The pirate gang escorted them across the deck towards the stern. The Black Spider was battered and broken from its battle with the Sea Samurai. Arrows still peppered the planks and blood stained the wood. They had to skirt the large hole blasted into the deck by the horoku bomb, and a group of pirates were working hard to fix the shattered starboard gunwale. Manzo was among them, holding a new beam in place. He glared at Jack as they passed. The giant pirate had a bandage round his head and a large cut across his upper arm. In fact, few of the pirates had escaped the sea battle unharmed. Jack guessed at least half of the crew had been decimated in the attack or tortured to death by Captain Arashi.

Climbing the steps to the upper deck, Jack and his friends were met by Captain Kurogumo. Still clad in his green and black dragon-scale armour, he appeared unscathed and in surprisingly good humour.

‘Welcome back!’ he said, opening his arms wide as if greeting old friends. ‘Why the sour faces? I’ve just rescued you from certain death.’

‘Only to face an uncertain death with you,’ retorted Miyuki.

Captain Kurogumo smiled, revealing his set of pointed teeth. The resemblance to the great white shark was unsettling. ‘True, I’m not in the habit of rescuing samurai or ninja.’ He approached Jack and laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘But when you are prized so highly and coveted by the Shogun no less, then I can’t resist doing good.’

Jack shrugged the captain off. ‘So you’re turning us over to the Shogun’s samurai?’

‘Why would I want to do that?’ replied the captain, putting on an offended air.

‘Then what do you have planned for us?’ Miyuki demanded.

Captain Kurogumo eyed her with contempt. ‘You’ll know your fate once you meet Tatsumaki.’ He turned to Skullface. ‘Lock them away.’

‘What about your cabin boy?’ enquired Skullface, seizing Cheng by the scruff of his neck.

Captain Kurogumo scrutinized Cheng, who visibly shrank under his stony gaze. ‘Traitors of the Black Spider are punished with death by hanging.’

‘But I forced him to help us,’ protested Jack.

‘Is that so?’ said the captain, unconvinced by Jack’s ready defence.

‘At knife point,’ added Cheng hurriedly.

Captain Kurogumo grunted his displeasure at such weakness. Nonetheless he relented. ‘I suppose we are lacking in crew numbers; and, Cheng, you were showing real promise as a pirate. I’ll stay your execution for the time being. But you need to prove your worth … or it’s the noose!’

Cheng bowed gratefully for his reprieve. ‘By the word of the Wind Demon, I vow my life to you.’

‘I’ll hold you to that,’ said the captain menacingly. ‘Skullface, have your men take the others away.’

Tiger seized Jack by the arms, wrenching them behind his back.