Within the Cave's Shadows
The pirate captain stormed into the brig, shoulders trembling with rage, his tattered coat scorched from Alastor's electric rebuke.
"What is that sword!?" he bellowed, glaring at the captive Kanmusu.
Tenryuu smirked inwardly. She recalled Trish's tales—Alastor shocked those it deemed unworthy. The captain's burns proved it.
The Kanmusu stayed silent. Partly to withhold information, but mostly because, except for Kitakami and Ooi, they had no desire to converse with a skeleton. Frustrated, the captain kicked the iron bars with a clang.
"Answer me!" he roared.
"Don't know!" Ooi snapped.
"What're you? What's your goal?" Kitakami shot back.
The captain's hollow eyes narrowed. "My goal? To kill a man named Dante."
"…Huh?" Kitakami blinked.
"What?" Ooi echoed.
"Hm?" the others chorused, tilting their heads.
"What's that look?" the captain growled.
Confusion rippled through the Kanmusu. Hadn't they just seen Dante driven off the ship? What was this about?
"Explain," Kitakami demanded.
The captain's story unraveled. Long ago, as humans, they'd strayed into a cursed "Demonic Sea." Trapped, they transformed into undead monstrosities. A white-coated man appeared, offering a deal: kill Dante, and he'd restore their humanity. To lure him, the pirates wreaked havoc across the seas.
"Got it now?" the captain asked.
Silence fell. The Kanmusu exchanged glances, a realization dawning. The pirates didn't know Dante's appearance—they'd been hunting blindly. A single thought united them: (These guys… might be idiots!)
Sandy Shores
"Thanks for the effort," Dante said, tossing his smoking, broken rigging onto the beach.
The group had landed on the island. Aoba's eyes sparkled. "A pirate island! How thrilling!"
"We're not here for fun," Kaga snapped.
"What's the plan?" Akagi asked.
Dante rubbed his chin. "Hmm…"
They split up: Akagi and Kaga stayed to scout with aircraft, Kirishima guarded them, while Aoba, Jintsuu, Shiratsuyu, and Dante ventured deeper to find Hiei and the others.
Trekking through dense jungle, they stumbled upon man-made structures—wooden pillars topped with cages, some holding skeletal remains, others oddly shaped.
"Fascinating!" Aoba said, snapping photos.
"Execution cages for criminals," Jintsuu mused.
"Let's get outta here!" Shiratsuyu whimpered.
"Stop photographing, Aoba. Move," Dante urged.
As they pressed on, a metallic clank echoed. Cold sweat dripped down Aoba, Jintsuu, and Shiratsuyu's faces as they turned. Dante grinned wickedly. The sound came from a fallen cage—an Agonofinis, Teleofinis, or Mortofinis, demonic iron traps animated by the vengeful spirits of the starved.
"Appetizer before the main course?" Dante quipped.
Battle erupted. Dante shattered the demons with Cerberus, while Aoba, Jintsuu, and Shiratsuyu screamed, firing at the horrific creatures.
Inside the Cave
"Now!" Tenryuu whispered.
With the captain gone and the guard distracted, the Kanmusu signaled. Tiny rigging fairies appeared, untying their ropes. Without a key, the locked bars remained, but keys were unnecessary. The Kanmusu retreated to the cell's back wall, baiting the guard.
"Hey!" Kitakami called.
"You, bonehead!" Ooi added.
"What?" The skeleton approached, oblivious.
Suzuya confirmed its position, deployed her rigging, and blasted the bars—and the guard—into oblivion. Dust and smoke filled the air.
Cough "Too much?" Suzuya wheezed.
"Might've alerted them," Kitakami said.
"Let's move!" Tenryuu urged.
"What about the sword?" Hatsuyuki asked.
"Later!" Ooi snapped.
"Hurry!" Hiei shouted.
They fled the brig. The explosion hadn't gone unnoticed. The captain, already irritated by Alastor, demanded answers. A skeleton rushed in.
"The prisoners escaped!" it reported.
"What!? Don't let those women get away!" the captain roared.
Skeletons scrambled to pursue. The noise reached Dante's group in the jungle and Akagi's on the beach.
Jungle Depths
"That's them," Dante said, hearing the blast.
