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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

The ninja staggered backwards under the blow.

‘And you’ll never harm any of my friends again,’ he vowed, his katana slicing down for the ninja’s head.

But Dragon Eye was quick to recover. He deflected Jack’s attack and threw out his hand.

‘Watch out!’ cried Yori.

A cloud of metsubishi powder shot towards Jack’s face. Jack spun away and the blinding dust dispersed harmlessly into the air.

‘You’ll have to do better than that,’ goaded Jack.

‘There they are!’ shouted a Wind Demon, thundering down the corridor.

Recovering her wits, Miyuki drew her ninjatō and turned to face the pirates. ‘Jack, this is no time for settling old scores. We have to leave. NOW!’

But Dragon Eye blocked their escape route.

‘You go,’ urged Jack, tossing Yori the key. ‘I’ll hold off Dragon Eye.’

Pain will nourish your courage when the dragon returns …

Recalling the Wind Witch’s words, Jack thought of his father, of Yamato and all that he’d lost as a result of this ruthless ninja. Immediately, he felt the flames of courage ignite in his veins.

‘I’m no longer scared of you!’ declared Jack and charged at his sworn enemy.

‘You should be,’ snarled Dragon Eye, deflecting Jack’s katana and countering with a vicious slice upward with his own sword.

Black Cloud almost carved Jack in half, but he leapt away, somersaulting to land deftly on the balcony rail.

‘It’s you who should be fearing me, now I’ve the skills of a samurai and a ninja.’

Covertly reaching into his pack, Jack flung a shuriken at Dragon Eye. The throwing star whirled through the air. Dragon Eye twisted away, but was a fraction too slow. The star cut his upper arm and he let out a surprised grunt of pain. Before Dragon Eye could recover, Jack leapt off the rail, unsheathing his wakizashi, and launched a blistering Two Heavens attack. His swords were a whirl of fury as he drove the ninja down the balcony, clearing the way for his friends to escape.

‘This time I’ll defeat you for good,’ promised Jack.

Blocking each and every sword blow, the ninja laughed, ‘Dragon Eye can never die!’

Below in the lagoon, the Killer Whale let loose another devastating round of cannon fire, turning Pirate Town into a ruin of blazing buildings and crumbling walkways. Crouching Tiger’s distinctive roar resounded off the crater walls and a boulder-sized cannonball obliterated a storehouse and all its surrounding buildings. The damage was so widespread that a whole section of Pirate Town caved in on itself. The citadel’s foundations shook as if in the grip of an earthquake and the idyllic lagoon became awash with flaming wreckage and dead bodies.

‘Come on, Jack!’ cried Miyuki, running for the gate with the others. ‘The balcony’s collapsing.’