Ship Ahoy!

"Uuu... I couldn't go deep enough..." Blackbeard sobbed into his hand, stealing gazes at Mash who was studying their map, "M-Maybe some maiden should console me."

As was expected, Blackbeard tried to outdo Nicholas by catching something even bigger than him but, again, as was expected, failed miserably and only managed to catch a dolphin that was trying to hump him... He then had to let it go because Mary started judging him for killing a 'harmless' creature and he wilted under the loli's scrutiny.

So now, the legendary pirate sobbed as he steered his ship towards their actual objective.

"That maiden's called your left hand." Nicholas spoke up from behind him, sitting on the wooden deck with a bored aura to his whole being, "But with how huge this ship is, I'm guessing you knew that already."

Blackbeard whipped around and tossed the tankard in his other hand at the Chaldean Master's head, "Damn you, runt! Questioning a man's dignity!"

"How do I question something that don't even exist?"

For a few moments, silence reigned.

Interrupted only by the calls of seagulls flying across a clear blue sky.

"It exists too!" Blackbeard shouted indignantly, passionately arguing with a man much younger than himself, "I'll have you know I had plenty of women throwing themselves at me in my heyday!"

Nicholas deadpanned, which shouldn't have been possible, "You're a servant. This is your heyday and nobody I know would touch your raggedy stank ass with a ten foot pole."

The legendary pirate jolted under the insult, "What would you know, sheltered pretty boy? The ladies like a stron-..." Blackbeard trailed off, having seen just how 'strong' the other party was, "They like a big, fearless man like myself."

"Yeah no, the 'ladies' from your time would pick somebody financially well off over your ass at the drop of a hat... It's logical."

"You just don't know how people work because you're sheltered!" Blackbeard waved around a clenched fist, "Hahahaha! A sheltered pirate!"

Sighing, Nicholas leaned back onto the deck, using his hands as a pillow.

He wouldn't deny it, compared to the age they were in, almost any upbringing from his time could rightly be called a sheltered one.

"Sheltered's the way to go if the alternative is setting your beard on fir-"

"Ship ahoy!" Blackbeard cut him off with a somewhat serious tone to his words... well, serious compared to the stupid way he usually talked, "It's a big one."

The crew immediately moved in response to his command.

Anne took up post on the ship's crow nest, aiming her musket at the vessel in the distance, because that made sense, while Mary appeared at the ship's bow, cutlass drawn. The Lancer took a position near Blackbeard himself, spear resting on his shoulders.

The Chaldeans however, didn't move to his command.

Cu just appeared next to Nicholas, with Mash choosing to just watch on with curious eyes.

"Those are the guys Eric was following." Blackbeard pointed out, his gaze stern and expression stoic.

It appeared that unlike Nicholas, the older man knew when to be serious and when to laze around.

Unfortunately, this hopeful illusion was shattered when the pirate's started fangirling, inhaling and exhaling like a pig- EHEM deeply upset pervert. He locked his hands together and squirmed, "I'm commming~!"

"Woah damn that's fucking creepy." Nicholas shivered as he sat up, "Who's Eric?"

Cu bopped him on the head with his staff, "They told us who he was, lad. It's the last member of their crew."

"Eric the Bloodaxe, King of Norway." Mash explained further, "He gained that name by murdering many of his brothers in the bid for his throne... though that rule crumbled apart and he was forced to run."

Nicholas pursed his lips, "That's... I don't know what I'm supposed to say."

On the one hand, fratricide was a total no-no... Nicholas had wanted siblings all his life but never got any, so he couldn't understand it... but then again, what was to say they didn't try to kill him with how those times were?

On the other hand, he was 'married' to a goth baddie that tried to burn a whole nation alive so he couldn't really judge the dude.

Standing up, Nicholas sauntered over to the bow where Mary was standing, "Who you think it is?"

"El Drague." The stoic pirate answered shortly... of course he didn't recognise the name for shit so he just looked at the ship approaching them.

For one, he wasn't sure if it was even a pirate vessel.

The ship was dark in colour, with golden linings and massive white sails. It's size was... hell, maybe the same as their own ship.

"The King of Storms?" Mary offered in an attempt to help him.

"That sounds hella cool but... I still don't get it." 

"The Unsinkable Sun?"

"Damn girl, get off that dic-..." Nicholas was cut off by Cu bopping his head with his hobo stic- er... staff.

"That's a kid."

Looking over at her, Nicholas nodded before sighing, "Yeah, right, my bad."

"Get to the cannons, lads!" Blackbeard shouted overhead, grinning wildly, "It's time for plunder!"

His cry was answered by dead silence, making the pirate deflate.

But that didn't mean no one followed his orders, the ghost-like husks acting as his crew immediately moved to the man the 40 something cannons on board the vessel.

-

Gudako watched as the men she'd gotten acquainted with over the past few days ran around, frantically manning the guns and retrieving weapons while the ever-confident Captain Francis Drake stood at the helm, cutlass in one hand, a flintlock in the other and a massive expectant grin plastered on her face.

She was... what Gudako would expect from a pirate.

Inclined to drink, insanely whimsical like a certain someone she knew and always willing to fight.

She even looked like one.

With a massive scar running down her face, eyes coloured the same as the oceans she'd traversed and bright, wild pink hair. She totally wasn't jealous of the woman's voluptuous figure but she did judge her for the way her red sailor coat was unbuttoned in a way that made her breasts spill out.

Anyway!

Gudako had learned that being away from the headaches in her life was extremely freeing, and that being in a room where the collective IQ was arguably lower than the room temperature was good for her mental health.

It didn't matter that she had to babysit Elizabeth Bathory, Salter AND Carmilla.

They were... obedient enough.

"Are ya ready, men?! We might be in for a rough time! That damn ship's got more cannons than u-" She was interrupted by a gunshot blowing through her hat, "They did that on purpose! I'm getting excited!"

You know... Gudako couldn't help but feel deja vu at her response.

Her resident servant crew member appeared next to her, holding nothing but a wooden stick, "I'm detecting servants, captain. I'm thinking these are friends of your little admirer."

She still didn't know who the lean, green-haired Archer was.

He was referring to Eric Bloodaxe... who got torn into by Salter with Excalibur Morgan, skewered by Camilla with spikes made of blood and then subjected to shattering mental torture when she told Elizabeth to sing to him... All because he rushed at them when Salter was eating and Carmilla was trying to discreetly murder Elizabeth.

"Let them come..." Carmilla gripped her staff with a sadistic grin, "I've been feeling quite annoyed with how our Master chose to have me accompany this... creature."

"Shut up, hag! Bleh! You're the creature! Ugly vampire thingie! Bleh! Bleh!" Elizabeth stuck her tongue out, giving the Blood Countess the stink eye.

Gudako looked at them in silence before sighing, "Guys, calm down. It's not the time. Salter, do you think you can hit them at this range?"

The Saber in question looked over at her before giving a hesitant nod, "Should I?"

She was being real docile after the incident with the mutiny and her subsequent punishment.

Gudako nodded, "Do it. Use as much magical energy as you can muster."

"Oh? You all are going to be the opening act?" Francis regarded them from the corner of her eyes, "That's fine with me! Hit them good, girl!"

-

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.