The atake-bune fired its cannon. The mid-section of the starboard gunwale exploded in a shower of splintering wood, bone and flesh. The Korean applauded the destruction.

Leaving the slave to relish the battle’s bloody progress, Jack and the others stumbled away. Yori was out front, holding the kumode to fend off any ninja pirates. But the Wind Demons were all intent upon repelling the Sea Samurai. They were ditching the burning curtains and firing a barrage of arrows and musket shot at the enemy ships. Several of the pirates carried handheld cannon that they rested on the bulwark. Lighting the fuses, they bombarded an advancing kobaya, dismembering the samurai crew on-board and sinking the boat.

‘Hurry!’ urged Jack as one of the seki-bune came alongside the Black Spider. Its mainsail had been dropped and the mast lowered to form a bridge on to the pirate ship. But Saburo was a dead weight, his feet dragging behind as they struggled over to the barrels on the port side.

Grappling irons were thrown and the Black Spider held fast. A heavy iron ball bounced on to the deck before them, a short fuse burning fiercely.

‘TAKE COVER!’ screamed Miyuki, dropping Saburo beside a pile of coiled ropes and diving on top of him.

Jack and Yori threw themselves next to their friends just as the horoku bomb detonated. Iron shards tore in all directions, shredding canvas, timber and pirates alike. As the smoke cleared, screaming filled the air and a massive hole was blasted in the deck. Sea Samurai were clambering across the seki-bune’s bridging mast.

‘REPEL BOARDERS!’ cried Captain Kurogumo, who wielded a fearsome crossbow. He fired off a bolt. It struck the first samurai in the chest, passing straight through to kill the samurai behind as well. They both toppled into the sea between the two boats.

As the captain reloaded, another wave of samurai charged on to the Black Spider and the Wind Demons engaged them in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Jack raised his head above the cover of the ropes, which had been ripped to ribbons by the horoku’s devastating destruction. The Sea Samurai fought tooth-and-claw for supremacy of the Black Spider and, as the Wind Demons were pushed back, the route to the bow became blocked.

‘We need our weapons,’ said Miyuki.

Jack nodded, also aware that he couldn’t jump ship without his father’s rutter. He saw Cheng rush past with a bucket of sand to douse a fire taking hold near the mast. Jack ran over and grabbed the pirate boy.

‘Where are our belongings?’ he demanded.

Shocked to see Jack and his friends free, Cheng hesitated to reply.

‘Our weapons!’ urged Jack. ‘We just want to escape.’

Looking round at the Wind Demons’ desperate situation, Cheng came to a decision. ‘In the captain’s cabin. Follow me.’

‘Stay there and protect Saburo,’ Jack called to Miyuki and Yori as he raced after Cheng.