For the first time since traveling to Marleybone, and after their exhausting adventure in Aquila, the crew of The Celestial finally ported in Skull Island. Many pirates were impressed with their defeat of Rooke and Beachhead, but others were the same as before, even going as far as raising their prices in the marketplace. ("I know ye're the talk o' the town, but ye don' get discounts here," Skinny Pete said with a bored look. "Business is business, cap'n.")

After a relaxing day, they sat out by the shore near the docks at sunset and huddled around a fire, sitting on creaky logs and roasting marshmallows. Hawkules seemed insistent on throwing marshmallows in the fire to burn, much to the chagrin of the crew. Old Scratch stayed silent and looked very deep in thought, which wasn't that unusual.

"Cap'n, seriously?" Bonnie asked with a snort, and nudged her captain in the shoulder. The privateer, a short woman with ear-length wavy brown hair and blue eyes, only grinned in response. "Ye've only just got'n back to Skull and ye're doing the eye thing."

"An' what's wrong with it?" Sheila Evans asked confidently, her accent obviously painting her being raised from Cool Ranch. She peered at unsuspecting pirates on the beach and giggled when they tripped. "It's fun."

"We've gotten used to yer antics," she said dryly, "but they haven't. Yer gonna make one soil themselves."

"Har! I gotta see tha'," Ratbeard piped up over a mug of mead.

Sheila snorted, and allowed her red eyes to shine much more brighter, despite the slight burning pain. "Ow," she hissed and her eyes faded to their normal colour. "Damn."

"You're going to go blind at that rate," Gracie said. "You think we should have your eyes checked?"

"You know our lovely captain," Monkey King drawled, "stubborn as a mule."

"Hey!" The privateer huffed. "My eyes're perfectly fine. I can see how many planks're in that pile over there," she said, and pointed at the planks leaning on an abandoned house near the sewers.

Monkey King leaned forward. "How many?"

"Ten!"

"Wrong. There's seven."

"I totally said seve - don' look at me like that! I'll kick ya off the ship when we're at Valencia, I swear." She ignored Monkey's cackling and grinned sheepishly at everyone. "Gimme a break, I've had a few drinks." ("A few, she says," Monkey King snorted.) "Ain't sober 'nough for these... brain games." She took another swig.

"You're as bad as Ratbeard," Catbeard said snootily. "Honestly!" He paused and tilted his head. His ears flicked. "Someone's coming." A crab in green overalls ran onto the beach and wheezed as if he'd just run a marathon. Catbeard raised his eyebrows. "Oh! The plot thickens."

The crab's head snapped up, and Sheila recognised him as one of the Red Claw Gang's members. "Fearless" Caesar, she recalled, but to her surprise he was acting quite the opposite. Caesar shakily cleared his throat. "The… the Commodore wants to… see yer cap'n urgently." He glanced at the crew nervously.

"What? Now?" Sheila glared at the crab. "Can't he wait till mornin'?"

"Er… he… he can't." Caesar swallowed and looked away.

"Why not?"

"Look, cap'n, I'm jus' the messenger. I'm not arguin' over this."

"I'm fuckin' drunk."

He grimaced. "Sorry. Doesn't matter. Yer his star student... or somethin'... so he only wants you."

Senile, old dog. Ugh. "...fine, okay. I'll be there in a sec." She watched the crab scuttle away and then she stretched her legs, sighing contently when a joint cracked. "I'll be back soon, guys." The privateer paused. "Don't eat all the marshmallows. Please. An' Hawkules, stop throwin' them in the fire!"

Sheila quickly made a beeline to Avery's Court, ignoring the other drunk pirates and glaring at the sharks from across the life fountain (who promptly made a scene of grinding their teeth at her), and walked briskly into the Commodore's Garrison. The Commodore was standing by the fire, rigid like a plank, with his hands behind his back. He's probably in one of his 'moods' to go to war. Again.

"You wished to see me... -hic- sir?"

"Ah, Evans!" the Commodore greeted, and Sheila nodded back politely. It looked like he was in one of his more sharper moods, with him having not asked her 'who the devil are you?' upon her entry. "I've been awaiting your arrival for some time."

"Do ya have 'nother skill to teach me?" she asked. "Or a new strategy?"

"Strategy, dear pirate," the Commodore said, "strategy. I have a location set up for the lesson already. We can leave shortly when you're ready."

She blinked. That was... surprising to hear. Usually he was quite forgetful. "Oh, now? I'm a bit… -hic- well, on the drunk - drunk side, I won't 'member the lesson that well."

