The Queens' Gambit
The radio’s morning broadcast raised the eyebrows of the Sailbridge Pirates more than usual. Every crew member that was currently awake (an astounding total of three) listened intently to the young woman reciting the news report to the country’s early birds.
“...Although nearly six months have passed since President Curissar’s daughter has gone missing, there have been no signs of her anywhere across the entire nation of Benito. In a desperate plea, President Curissar has issued yet another order for search parties to locate her whereabouts. As a way to incentivize citizens to aid the ongoing effort, an extra sum of over five hundred thousand sols has been added to the current reward offer of one million-”
Marina, captain of the Sailbridge Pirates, suddenly turned off the radio. “Well, guys,” she said as she put on her favorite feathered tricorn hat. “I think that’s pretty much all we need to know. To think that the reward’s gone up so high...really gets me goin’! What about you two?” She glanced back at the other two currently-awake men loafing around behind her.
A man wearing an eyepatch over his right eye yawned. “Over one million sols now, huh…did they ever figure out if the brat was kidnapped or do you think she just ran away? She’s gotta be pretty rebellious by now, yeah? And what’s her name anyway?” He turned to his partner to see if he was still awake enough to hear him.
“Don’t ask me, Vice,” said a silver-haired young man. “The captain here keeps shutting it off before they can say anything!”
“It’s not like there’s a reason to stick around past those first few parts of the report, Virtue!”
“When are you gonna start calling me Benji-”
“All we needed was the situation and the reward,” Marina pouted. “Nothing more, nothing less! Anything beyond that would just be them wasting time to fill dead air or whatever. And why? ‘Virtue’ sounds soooo much cooler! Really goes with your brother’s name too, and his black hair complements your silvery shade!”
“She’s right, lil’ bro.” Vice slapped Virtue on the back. “But don’t you worry. You’ll get used to how things work pretty quickly, especially with Cap’n here.”
“You know, I’m starting to realize why you didn’t give me details after you said you had a job that would pay off student debt like it was nothing.”
“Can’t say I lied though, bro,” Vice grinned. “Stealing from rich bitches is great.”
“Yeah,” Marina chimed in. “S’not like we’re the kind of pirates that harass or kill or enslave people. It’s all about the thrill of adventure along the ocean!”
Virtue looked at Marina with a puzzled glare. “Then why didn’t we just call ourselves adventurers-”
“Cause we still steal from abusive scumbags and shit! What, you think that’s not lawless or something?” Marina shot up from her seat and gazed into the sea’s horizon. “Over one million sols now...took the ol’ geezer long enough to raise that price!”
Vice, still feeling a little drowsy, tried to shake himself awake. “Oh, now you wanna start looking for the brat. What, you found a lead on what she looks like now? If you weren’t so adamant about having most of us guard the ship while we’re in town, we’d probably at least get a picture…”
“Huh? But I’ve figured out where the kid is for a while now.”
“...What?”
“Yeah. I don’t have you guys go looking for clues cause there really wasn’t a point to doing so. I mean, the reward wasn’t even that high yet anyway, it wouldn’t be worth the effort, especially since we were low on resources at the time.”
“What the shit!? You had us avoid a job!?”
“More like I waited for the fruit to ripen before I picked it.”
“Well then who is it!?”
“It’s her,” Miranda pointed to a wanted poster pinned to the yacht’s wall, held up by a cheap kitchen knife she found after robbing the catering company of an unlucky wedding. “Who else could it be?”
Virtue scanned the photo printed on the poster. “Well, by the goddess Luca. I always had a feeling it was her.”
Vice squinted his eyes as he tried to absorb what Marina was claiming. “What makes you say that? You mean you knew who she was all these times we’ve thrown hands with her?”
“Pfft, no,” Marina giggled softly. “Just think. A golden-haired beauty comes out of nowhere with a ton of money to start with, Gods know where that came from. Nobody knows what her background is or where she came from, but suddenly she amasses enough power to command her own fleet of pirates and enough charisma to earn total loyalty from them. I mean, like...Vice, did you find out anything about her when you stowed away on her ship?”
“Nope.”
“S’actly! Nobody knows shit about her background! It’s like a total mystery! But if she started out with all that dough, she must have been from a rich family!” She put her hand on her chin as she tried overlooking her claims. “Well, at least that’s what I’m assuming, cause of the money and her habit of wearing those fancy vests or waistcoats or...whatever the proper term for them is.”
“Odd way of determining status, Captain Marina,” Virtue teased. “If wearing that makes her rich, what does that make you with your habit of wearing bustiers or tube tops under a jacket?”
“Oh, whatever, Virtue! I look cool in them!” She made her way out of the lounge room to wake up their helmsman. “We better haul ass before some other mercenaries find her. The prez is probably hiring more of them as extra search parties as we speak. Soon as I wake up Wick, you two better be ready! Cause you’re joining me when I get up to that ship!”
The two monochromatic brothers groaned in unison. “Aw, do we have to?”
