Once everyone finally stopped laughing at Dad, we turned to more serious matters. Henriette had been more than happy to follow a Cooper back to the hideout - which in this case was our ship - and we needed information. That meant Henriette telling her story.
It wasn't a pleasant one...
Henriette leaned back as she began to retell her tale. "It started...a few months ago. Things were as they'd always been, with me robbing pirates and ships from distant nations blind with none the wiser and hiding the booty where only we knew where it was, and digging up treasure when we found maps. Then that Captain LeFwee showed up. He styled himself the Smartest Man on the Seven Seas, and claimed he could out think, out sail, and outfight any other pirate on the waters. Quite a few pirates took up that challenge, and when he beat them he made them swear loyalty, so he's got quite an armada at his command.
"O' course, one o' the things that keeps places like this safe is that we aren't a threat to the various governments as individuals," she continued dryly. "So one pirate captain amassing an armada drew immediate interest...and got me a call from one o' my regular...contacts." She smirked mischievously at that, though there was no joy in her single eye.
"The 'admiral' you mentioned?" Sly asked carefully.
"Aye," Henriette confirmed. "Admiral Kyuubi Flametail Vulpine, the most dangerous fox to ever sail under Her Majesty's banner. He's tasked with protecting Her Majesty's territories from all sea-borne threats, and he's th' first Royal Admiral ta pull it off...cause the first thing he did was team up with me."
"Team up?" Carmelita asked in shock. "Wouldn't teaming up with a pirate get him in trouble?"
Henriette let out a bark of laughter. "Only if anyone found out! None o' his own crew would ever spill th' beans cause he got his rank by winning so many naval battles while personally ensuring he never lost a single man. He lost a few ships, but always came back with a full crew and often a captured galleon or three. Their loyalty ta him is unshakable...much like mah own crew was..." She lowered her gaze briefly. "But that's a different part o the story. Anywho, he knew I was the most dangerous pirate on these waters, and knew that mah crew only stole from other pirates and worse. So he showed up in my own bar, walked right up to my table, and offered to buy me a drink." She grinned at the memory. "I nearly laughed him outta the bar, but he just sat there with that cheeky grin...and then he laid out his offer. In exchange for me feeding him information I picked up regarding danger to the colonies or anything else that might be of significance and agreeing to not harass Royal ships in their territorial waters, he'd ensure I had a safe, happy, wealthy home ta retire to when ah was ready ta leave the seas."
"How would he guarantee that?" Bentley asked curiously. "I mean, I'm not sure how much of what I've learned in history class is true, but would he really have that much authority-"
"By takin' my name when he married me," Henriette barked out, grinning at the stunned looks that got. "That was his offer. In exchange for helping him become absolutely invaluable to Her Majesty, the Cooper line would become nobility. Ah wasn't gonna say no ta that, since I do need ta think about my descendants...and besides, I'd encountered him on the seas a few times before he was Admiral, and always found him rather handsome." She lay back as her eye misted in memory. "And as I found out that day, he's amazing in bed, with no qualms about a bride who wasn't virgin. Didn't even offend him that he wasn't my first time."
Carmelita struggled to find something to say...and to stop blushing.
"Course, when he came ta talk ta me about LeFwee's antics, he got ambushed," Henriette growled darkly. "Dunno how, but Lefwee faked one o' my coded messages about where ta meet, and now Kyuubi's LeFwee's prisoner. Ah tried ta free him...but LeFwee made it plain th' only way I'd get Kyuubi free is if I challenged him ta something he called a 'Davy Black' challenge, wagerin' my ship and mah crew against his...and the challenge was for who could find th' most buried treasure in a period of time. Despite all the maps I had...somehow I lost...
"Lost me ship...me crew...even me hook..." She stared at her stump. "The symbol of me line...and ah didn'a even save Kyuubi. The bastard's still got him...and ah've only got a knife and me bar to me name now..." She slammed her clenched fist on the table. "How?! I know every inch o' these waters, and all the islands! How could he know of buried treasure ah didn' know about? It doesn't make sense!"
"It does when you take into account he's from the future," Razor pointed out. "Well, our present really."
"What's that got ta do with anything?" Henriette demanded irritably.
"He has access to modern charts of where treasure was buried in the now that was excavated at later dates," Razor explained. "He could go straight to where he knew the biggest hauls would be, dig them up, and then move on without any searching. His charts would be a lot more exact than the ones of this time, too."
Henriette stared at Razor for a time. "Are ya saying...are you telling me that feathered bastard cheated?"
"Uh...yes?" Razor allowed nervously, flinching back from the absolute fury that set that single eye aflame.
Henriette grabbed the table - which easily weighed at least 150 pounds solid wood - and with her one hand hurled it out of the room with a roar of rage. "I'll have his guts fer garters, his tail for a hat, and I'll roast the rest of him over a slow fire while he's still alive before making him watch while I eat his still beating heart! Nobody cheats Henriette One-Eye Cooper and lives ta tell the tale!"
It took about an hour for us to get her calmed down enough that she wasn't going to charge straight out to try and tear LeFwee apart with her bare hand. It then took another six for the bruises to heal.
remind me, somebody: was there a pirate arc in the game that got scrapped mid development, or is this all original to tatsurou?
8473721
There was a pirate arc in the third game that I didn't use in this story when it got there. We got the St. Canard arc instead.
