AGAINST THE PIRATES

Sparrow methodically mopped the salt-crusted deck of the Surreal Mystery, the rhythmic swish of the mop a small comfort against the vast, unknowable ocean. 

He was lost in thought, contemplating the philosophical implications of their realmgate dive when Canary's voice, sharp and clear, sliced through the salty air.

"Pirate ship! Dead ahead! They're coming right for us!"

Sparrow's head snapped up. He tossed the mop aside and, with a speed that belied his usual calm, strode towards the helm. Canary, perched atop the Crow's Nest, pointed excitedly towards a dark shape on the horizon, rapidly growing larger.

"Report!" Sparrow commanded, his voice low but carrying.

Elstorm, already grabbing his spyglass, scrambled up to the deck. Helena, ever composed, adjusted the sails to maximize their speed. Within moments, Elstorm lowered the glass, his face grim.

"It's the Little Titan, a Sloop of War. I'd wager around forty crew. And…." He paused, grinning without fear. "It should belong to Henry 'Titan' Northman. It was a shitty ship of shitty pirates."

A wave of tense vibes rippled through the assembled crew. Sparrow, Canary, and even Caith, who didn't care much about pirates, recognized the name. Sparrow and Canary definitely knew more. They had spent hours poring over wanted posters and bounty lists in Dawnlight Town, after all. 

Henry 'Titan' Northman was a name whispered in fear in coastal villages. A ruthless pirate, infamous for his brutality and penchant for needless violence.

"Titan Northman," Canary murmured, her usual cheerfulness momentarily dimmed. "He's got a hefty bounty on his head. But not much is known about him. Because he's quite infamous for his 'leave no survivors' policy in every conflicts."

"A coward who only targets weaker opponents," Elstorm scoffed, giving his personal evaluation.

Caith shuddered, her initial excitement replaced by a palpable nervousness. "What are we going to do, Big Spark?"

Sparrow's right, dark-green eye narrowed as he weighed their options. Escape was possible. The Surreal Mystery, though smaller, was faster and more agile than the Little Titan. 

But running felt… wrong. They were in a realmgate. This shouldn't be some random encounter. This was a confrontation they needed to face.

"Helena, can we outrun them?" Sparrow asked, his voice calm despite the rising tension.

Helena, her sky-blue eyes fixed on the approaching vessel, considered the wind and the waves. "We could try, but it would be a long chase. They're not slow. We're just a little bit faster than them."

Sparrow made his decision. "We fight."

The crew had expected this decision. But they were still surprised. Even Elstorm, known for his recklessness, looked slightly apprehensive.

"Are you sure, Birdbro?" Canary asked, her voice laced with concern.

"We have advantages they don't," Sparrow replied, calmly fixing his eyepatch. "We have a better navigator, a better gunner, and a faster ship. And," he glanced at Canary and Caith, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, "... we have users of mystery power."

The plan was quickly formulated. Helena would handle the helm, relying on her expert navigation to evade the pirates' cannon fire. 

Elstorm, with Sparrow and Caith assisting, would man the Surreal Mystery's cannons, two on each side, aiming to cripple the Little Titan before they could close the distance. Canary would use her sprites to enhance the ship's maneuverability and provide early warning of incoming attacks.

As the Little Titan drew closer, its black sails billowing ominously, the air crackled with tension. The pirates, a motley crew of hardened seafarers, lined the railings, their faces a mix of bloodlust and anticipation.

"Prepare for battle!" Sparrow roared, his voice cutting through the nervous silence.

The first wave of cannonballs screamed past the Surreal Mystery, narrowly missing the main mast. The sound of the cannonballs hitting the water reverberated on the ship.

"Hold steady!" Helena yelled, her hands firm on the wheel. She expertly steered the Surreal Mystery into a tight turn, dodging another volley of cannon fire. Canary, perched on the Crow's Nest, pointed frantically.

"Port side! Incoming!"

Helena spun the wheel again, the Surreal Mystery lurching violently as it avoided a near hit. The pirates' aim was improving.

"Now!" Sparrow bellowed.

Elstorm fired the first cannon, the recoil shaking the small caravel. The shot flew true, striking the Little Titan amidships. A cheer erupted from the crew of the Surreal Mystery, quickly silenced by the renewed barrage from the pirate ship.

