Captain Gingerbeard leapt aboard the Flying Turnip, his crew of pirates close behind him. Though he tried to appear confident, the bizarre fight between Niles and Tesla had clearly left him somewhat baffled. Clearing his throat to gather attention, he declared in a booming voice, “I am Captain Gingerbeard, the most feared pirate on the seas!” He struck a dramatic pose, slinging his boarding axe over his shoulder. “Fortunately for you, I’m also a nice pirate. We mean you no harm—just your goods and valuables.” His voice carried a strangely diplomatic tone, considering the circumstances.

From his seat on the deck, Niles crossed his arms and called out mockingly, “Wow, yes, truly the nicest pirate. Ten out of ten. Would recommend!”

Captain Gingerbeard blinked and turned to Captain Veggieplank with a frown. “Is he all right in the head?”

Veggieplank shook his head solemnly. “Nay.”

The rest of Niles’ party chimed in with varying degrees of agreement. “Nope.” “Not likely.” “He just has bad luck when he’s thinking.”

Tesla, however, clung desperately to Gingerbeard’s coat, tears streaming down his face. “Please, please take me with you! Save me from him!”

Gingerbeard recoiled, shoving Tesla aside with a grimace. “Ugh. So clingy.” Tesla collapsed into a pitiful ball of despair while Niles, unaffected, silently vowed revenge on his so-called friends. He was already planning jokes for his next stand-up routine.

“Captain!” a pirate shouted from Veggieplank’s cabin. “Look what I’ve found! This’ll keep our nights lively!”

Everyone fell silent as the pirate emerged, holding a crate of alcohol.

“Tis a fine haul,” Gingerbeard nodded approvingly, while his crew ransacked the ship, looting tools, building materials, clothes, and anything else they could find. They left behind only food, water, and Tesla’s books. Pirates didn’t read, and readers didn’t steal—it seemed an unspoken rule of the sea.

While this chaos unfolded, Vulcan and Finn continued fishing at the ship’s stern. Finn’s small hands gripped his fishing rod tightly, his pulse racing with fear as he watched the pirates plunder. Vulcan leaned over, muttering, “Just keep fishing, boy. Best thing we can do is pretend this isn’t happening.”

Meanwhile, Captain Gingerbeard made his way to Veggieplank and extended a hand. “All right, time to empty your pockets.”

Grumbling, Veggieplank handed over a pouch of gold. “Thank you kindly,” Gingerbeard said with a courteous nod before moving on to Felix, Tesla, and Niles, finding their pockets empty.

But Niles wasn’t done yet. “Hey, Gingerbeard,” he called out, his tone annoyingly casual. “I need your help.”

Gingerbeard raised an eyebrow. “What could you possibly want from me?”

“I owe that man two gold coins.” Niles gestured toward Vulcan. “Could you lend me a couple?”

The pirate captain scowled. “Why in the seas would I do that?”

“Well,” Niles said with a sweet smile, “you’re supposed to be a nice pirate, right? You could always plunder it back afterward.”

Overhearing this, Vulcan shouted, “WHAT?!”

But Gingerbeard scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Well, you’ve got a point. I am a nice pirate.” Reaching into the pouch he’d taken from Veggieplank, he handed Niles two coins.

Niles lit up with glee and skipped over to Vulcan. “Oh, Vulcan! Here’s the prepayment I promised you!” He let the coins fall into the blacksmith’s hand. “Don’t spend it all in one place!”

Before Vulcan could react, Niles cheerfully added, “He’s all yours now!”

Gingerbeard approached Vulcan with a solemn expression. “It saddens me to do this to a fellow man with a proud beard, but alas.” He raised his boarding axe. “But I love looting, you’re being plundered. Hand it over.”

Vulcan, his face a mixture of disbelief and rage, reluctantly returned the two coins.

“DEBT-FREE!” Niles cheered, high-fiving a group of pirates, who, strangely enough, seemed genuinely happy for him.

“That’s why I turned to piracy,” one pirate confessed, wiping a tear. “To escape my debts.”

Another clapped Niles on the back. “You’d make a perfect pirate!”

Meanwhile, Niles’ party members stared at him in stunned silence, unable to comprehend how he had somehow charmed the very pirates robbing them.

Satisfied, Captain Gingerbeard finally called out, “All right, men! Back to the ship! Tonight, we celebrate like kings!”

As the pirates returned to their vessel, Niles gave a small wave and a nod. “Thanks for your service, Captain Gingerbeard!”

The pirate captain grinned wide. “That’s what we’re here for!”

As the pirates began returning to their ship, one figure lingered. Zane, a member of the Gingerbeard crew, roamed the Flying Turnip with calm, calculated steps. His demeanor was unsettling, like a viper sizing up its prey.