The Sailbridge Pirates steered their boat over to a nearby island, where a massive battleship known as Fortuity rested by the shore. It was almost too big to be considered a normal ship, being a few more upgrades away from becoming more of an armored, floating castle. It flaunted an imposing iron hue along the hull with a fiery red trim near the deck. Despite the size and threatening appearance, however, Marina was well versed in what the Fortuity was capable of, being augmented with enough magitech to match the speed of a normal freighter and enough weapons to defend itself from any angle. She was thankful that it was anchored, as that made it much easier to find a way up to the deck without being fired upon. There wasn’t a chance she’d lose the Sea Scout to it again. At least, not today. Vice began to feel butterflies in his gut as they inched closer to the Fortuity. “So, uh...cap’n...did you call her before we set off, b-by any chance?” “Naw, no need,” assured Marina. “It’s practically an invitation for me to come aboard when it's anchored. We’re practically welcomed aboard.” “Then...why did we have to come?” “Cause your little bro here thinks my fashion style doesn’t look hot!” “I-I-I never said that!” Virtue’s face began to turn red. “You heard me, bro, I was just teasing her about her bustier-jacket combo!” “Yeah he’s right, cap’n,” Vice agreed. “And I should know, cause he talks about his crush on you all the time!” “WHAT!?” “Oh my!” Marina gave a bashful smile towards Virtue. “Aww, well ain’t that sweet of you. Tryin’a date your superior, eh?” Her soft smile quickly turned into a devilish grin. “Hey, hey, so what was it that charmed ya, was it my blue, youthful eyes? My midriff? Or maybe my...” “N-no I mean-” “Weeeeell I dunno, you’re cute and all with that silver hair of yours, but I think you’re much too young for me…” “Now hold on, cap, you turned twenty just a few months ago, that’s just a year difference! Or were you twenty-one…” “Virtue!” Vice chided. “Don’t you know it’s rude to bring up a lady’s age! And to our captain, no less!” “Can we just let down the anchor and sneak aboard already!?” “Boo, you’re no fun…” Marina jeered. The trio of pirates-in-name-only made their way up to the Fortuity, where a large staircase awaited them. It was completely devoid of guards, though they could hear footsteps and idle conversations coming from the deck itself. “See,” said Marina. “Totally open to us. Hey, down here!” She waited until a pirate peeked over the deck of the ship. “It’s us again! You mind telling us where your captain is?” “Oh, if it isn’t the Sailbridge Crew!” The man shouted cheerfully. “Aye, she’s in her quarters, the usual. Come on up!” Virtue couldn’t help but stay nervous. “You’re...on good terms?” “Oh right, you haven’t been near this ship yet, have you, Virtue?” Marina put her arm over his shoulder as they climbed the stairs. “Yeah we get into a lot of fights with the pirate queen herself, so we’re acquainted, I guess.” “The hell!?” He attempted to lower his voice amidst the shaking of his throat. “B-but she’s robbed and taken down hundreds of towns! Her fleet is capable of rivaling the Benitian Navy in power! And her wanted picture just screams ‘smug bitch!’ Now you tell me this whole crew is friends with her!?” “Yeah, it’s fun fighting her!” “...Unbelievable.” “Come on, Virtue,” Vice reassured. “You haven’t even met the girl yet.” “How can you be so calm about this!?” “I’m not, but I can tell that this won’t end with our ship exploding again, so I can relax a little.” The trio eventually made it to the captain’s quarters, with Marina deciding to step in alone while the two brothers stood by to wait. She didn’t even bother knocking on the door before barging into the room. As she entered, Marina saw the dreaded, most infamous pirate queen at the end of it, sitting behind a mahogany desk. She was dressed in a simply designed but rather expensively made waistcoat and dress shirt, with a frock coat being worn over them. A tricorn hat sat upon her head, although unlike Marina’s it lacked the fun Jolly Roger emblem and had a few more feathers to decorate its top. The one and only Nadia Alabaster. There was no mistaking it. The queen went by many names, with her favorites including titles such as The Fatal Scourge, The Golden-Haired Shrew, The Charm of the Alabaster Fleet, and of course, Marina’s personal favorite... That bitch. “Come on in, Marina,” Nadia snarked. “The door is open. There’s room for another pirate queen here, after all.” “Well if it ain’t the seaside bitch. What brings you to this random island of all places, eh Nana?” “Just lounging about to enjoy this quiet morning. It’s been rather slow this week, I’ve grown bored.” “Huh. So robbing four different camps and scaring off an armed search party is ‘slow’ for you.” “Well of course! They’re just camps.” Nadia took a moment to prepare a cup of tea and a box of leftover donuts. “You like sweets, don’t you? Did you happen to have breakfast yet?” “Just some bread I got from a wedding we crashed a few days ago.” Marina heard her stomach audibly growl. “...There was cannoli too, but that’s my dinner.” “I take it you just did that to steal food?” She filled the teacup as Marina nodded her head. “Typical. You really can’t call yourself a pirate if that’s the worst thing you could do. Should have at least taken some of their money, you naive little girl…” “And ruin that couple’s wedding more than I already did?” “Whaaaat~ it’s not like you’re killing the groom in front of the poor sap to provoke some sort of revenge cycle.” She shoved the box of donuts closer to the end of her desk. “Now eat up, Mari, or it won’t be fun pummeling you today.” Marina raised her eyebrows at her implication. “Ah…’scuse me, what was that last bit?” “Well that’s what you came here for, no?” Nadia stifled a giggle. “You’re after the little reward they’ve announced recently?” Marina quickly wolfed down a glazed donut before speaking again. “Yes! I, Marina of the Sailbridge Pirates, command you to release the president’s daughter!” “...You’ve lost me, Mari. Are you sure hunger isn’t affecting your thought process?” “I know you’re keeping her locked up somewhere like some impoverished slave!” Nadia’s smile suddenly vanished. “So. You think I’m the type to enslave people.” “Well, it was my second guess, actually,” squeaked Marina as she sheepishly reached for another donut. “My first claim was gonna be that you should return home to dad.” “I do not enslave people, Marina,” Nadia snapped. “I’m not one to deny the crimes I so graciously take part in, but slavery is something I would never resort to!” “Okay, I get it, that narrative won’t work with you-” “I value freedom above most things and try to recruit anyone I can! If you were a slave you may as well have been killed. I would have done so myself if they so desired.” “...Ah...glad to see your morals are in the right place, Nadia.” “Why thank you,” she said, completely blind to Marina’s insult. She took a moment to recompose herself and grabbed her cutlass. “Now, if