8473721
In Honor Among Thieves (3rd game) there was a pirate level. And it was glorious. However, due to change of events as presented in Dressed to Steal, Tats did not need the pirate level there. He obviously chose the much wiser decision to have it in Thieves in Time. Where there would be GLORIOUS PIRACY FILLED WITH TALES OF PLUNDERING FINE BOOTY!
8473721
From what I've checked in to, there were a few more time periods discussed in early development (Revolutionary War, Ancient Egypt, and the "Pirate era" of Henrietta) but they never made it on to the official drawing board, they were just discussions. So...all original content. Tatsurou doesn't disappoint though eh?
8473724
8473730
8473736
thanks!
8473721
actually there was an Pirate Arc from Honor among thieves, that Tatsurou skipped because Coco and company did not need Dimitri's help during the Canon third Episode "Flight of Fancy" to recruit Penelope.
Davy Black challenge was in that cartoon with the rubber guy wasn't it?
Can't remember the bloody name but it had an idiot that cheated by rigging games
6 hours for bruises to heal? I want some of what they’re having!
8473776
One Piece
8473791
That sounds right, thank you
Anyone else find it weird that the Cooper line seems to be, like, 25% fox and it took time travel for Sly (and by extension, us) to find out about it?
Also, seriously enjoying having a Cooper that's more Thief than Hero. Most of them seem to be more focused on family honor and taking down bigger criminals than actually stealing anything. I mean, one of them was a literal knight in shining armor, for crying out loud! (doesn't that mean the Coopers were already a noble family?)
Meanwhile, Henriette here is a brawler and a brigand, hot-tempered and shameless, and if I had to guess, nearly as cutthroat as the pirates she shares the seas with. A thief first, and a hero when it suits her (which probably starting happening a bit more often when Admiral Ninetails entered the scene). Always fun to get some variety in the guest-Coopers.
Or her bare hand, anyway.
8473782
Agreed. Probably Coco's magic or something.
8473850
Because she's best on the one hand at things. I'd almost say that our Admiral's proposal was similar to a contract. Least we know she's a bruiser when angry.
LeFew: "...why is a massive galleon flying through the air and to my shi-OH GOD!"
Henriette: "THAT'S FOR ME CREW YE CUNT! AND I'VE GOT PLENTY MORE SHIPS TO THROW AT YE!"
8473935 Well, it's not like she could just go to a 'second hand' store or something.
I guess Admiral Firefox there was hooked at first sight.
8473776
One Piece, Silver Fox Foxy. The anime and challenger respectively. Also, the rubber guy was "Straw Hat" Monkey D. Luffy.
And this ladies and gentlemen is why you never piss off a female pirate captain... it is very bad for your continued survival. In the same vein as pissing off old men with scars and old firefighters.
All three got to where they are for a reason
Man, wish we had Henriette in the game!
The message of the day,
NEVER cheat a pirate.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, this is gloriously well done! Oh so wonderfully done.
Good show!
Hope to see Coco interacting with her ancestor more next chapter. Also, nice touch having her future husband take the Cooper name to preserve it.
That last line. Henriette went all Shizuo from Durarara there
Bare hand, not bare hands. She has a stump arm, Tat.
8474127
Monkey D Luffy. Get it right!
8474709
What you talkin bout? That's exactly what I typed. You feelin okay friend?
8475098
reads your comment again Ah. You noticed the typo and fixed it.
Put a few rounds in his crotch! And if that don't work? Put a few more in.
8475600
Or you thought there was a typo, made a post, and got called out on it?
Yeah, I noticed the typo. The "N" key on my laptop is kinda finicky. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Using my iPad for this one.
8475735
No I saw a typo.
Kyuubi? Nobility? Hmm... Kind of makes me think of one particular fox.
gamesites.nintendo.com.au/yo-kai-watch-2/assets/img/play-together/trade-kyubi.png
So this explains why slys family is a bit royalty
8475735
You ever get the feeling of dejavu?
Probably just me in this case- I heard Tracer's voice for a brief moment.
8473935
I gotta hand it to you; ya got an eye for the jokes. Planned and mapped; trial and error? I have no clue what skill you have buried in that noggin. I'm not going to flip a table over it but I am a bit curious.
Because Sarge from Red vs Blue is the best pirate to drive under the seven seas... I will make an RvB reference.
I can think of some booty Captain LeFwee has yet to find. Bow Chicka Bow Wow.
8476954
A bit of both in a sense plus an understanding of language along with thinking about the same word in multiple ways.
The planning part is really minor with some titles. It helps if you know the series so there's a base of jokes to draw on the scenes that would or could happen.
Trial and error is mostly just mental gymnastics when reading through the chapter. That's where the understanding and multiple points of view comes in.
Practice makes perfect and apparently my mom says I've been doing that since young. Must've been the copious amounts of coffee I drank and the strength of it. Favourite was a double expresso any day all day.
8475926
...did you not read the whole reply? I was messin with you, I admitted the typo, and told you the "N" on my laptop is sticking.
8477788
NNope. I doubt it.
Seems to be a running theme with the bad guys.
This was running in my head before I read the chapter.
8478325
Naw, weren't ya listening it's one piece!
So...why hasn't anyone made a persona 5 joke yet?
Of course, another fox mate. But at least this time the genets are reversed, so that’s something. Also kinda a shame we never got to explore any female Coopers in Sly 4.
Anyone else reminded of mad eye moody from Harry Potter when they read Henriettes’ lines?
Wow! Her wrath is almost as scary as Coco's.