee the great ocean king of depression, Po-Sigh-Don with the amount you're hemming and hawing."

The twelve year old girl gazed forlornly at the pair of peaks that divided into the cover for the pirate shantytown. "You know," she said. "I was hoping I'd get to enjoy being the pirate queen a little while longer before we shoved off."

The ever dutiful Monica leaned against the cabin of the whale boat. Her hand hovered over her sword. "But senorita, I believe it is our duty to bring justice to the sea!"

Chloe leaned off the rail, she squinted from the hot sun. "But…" she said, "Pirates and justice? Do rapscallions really need to act as ocean police?"

Monica's hand hovered over her sword. "The do it for vengeance. Much like I need to avenge mi hermano and kill Django the Slasher."

Ramone chortled with a cup of tea in his hands. "I had almost forgotten about that. I'll never forget how that handsome waiter turned out to be a murderous scoundrel. I wonder where he is now?"

Monica narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. But I will literally search every drop of this ocean until he's found."

"I didn't know he was microscopic!" Ramone laughed but Monica glared at him. "Right-o, Lady Monica!"

Vinnie the Eel who had been sitting on the upper deck, leaped down startling everyone. His bright yellow pompadour carefully balanced on his head. "Ey guys, while I was dreaming of dat beautiful navigator lady, I kinda realized, it's gettin' a bit dark out by those islands over here."

Everyone turned aside to see several jagged straights out on the water. The sky rumbled as the clouds rolled in.

"Dose must be da Lightning Straits the fair navigator warned us about," Vinnie exclaimed in his deep voice. He started clasping his hands and rocking back and forth with a red blush. "Oh how that beautiful rose cares about my keester!"

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Monica's nostrils flaired. "She cares about all of us. Not just you, eely brain!"

A jet of lightning clashed over the Straits and a light hailed began to clatter on the boat. "Argh!" Captain Abacab shouted as he ran to the wheel. "These Lightning Straits will put us in dire straits if you get me! If these rocky trenches don't wreck us, the lightning will!"

"Is there anyway around these straits," Ramone shouted, finishing his tea in time for his cup to fly out of his hands into the ocean. "Oh dear!"

"Nay," the good captain said. "We'll have to go through it!"

"Finally something exciting!" Chloe shouted. "Looks like we'll have to ride the lightning!"

She ran to Vinnie. "Listen, Eel hands, concentrate on keeping the lightning away from our boat!"

Vinnie's hands transformed into electric eels and he saluted. "Aye aye mistress. Fortunately, the chances of being struck by lightning are…..aiiiiii!" he shouted as the eels shocked him. "Err…Neva mind the odds."

"Of course I don't mind the odds," Chloe smirked. "or an oddball like you wouldn't be part of the crew."

The boat turned into one of the trenches. "We're beginning our run!" Abacab shouted. "Somebody hold my yo-ho!"

"I'll take it," Laura smiled sunnily and she took the chocolate pirate beverage and swigged it. "Thank you, Abacaptain!!"

Abacab sighed. "Remind me to install a plank on this vessel if we ever get out of it."

Chloe watched from the front of the boat, her tiny scabbard she had gotten from Big Joe's collection of treasure was pointed forward. The way the straits zig zagged made it difficult to not get dragged into the lightning shaped rocks. Though she wasn't piloting her vessel, Chloe figured if they were to hit the rocks, the captain should go down with the ship first. But she had faith in Abacab.

Everytime it seemed like they were heading for the rocks, the ship weaved sideways avoiding it. The hairpin turns made things unbelievably tight. "Hoo wee!" The captain roared. "It's a good thing I had me drinking chocolate!"

"I think I'm gonna be inferma!" the normally confident Monica said turning green.

"Right ahead of you, Miss, bleeeeh!" Ramone said and he puked on the deck.

Chloe however felt the rush and exhilaration in her veins. "This is piratetastic!" she screamed as her hair wooshed in the wind.

They were nearing the end of the trench and Chloe was starting to feel bummed the adrenaline rush was ending.

"Oh well," Chloe said, as they emerged on the other side of the rocks. "Thrill rides never last too long. At least we didn't get struck by lightning!"

There was a loud rumble in the sky. Black clouds formed into the shape of a pair of woman's lips. "PATHETIC UNGLAMOROUS FOOLS!" they bellowed. "YOU'RE NOT OUT OF THE WATER YET!"

And with those words, a blast of lightning exploded from the lips and hit the boat straight on.

Everything went white.