Jack coughed up the dust from his lungs and looked around. They were atop a barren island, little more than a lump of craggy rock with a single windswept tree clinging to its peak. A waning crescent moon hung in the night sky, lending a pale, ghostly sheen to the surrounding waters. There appeared to be no other islands in sight.

Jack’s assumption regarding the number of kidnappers had been correct. The skiff, in which he’d placed so much hope for an escape, lay bobbing at the water’s edge … empty.

‘What do you want with me?’ said Jack.

‘You’re an ill omen, gaijin,’ spat Skullface. ‘Ever since we picked you up, the Black Spider’s been cursed – captured by Sea Samurai, caught in a kamikaze storm, the captain shot. You even took my credit for bringing home the Shogun’s Red Seal ship.’

He kicked Jack viciously in the stomach. Jack doubled up with pain, rolling on the ground as he gasped for breath.

‘That was my one chance to become a CAPTAIN!’ snarled Skullface in outrage. ‘So it’s time to get rid of you for good, gaijin.’

Recovering from the blow, Jack wheezed, ‘You’re going to … maroon me?’

Skullface chuckled. ‘No, that would be merciful.’

A cold inevitability struck Jack. ‘Torture and kill me?’

‘Tempting,’ admitted Skullface, ‘but we’ll leave that to the Sea Samurai. You’re worth more alive.’

‘Look, their ship’s here already,’ said Snakehead, glancing out to sea.

Skullface grinned. ‘Told you they wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this to please their Shogun.’

The pirates’ plan was now clear to Jack. They were going to exchange him for the bounty on his head. Following his instinct that the four pirates were acting on their own, he said, ‘But Tatsumaki’s sure to find out you kidnapped me. And when she does, she’ll punish you all.’

Skullface laughed. ‘Not likely. We’ll say you escaped … and blame it on Li Ling. That pretty little pirate will lose her head before the sun’s up.’

Jack felt all hope drain from him. Not only was he being sent to his death but Li Ling would suffer too. And what would happen to Yori, Saburo and Miyuki? Without him, his friends would hold no value to Tatsumaki. They’d be thrown to their deaths in the lagoon, fish food just like all her other victims.

Jack writhed against his bonds, determined to free himself.

‘No use struggling, gaijin,’ spat Tiger. ‘They’re on their way up.’

Jack became desperate. ‘But I’m of great value to your Pirate Queen. I still have to translate the rutter.’

‘You’re of great value to us,’ replied Skullface. ‘We’ve negotiated ten koban each and a pardon in return for your head.’

Jack racked his brains for some samurai or ninja technique to save him from his predicament. But he was as powerless as a turtle on its back.