Jackson and Tuliano went through the hole and found themselves on a ship. It was a large and impressive ship, with three masts and a dozen cannons. It had a black flag with a skull and crossbones on it. It looked like a pirate ship.
But it was not the Happy Pirates' ship.
It was the Black Pirates' ship.
The Black Pirates were a rival gang of the Happy Pirates. They were led by Captain Black, a ruthless and greedy pirate who wanted to find Zurina and claim the treasure for himself. He had heard rumors that the Happy Pirates had found the island, but he didn't know that they had been trapped there. He planned to use Jackson and Tuliano as bait to lure them out and capture them.
Jackson and Tuliano didn't know that.
They thought they were on the Happy Pirates' ship.
They thought they were safe.
They were wrong.
They walked around the ship and looked for their friends. They saw many people working on the ship, but they didn't recognize any of them. They saw people who were dressed in dark clothes, with scars, tattoos, and piercings. They saw people who had swords, daggers, pistols, and muskets. They saw people who looked like pirates, but they didn't act like pirates. They didn't seem cheerful, friendly, generous, or gentle. They seemed cruel, greedy, violent, and mean.
They were not the Happy Pirates.
They were the Black Pirates.
And they noticed Jackson and Tuliano.
They saw two strangers walking on their ship. They saw two intruders invading their territory. They saw two enemies threatening their mission. They saw two targets for their weapons.
They attacked Jackson and Tuliano.
They surrounded them and pointed their weapons at them. They shouted and cursed at them. They demanded to know who they were and what they wanted. They threatened to kill them if they didn't answer.
Jackson and Tuliano were shocked and scared. They realized they were on the wrong ship. They realized they were in trouble. They realized they had to escape.
But they had no chance.
They were outnumbered and outmatched.
They were captured by the Black Pirates.
And they were taken to Captain Black.