"Zane, it's time to leave," Captain Gingerbeard barked, annoyance clear in his voice.

Zane barely glanced over his shoulder, unbothered. "I think there's still something left for us here," he said casually, his tone dripping with smugness.

Gingerbeard sighed, exasperated. "Come now. We’ve taken enough."

But Zane ignored him, instead drawing his twin warscythes, the blades gleaming menacingly. Resting them on his shoulders, he turned his sharp gaze toward Niles. "I like your shoes," he said, his voice calm yet laced with intent.

Niles raised a brow, keeping his composure despite the tension in the air. "Uh, thanks," he replied, glancing down at his white sneakers—unique relics from Earth.

Zane stepped closer. "I'd enjoy having them." His lips curled into a smile, but there was no warmth behind it.

Niles hesitated, the anger on his face a rare sight for his crew. Before he could respond, Gingerbeard sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just give him the damn shoes, boy. I’m not fighting over this nonsense."

The silence thickened, and Niles stared at Zane for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he exhaled sharply and knelt down to remove the sneakers. He set them on the deck with deliberate care. "All right. Here," he said, his tone edged with bitterness.

"Are you satisfied now?" Gingerbeard yelled from his perch on the pirate ship. "Let’s be on our way!"

Zane scooped up the sneakers, tossing them over to their ship where another pirate caught them. But he didn’t follow. Instead, he turned back to his captain, an unsettling grin on his face. "Should we have a vote?"

"A vote?" Gingerbeard narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Zane strode across the deck, taking his time. "A vote for a second search. Since your plundering is finished, anything else we find here should be mine." He flashed a sharp smile at Niles and his party, his serpentine gaze falling on Finn.

The boy stiffened, his trembling hands gripping his knees. Zane noticed. He always noticed.

Leaning close to Finn, Zane spoke in a soft, sinister tone. "What are you hiding, little one?"

"Zane!" Gingerbeard’s voice thundered, frustration giving way to fury. "This wasn’t part of the deal. Return to the ship, now!"

Zane tilted his head slightly toward his captain, acknowledging him with a dismissive, "Yes, yes. Any moment now." Then he lowered his voice again, directing his attention back to Finn. "Do you know what my skill is?"

Finn’s lips quivered, his color draining.

"It’s called Fear Talker," Zane said, twirling one of his warscythes lazily. "I won't bore you with the details, but it allows me to know things—like your greatest fear. Is it me?" He paused, letting the silence crush the boy. "Or is it me finding your secret?"

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Finn’s lips moved involuntarily, his voice barely a whisper. "Findi—"

"LEAVE THE KID ALONE!" Vulcan roared, turning forward with unflinching determination.

Zane’s eyes narrowed like a predator locking onto prey. "Oh?" he said, his tone almost amused. He turned his full attention to Vulcan, his smile razor-sharp.

"JUST LEAVE US ALON—" Vulcan’s voice choked into silence as Zane struck. With terrifying speed, he brought his second warscythe down in a brutal arc, slicing from Vulcan's shoulder to his back. Blood sprayed across the deck as Vulcan collapsed, writhing in pain, the wood beneath him staining red.

"VULCAN!" Niles and the others cried out, rushing to their fallen comrade’s side.

But Captain Veggieplank had had enough. "GINGERBEARD!" he shouted, his voice trembling with fury and desperation. The cry struck something in the pirate captain, who leapt back aboard the Flying Turnip and grabbed Zane by the shoulders.

"I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!" Gingerbeard roared, his tone one of authority and barely restrained rage.

Zane smiled, closing his eyes as though savoring the chaos. "Captain, aren’t you upset?"

"Upset about what?" Gingerbeard demanded, still clutching Zane tightly.

Zane snapped his fingers, signaling two pirates who promptly jumped aboard the Flying Turnip. "Search the captain’s quarters. Look under the bed for anything we might’ve missed," he ordered.

"What are you doing, Zane?" Gingerbeard growled, but his words were drowned out by a piercing scream from within the ship.

Moments later, the two pirates returned, dragging a young woman with dark blonde hair. One gripped her by the arms, the other by her hair, forcing her forward.

"And here it is," Zane declared, spreading his arms in mock innocence. "Our real treasure."

Gingerbeard’s eyes widened. "A woman?" he asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

Zane nodded, his smirk deepening. "Now, we can truly feast like kings." He gestured grandly. "With this, Captain, I am ready to return to our ship."

Niles turned to see Captain Veggieplank behind him, his face painted with despair and quiet defeat. Captain Gingerbeard, however, merely exhaled, his voice steady and commanding. “Fine. Bring her aboard, boys.”

The pirates began dragging Lina toward their ship. Niles’s mind raced for a solution, anything he could say or do to stop them. His thoughts tangled with desperation until a voice broke through.