you’re done filling your stomach, I’d like to settle the terms for our little scuffle.” Marina sucked out her tea from the cup and stood up from her seat. “Huh? Terms? Dammit, another wager with you?” “Well now that I know why you’re here and what you’re planning, I’m not gonna just let you do this without risk, no? At least give me some motivation to help.” She looked outside the windows of her quarters. “Those two men over there...if I win, one of them will join my little army. Sound fair?” “What!?” Marina barked. “I’m not gonna bet the well-being of my crewmates for this, you bitch!” “Hmm...no, make that both of them, since you so dearly insulted me earlier.” Marina growled at Nadia’s increasing demands. “How about I just kick your ass back to the president right now!?” “Hooh, is that what you’ll do? Sounds like you aren’t confident that this would work out for you with the wager. Now tell me, next time we meet and I blow your little, erm...motorboat down there to hell and back, how exactly do you plan to buy a new one? You could hardly buy enough food for yourself earlier, how could you buy another ship? But at least your crew members seem well-fed in comparison, so you should be fine there-” “Dammit, fine! But if...no, when I win, you’re taking your ass down back to Shipwreck Cove and I’m turning you in for that million!” “Mmmmm, sure,” hummed Nadia. “I can live with those conditions. Now prepare your sword, we fight on the front deck.” The two captains made their way to the Fortuity’s front deck, where the ship’s crew, Vice, and Virtue prepared to watch Marina and Nadia’s duel. Marina drew her cutlass from its sheath, while Nadia readied her own blade with a pistol in her other hand. “Hey! This is supposed to be a quick duel,” griped Marina. “Why you getting so serious with the pistol!?” “Please, you’ve survived a few shots in the past, you can take a few more, no?” Nadia twirled her gun around her finger. “Don’t you worry, I won’t aim for your head. You’re much too close a friend and rival for me to kill you.” “Not close enough to being considered unshootable, I guess.” She sighed. “You really are a bitch.” “Hey, if it makes you feel better, I’d graze these guys with a bullet to the arm if they crossed me too much.” “Thanks, Nana, that makes me feel reeeeeal special.” Marina quietly pitied the men under Nadia’s command, despite knowing how close they were to their captain. “Anything for you, Mari. Now, once I fire this gun, I expect us to charge in blades blazing. Ready?” Nadia waited until Marina prepared herself and assumed a fighting stance. “Alright, go.” A loud pop rang through the air as Nadia fired her gun directly towards Marina’s direction. The bullet managed to miss her by a hair, blowing past her cheek thanks to a quick dodge she twitched out before Nadia pulled the trigger. As soon as she realized she was completely unharmed, Marina drew a pistol of her own: a non-lethal albeit very painful self-defense firearm known as the MOZ-50, stolen from a poor adventurer that tried to cheat her crew out of a game of blackjack. With her eyes as keen as a hawk, she quickly fired two bolts from her gun straight into Nadia’s stomach. “Guah!” Nadia stumbled for a moment in pain. Although the blasts fired from the MOZ-50 could not pierce flesh, it could shoot out concentrated magic with enough force to dent steel. “By the Gods’ Eye, a MOZ!? You almost cracked my ribs!” “You STD-riddled whore! Tell me where you’re gonna fire that thing before the match starts!” Marina pressed a small button on her pistol to recharge its ammunition. The blue “window” on the gun’s side began to glow and extract mana from the environment around it, recharging itself for another gunfight. “Where else am I supposed to fire a gun, the air? That can’t be safe for the bystanders.” She shook off the pain and took aim once again. “And how am I diseased, where did that come from!?” “Knew you wouldn’t deny your libido, you vamp!” Four more bolts shot out from Marina’s gun to punctuate her childish insult, but Nadia was ready for them. She deftly maneuvered herself around the deck, using whatever was around her as cover. A fifth bolt was fired, but it zipped past Nadia’s coat as she came out hiding behind a nearby stash of crates. Nadia then reached into one of them and pulled out a small bag of flour, which she then tossed at Marina before quickly shooting at it. Though none of the bullets hit Marina either, the flour bag spewed its contents in an explosion of dust, blinding her eyes long enough for Nadia to charge in and strike her down. “I thought you’d try this again,” she said aloud to her rival. “But as if it would work again!” With a swift upward slash, Marina parried Nadia’s blade just before it swung down on her. She then gave a kick to the same spot on her stomach that was shot before the duel began, stunning Nadia long enough for Marina to deliver two gunshots to her legs. Nadia stumbled to her knees, but the pain delivered by the MOZ-50’s bolts was something she was much too unfamiliar with, leaving her aching to the point where she could barely kneel. “Wha!?” “Too cocky this time, Nana!” Marina leaped at Nadia like a lion lunges at their prey. She quickly swapped her sword to a reverse grip and pummeled the guard of her cutlass into her pale face. In a single punch, Nadia was knocked away and flat on her back. As soon as Marina tried to inch closer to the now downed Nadia, Nadia suddenly cast a spell that coated her sword in scalding water. She thrust it towards Marina, but she replied to the attack with an effortless parry, another gunshot to Nadia’s stomach, and an extra pommel strike to add a quick insult to her humiliating loss. “Augh...that ended a little too soon, no?” “It’s your fault for holding back on me,” complained Marina. “You made it pretty easy to tell too. I mean, outside of that first bullet, none of those shots even tried to hit near me. You could have at least fired something magical through that dust cloud. Hell, you didn’t even overload your sword spell-” “Alright, I get it, you saw through me.” Nadia placed a hand on her aching belly. “I was just feeling up for a little trip back to the old man again, I guess. No way was I going to go out without a bang though, Mari, what do you take me for?” “A bitch?” Nadia couldn’t help but chuckle at how often Marina was willing to sling that specific insult towards her. “Sure, sure. Now, could you go back to those crates and grab some healing potions? I...don’t think I want to start walking right now.” Marina begrudgingly pushed herself to the toppled stash of crates. “As you command, oh vile, slutty pirate queen.” “Okay now that one was just uncalled for, oh childish, immature pirate queen. It’s a shame though...I had to give up my little prizes to satisfy you.” “Whatever.” She turned to her two crewmates, who stood in awe at how quickly Marina managed to take down Nadia this time. “Hey, uh...Vice? Virtue?” “Yeah, cap’n,” asked Vice. “What’s with the gloomy tone?” “...Sorry.” “Huh? For what?” “Uh...never mind.”