Jintsuu nodded. "Admiral, that sound…"
They fought off demons, heading toward the noise, and soon found a cave entrance.
"Suspicious," Dante muttered.
"Such atmosphere!" Aoba exclaimed.
"I'll take point!" Shiratsuyu declared boldly.
"You were terrified earlier," Dante teased.
"Dangerous to go alone," Jintsuu warned.
With a sigh, they entered the cave.
Beachfront
"What was that sound?" Kirishima asked.
"Nothing's visible," Kaga said, scanning the island.
Akagi's planes patrolled the sea for Abyssals, Kaga's scouted above, but dense trees blocked their view.
"Trouble," Akagi said.
"What?" Kirishima asked.
"A storm's coming," Akagi replied.
Rain would ground their planes, tightening their time.
Jungle Chase
Hiei's group slipped through another cave exit, evading guards, and now fled blindly through the jungle, pursued by skeletons firing guns.
"There they are!" a skeleton shouted.
"Found us!?" Hatsuyuki gasped.
"Run!" Suzuya yelled.
They reached a rickety suspension bridge over a chasm. Falling meant death, but they had no choice. Hiei, Kitakami, Ooi, Suzuya, Hatsuyuki, and Tenryuu crossed, fear slowing their steps.
"This is terrifying!" Suzuya wailed.
"Hurry! They're coming!" Tenryuu urged.
The skeletons crossed without hesitation, closing the gap.
"I can't do this!" Hatsuyuki cried, deploying her rigging and aiming her cannon backward.
"Stop!" Tenryuu shouted, ducking.
Screams echoed as Hatsuyuki fired, hitting the lead skeleton. The explosion snapped the bridge, plunging them into the river below.
Cave Chaos
"Not exciting anymore!" Aoba panted.
"Run, don't talk!" Dante shouted.
Shiratsuyu, overeager, had triggered traps, setting off explosions. They sprinted through the cave to escape.
"Shiratsuyu!" Dante barked.
"Sorry!" she yelped.
Beach Panic
"Help!" a distant cry rang out.
"That's them!" Kaga said.
"They're safe!" Akagi sighed, then froze.
"Help!" Hatsuyuki screamed.
"Hiee!" Hiei wailed.
"Argh!" Tenryuu groaned.
The escapees ran toward the beach, waving, with skeletons in pursuit. Akagi, Kaga, and Kirishima exchanged glances, stowed their rigging, and bolted—away from them.
"Hey!" Ooi shouted.
"No help!?" Suzuya cried.
"Kirishima!" Hiei called.
"Don't say my name!" Kirishima snapped.
"Where's the Admiral!?" Kitakami asked.
"Searching deeper!" Akagi replied.
"Missed each other!?" Tenryuu groaned.
"Run!" Kitakami urged.
The chase engulfed them all, fleeing the skeletal horde.
Cave Showdown
Aoba collapsed, gasping. "Can't… run…"
"No time to rest," Dante said.
After dodging traps, they paused briefly. Aoba, Jintsuu, and Shiratsuyu caught their breath before pressing on. They reached a vast cavern, high above an inlet where the ghost ship docked.
"How do we get down?" Aoba asked.
"No way down," Shiratsuyu said.
Dante eyed the beams jutting from the walls, a wicked grin forming. The Kanmusu saw his look and paled.
"Scream!" they cried as Dante leapt, Jintsuu and Shiratsuyu clinging to him, Aoba tucked under his arm. He swung Cerberus's chain around beams, monkey-swinging toward the ship. Releasing the chain, they landed on the deck.
"You!?" the captain gasped.
"Return the hostages," Dante demanded.
"Not so easy," the captain sneered.
"The women escaped!" a skeleton reported.
"Useless!" the captain roared.
The returning skeletons revealed the escape. Dante, unaware, had planned to stall, but the loud report ruined it.
"So they got out. Now, my sword," Dante said.
"Fool, I won't—" The captain grabbed Alastor, only to be shocked again. It spun back to Dante.
"Thanks for the beacon, buddy," Dante said, catching it.
"Why can't I use it!?" the captain screamed.
"It chooses its master. Pirate or captain, you're unworthy," Dante taunted.
He'd known Alastor would reject the captain, playing him from the start.