“Let her go.”

Felix. His words were firm, though his body still bore the weight of his injuries. He stood unsteadily, his resolve shining brighter than his strength. The pirates paused, glancing at him in disbelief before bursting into laughter. But Zane didn’t laugh. He didn’t mock Felix’s battered frame; instead, he studied his eyes—eyes that still burned with the will to fight.

“SQUEAKY!” Niles shouted, his familiar swooping down like a lightning bolt. It landed briefly on Niles’s shoulder before shooting off into the sky after receiving an instruction, a blur of feathers and speed.

“What is that bird?” muttered Gingerbeard, his crew straining their eyes to track the swift creature.

One pirate, impatient, let go of Lina’s hair and drew his cutlass., turning to Felix. “This’ll be easy!” he sneered.

But Lina’s voice rang out before he could act, her cry slicing through the tension. “PLEASE DON’T HURT MY FRIENDS!” Her voice was steady, though it trembled with emotion. The sheer sincerity of her words silenced the deck, even freezing the pirates in place. Her eyes shut tightly, tears threatening to spill as she forced a smile. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay. You can leave without me.”

Felix saw the fracture in her gaze, a mix of rage and an unyielding instinct to protect her igniting within him. He turned to Niles. “I’m sorry, Sir Niles. I acted without your permission, and I plan to keep doing that.”

Niles smirked at his bravery, stepping closer. “Risking your life to protect your friends doesn’t need permission,” he said. “Thank you for buying me a moment to think.”

Niles spun to Tesla, his voice sharp and commanding. “Tesla, take the helm! Get us away from here!” Tesla, trembling with adrenaline, bolted to the wheel.

“Winston,” Niles continued, “tend to Vulcan when you can. Stop the bleeding.”

Winston nodded, already moving to their injured comrade.

“And I…”

A pirate’s shout cut him off. “Hey! That bird just took my knife!”

Squeaky zipped back into view, dropping the blade into Niles’s waiting hand. He gripped it tightly. “And I’ll handle this.”

Gingerbeard’s voice thundered across the deck. “Be careful—he’s a summoned champion! He might have powers!”

Niles’s grin widened, his expression unreadable. “Exactly. So, step back.”

The pirates hesitated, shuffling backward as they tightened their grip on their weapons. Niles crouched slightly, exhaling as though preparing for a masterful dash. But instead of attacking, he leapt backward, pressing the knife to Captain Veggieplank’s throat.

“I think I’d make an excellent pirate,” Niles said with a sly smile.

The ship fell silent. Captain Veggieplank’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What are you doing?” he hissed.

“Playing hardball,” Niles replied. “It’s a business term.” He rose his voice “Leave us—and the woman—and we won’t harm your friend!”

Gingerbeard chuckled gruffly, crossing his arms. “You’re threatening us with the life of your own captain? Go ahead. Be my guest!”

Niles shrugged. “Alright, then.”

He pressed the blade closer, a thin line of blood appearing at Veggieplank’s neck.

“GINGERBEARD!” the Veggieplank yelled, panic in his voice.

“Don’t move,” Niles warned, his tone ice-cold. “I might accidentally cut something important.”

Veggieplank shouted again, his voice pleading. “WE HAD AN AGREEMENT, GINGERBEARD!”

Niles pressed on. “I don’t know the details of your deal, but I’m sure losing a business partner will cost you more in the long run than one woman.”

Gingerbeard exhaled, his shoulders sagging. “Fine. We’ll leave. Let the woman go!”

His crew hesitated, but his tone left no room for argument. “Now!”

The pirates released Lina, retreating toward their ship.

Zane’s voice cut through the tense moment. “But Captain, she’s my loot. I found her!”

Gingerbeard rounded on him, his voice a low growl. “Get back to the ship. Now.”

Zane growled in frustration but obeyed. As he stepped away, he grabbed Finn by the shirt. “I’ll take at least this pleasure.”

Niles’s grip on the knife tightened. “Let him go.”

Zane ignored him, leaning close to Niles. “I’ll remember your face.”

Then, with one swift motion, Zane hurled Finn overboard into the cold waves.

“FINN!” Lina screamed, rushing to the edge of the ship. “HE CAN’T SWIM!” She prepared to jump after him, but Winston held her back.

“YOU’LL DROWN!” he shouted, struggling to restrain her.

“LET ME GO!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. “HE NEEDS ME!”

Her cries echoed over the crashing waves. “FINN!”

Felix stripped off his coat, and before anyone could stop him, dove headfirst into the churning water where Finn had been thrown. The sea swallowed him whole.

"They're not gonna make it!" Captain Veggieplank bellowed, his voice tight with fear. "It's impossib—"

"GET THE ROPE!" Tesla’s voice roared across the deck, cutting him off. "We’ll use it to give them something to grab onto!"