Nadia was sent to the Sea Scout with a pair of handcuffs chaining her wrists together. It was a rather old pair, but it was the only one Vice had on him. “People of the Alabaster Fleet’s Fortuity,” Nadia bellowed towards her crew, who have gathered at the shoreline to see her off. “Your captain is going to be taking a short break on her own today. I will likely return by tonight or tomorrow, depends on what the ol’ president says and what those servants decide to feed me. Until then, Louis over there will be in charge. Should I discover that any of you did something...let’s say ‘silly’, there will be repercussions when I grace you all with my presence once again. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes, captain!” The crew of the Fortuity shouted in unison. “Okay, behave yourselves now! I’ll likely be back by dinner!” “You’ve really got ‘em wrapped around your finger, huh,” said Marina. “You speak to them like some kind of mother.” “Mmm, well I don’t usually speak to my crew like that,” hummed Nadia. “I just so happen to be in a good mood now that I’m gonna be seeing the poor old daddy again.” “Eh. I don’t get it. I mostly treat my crew like some good buds. You guys ready to set off?” “Yeah, we’re good!” Vice and Virtue nodded in agreement. “Just make it quick,” said Nadia. “I really do aim to be back by nightfall. Simon’s supposed to make a big feast for us tonight and he’s been practicing his cooking for some time now. I’d love to taste his efforts as soon as possible.” “Yeah, yeah.” Marina rolled her eyes. “Just meet up with pops when I turn you in. I don’t care what you do after that.” “Even if I kill a few officers in my getaway?” “Except murder, of course! Just...don’t do anything that would make me come back!” About an hour later, the Sailbridge Pirates reached a secluded shoreline not too far from Shipwreck Cove’s actual location. Though this meant that Marina and Nadia had to walk the rest of the way without the other crew members, it was a much safer option than sailing up to the city’s port, where they could be arrested on sight. After all, despite the fact that they avoided the more evil or violent crimes, they were still pirates that stole from others, regardless of whoever their targets happened to be. The two pirate queens draped long cloaks over themselves as to prevent anyone from seeing their faces and then set off for the nearest police station that could take Nadia away. After a walk that was shorter than expected, the duo arrived at a station on the edge of town, not too far from the port. Before heading inside, however, Marina stopped to speak to Nadia where nobody would hear them. “Alright, Nana, fire up that spell of yours.” Nadia gave a puzzled glare towards Marina. “...My what?” “Well I know for a fact you know some sort of mind manipulation spell. I was really counting on you knowing something before I fetched you.” “What are you playing at? Are you planning on swindling them for double the bounty?” “Duh!” “Well I’m sorry to say, but I don’t know that sort of thing. Did you just assume that because of my massive fleet of pirates?” “Well, kind of!” Marina clicked her tongue and paused for a moment to think. “‘Kay then, uh...do you know any, like, charm spells?” “I...suppose I do, yes,” replied Nadia. “But I’ll have you know that I’m not particularly skilled in most magic usage!” “What!?” Marina tried to recall all of their duels up until today. It quickly dawned upon her that all of the spells Nadia cast were only flashy and strong because they were pushed to their limits. “Of course,” she added. “Why do you think I just overload basic spells during our fights?” “Well then overload a charm spell!” “My, it’s like you want me to devolve those poor guards into horny, salivating monkeys. Would you like me to make them monkeys? Perhaps if one of them catches your eye, you can get some action for once in your life.” “Freakin’ succubus…” Marina groaned. “Well, do you at least know something like...I dunno, a spell that can change how they see us?” “Please,” laughed Nadia. “Of course I do. I use that to sneak past people all the time once any security system is taken care of. I’ll just use it once we walk in, don’t you worry.” “Alright, that’ll do, I guess. I just can’t let them know who I am. Not that I’m a pirate, I mean.” Marina nodded and led her willing prisoner to the police. As soon as they opened the doors, Nadia muttered something inaudible, her words being obscured by the door’s aged creaking. Though nothing noticeable changed for Marina, she could tell by the officers’ reactions that Nadia’s perception spell was successfully cast. They made their way up to the front desk, where they were greeted by a pudgy-looking man that sat in awe as he saw Nadia. “T-the president’s daughter!?” The officer muttered in shock. “She’s been found! Everyone! Someone found the president’s daughter!” “Shh! Easy now, sir,” Marina whispered, trying to calm everyone down before a bigger scene was made. “I’m just here to collect the bounties for her and Nadia Alabaster.” “Two bounties, you say?” The officer raised an eyebrow. “Whatever do you mean, miss...er…” “Swail.” “Miss Swail! Yes, what are you trying to imply here?” “What else,” Marina said with a smug grin. “It just so happens that the daughter of the president here wasn’t kidnapped at all! She ran away and took up the name ‘Nadia Alabaster’ to hide her identity!” The lobby remained silent, but a few whispers could be heard from the back of the crowd. “Miss Swail, there must be some mistake! The Alabaster Fleet appeared long before Miss Curissar here went missing!” “Right,” Marina cited. “And pray tell, what do you think she did to gain that false name?” The pudgy man tried to refute the claim that Miss Curissar would ever engage in murder, but Marina cut him off before he could continue. “Listen, I came a long way to bring her back to her dad, and I’d really appreciate it if you gave me the reward money for both of them. I lost a lot of good men in my search and would like some...reimbursement.” She noticed Nadia muttering something from the corner of her eye again. “...Of course, Miss Swail. Allow me to prepare the money right away.” “‘Don’t know mind manipulation’ my ass, Nadia,” Marina thought. “But I’ll have to thank her later, I guess.” She waited for the man to return with the money she so desired, barely containing her impatience and readiness to leave. “Here you are,” the officer said, handing her a silver briefcase. “All the sols you are owed-” “‘Kay, thanks, bye, be good now, Miss Curissar!” Marina immediately turned back to rush out of the police station the second she put her hands on the oversized case of sols. In her escape, she managed to pass a small street lined up with souvenir shops and restaurants. With the path back to the ship being crowded, she attempted to weave through the waves of people until she accidentally bumped into a young man in a trenchcoat the moment she reached the end. “S-sorry, sir!” “Oh, no, miss,” said the young man. “It was my fault.” He prepared to continue on his way but stopped to look back and call out to Marina. “Ah, excuse me!” Marina stopped in her tracks to look at the man calling her. “Y-yes?” “I know this sounds kinda cliche, but...haven’t I seen you before?” Marina giggled nervously. “Well, a lot of lads like you tell me that a lot, haha...but I’m afraid we haven’t, sorry.” “Oh, no! No, not like that! I meant like...a model or something. Like I’ve seen you on a poster or on TV!” “...Ah.”
Vice and Virtue waited with the rest of the Sailbridge Pirates aboard the Sea Scout. Their captain had been absent for at least an hour now, and not a single call or signal had been sent to them by phone yet. “You think she got caught or something,” Virtue inquired. “I dunno what we’re gonna do if she’s in trouble…” “Cap’n will be fine, bro,” said Vice. “We’ve been through worse, and soon enough, you will too.” “Really hope you’re not implying anything too crazy, man-” Virtue’s worries were suddenly interrupted by an alarm going off in the ship’s bridge. “Shit…! It’s Cap’n’s distress light, she’s got trouble!” “Vice!? What do we do now!?” “Get Wick and get him to sail this boat over to the docks. She’ll come running there any moment now, hurry!” The Sailbridge Pirates swiftly sailed over to the edge of the city port, where they saw a massive crowd chasing a single woman holding a large briefcase. The mob consisted not only of police officers but of various citizens too, growing in size the further their target ran! “Looks like they’ve found out she was a pirate,” grumbled Vice. “Get a bit closer!” Marina, running faster than she ever did in her life, dashed across the ports to reach the Sea Scout and her crew. The mob inched ever closer, but with a single leap of faith, she jumped past the edge of the docks and into her ship. Multiple pursuers tried to jump after her, but they all fell into the ocean before they could reach the edge of their ship. With their captain safe, the pirates sailed off into the distance, searching for a place to hide before anyone else tried to continue the chase. “Cap’n!” Vice cried out. “What the hell happened!?” Marina, still tired from the chase, tried to catch her breath. “Aha...well...I...I got the money~!” She waved around the oversized briefcase. “We’re a few million sols richer now since I got the bounties!” “Wait,” Virtue chimed in. “Did you say bounties? As in plural?” “Hell yeah, fresh meat! Check it!” She slid the briefcase towards the two brothers, as well as a wanted poster for Nadia. “But...this poster says the bounty was posted years before the kid went missing. So you mean that Nadia wasn’t actually the president’s daughter!?” “Nope!” Marina howled with laughter. “Thanks to Nadia’s little magic tricks, I fooled ‘em all and got both rewards!” Vice, however, was completely unamused. “So I’m gonna guess they were chasing you cause they caught you lying, found out you were a pirate and tried to take the cash back.” “Well...no, actually. It was risky just going into the city at all, even if it wasn’t me that took her back. Besides, I also brought in Nadia cause she could just break out easily within the hour, so they’ll have to put up another bounty on her soon.” “Cap’n,” Vice said sternly. “The prez was hiring mercenaries, probably even lower pirates like us. There wouldn’t have been any risk in the first place, especially since we don’t even hurt people!” Marina sighed. “Look, guys, you’ll put the pieces together pretty quickly. But right now, I’m heading to my quarters for a quick nap. You can talk to me later once you figured it out.” She marched off the deck with a groan.