"The more challenging, the better, yes? Dear pirate, enemies have the potential to ambush you in any state, whether it be inebriated or sober. I'm quite surprised you've never fought while intoxicated, with how often you turn to alcohol." Sheila mumbled a few obscenities and avoided his gaze with burning cheeks. "Shall we go, then?"

The privateer double checked that her sword and shield were intact, and then nodded at the old dog. They then set out towards Skull Mountain, though she missed the victorious glint in the Commodore's eyes.

"Hawkules, you're not supposed to-! Gah!"

"This is a burnt offering to my father! Come on, guys."

"You've dumped two entire bags in the fire, you idiot!"

The sun had been long gone from the horizon, and stars twinkled in the night sky.

Bonnie amusedly watched the crew argue over the fate of the marshmallows, and snorted when Ratbeard jumped in and stole the remaining bags before fleeing with a cackle. She frowned and looked toward the market. Their captain hadn't been back for a while. She bit her lip and thought back to the strange crab.

He seemed to be… in utter fear when he called Sheila into the Garrison. He had trembled with fright, avoided their gazes. It was as if he had encountered a ghost… or a monster.

Something doesn't sit right with me.

Old Scratch sat up suddenly, rigid, the jewel in his eye glowing in the darkness.

"I an' I feel dark magic bein' used," he said gravely. "It be comin' from Avery's Court, I am certain." Scratch looked at Bonnie with an intense gaze. "It flared to life soon after our cap'n left."

Oh no. Cap'n!

"Heh, nice an' - an' peaceful without troggies 'round," Sheila said, trying her hardest not to trip on her own feet or to stumble over her words. Despite the lantern that the wizened dog carried, she had quite a bit of trouble finding her bearings in the dark. At least fireflies illuminated the area.

It was embarrassing to be in this state around the older privateer, but then again, he seemed to know of her drinking habits so it didn't matter, right? Sheila's vision swayed from side to side, which made things more challenging. She hadn't been to Skull Mountain much recently, but memories of her first time here made this walk very nostalgic.

'Twas where I first found Bonnie Anne.

"What is your opinion on power, captain?"

Her daydream shattered. "What?" she said dumbly.

"Leading others, such as your crew," the Commodore said, and his voice took on a more commanding tone. "Rising above them all by controlling what they do, what their strategy is, shouting commands and making them yours to get a beautiful endgame. An unstoppable army. You would certainly feel more superior to them, wouldn't you agree, Evans? What is your opinion?"

Her confidence dwindled. No, not that. "Uh, well…" Her mind immediately brought her back to the events of the tower and how she revelled in the elixir's effects, which brought out her inner thirst for power and control. She had taken on the position of the leader, and it felt natural. "None of 'em shall escape this place with their lives!" she had manically commanded the Five, with fire in her eyes. The shadow of Moo Manchu had been at the back of her mind, watching, waiting.

"Submit to me, little pirate, and cause them anguish unlike none they have ever experienced."

The privateer flinched. She remembered at one point wanting to destroy her own mother at the time (can't have any sentiment while under his control, after all), which was sickening… she even avoided visiting Cool Ranch for months on end after the tower, afraid that she would lose control again.

"I don't like to -hic- think 'bout any o' that," she said icily, looking away. "I mean, yeah, I lead my crew and all that, but… I certainly don't have a sick sense o' enjoyment. I jus' lead 'em to - to victory… Nothin' special 'bout it." Liar.

"Hrum," was all the Commodore hummed, and they both continued their stroll.

They soon arrived at the cave mouth of the ancient tunnel, lit by torches on the walls, and Sheila was overwhelmed by more nostalgic memories. She couldn't see anything of value in the cave though. The Commodore said he set something up, didn't he?

"After you, my dear," the Commodore said in a weirdly pleased tone, and the privateer captain slowly walked in and stepped over thick vines. Not a moment after she entered, a cold wind blew over her, as well as something else. It was the metallic smell of blood and she went rigid. Wait a minute. Through her haze, alarm bells blared in her head. What was going on here?

Sheila glanced at the altar… and wished she'd never done so.

A mangled body, covered in blood and many intestines, was splayed out on the altar, with fresh blood still dripping down the stairs. Her breath hitched after a few moments and her stomach churned, threatening to bubble up. This was recent. The more she examined the body, the more she realised that it looked familiar.

Startlingly familiar.

A blue admiral's coat with gold trimmings, a trampled blue hat, and short fur. A dog. Then Sheila let out a gasp when the head of the victim slowly rolled her way.

It was the Commodore.

Then who was-?

"It's a blessing in disguise, truly it is, when you are gullible and naive, little pirate."

