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Chapters (71)
  1. CHRIS BRADFORD
  2. Contents
  3. Map: The Japans – 17th Century
  4. The Letter
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. Notes on the Sources
  69. Ninja Pirate Ship Competition
  70. Japanese Glossary
  71. Acknowledgements

A samurai broke off and headed for Jack. Struggling against his bonds, Jack tried to free an arm to fight back. But he was bound tighter than a hangman’s noose. The samurai grinned as he raised his sword to hack the head off his defenceless victim. Jack writhed in desperation to avoid the lethal blade, knowing Tatsumaki could never reach him in time.

The Pirate Queen, realizing this too, pulled her tessen from her obi. With a flick of her wrist, the iron fan opened and she threw it in Jack’s direction. The tessen spun through the air like a single-winged hunting bird. It skimmed in front of the samurai, causing him to falter in his attack. Then the man’s eyes widened in shock. He dropped his sword and clasped his neck. Blood poured through his fingers, the fan’s razor-sharp edge having sliced his throat wide open. Spluttering a final breath, the samurai collapsed at Jack’s feet.

Moments later, he was surrounded by a protective cordon of Wind Demons.

‘Secure the ship!’ commanded Tatsumaki as her pirates laid waste to the remaining Sea Samurai.

A Wind Demon rushed to Jack’s side.

‘I thought you were as good as dead,’ said Li Ling, pulling off her hood.

In a single swipe of her naginata, Tatsumaki sliced through the ropes binding Jack.

‘Thanks for coming to my rescue,’ he said, rubbing the circulation back into his arms.

Tatsumaki flashed him a triumphant smile as she retrieved her deadly fan. ‘You’re too precious to let anyone take you.’

Jack looked around at the slain samurai. ‘Where’s Dragon Eye?’ he asked.

‘Dokugan Ryu? But you said he was dead,’ replied Tatsumaki, bemused.

Jack gave a despondent shake of his head. ‘I was wrong.’

‘That ninja must have more lives than a cat!’

The Pirate Queen ordered an immediate sweep of the ship. The Wind Demons turned over dead bodies, searched the cabins and hunted below deck. But it was as if Dragon Eye had never existed.

50

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The Koketsu

Jack stood before the sea dragon and laughed at how easily people had been fooled. In the moonlight, the beast had an unsettling lifelike quality. But close up, no longer distracted by the chaos of battle, he saw the creature for what it was – a strange and formidable battleship.