Although most of the pirates had left their ships, a portion remained behind on every vessel. When a pirate slipped down from the Queen Bee, Charlotte suddenly stepped forward, stuffed all his worldly possessions—a wad of banknotes from who knew how many countries—into the man's hand, and whispered, "Brother, can you take me aboard the Queen Bee for a look around?"
The pirate glanced at the money in his hand and grinned. "I'll give you ten minutes."
He stuffed the money into his pocket and led Charlotte aboard the Legendary Warship.
Charlotte's heart surged as he followed the pirate onto the deck. Just as he was about to head into the cabins, he heard the man say, "Only this far. You can't go inside."
"You've got eight minutes left."
Charlotte asked, "I can only stay on the deck?"
The pirate bared his teeth in a grin. "Of course! That little bit of money only buys you the right to step on the deck."
Charlotte glanced around. The ship was quiet. After all, most of the crew had already gone ashore to celebrate. Life at sea was terribly dull, and once they made port, no sailor could restrain himself. The unlucky fellows left behind had returned to their home base and had no real sense of vigilance. Who knew where they were hiding and slacking off?
He drew a deep breath, lowered his head slightly, and his entire body shrank by a size.
The smug smile on the pirate who had brought him aboard instantly froze. Before he could cry out, a fist slammed into his lower abdomen. He felt all the vitality in his body gather there. He desperately tried to shout, but his bodily functions no longer supported him. Charlotte blurred in his vision, and then everything became darkness.