He raked the club over the bars, its studded tip clattering against the bamboo.

‘You don’t scare me, bonehead!’ retorted Jack, trying to goad the ninja pirate.

Now Miyuki was having to restrain him. But Jack wanted to provoke Skullface into opening the gate and starting a fight. Then he could defeat the pirate, disarm him and the four of them could attempt an escape.

‘You couldn’t beat an egg!’ taunted Jack.

Bristling at the slur, Skullface slammed his club into the bars. ‘You’ll regret that!’

He pushed aside the guard and went to open the gate. But at that moment a clanging filled the air. A squat cook stood at the rear cabin’s doorway, thumping a large pot with a ladle.

Skullface snorted. ‘Saved by the bell, gaijin,’ he said, waving his club at Jack. ‘But I’ll return and beat you to a pulp.’

Skullface headed over to the disorderly queue of pirates and pushed his way to the front. The tantalizing smell of cooked rice and fish drifted towards them.

‘What I’d do for some rice now,’ moaned Saburo, his stomach growling.

‘When we escape,’ said Jack, ‘you can have the biggest bowl of rice you’ve ever dreamed of.’

‘Well, we won’t be getting out of here fast if you keep picking fights, Jack,’ said Miyuki. ‘What were you thinking of?’

Jack explained his tactic. ‘We need to make our move before we become too weak to fight back.’

‘Agreed. Let me take out the guard with Fall Down Fist.’

Jack nodded his assent at the plan.

‘Skullface is coming back,’ whispered Yori urgently.

‘OK, as soon as I step out to fight, Miyuki will jump the guard,’ instructed Jack. ‘Yori and Saburo, see those barrels by the port bow? Make a run for them, push a couple over the side and then we’ll all jump ship together. We can use the barrels as life rafts.’

Nodding, the four friends readied themselves for their escape attempt.

But Skullface and his gang seemed to have forgotten about his promised threat. They sat themselves down by the cage, greedily stuffing their faces with food.

‘Anyone hungry?’ asked Skullface, wafting a plate piled high with steaming rice in front of the prisoners’ noses.

Before he could help himself, Saburo replied, ‘Yes! I am.’

Skullface’s black hole smile reappeared.

‘Of course you are,’ he said, shovelling a thick slice of fresh fish into his own mouth and chewing appreciatively.

He finished his meal and stood up. ‘Here’s the deal. We’ll feed four prisoners. No more. So who will it be?’

A Japanese sailor, skinny as a rake and with a desperate look in his eyes, threw himself to the ground. ‘Me, please,’ he begged.

Skullface nodded. ‘Who else?’

The Golden Tiger’s last crewmember couldn’t hold back and prostrated himself beside the sailor.

‘Only two more places left for lunch,’ said Skullface in a lighthearted tone.