Caith, her face pale but determined, used her fastest speed to help reload the cannon. She chanted a nonsensical rhyme, as if it could imbue the task with a touch of magic, speeding up the process. Sparrow, meanwhile, used his {Eye of Wisdom} to calculate the windage and trajectory, ensuring each shot was as accurate as possible.

Another barrage of cannonballs came. Most of them missed, but one slammed into the Surreal Mystery, sending splinters flying and tearing a hole in the hull above the waterline.

"We're taking on water!" Elstorm shouted, his voice strained.

Canary acted instantly. "Splash, get down there and patch that hole!" she commanded. The water sprite, a shimmering sphere of blue light, zipped below deck, its form solidifying into a swirling vortex of water that sealed the breach.

Helena, weaving the Surreal Mystery through the treacherous waves, was a picture of focused intensity. She anticipated the pirates' every move, using her knowledge of the sea and her own innate sense of the tides to keep them just out of range.

But the Little Titan was relentless. Cannonballs continued to rain down, each one a deafening reminder of the pirates' superior firepower.

Then, Canary summoned Breeze. The sprite, a wisp of swirling wind, enveloped the Surreal Mystery's sails, filling them with an unnatural force. The caravel surged forward, gaining speed as the wind howled in its sails.

"Hold on tight!" Helena warned, as the Surreal Mystery accelerated, dodging another volley of cannonballs.

The Surreal Mystery picked up speed, closing the distance between the two vessels. Elstorm, taking advantage of the closer range, aimed carefully and fired the second cannon. This time, the shot struck the Little Titan's foremast, sending splinters and rigging flying.

The pirates roared in frustration, their fire becoming less accurate. The Surreal Mystery, battered but not broken, continued to dance across the waves, a testament to the skill of its crew and the power of their combined abilities. 

The battle was far from over, but hope began to bloom in the hearts of the Surreal Mystery's crew. They were outgunned, but they were not outmatched. They would face the pirates, and they would survive.

The naval battle raged on. But this time, it was Surreal Mystery who pelted the struggling-to-move Little Titan with cannonballs. Helena, helped by Breeze's controlled wind, navigated the ship to always stay away from the sides of the enemy's ship, where the cannons were, making it hard for them to retaliate with cannonballs.

The splintering crack of the Little Titan's deck echoed in Sparrow's ears, a satisfying prelude to the chaos that was about to unfold. Helena, with her usual calm precision, had maneuvered the Surreal Mystery close enough for boarding. 

"Alright, kids!" Helena called out, her voice barely audible above the din of battle. "Show them what you're made of."

Sparrow nodded once. His dark-green eye, usually veiled in philosophical calm, now glinting with battle readiness. He re-adjusted his eyepatch again, securing it over his artificial eye. 

He felt the familiar weight of his metal knuckledusters, ready to deliver bone-shattering force. Without a word, he leaped across the not-so-narrow gap separating the two vessels, landing squarely on the deck of the Little Titan.

Elstorm, ever the flamboyant one, followed close behind, letting out a wild yell as he charged, Dragonslasher gleaming in one hand and Annihilation, his epic shotgun, booming in the other. 

Caith, with a graceful bound that belied the brutality she was about to unleash, joined them, her dark-red hair whipping around her as she twirled her rope-dart.

The pirates, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, scrambled to defend themselves. Gunpowder smoke still filled the air, and the screams of the wounded punctuated the beginning sounds of the melee battle.

Sparrow moved with a brutal efficiency, a whirlwind of calculated strikes. Each punch landed with devastating force, the metal knuckledusters amplifying his already considerable strength. 

He didn't even bother targeting weak points like joints or eyes. He simply punched any opening, usually resulting in sickening cracks of bones as his opponents crumpled to the deck, out of the fight before they even knew what hit them. He remained silent, a deadly shadow weaving through the frenzied melee.

Elstorm, true to form, was a whirlwind of chaotic energy. He fired Annihilation at point-blank range, sending pirates flying with a thunderous roar.

Then, with a laugh that bordered on manic, he'd switch to the Dragonslasher, hacking and slashing with reckless abandon. He was a whirlwind of blades and explosions, leaving a trail of groaning pirates in his wake.

Caith, in stark contrast to Elstorm's brute force, fought with an almost ethereal grace. Her movements were fluid, almost dance-like, as she weaved through the press of bodies. 

The rope-dart, guided by her expert hand, snaked through the air like a living viper, entangling limbs, tripping opponents, and occasionally, piercing flesh with deadly accuracy. Pirates who underestimated her dainty appearance quickly found themselves disarmed, entangled, or worse... dead with spear dart piercing their heart.

