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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

For a moment, Tatsumaki’s face appeared to turn to stone. ‘To whom?’

‘Dragon Eye and his samurai escort.’

The Pirate Queen’s expression relaxed slightly. ‘Then we have nothing to worry about. They’re all dead.’

‘Not Dragon Eye, though,’ reminded Jack.

‘I don’t see how that ninja can elude death a second time. If he’s no longer on the ship, he must have drowned.’

‘You should never underestimate Dragon Eye,’ said Jack.

‘But we’re in the middle of the Seto Sea,’ contended Tatsumaki. ‘Even if he managed to swim back to the island, it’s barren and he’d be marooned.’

‘Not if he found Skullface’s boat.’

Tatsumaki snapped her fan shut with such force that it sounded like a bone breaking. A second later, she was on her feet, ordering her pirates to stop plundering the samurai ship and set sail at once for the barren island. The Koketsu surged across the sea. But, when it rounded the headland, the skiff was gone.

51

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Nihon Maru

‘WIND DEMONS! Will you RUN before the Sea Samurai?’ challenged Tatsumaki. The Pirate Queen stood atop the Koketsu’s dragonhead, her naginata in hand, her mane of black hair with its angry red streak billowing out behind her.

‘NO! NEVER!’ responded the Wind Demons, who crowded the walkways and jetty of Pirate Island, hungry for a fight.

‘Will you BOW before their pirate-murdering lord?’

‘NO! NEVER!’ they yelled, clashing their weapons furiously.

‘Will you SURRENDER your hard-fought riches?’

‘NO! NEVER!’

‘This island is your castle,’ pronounced the Pirate Queen. ‘Defend it with your lives. Destroy all samurai with lightning and thunder!’

She raised her naginata in a salute and the Wind Demons howled a battle cry so loud that it echoed round the lagoon walls and shook the vertical town as if the crater were erupting once more.

Jack stood with Li Ling on the jetty in front of the Koketsu. He glanced up to the citadel high above. Miyuki, Yori and Saburo would no doubt be looking down, wondering what all the shouting was about. Although he’d managed to get a message to them that he was alive and well, he hadn’t seen them since his return three days ago and they were probably thinking the worst. But, following his kidnapping, Tatsumaki was unwilling to let him out of her sight.

As soon as they’d docked at Pirate Island, Tatsumaki had summoned every pirate captain to a council of war. A few of the captains suggested relocating to a new island before their sworn enemy attacked. But the majority felt that daimyo Mori’s personal war against the Wind Demons had gone on long enough.

‘We’ve never been stronger!’ argued Captain Kurogumo, once again fighting fit.

In the end, they voted unanimously to stay the course and conquer the Sea Samurai, once and for all.