Tatsumaki’s cabin was in stark contrast to the opulence of her citadel. Functional and uncluttered, it housed a lacquered cabinet in one corner, a low table in the centre and a weapons rack down one wall – upon which Tatsumaki now laid her naginata. Drawing up a red silk cushion, she sat upon the polished wooden floor behind the table and invited Jack to join her. Jack took his place opposite, Saru still perched on his shoulder, contentedly chewing on a piece of fruit.

‘How did you find me?’ asked Jack.

‘Li Ling raised the alarm, when she discovered you hadn’t returned to the citadel,’ explained Tatsumaki, cleaning the edge of her lethal tessen before fanning herself with it. ‘At first, we thought you’d escaped. The skiff was missing. But you were last spotted with Skullface and his gang. And they were missing too. Then it was just a combination of guesswork and luck that we found you. That barren island is the closest to our base. But, if we’d arrived any later, you and that samurai ship would have been long gone.’

There was a knock at the door and Li Ling entered with another female pirate, hefting a small wooden chest.

‘This was the only treasure we found on-board,’ Li Ling informed Tatsumaki.

She placed it on the table and opened it to reveal the stack of gleaming koban.

‘That was the reward for my head,’ explained Jack.

‘And now it’s payment for your rescue,’ said Tatsumaki, closing the lid and taking possession of the gold. ‘Though you still owe me for saving your life.’

Jack realized it was a debt that would be hard to repay.

‘I also found this,’ said Li Ling, handing Tatsumaki the scroll with the daimyo’s wax seal. ‘It looks important.’

Tatsumaki broke the seal and read the contents. She scowled. ‘Where’s that traitor Skullface and his gang now?’

‘Dragon Eye tortured them to death,’ replied Jack gravely, recalling the gruesome scene.

‘Good.’ Tatsumaki crushed the pardon in her hands. ‘Saves me the trouble. We can now return to Pirate Island without further delay.’

Jack wondered whether he should tell Tatsumaki about Snakehead’s confession. If Dragon Eye had got away, then the Sea Samurai would probably launch an assault on the island. The Pirate Queen would be grateful for the warning. She might even trust him more; maybe release him and his friends as promised. Then again, a surprise attack could be just the opportunity they needed – in the confusion of battle, they might be able to slip away unnoticed. But it would be a risky strategy, since they could be caught or killed by either side. And Dragon Eye would be hunting him down too.

‘Something on your mind, Jack?’ asked Tatsumaki.

Jack realized that his best chance of survival lay with Tatsumaki and the Wind Demons. He took a deep breath before replying. ‘Snakehead revealed the location of Pirate Island.’