Later that night, the crew of the Sailbridge Pirates ate whatever was leftover from their wedding crash food pile and listen to the news on their ship’s radio. “...Authorities are now offering a starting bounty of 50,000 sols for the recapture of the pirate queen, Nadia Alabaster, after she managed to escape confinement yet again.” “Ah, yup,” Vice nodded. “Figured it would be around this time. Surprised her starting bounty is lower than last time, though.” “It’s probably just cause the captain took the reward, so it had to reset.” Virtue refilled his plate with more cannoli. The news reporter continued on to her next headline. “And now for an even more shocking turn of events for tonight’s breaking news.” Vice laughed. “There’s more? I wonder if they’ll mention us. Is the cap’n still napping?” “Yeah, but shush,” Virtue urged. “Lemme hear this!” “...It has been reported that the president’s daughter, Marina Curissar, has been spotted in Shipwreck Cove. She was last seen running off into the city’s ports and jumping onto an unknown yacht. It is currently being speculated that she has been kidnapped by a group of pirates and has been coerced into stealing for them, but it is still unknown if these criminals have any affiliation with the Alabaster Fleet.”
The Sailbridge Pirates steered their boat over to a nearby island, where a massive battleship known as Fortuity rested by the shore. It was almost too big to be considered a normal ship, being a few more upgrades away from becoming more of an armored, floating castle. It flaunted an imposing iron hue along the hull with a fiery red trim near the deck. Despite the size and threatening appearance, however, Marina was well versed in what the Fortuity was capable of, being augmented with enough magitech to match the speed of a normal freighter and enough weapons to defend itself from any angle. She was thankful that it was anchored, as that made it much easier to find a way up to the deck without being fired upon. There wasn’t a chance she’d lose the Sea Scout to it again. At least, not today. Vice began to feel butterflies in his gut as they inched closer to the Fortuity. “So, uh...cap’n...did you call her before we set off, b-by any chance?” “Naw, no need,” assured Marina. “It’s practically an invitation for me to come aboard when it's anchored. We’re practically welcomed aboard.” “Then...why did we have to come?” “Cause your little bro here thinks my fashion style doesn’t look hot!” “I-I-I never said that!” Virtue’s face began to turn red. “You heard me, bro, I was just teasing her about her bustier-jacket combo!” “Yeah he’s right, cap’n,” Vice agreed. “And I should know, cause he talks about his crush on you all the time!” “WHAT!?” “Oh my!” Marina gave a bashful smile towards Virtue. “Aww, well ain’t that sweet of you. Tryin’a date your superior, eh?” Her soft smile quickly turned into a devilish grin. “Hey, hey, so what was it that charmed ya, was it my blue, youthful eyes? My midriff? Or maybe my...” “N-no I mean-” “Weeeeell I dunno, you’re cute and all with that silver hair of yours, but I think you’re much too young for me…” “Now hold on, cap, you turned twenty just a few months ago, that’s just a year difference! Or were you twenty-one…” “Virtue!” Vice chided. “Don’t you know it’s rude to bring up a lady’s age! And to our captain, no less!” “Can we just let down the anchor and sneak aboard already!?” “Boo, you’re no fun…” Marina jeered. The trio of pirates-in-name-only made their way up to the Fortuity, where a large staircase awaited them. It was completely devoid of guards, though they could hear footsteps and idle conversations coming from the deck itself. “See,” said Marina. “Totally open to us. Hey, down here!” She waited until a pirate peeked over the deck of the ship. “It’s us again! You mind telling us where your captain is?” “Oh, if it isn’t the Sailbridge Crew!” The man shouted cheerfully. “Aye, she’s in her quarters, the usual. Come on up!” Virtue couldn’t help but stay nervous. “You’re...on good terms?” “Oh right, you haven’t been near this ship yet, have you, Virtue?” Marina put her arm over his shoulder as they climbed the stairs. “Yeah we get into a lot of fights with the pirate queen herself, so we’re acquainted, I guess.” “The hell!?” He attempted to lower his voice amidst the shaking of his throat. “B-but she’s robbed and taken down hundreds of towns! Her fleet is capable of rivaling the Benitian Navy in power! And her wanted picture just screams ‘smug bitch!’ Now you tell me this whole crew is friends with her!?” “Yeah, it’s fun fighting her!” “...Unbelievable.” “Come on, Virtue,” Vice reassured. “You haven’t even met the girl yet.” “How can you be so calm about this!?” “I’m not, but I can tell that this won’t end with our ship exploding again, so I can relax a little.” The trio eventually made it to the captain’s quarters, with Marina deciding to step in alone while the two brothers stood by to wait. She didn’t even bother knocking on the door before barging into the room. As she entered, Marina saw the dreaded, most infamous pirate queen at the end of it, sitting behind a mahogany desk. She was dressed in a simply designed but rather expensively made waistcoat and dress shirt, with a frock coat being worn over them. A tricorn hat sat upon her head, although unlike Marina’s it lacked the fun Jolly Roger emblem and had a few more feathers to decorate its top. The one and only Nadia Alabaster. There was no mistaking it. The queen went by many names, with her favorites including titles such as The Fatal Scourge, The Golden-Haired Shrew, The Charm of the Alabaster Fleet, and of course, Marina’s personal favorite... That bitch. “Come on in, Marina,” Nadia snarked. “The door is open. There’s room for another pirate queen here, after all.” “Well if it ain’t the seaside bitch. What brings you to this random island of all places, eh Nana?” “Just lounging about to enjoy this quiet morning. It’s been rather slow this week, I’ve grown bored.” “Huh. So robbing four different camps and scaring off an armed search party is ‘slow’ for you.” “Well of course! They’re just camps.” Nadia took a moment to prepare a cup of tea and a box of leftover donuts. “You like sweets, don’t you? Did you happen to have breakfast yet?” “Just some bread I got from a wedding we crashed a few days ago.” Marina heard her stomach audibly growl. “...There was cannoli too, but that’s my dinner.” “I take it you just did that to steal food?” She filled the teacup as Marina nodded her head. “Typical. You really can’t call yourself a pirate if that’s the worst thing you could do. Should have at least taken some of their money, you naive little girl…” “And ruin that couple’s wedding more than I already did?” “Whaaaat~ it’s not like you’re killing the groom in front of the poor sap to provoke some sort of revenge