Through her drunken haze, she immediately drew out her shield and held it close with a firm grip. Not even a second later, a burst of fiery flame, much like a meteor, slammed into her. The force of the impact sent her sliding back and splinters fell away from her shield.

"Who the fuck-?" she gasped out, and quickly blocked another attack. The shield shattered into splinters upon impact, but the privateer managed to roll away, albeit more like a stagger, from the next burst of magic to draw her sword. That voice, that deep, accented voice was too familiar.

Sheila grew rigid upon seeing the vile tyrant of Mooshu in the cave with his staff glowing, illuminating the cave. A burning hatred boiled inside of her. She wanted to stab him in the gut multiple times for what he did to her and her crew! Her grip on the sword tightened until her knuckles went white.

But first of all… "Ya -hic- murdered the Commodore," she hissed out. "The Commodore! Ya even disguised as him after killin' - killin' him in cold blood? What the actual - augh!"

She couldn't react to the next attack and she was slammed into the dead body. Blood splattered on her skin and clothes, and even stained her golden sword, making her gag. She roughly slid down the stairs and took on a defensive position, briefly wondering what buff she could use on herself.

This was no joke. Moo Manchu was here on Skull Island and she was unprepared.

Bonnie was gonna kill her.

"It was not necessary, true," Moo Manchu drawled, stepping out of the shadows and into the torch's light, "however, he would have proved to be more trouble had I left him alive. I find… sadistic enjoyment in seeing the life fade away from their body, as I'm sure you've figured out."

The memory of the samoorai who was tortured into insanity came to mind, and a dark expression shadowed her face. "Ya vile-! If yer here to get revenge on me for fuckin' - fuckin' up all your plans"- she angrily ignored the flash of rage in Manchu's eyes and her own slurred speech -"then, please, be my - my guest. But if ya dare harm a hair o' - o' my crew-"

The cow narrowed his eyes and icily said, "Or what, little pirate? You are in no position to be making demands of me, despite your intoxication. None whatsoever. I believe I am controlling the situation here." He nonchalantly walked around the edge of the cave, much like a predator would with their prey.

Sheila staggered back and immediately cast a basic privateer spell to increase her damage resistance. While she knew she had no chance of survival, it still gave her a sense of security. "Jus' a question. Why bother with all this? Why bother with even - even -hic- takin' on his form to even lead me here? Ya could've murdered me back - back at the Garrison!"

"Despite me invading your mind and corrupting your morality, you still have no basic idea as to how I deal with my enemies. I actively make them suffer, Evans, much like I attempted to do so with you at the Tower of Winter's Fury."

Sheila was silent, and all hopes of a quick death went flying out the window. Shit.

"You were correct before, however - this is a plan of revenge. You will suffer for more than an eternity, I will make certain of that." The sorcerer's eyes glinted with insanity. "In fact, I'm certain in time that you'll see me as your new master without the elixir's guidance-"

"No," she spat out and ran out with her sword ready to pierce his abdomen, however Manchu merely laughed and disappeared in a puff of red smoke. "No, no, no!" I'm never goin' back to that! I can't! Ya can't do that to me again! She twisted on the spot and struck again, only for her sword to pass through more smoke. "Damn it! That is not gonna happen in - in a million years," she hissed furiously. "Fuck -hic- you!" Without her knowledge, Sheila's blue eyes glowed a deadly red, much to the surprise of the sorcerer, now standing at the altar. His lip curled.

"Such fiery rage, little pirate," he purred. "It will certainly be entertaining to break you into a million pieces, then to rebuild you into something brilliant." He paused and looked out towards the cave entrance, narrowing his eyes.

Sheila then heard it. Voices in the distance calling out her name. "Sheila! Cap'n! Sheila!" She gasped out and glanced out into the darkness. She could see torch lights moving near the The Old Chum, and hope blossomed in her chest.

"Your crew is more resourceful without you than I realised," Manchu said with a grimace. "Say goodbye to your home, Evans; this will be the final time you set eyes on it."

"Cap'n! Captain!"

Sheila lowered her weapon and began to run, but Manchu was faster than a viper. He immediately struck the privateer with a harsh spell and she let out a pained screech before becoming limp. Her sword clattered to the ground. Moo Manchu cackled and began cast a teleportation spell-

"Moo Manchu!" Bonnie Anne appeared at the cave first, and the fox gasped. "No! What- what have you done? Cap'n!"

"Fools," he bellowed. "You're all too late!"

Then he and the captain were gone in flames.

A/N: And then he makes them develop Stockholm Syndrome to destroy their entire life, from the inside out. The end.