"Raise anchor!" the captain ordered.
The ship sailed, aiming to trap Dante at sea. The crew readied for battle. Dante brandished Alastor, while Aoba, Jintsuu, and Shiratsuyu deployed rigging. As the ship exited the cave, a storm raged outside.
"Fire!" Kongou shouted.
The ship shuddered from new cannon fire. Dante had radioed for reinforcements, and nearly every Kanmusu from the base—ignoring Houshou's protests—joined Akagi's group. Carriers and escorts stayed outside the storm; the rest charged in, bombarding the ship.
"Do something, idiots!" the captain yelled, as the ship returned fire and sprayed flames from its bow.
"Take this!" Iku surfaced, dodged flames, and launched torpedoes.
Despite relentless attacks, the ship held. Tenryuu and Tatsuta, dodging fire, boarded the deck, joining the melee with sword and spear.
"Where's the Admiral?" Tatsuta asked.
"Up there!" Jintsuu pointed, firing.
In the storm, Dante and the captain clashed atop the mast.
"Don't come here!" Tenryuu shouted, slashing wildly to protect Tatsuta.
"Hold it together!" Tatsuta teased.
Aoba, Jintsuu, and Shiratsuyu worried for Tenryuu's frenzy.
"Who are you?" the captain demanded.
"Told ya, Admiral," Dante replied.
"Your name?"
"Dante."
"So you're the one he meant…"
"Who?"
A skeleton swung on a rope, charging Dante. He shot its skull, grabbed the rope, and circled the mast, firing at the captain. The captain shot back, missing. Both leapt to the deck, continuing their duel.
Ship's Hold
Tenryuu and Tatsuta infiltrated the hold to stop the cannon-firing skeletons. They spotted a glowing red jewel.
"Get away from that!" a skeleton shouted.
"What is it?" Tatsuta asked.
"It makes us immortal—!" The skeleton clapped its hands over its mouth. Too late.
Tenryuu grinned wickedly. "Tatsuta!"
"On it!" Tatsuta blasted the skeleton; Tenryuu shattered the jewel.
On deck, skeletons stopped regenerating, and the ship began to sink, taking on water.
Final Stand
"Pirate playtime's over," Dante said.
"I'll kill you and become human!" the captain roared.
"Want my life? Earn it," Dante taunted.
"Admiral, the ship's sinking! Evacuate!" Jintsuu shouted.
"Go!" Dante ordered.
"But—!" Jintsuu protested.
"Admiral's orders!"
Rarely invoking his authority, Dante forced compliance. Aoba, Jintsuu, Shiratsuyu, Tenryuu, and Tatsuta evacuated, joining the others to avoid the sinking ship.
"Where's the Admiral!?" Fumizuki asked.
"Still aboard!" Shiratsuyu replied.
"He has no rigging!" Akagi gasped.
"What!?" the others cried.
Without rigging, Dante would sink with the ship. Kongou wailed his name as the vessel submerged completely. Silence fell with the storm's end. The Kanmusu slumped, fearing the worst.
A massive shadow rose from the sea.
BOOM!
The ghost ship resurfaced. The Kanmusu readied weapons, then saw Dante at the railing.
"Yo, hop on?" he called.
"…What!?" they gasped.
Not only alive, Dante had claimed the ship. Stunned, they boarded as he took the helm. Sails unfurled, catching the wind.
"How's this work?" Shigure asked.
"Beats me. Handy, though," Dante shrugged.
His vague answer left them uneasy, but they let it go, enjoying the ride. For Kanmusu—ships themselves—sailing a ship felt novel. Destroyers ran across the deck, laughing.
Kitakami approached Dante. "That captain mentioned a white-coated man."
"White coat, huh…" Dante mused, suspecting the "Doctor" from his world. "Don't worry about it," he told her, steering for home.
Devil May Cry Naval District
The ghost ship docked at the base's port. Houshou, seeing it, fainted from shock. The incident closed, but the base erupted in chaos.
"Houshou-san!?" / "Houshou!?"
Dante grinned. "Got her."
He felt smug, finally one-upping the scolding Houshou.
"Admiral!" / "Commander!" / "Shitty Admiral!"
"Kidding…" Dante muttered.