“You’re lucky it slimed you, Mullins, or I wouldn’t have been able to pull you free,” said Blackbeard, wiping the slime from his hands on his shirt.

“Aye! Thank you, sir!” said Mullins, his eyes growing large at the sight of a third tentacle plunging through the starboard side of the ship, splintering the wood and causing the ship to shake violently as it took on water. Smee yelled out in terror from the crow’s nest.

“Great Poseidon’s Beard!” Mullins said, ducking as a large piece of splintered wood flew past his head. All the men hit the deck as the explosion of wood and water went in every direction. “Hold on, Smee! Hold on for dear life!”

“Mullins, Turk, and Starkey, get on your feet,” James barked. “Cut those riggings there, wrap it around the tentacle, and when I give the word pull the rigging on the other side with all of your might. Skylights, get your ax ready, and Jukes, position the cannon that way,” James said, pointing starboard.

The men just stood there looking puzzled. “What are you on about now, Headmaster?” asked Starkey, but Blackbeard seemed to see the merit in James’s plan immediately.

“You heard the man, get to your positions, and don’t question James’s orders again, or I’ll throw you overboard!” yelled Blackbeard, his face filled with rage.

“This better work, Headmaster!” said Blackbeard, giving James a wink.

Once Mullins, Turk, and Starkey managed to cut down the rigging, they wrapped the slack around the Kraken’s tentacle. It was all they could do to hold on to the ropes as the Kraken tipped the ship so severely water flooded the deck. James couldn’t see if Smee was still in the crow’s nest, and was afraid he had fallen overboard, but he had to keep his focus and hope for the best.

“Make sure it’s tight!” yelled James. He tethered himself to the mast with his belt so he didn’t fall as the ship rocked violently from one side to the other, taking on more and more water. James feared they would sink.

“Skylights, get that ax ready!” yelled Blackbeard, now holding on to the helm, as another wave crashed onto the deck. Skylights raised his ax and looked to James for the signal.

“Strike now!” said James, raising his hand. The man hacked away at one of the tentacles, as James called out to the other men, “Heave ho!” A massive wave of water washed over him, and he wiped the water away so he could see the men banding together, pulling on the rigging and raising the other tentacle into the air.