cycle.” She shoved the box of donuts closer to the end of her desk. “Now eat up, Mari, or it won’t be fun pummeling you today.” Marina raised her eyebrows at her implication. “Ah…’scuse me, what was that last bit?” “Well that’s what you came here for, no?” Nadia stifled a giggle. “You’re after the little reward they’ve announced recently?” Marina quickly wolfed down a glazed donut before speaking again. “Yes! I, Marina of the Sailbridge Pirates, command you to release the president’s daughter!” “...You’ve lost me, Mari. Are you sure hunger isn’t affecting your thought process?” “I know you’re keeping her locked up somewhere like some impoverished slave!” Nadia’s smile suddenly vanished. “So. You think I’m the type to enslave people.” “Well, it was my second guess, actually,” squeaked Marina as she sheepishly reached for another donut. “My first claim was gonna be that you should return home to dad.” “I do not enslave people, Marina,” Nadia snapped. “I’m not one to deny the crimes I so graciously take part in, but slavery is something I would never resort to!” “Okay, I get it, that narrative won’t work with you-” “I value freedom above most things and try to recruit anyone I can! If you were a slave you may as well have been killed. I would have done so myself if they so desired.” “...Ah...glad to see your morals are in the right place, Nadia.” “Why thank you,” she said, completely blind to Marina’s insult. She took a moment to recompose herself and grabbed her cutlass. “Now, if you’re done filling your stomach, I’d like to settle the terms for our little scuffle.” Marina sucked out her tea from the cup and stood up from her seat. “Huh? Terms? Dammit, another wager with you?” “Well now that I know why you’re here and what you’re planning, I’m not gonna just let you do this without risk, no? At least give me some motivation to help.” She looked outside the windows of her quarters. “Those two men over there...if I win, one of them will join my little army. Sound fair?” “What!?” Marina barked. “I’m not gonna bet the well-being of my crewmates for this, you bitch!” “Hmm...no, make that both of them, since you so dearly insulted me earlier.” Marina growled at Nadia’s increasing demands. “How about I just kick your ass back to the president right now!?” “Hooh, is that what you’ll do? Sounds like you aren’t confident that this would work out for you with the wager. Now tell me, next time we meet and I blow your little, erm...motorboat down there to hell and back, how exactly do you plan to buy a new one? You could hardly buy enough food for yourself earlier, how could you buy another ship? But at least your crew members seem well-fed in comparison, so you should be fine there-” “Dammit, fine! But if...no, when I win, you’re taking your ass down back to Shipwreck Cove and I’m turning you in for that million!” “Mmmmm, sure,” hummed Nadia. “I can live with those conditions. Now prepare your sword, we fight on the front deck.” The two captains made their way to the Fortuity’s front deck, where the ship’s crew, Vice, and Virtue prepared to watch Marina and Nadia’s duel. Marina drew her cutlass from its sheath, while Nadia readied her own blade with a pistol in her other hand. “Hey! This is supposed to be a quick duel,” griped Marina. “Why you getting so serious with the pistol!?” “Please, you’ve survived a few shots in the past, you can take a few more, no?” Nadia twirled her gun around her finger. “Don’t you worry, I won’t aim for your head. You’re much too close a friend and rival for me to kill you.” “Not close enough to being considered unshootable, I guess.” She sighed. “You really are a bitch.” “Hey, if it makes you feel better, I’d graze these guys with a bullet to the arm if they crossed me too much.” “Thanks, Nana, that makes me feel reeeeeal special.” Marina quietly pitied the men under Nadia’s command, despite knowing how close they were to their captain. “Anything for you, Mari. Now, once I fire this gun, I expect us to charge in blades blazing. Ready?” Nadia waited until Marina prepared herself and assumed a fighting stance. “Alright, go.” A loud pop rang through the air as Nadia fired her gun directly towards Marina’s direction. The bullet managed to miss her by a hair, blowing past her cheek thanks to a quick dodge she twitched out before Nadia pulled the trigger. As soon as she realized she was completely unharmed, Marina drew a pistol of her own: a non-lethal albeit very painful self-defense firearm known as the MOZ-50, stolen from a poor adventurer that tried to cheat her crew out of a game of blackjack. With her eyes as keen as a hawk, she quickly fired two bolts from her gun straight into Nadia’s stomach. “Guah!” Nadia stumbled for a moment in pain. Although the blasts fired from the MOZ-50 could not pierce flesh, it could shoot out concentrated magic with enough force to dent steel. “By the Gods’ Eye, a MOZ!? You almost cracked my ribs!” “You STD-riddled whore! Tell me where you’re gonna fire that thing before the match starts!” Marina pressed a small button on her pistol to recharge its ammunition. The blue “window” on the gun’s side began to glow and extract mana from the environment around it, recharging itself for another gunfight. “Where else am I supposed to fire a gun, the air? That can’t be safe for the bystanders.” She shook off the pain and took aim once again. “And how am I diseased, where did that come from!?” “Knew you wouldn’t deny your libido, you vamp!” Four more bolts shot out from Marina’s gun to punctuate her childish insult, but Nadia was ready for them. She deftly maneuvered herself around the deck, using whatever was around her as cover. A fifth bolt was fired, but it zipped past Nadia’s coat as she came out hiding behind a nearby stash of crates. Nadia then reached into one of them and pulled out a small bag of flour, which she then tossed at Marina before quickly shooting at it. Though none of the bullets hit Marina either, the flour bag spewed its contents in an explosion of dust, blinding her eyes long enough for Nadia to charge in and strike her down. “I thought you’d try this again,” she said aloud to her rival. “But as if it would work again!” With a swift upward slash, Marina parried Nadia’s blade just before it swung down on her. She then gave a kick to the same spot on her stomach that was shot before the duel began, stunning Nadia long enough for Marina to deliver two gunshots to her legs. Nadia stumbled to her knees, but the pain delivered by the MOZ-50’s bolts was something she was much too unfamiliar with, leaving her aching to the point where she could barely kneel. “Wha!?” “Too cocky this time, Nana!” Marina leaped at Nadia like a lion lunges at their prey. She quickly swapped her sword to a reverse grip and pummeled the guard of her cutlass into her pale face. In a single punch, Nadia was knocked away