As soon as the rowboat touched the ship below, Lucy rose and grabbed onto the wooden steps. She clambered toward the main deck and peeked beneath the railing.

Still, nobody patrolled around the deck, and it was silent.

“Yuh si nuhting up there?” Tashina asked below Lucy’s feet.

“Not a single thing.” Lucy flung herself over the railing and landed on the deck. Although the ship might be deserted, she still needed to remain silent.

When Tashina and Byron climbed aboard, Lucy pulled out her cutlass.

“I will check below to find Charles,” she whispered. “You both can scout the decks and the cabin.”

“Be careful,” Byron whispered.

Lucy smiled and walked through the door into the gallery. She took the stairway into the orlop deck, expecting to hear loud snoring. However, she still didn’t find anyone asleep. What happened to Walton’s crew?

Further down, she entered the cargo hold and strolled to the brig. Once she stepped into the jail chamber, her heart dropped. “Charles?”

The cage’s door hung open with nobody inside. Lucy ran inside and checked around. “Charles!”

She soon checked the lock and found a broken pin inside. Her breath escaped from her mouth. “Oh, Charles…”

He must have escaped and left the ship, but where else could he go? To the island, close by the ship?

After she stepped out, something laughed inside the ship. Lucy’s legs trembled as her spine shivered. “Who’s there?”

The haunted laughter continued without giving Lucy a clear reply. Someone or something was aboard the ship.

“Lucy! Up here!” Tashina’s voice called from above.

The Cocker Spaniel dashed back to the orlop deck. In the second level, she spotted Byron and Tashina kneeling behind two barrels.

The hyena gazed at her and wiggled her finger. “Cum an luk.”

Lucy gulped and sneaked toward her crewmates. Behind their cover, she peeked over their shoulders and widened her eyes.

Facing the wall at the end was a short white Persian cat in a dark trench coat. His small legs crossed on the floor, staring into space.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. “That must be Walton.”

“We found him like that without disturbing him,” Byron whispered.

Tashina’s ears lowered. “Mi smell sup’m wrong wid him. Sup’m very wrong.”

Walton couldn’t be the only one on the ship. He would need a full crew to man the Iron Maiden so he wouldn’t do all the work alone. Without his crew, he would also be defenseless, even if he had a weapon.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. “I think we should confront him slowly. If he runs, we’ll split up to catch him. But no harming him until we know what he did with Charles.”

“You didn’t find him?” Byron asked.

Lucy grimaced. “He isn’t inside the brig. I believe he escaped off the ship.”

Tashina rubbed Lucy’s shoulder. “Nuh worry, dear. Wi wi find him afta wi interrogate dat pussy cat.”

Lucy smiled a bit. "Let's ask him now."

They rose and tipped-toed toward the cat. Lucy stopped before she stepped too close to him. She could barely hear the cat breathing. "Walton?"

The cat turned his head all the way around like an owl. His eyes glimmered yellow and a creepy grin spread across his face.

"Hail, granddaughter!" Walton’s voice sounded different. He has the same accent as Tashina, but darker.

Lucy beamed her eyes at him until a shocking status appeared in her vision.

Chief Boogaloo Level: 20 Race: Undead HP: 200 Dungeon boss

Lucy dropped her mouth. "Oh, no…"

"Grandfather?" Tashina asked in her shivering tone.

Walton laughed as his short body levitated above the floor. He twisted his body around to face the animal pirates. "Yea foolish girl! Now mi cya ave mi revenge!"

Another notification popped into Lucy’s vision.

Boss fight alert! Defeat Chief Boogaloo to reclaim the ship. There is no escape!