In the Golden Age of piracy, ships sailed the blue Caribbean waters. There was plundering and thievery. Crews of rough, rugged men survived in the harsh conditions of the treacherous Sea. There were storms, warring vessels, and the damned beasts of the depths.

Standing on the quarterdeck, dressed in a royal blue uniform and tricorne hat, stood Captain Curly. The captain led the crew of the small ship, long ago named the Tulpar. Under his command were Anya Musume, the doctor, Swansea Harold, the shipwright, and Daisuke Juarez, the cabin boy. While the crew was small, it was well managed, and they rarely got themselves into trouble that they couldn't handle.

The breeze blew gently today as the Tulpar sailed the calm waters. The smell of saltwater filled the captain's nostrils as he guided the small sloop through the sea. The sky was clear with an occasional thin cloud drifting by. There was a storm rolling in on the horizon, a bad one at that. While the Tulpar was an agile ship, she wasn't built to withstand the harsh waves that crashed into her hull. At best, it would be more work for Swansea when the storm was over. At worst, the crew would be without a ship, stranded in the warm Caribbean waters.

"Captain. We've caught sight of the beast again. Lodged a spear into its bloody tail before the damn thing got away."

Curly's gaze travels over to Swansea, who stood by his side with a wooden spike in his hand. The older man wore ragged clothes, hardly fitting his bloated body. His hands were calloused from years of hard manual labor. His hair was thin and gray with old age. Wrinkles and a hardened expression were evident on his face. The mention of the beast had the captain's attention in a second, his blue eyes narrowed at the information.

The beast was an ugly-looking thing that'd been tormenting the ship and her crew for months. Pirates had told tales of beautiful women with mesmerizing voices who would lure unfortunate sailors to their deaths. This beast did none of the sort, and it certainly didn't look the part either. Curly had seen the beast only a few times, but it was always quick to disappear into the depths. Its skin was gray and sickly, with a black tail and transparent green fins. It had glowing green eyes that would narrow when it made eye contact with the captain, slick black hair falling to its shoulders, and dangerously sharp teeth. It would ram itself into the ship's hull with surprising speed and strength, causing the sloop to tip over and threaten to sink to the unknown depths below. It would steal whatever it could off the deck; food, weapons, ammunition. If it could get its damned hands on it, it took it. That beast was a nuisance, a troublesome bother to the captain and his crew.

...

The storm rumbled loudly around the Tulpar, heavy gusts of wind battering the weak ship. Large waves came crashing over the deck, drenching the floor in water and tipping the bow downwards. The ship's bell rang loudly with each harsh gust of wind. Stationed at the helm was the captain, who struggled to keep the sloop moving forward. The wind blew against the sails, forcing the ship to a grueling pace. Lightning struck down in the water, followed by the loud crack of thunder, which shook the deck underneath the captain's feet. Instinctively, Curly lowered himself to brace against a large wave, but was unable to keep the ship from turning. Before the blonde had an opportunity to turn the struggling ship back, another unforgiving wave crashed into the hull and toppled the ship over. The captain was thrown into the water, with a heavy barrel coming down on top of him. The object struck the back of his head, and his vision went black.

...

The captain's eyes opened to a clear night sky, a stark contrast to the storm he had been caught in. He'd been washed up on shore it seemed, but when he sat up to gauge his surroundings, he froze. The moon's reflection off the water was obstructed by a figure. The only thing Curly could see were two glowing green eyes and snarling teeth in the shallow water.