and flat on her back. As soon as Marina tried to inch closer to the now downed Nadia, Nadia suddenly cast a spell that coated her sword in scalding water. She thrust it towards Marina, but she replied to the attack with an effortless parry, another gunshot to Nadia’s stomach, and an extra pommel strike to add a quick insult to her humiliating loss. “Augh...that ended a little too soon, no?” “It’s your fault for holding back on me,” complained Marina. “You made it pretty easy to tell too. I mean, outside of that first bullet, none of those shots even tried to hit near me. You could have at least fired something magical through that dust cloud. Hell, you didn’t even overload your sword spell-” “Alright, I get it, you saw through me.” Nadia placed a hand on her aching belly. “I was just feeling up for a little trip back to the old man again, I guess. No way was I going to go out without a bang though, Mari, what do you take me for?” “A bitch?” Nadia couldn’t help but chuckle at how often Marina was willing to sling that specific insult towards her. “Sure, sure. Now, could you go back to those crates and grab some healing potions? I...don’t think I want to start walking right now.” Marina begrudgingly pushed herself to the toppled stash of crates. “As you command, oh vile, slutty pirate queen.” “Okay now that one was just uncalled for, oh childish, immature pirate queen. It’s a shame though...I had to give up my little prizes to satisfy you.” “Whatever.” She turned to her two crewmates, who stood in awe at how quickly Marina managed to take down Nadia this time. “Hey, uh...Vice? Virtue?” “Yeah, cap’n,” asked Vice. “What’s with the gloomy tone?” “...Sorry.” “Huh? For what?” “Uh...never mind.”
Nadia was sent to the Sea Scout with a pair of handcuffs chaining her wrists together. It was a rather old pair, but it was the only one Vice had on him. “People of the Alabaster Fleet’s Fortuity,” Nadia bellowed towards her crew, who have gathered at the shoreline to see her off. “Your captain is going to be taking a short break on her own today. I will likely return by tonight or tomorrow, depends on what the ol’ president says and what those servants decide to feed me. Until then, Louis over there will be in charge. Should I discover that any of you did something...let’s say ‘silly’, there will be repercussions when I grace you all with my presence once again. Do I make myself clear?” “Yes, captain!” The crew of the Fortuity shouted in unison. “Okay, behave yourselves now! I’ll likely be back by dinner!” “You’ve really got ‘em wrapped around your finger, huh,” said Marina. “You speak to them like some kind of mother.” “Mmm, well I don’t usually speak to my crew like that,” hummed Nadia. “I just so happen to be in a good mood now that I’m gonna be seeing the poor old daddy again.” “Eh. I don’t get it. I mostly treat my crew like some good buds. You guys ready to set off?” “Yeah, we’re good!” Vice and Virtue nodded in agreement. “Just make it quick,” said Nadia. “I really do aim to be back by nightfall. Simon’s supposed to make a big feast for us tonight and he’s been practicing his cooking for some time now. I’d love to taste his efforts as soon as possible.” “Yeah, yeah.” Marina rolled her eyes. “Just meet up with pops when I turn you in. I don’t care what you do after that.” “Even if I kill a few officers in my getaway?” “Except murder, of course! Just...don’t do anything that would make me come back!” About an hour later, the Sailbridge Pirates reached a secluded shoreline not too far from Shipwreck Cove’s actual location. Though this meant that Marina and Nadia had to walk the rest of the way without the other crew members, it was a much safer option than sailing up to the city’s port, where they could be arrested on sight. After all, despite the fact that they avoided the more evil or violent crimes, they were still pirates that stole from others, regardless of whoever their targets happened to be. The two pirate queens draped long cloaks over themselves as to prevent anyone from seeing their faces and then set off for the nearest police station that could take Nadia away. After a walk that was shorter than expected, the duo arrived at a station on the edge of town, not too far from the port. Before heading inside, however, Marina stopped to speak to Nadia where nobody would hear them. “Alright, Nana, fire up that spell of yours.” Nadia gave a puzzled glare towards Marina. “...My what?” “Well I know for a fact you know some sort of mind manipulation spell. I was really counting on you knowing something before I fetched you.” “What are you playing at? Are you planning on swindling them for double the bounty?” “Duh!” “Well I’m sorry to say, but I don’t know that sort of thing. Did you just assume that because of my massive fleet of pirates?” “Well, kind of!” Marina clicked her tongue and paused for a moment to think. “‘Kay then, uh...do you know any, like, charm spells?” “I...suppose I do, yes,” replied Nadia. “But I’ll have you know that I’m not particularly skilled in most magic usage!” “What!?” Marina tried to recall all of their duels up until today. It quickly dawned upon her that all of the spells Nadia cast were only flashy and strong because they were pushed to their limits. “Of course,” she added. “Why do you think I just overload basic spells during our fights?” “Well then overload a charm spell!” “My, it’s like you want me to devolve those poor guards into horny, salivating monkeys. Would you like me to make them monkeys? Perhaps if one of them catches your eye, you can get some action for once in your life.” “Freakin’ succubus…” Marina groaned. “Well, do you at least know something like...I dunno, a spell that can change how they see us?” “Please,” laughed Nadia. “Of course I do. I use that to sneak past people all the time once any security system is taken care of. I’ll just use it once we walk in, don’t you worry.” “Alright, that’ll do, I guess. I just can’t let them know who I am. Not that I’m a pirate, I mean.” Marina nodded and led her willing prisoner to the police. As soon as they opened the doors, Nadia muttered something inaudible, her words being obscured by the door’s aged creaking. Though nothing noticeable changed for Marina, she could tell by the officers’ reactions that Nadia’s perception spell was successfully cast. They made their way up to the front desk, where they were greeted by a pudgy-looking man that sat in awe as he saw Nadia. “T-the president’s daughter!?” The officer muttered in shock. “She’s been found! Everyone! Someone found the president’s daughter!” “Shh! Easy now, sir,” Marina whispered, trying to calm everyone down before a bigger scene was made. “I’m just here to collect the bounties for her and Nadia Alabaster.” “Two bounties, you say?” The officer raised an eyebrow. “Whatever do you mean, miss...er…” “Swail.” “Miss