Jack stood frozen with fear. He was reliving the nightmare of that fateful night four years ago, when ninja pirates had attacked the Alexandria and slaughtered the entire crew. The heart-rending moment when his father had been brutally murdered by Dragon Eye. Once again Jack felt like the powerless boy he’d been – the one who’d been unable to prevent his father’s death. Then he reminded himself that he was no longer that defenceless boy. He was a trained samurai and a ninja. Breaking his paralysis, he launched himself at the enemy, swords raised, and cried, ‘REPEL BOARDERS!’

The Wind Demons, dressed head-to-foot in black, were impossible to see – just the moon-silver glint of their blades visible. Jack jumped aside as a sword scythed for his neck. He deflected the attack with his wakizashi, simultaneously thrusting with his katana. But the ninja pirate effortlessly evaded it as if he were no more than a leaf in the breeze. His blade circled round for another killing strike on Jack.

Yori leapt to Jack’s rescue. He drove the iron tip of his shakujō into the ninja pirate’s back. The force of the blow stunned the invader, sending his slash wide. At the same time, Jack side-kicked his attacker with all his strength. The ninja pirate slammed into the guardrail. With another shove from Yori’s shakujō, he toppled over the side into the watery depths below.

But more Wind Demons instantly replaced their fallen comrade.

Saburo, still with bamboo pole in hand, wielded it like a massive bō staff. He swept the deck in front of him, keeping the Wind Demons at bay. Meanwhile, Miyuki was perched upon the starboard rail, fending off two vicious ninja pirates. She injured one with her ninjatō, then kicked the second Wind Demon in the face. But she was fighting a losing battle as other pirates joined the attack.

Too far away to help, Jack spotted one of the severed pieces of rigging lying across the deck. It was still fixed to its cleat at the other end. Sheathing his wakizashi, he snatched up the rope and yanked hard. As the line pulled taut, it snagged the legs of the Wind Demons, toppling them like skittles.

In a deft leap along the guardrail, Miyuki joined Jack by his side.

‘Thanks for that,’ she breathed, flicking blood from her blade.

‘Don’t thank me yet,’ replied Jack as more ninja pirates stormed the Golden Tiger.

The remaining crewmember on the main deck fled for the stern. Out of the darkness, a hooked knife on a chain flashed through the air and struck him in the back. A second later, he was jerked off his feet and dragged screaming across the deck into the seething mass of Wind Demons. His agonized cries were cut short as a sword severed his head from his neck.

‘Fall back!’ ordered Jack to his friends.