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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

They all looked south towards a mass of ominous black thunderclouds. Captain Kurogumo gave orders to reef the mainsail, stow loose cargo and tie down any unsecured loads. As Skullface and his gang went to work, it became apparent that these instructions didn’t include the occupants of the cage. The prisoners were left helpless and exposed on the open deck.

With no land in sight offering a safe harbour, the Black Spider continued on its course. Jack realized the captain’s plan was to run before the storm. But the wind grew stronger, building rapidly into a gale. The sea heaped up, white foam blowing in streaks from the crests of the waves. The sky overhead lit up with forked lightning. A second later, a deep roll of thunder roared and shook the heavens.

The storm was almost on top of them.

Racing before it, the Black Spider heeled and listed wildly. The pirates hung on as best they could while making frantic adjustments to the sails.

Saburo threw up over the deck. ‘You said –’ as he wiped a hand over his mouth – ‘I wouldn’t be seasick after three days.’

‘There’s no cure for a storm,’ Jack replied grimly. Even he was struggling to find his sea legs in such a ferocious tempest.

The Black Spider surged in fits and bursts across the tumultuous sea, but the damaged ship groaned in protest, threatening to split apart with each and every battering. As the storm bore down on them, they were plunged into a hellish darkness. The sea was whipped into a cauldron of spray and gargantuan waves.

Jack and his friends desperately clung to one another, shivering from cold and terror at the sheer power of the storm. A monstrous wave broke over the ship and pummelled the cage, half-drowning those inside.

‘KAMIKAZE!’ yelled the Korean slave and raised his fists in a salute to the black boiling sky.

‘What did he say?’ cried Jack, thinking the slave had gone truly mad.

‘Wind of the Gods,’ Yori shouted above the crash of waves and the crack of thunder. ‘The pirates should’ve paid their respects … Susano-o is very angry.’

31

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Sea Anchor

The typhoon hit the Black Spider with full force, the wind shrieking and howling like a banshee, deafening the crew and blinding them with spray. The Seto Sea churned and seethed as if wrestling with the storm-clad sky. Lightning bolts flashed and thunder boomed. Waves the size of mountains tossed the pirate ship like a piece of driftwood and Jack truly feared for their lives.