Meanwhile, on the Surreal Mystery, Canary was a picture of focused intensity. Perched on the railing, her crossbow was an extension of her will. Each bolt was carefully aimed, finding its mark with uncanny precision. 

Breeze, her wind sprite, flitted around her targets, creating gusts of wind that momentarily blinded and disoriented the pirates, making them easy targets. Below the deck, Splash, the water sprite, was still working tirelessly, manipulating water to seal the breach in the hull, keeping the Surreal Mystery safely afloat.

The pirates, initially confident in their superior numbers, began to falter, demoralized by the relentless assault. They were used to preying on merchant vessels, not facing opponents who moved with such coordinated ferocity.

The turning point came when Sparrow found himself face-to-face with the Little Titan's captain – Henry 'Titan' Northman. The man was a behemoth, easily towering over the already very tall Sparrow. He wielded a pair of massive, spiked maces that looked capable of crushing bone with a single blow.

Northman roared, a sound that shook the very timbers of the ship, and swung his maces in a wide, sweeping arc. Sparrow narrowly dodged the attack, feeling the wind of the maces as they passed, splintering a section of the railing behind him. The impact was enough to make the ship shudder.

Sparrow knew he could still compete in a straight-up strength contest. He had the {Physique of Giant} talent after all. But it would be stupid as he possessed superior speed and agility. 

Therefore, Sparrow activated his not-so-typical combat style, the [Hurricane Dance]. He immediately fet the surge of energy through his body. For him, it was a high-risk style, demanding more flexibility, precision, and perfect timing. But, for the current situation, it was his best choice.

He began to move, a blur of motion, dodging and weaving between Northman's powerful but clumsy attacks. He used the momentum of the ship, the swaying of the masts, even the bodies of fallen pirates to amplify his movements. He was a whirlwind of fists and feet, striking with pinpoint accuracy.

He targeted the captain's joints, the weak points in his armor, the sensitive areas beneath his thick beard. Each blow was a calculated strike. They were designed to weaken and disorient, before he went for the stronger attacked. 

Sparrow felt the satisfying crack of bone as he landed a kick to Northman's knee, followed by a sharp punch to the jaw.

Northman roared in pain and frustration, swinging his maces wildly, but Sparrow was too fast. He continued his relentless assault, a dance of death, systematically dismantling the captain's defenses.

Finally, Sparrow saw his opening. He leaped onto a fallen barrel, using it as a springboard, and launched himself into the air. He twisted his body in mid-air, channeling all his energy into a single, devastating kick. He aimed for Northman's head, driving his heel into the pirate captain's forehead.

The impact was tremendous. Northman gasped, his eyes widening in shock and pain. He stumbled backward, losing his balance, and toppled over the railing, crashing into the churning waves below.

With their captain gone, the remaining pirates lost all heart. They threw down their weapons and begged for mercy. The battle was over.

Sparrow stood on the deck of the Little Titan, breathing heavily, his knuckles bruised and bloodied. He surveyed the scene – the fallen pirates, the splintered wood, the blood-stained deck. It was a grim testament to the brutal reality of piracy.

"Alright," he said, his voice low and gravelly, "let's see what these scoundrels were hiding."

The looting began. They searched every corner of the ship, overturning chests, ripping apart sacks, and emptying pockets. 

They found a considerable amount of gold coins, enough to fill several large sacks. They also discovered a collection of valuable treasures – jeweled goblets, silver candlesticks, and a chest filled with rare spices.

Elstorm, true to his nature, was the most enthusiastic looter, pocketing anything that caught his eye. Caith helped to sort and catalog the treasures, her nimble fingers deftly handling the delicate items. Helena oversaw the operation, ensuring that everything was accounted for. Canary, with Breeze's assistance, searched for any hidden compartments or secret passages.

When they were finished, the Surreal Mystery was laden with spoils. They had dealt a blow to piracy in the Madrollean Sea, and they had been handsomely rewarded for their efforts. 

As they steered the Surreal Mystery forward to the nearest island to fix her, Sparrow couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. This dive was turning out to be more lucrative, and more dangerous, than he had anticipated. 

The Pirates and Treasures Realmgate was proving to be a true test of their skills, and a source of untold riches. He only hoped they were ready for what lay ahead.