The crew scrambled in confusion, unsure where to find it. Tesla, his memory sharp from his crash course in ship navigation, barked out exact directions, pointing frantically.

Below the surface, the ocean was a silent predator. Finn sank deeper, his small frame tumbling downward as light from the sun danced tauntingly far above. He struggled, lungs burning, his chest heaving in vain as salt water forced its way in. The pain was unbearable. Just as his vision began to fade and his eyes fluttered shut, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure swimming toward him, cutting through the depths like an arrow.

Above, the tension on the ship was palpable. Lina’s cries pierced the air, her voice hoarse as she screamed for her brother and Felix. Tears streaked her face, her hands gripping the railing so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Meanwhile, Niles stood apart, his sharp eyes fixed on the departing pirates. He watched as their ship disengaged from the Flying Turnip, the grappling hooks clattering against the deck. Onboard, Captain Gingerbeard’s booming voice carried faintly over the waves as he argued furiously with Zane.

Then, as if summoned by sheer will, Felix and Finn broke the surface in a spray of salt and foam, gasping for air. The waves toyed with them, relentless and unyielding.

"TESLA, STEER STARBOARD!" Winston yelled, rope in hand but with no means to secure it.

"Give that to me!" Vulcan, despite his injury, staggered over and snatched the rope. Grabbing a sturdy bucket from the deck, he fashioned a makeshift lifeline with nimble hands. His throw was a masterpiece of precision, an arc of hope that landed near Felix.

"Hold on, boy!" Vulcan roared, his voice like thunder.

Felix, his body trembling with exhaustion, forced himself to dive under the waves one last time. Lina’s voice rang out, her skill activating in desperation. "YOU CAN DO IT! PLEASE, I NEED YOU BOTH!" Her words filled him with a final surge of strength, enough to grasp the bucket.

"Pull!" Vulcan bellowed, and the crew sprang into action. Winston, Tesla, Niles, and Lina joined him, their combined strength battling against the sea’s resistance.

"They’re not going to make it. The waves, the cold... it’s too late," Captain Veggieplank muttered, sinking to his knees in defeat.

"Shut up, old man!" Niles snapped, his voice fierce. “PULL!” He screamed like a mantra.

Together, the group heaved with all their might. Muscles strained, adrenaline surged, and inch by inch, the rope closed the gap. Captain Veggieplank stared in stunned disbelief as the mismatched crew fought as one, their determination defying reason.

Finally, with a collective cry of effort, they hauled Felix and Finn onto the deck. Vulcan, bleeding but resolute, dragged them both over the railing with arms like iron. The two collapsed onto the planks, lifeless heaps battered by the sea.

Felix was barely breathing, but Finn... Finn was deathly still.

Lina froze at the sight of her little brother, her hands flying to her mouth. Tears streamed down her face as she let out a heart-wrenching scream. "FINN!"

Niles didn’t hesitate. He dropped to his knees beside the boy, his hands pressing firmly against Finn’s chest.

"What are you doing?" Lina sobbed, her voice trembling.

"CPR," Niles said curtly, focused entirely on his task. He compressed Finn’s chest with practiced precision, ignoring the bewildered stares of those around him.

"He's already dead," Captain Veggieplank murmured, his voice heavy with resignation.

But then—coughing. A wet, ragged gasp escaped Finn’s lips, followed by a torrent of salt water as he vomited.

Captain Veggieplank’s mouth hung open in shock.

Finn’s eyes fluttered open, and he began to cry uncontrollably. Niles leaned back, his shoulders sagging in relief.

Turning to Felix, Niles said firmly, "You’re not allowed to die either." He assessed Felix quickly, urgency in his voice. "They need warmth—strip them of their wet clothes. We need blankets, rugs, anything to keep them alive. If that’s not enough..." He hesitated before adding, "We’ll use body heat."

"I’ll do it!" Lina offered, stepping forward, but Vulcan was already peeling off his shirt, revealing a broad, hairy chest.

"I’ll take care of Felix," Vulcan grunted, his smithy-worn blood pumping warmth into his veins despite the cold. He glanced at Lina. "You warm your brother."

"But you’re bleeding!" Lina protested.

"Just a scratch," he growled dismissively.

Niles didn’t waste time. "Winston, patch Vulcan’s wound, then help him keep Felix warm."

Lina hesitated, looking at Finn, her heart breaking at the sight of his frail, shivering form. Vulcan hefted Finn over his shoulder like a sack of grain, their eyes meeting briefly. Finn, weak but alive, managed a faint, cheeky smirk.

"So," his expression seemed to say, "you do like that blue-haired guy, huh?"

Lina’s cheeks flushed red, but she followed after them without a word.