A look of unease filled the silent captain's eyes. Tony the Troutface also gave a wall-eyed look of terror. Elise however, smiled, and said, "What if we help you save the village from that rotten pirate?"

"Say whaaaaaa?" Archibell and Tony's mouth's dropped so far open that Elise was sure they'd hit the ground.

Tito looked shocked, but quickly crossed his arms, "Who says we need your help, Speckles?"

Elise winced; she didn't like his nickname for her.

Tito held his hands out to the other coconut houses. "After all, the blight has infected most of the island but a few women and children…"

Elise raised an eyebrow and smiled confidently. "Sounds like you need help."

Tito sighed, realizing he'd been defeated. "Maybe I do need your help "

"Hah!" Archibell laughed, pointing his finger at a sullen Tito. "You got defeated by a ten year old."

"Oy captain," Tony chimed in, "Ya realize he's about her age right?"

Elise ignored them both. "And then, will you join our crew? After we help you?"

"Maybe," Tito sighed again. "Let me take you to my grandpa. He might know a way you can help us."

As Tito lead the way across the coconut covered village, Archibell whispered to Elise. "I don't know about this kid. Defending a whole village from one of my sworn enemies to simply get a kid to navigate for us? And I thought I had plans that were far-fetched."

Elise marched forward as she spoke, "We're gonna be wandering the high seas forever without a navigator! We'll never find a piece of the golden trident that way…."--Elise's eyes shimmered sadly--"Plus, I wanna help them, they're like my daddy."

"Aw kid," Archibell sighed. "I don't even have my captain's clothes. I look a fool without them."

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"Now ya know how I feel," Tony boasted.

Archibell narrowed his eyes. "Pants or not, you're always a fool."

Tito lead them to the sandy beach at the edge of the village. Archibell surveyed the ocean where gulls circled over a vast, endless blue. "Why did you take us here?" Archibell asked.

"Hold on a sec," Tito winked. He blew a whistle which reverberated over the ocean.

Everything was silent aside from squawking of the gulls...and Archibell. "What's going on, what are ya doing kid?"

A shrill whistle followed back from the ocean. It sounded like an animal from beneath the waves. Suddenly, the sea rumbled and there was an explosion of water. Elise exclaimed, "What the sea shell?!" as white water erupted like an oceanic volcano.

Elise was sopping wet. When she opened her eyes, she squeaked. There was an enormous whale before her. Its entire body was thick, blubbery and blue. The whales eyes were closed in a docile manner and it let out a friendly squeal to greet them.

"Squadily Squids!?" Archibell exclaimed. "Your elder is a whale?"

"I wish," Tito said, "This is my good pal Blue-Gah!"

"Why did you take us to see a whale?" Archibell said. "I hate to be the voice of reason here, because I'm usually the voice of shennagans, but shouldn't we be going to see your elder?"

"Because, you old fart," Tito said with a knowing smile. "Check this out…"

He blew another whistle and Blue-Gah lowered his tail with another squeal. With a lively laugh, Tito leaped onto it and began to run along his tail. The youthful lad sprinted all while smiling like he was having the time of his life.

"He's so dashing," Elise sighed, a rosy tint on her face.

Tony looked up at her. "Are you saying that because he's handsome or because he's running on a whale like a maniac?"

"Both…" Elise smiled. "Coming to this island was the best decision ever."

Archibell crossed his arms. "Where's this kid's mother?"

Tito soon stood on the top of Blue-Gah's head. "Now watch this!"

He blew another whistle and Blue-Gah shot water out of his spout, carrying the kid up into the air on a jet of water. Elise marveled at this boy. He was so cute and cool.

"Hey Speckles," he said as he came back down. "I bet you wanna do this too."

"Um yesh…" she said, "But please don't call me that."

Archibell, in the meantime, had taken to his telescope and was surveying the seascape. "Aye, ships! I see ships off the coastline! They look like pirate ships."

"Ships?" Tito said, suddenly looking very worried.

"No ship, shrimp!" Archibell frowned. "They're probably Rotten Rogers' scurvy dogs. We better get to your gramps, right now!"

Tito slid down the whales' tail, looking like he was still having fun. He blew another whistle. "Go hide, Blue-Gah!"

The whale heeded his words and sunk back into the ocean with another squeal. "Arright shrimp," Archibell said. "Enough of your tomwhalery! Let's get to the elder."