Saint Seiya: The Legend of Seiya

88 - Treasury of Treasures

"Captain's log, supplement. Captain Meko Kaire of the Galleon of Athena speaking, and I hereby inform you that the regulations for music players are revoked on my ship, so that Ensign-Engineer Lunara can hear her songs before bed. Unless, of course, my first-mate objects."

The Galleon of Athena left the mouth of the Amazon River and headed towards the north of the Atlantic where it entered the wonderful Caribbean Sea. Captain Geist knew the currents of that ocean very well, so they quickly gained the time they had lost anchored in the Rio Negro. The Caribbean Sea was full of mysteries in turbulent waters and filled with stories and legends.

But the acting Captain of that Galleon of Athena knew them all; first for being an avid reader of ancient stories and legends, as well from being banished from the Sanctuary precisely for her suspected involvement with the forces of the Caribbean, being exiled shortly after her graduation as a Silver Saint.

"All hands on deck!" she shouted to her crew, appearing on the quarterdeck. "June, I need the infirmary to be ready."

"Problems, Captain?" she asked.

"Yes." she confirmed, stopping at the quarterdeck railing and looking out over the ocean. "Caribbean stories may be stories, but their treasures are no legend."

"What does that mean?" the new first officer asked, but the Captain moved on with June on her heels.

She came down on deck and signaled for Lunara to leave the crow's nest to join her in the forecastle; there they could see the immensity of the Caribbean Sea shaking Athena's Galleon back and forth.

"Lieutenant Lunara, I want you to stay on the quarterdeck and control the sails. We'll navigate together, you and I."

"Yes, Madam Captain!"

"Seiya, collect the Holy Cloths." said the Captain, handing her own silver pendant to the boy at the helm. "Hide them in the Orichalcum chamber."

June did not leave her side at all.

"We must prepare for battle." said Geist very gravely.

Lunara looked scared at June, but Captain Geist left them there with surprise written all over their faces; Seiya stared at the silver pendant, not understanding that order very well, but chose to comply without arguing. Geist then looked at her entire crew and her voice sounded high and powerful for all to hear. Even the night shift was now on deck, alerted by the first-officer June.

"Galleon of Athena! We will fly this ship to the Island of Tortuga and then we will dive into the ocean, where we will be attacked at the mouth of the cave to the heart of the Caribbean. A place dominated by bucaneers who will welcome us with their cannons aimed at our bow. We don't have the firepower to rival them, but we have the speed to reach the mouth of the cave and surrender to the Temple of Kalinago."

"Surrender?" Seiya asked, confused and with the silver pendant in hand.

"This is not a mission of conquest. Trust me. I know what to do."

She spoke mysteriously.

And that was exactly how it happened, because no one dared to disobey her, who, without a doubt, was a well-known navigator of those seas.

Athena's Galleon soared into the skies at that point with Geist deftly at the helm looking for the largest cloud formations to hide in as they conquered sea leagues through the air. When the dreaded Tortuga Island that Geist knew so well loomed over the horizon and the surface of the water, she ordered everyone into position and pointed her bow at the water, swooping down into an impossible dive.

When the Galleon reached the sea, it immediately sank into the ocean, raising an immense wave that, for an instant, hid the meteor that had hit the waters, splitting the ocean in half. And just as it had been in the Rio Negro, Athena's magical orichalcum protected them from drowning by creating an air bubble while they were submerged. But like an enormous predatory fish, Athena's Galleon emerged piece by piece on the surface: first the masts emerged tearing through the ocean as the vessel sped onward, and then revealed the sails which, as soon as they reached the surface, filled up like lungs and pushed the ship even faster. And at last the whole wonderful hull of Athena's Galleon emerged, racing towards a rock formation.