Swail! Yes, what are you trying to imply here?” “What else,” Marina said with a smug grin. “It just so happens that the daughter of the president here wasn’t kidnapped at all! She ran away and took up the name ‘Nadia Alabaster’ to hide her identity!” The lobby remained silent, but a few whispers could be heard from the back of the crowd. “Miss Swail, there must be some mistake! The Alabaster Fleet appeared long before Miss Curissar here went missing!” “Right,” Marina cited. “And pray tell, what do you think she did to gain that false name?” The pudgy man tried to refute the claim that Miss Curissar would ever engage in murder, but Marina cut him off before he could continue. “Listen, I came a long way to bring her back to her dad, and I’d really appreciate it if you gave me the reward money for both of them. I lost a lot of good men in my search and would like some...reimbursement.” She noticed Nadia muttering something from the corner of her eye again. “...Of course, Miss Swail. Allow me to prepare the money right away.” “‘Don’t know mind manipulation’ my ass, Nadia,” Marina thought. “But I’ll have to thank her later, I guess.” She waited for the man to return with the money she so desired, barely containing her impatience and readiness to leave. “Here you are,” the officer said, handing her a silver briefcase. “All the sols you are owed-” “‘Kay, thanks, bye, be good now, Miss Curissar!” Marina immediately turned back to rush out of the police station the second she put her hands on the oversized case of sols. In her escape, she managed to pass a small street lined up with souvenir shops and restaurants. With the path back to the ship being crowded, she attempted to weave through the waves of people until she accidentally bumped into a young man in a trenchcoat the moment she reached the end. “S-sorry, sir!” “Oh, no, miss,” said the young man. “It was my fault.” He prepared to continue on his way but stopped to look back and call out to Marina. “Ah, excuse me!” Marina stopped in her tracks to look at the man calling her. “Y-yes?” “I know this sounds kinda cliche, but...haven’t I seen you before?” Marina giggled nervously. “Well, a lot of lads like you tell me that a lot, haha...but I’m afraid we haven’t, sorry.” “Oh, no! No, not like that! I meant like...a model or something. Like I’ve seen you on a poster or on TV!” “...Ah.”
Vice and Virtue waited with the rest of the Sailbridge Pirates aboard the Sea Scout. Their captain had been absent for at least an hour now, and not a single call or signal had been sent to them by phone yet. “You think she got caught or something,” Virtue inquired. “I dunno what we’re gonna do if she’s in trouble…” “Cap’n will be fine, bro,” said Vice. “We’ve been through worse, and soon enough, you will too.” “Really hope you’re not implying anything too crazy, man-” Virtue’s worries were suddenly interrupted by an alarm going off in the ship’s bridge. “Shit…! It’s Cap’n’s distress light, she’s got trouble!” “Vice!? What do we do now!?” “Get Wick and get him to sail this boat over to the docks. She’ll come running there any moment now, hurry!” The Sailbridge Pirates swiftly sailed over to the edge of the city port, where they saw a massive crowd chasing a single woman holding a large briefcase. The mob consisted not only of police officers but of various citizens too, growing in size the further their target ran! “Looks like they’ve found out she was a pirate,” grumbled Vice. “Get a bit closer!” Marina, running faster than she ever did in her life, dashed across the ports to reach the Sea Scout and her crew. The mob inched ever closer, but with a single leap of faith, she jumped past the edge of the docks and into her ship. Multiple pursuers tried to jump after her, but they all fell into the ocean before they could reach the edge of their ship. With their captain safe, the pirates sailed off into the distance, searching for a place to hide before anyone else tried to continue the chase. “Cap’n!” Vice cried out. “What the hell happened!?” Marina, still tired from the chase, tried to catch her breath. “Aha...well...I...I got the money~!” She waved around the oversized briefcase. “We’re a few million sols richer now since I got the bounties!” “Wait,” Virtue chimed in. “Did you say bounties? As in plural?” “Hell yeah, fresh meat! Check it!” She slid the briefcase towards the two brothers, as well as a wanted poster for Nadia. “But...this poster says the bounty was posted years before the kid went missing. So you mean that Nadia wasn’t actually the president’s daughter!?” “Nope!” Marina howled with laughter. “Thanks to Nadia’s little magic tricks, I fooled ‘em all and got both rewards!” Vice, however, was completely unamused. “So I’m gonna guess they were chasing you cause they caught you lying, found out you were a pirate and tried to take the cash back.” “Well...no, actually. It was risky just going into the city at all, even if it wasn’t me that took her back. Besides, I also brought in Nadia cause she could just break out easily within the hour, so they’ll have to put up another bounty on her soon.” “Cap’n,” Vice said sternly. “The prez was hiring mercenaries, probably even lower pirates like us. There wouldn’t have been any risk in the first place, especially since we don’t even hurt people!” Marina sighed. “Look, guys, you’ll put the pieces together pretty quickly. But right now, I’m heading to my quarters for a quick nap. You can talk to me later once you figured it out.” She marched off the deck with a groan.
Later that night, the crew of the Sailbridge Pirates ate whatever was leftover from their wedding crash food pile and listen to the news on their ship’s radio. “...Authorities are now offering a starting bounty of 50,000 sols for the recapture of the pirate queen, Nadia Alabaster, after she managed to escape confinement yet again.” “Ah, yup,” Vice nodded. “Figured it would be around this time. Surprised her starting bounty is lower than last time, though.” “It’s probably just cause the captain took the reward, so it had to reset.” Virtue refilled his plate with more cannoli. The news reporter continued on to her next headline. “And now for an even more shocking turn of events for tonight’s breaking news.” Vice laughed. “There’s more? I wonder if they’ll mention us. Is the cap’n still napping?” “Yeah, but shush,” Virtue urged. “Lemme hear this!” “...It has been reported that the president’s daughter, Marina Curissar, has been spotted in Shipwreck Cove. She was last seen running off into the city’s ports and jumping onto an unknown yacht. It is currently being speculated that she has been kidnapped by a group of pirates and has been coerced into stealing for them, but it is still unknown if these criminals have any affiliation with the Alabaster Fleet.”
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