Happy Valentine's Day!

Later that night at sea, Marinette was in the cabin, sitting in the dining chair, to have dinner with the captain. It was new to her to sit in a chair for the first time, and she couldn't move out of the chair without falling.

"You humans always cook meat to make this taste delicious. Where I come from, we eat non-cooked fish" Marinette said before munching on a drumstick.

"You mean you eat it raw? Humans get sick eating raw food," Captain Noir said while eating.

"So roasting meat is the safer way? You humans are weird" Marinette said before tossing the drumstick bone and going for another one.

"Yes, it is. Even adding spice, one makes it even better" Captain Noir drank some rum, "Careful, dear. Fire may not exist in water but touching it really hurts like a bite" Captain Noir warned her to not touch the candles.

"Okay," Marinette pulls her hand back and then tries some tomato, "I'm not gonna lie but this food is good. You sure didn't put anything to make me sleep?" Marinette asked.

"No, I wouldn't dream of poisoning you" Captain Noir replied.

"Good," Marinette said and resumed eating.

"You really are feisty as a barracuda" Captain Noir chuckled.

"You have no idea" Marinette smugly said.

"I've always seen women a bit pouty but you are much wilder than them. A very wild fish at sea" Captain Noir drank rum.

"I suppose I'm not like the women on land, Mr. Noir. Women offer so much more than beauty" Marinette said before trying some apples.

She picked a red one and took a bite out of it, "I suppose you're curious about how I learned to sword fight"

"How exactly?" Captain Noir asked.

"I observed filthy pirates' sword fighting for years. I have known to fight underwater but it's not the same as fighting like pirates. If I were to fight on land, I would need a weapon to fight. Humans are not the best as fast swimmers the same way fish can't walk on dry land" Marinette explained.

"That's interesting, Marinette" Captain Noir said.

"Yes, even mermaids use weapons," Marinette said.

"Mermaids usually use tridents as weapons, not swords" Captain Noir finished his meal.

"Mostly magical ones," Marinette said.

"You really are something, princess. Humans can swim but they can't breathe underwater. Swimming is just an instinct to survive and fight the water" Captain Noir paced.

"I don't know what drowning is like but it probably feels like death awaits," Marinette said.

"Sort of," Captain Noir said.

"But the undead can breathe underwater. Ever heard of the sunken ship of Akuma?" Marinette asked.

This made the captain stop pacing at the mention of the evil word from his father's old sunken ship.

"Did you say Akuma?" He asked her.

"Yes, I did," Marinette said.

"No, the Akuma ship was destroyed years ago along with my father in it," Captain Noir said.

"Did you even see it or did someone lie to you?" Marinette asked.

"I have seen it before it sank," Captain Noir said.

"And yet no survivors," Marinette said.

"Even my father," Captain Noir said.

"I discovered the ship and the portrait of you and him. That's why I watched you if you were like your father but apparently you're not" Marinette said.

"He has done a lot of atrocities, sunk other ships after plundering them," Captain Noir said.

"So you did hate him? And yet he didn't raise you to be cruel" Marinette said.

"No, it was my mother who encouraged me to find my own destiny," Captain Noir said.

"Ah, mothers are very compassionate. All women are" Marinette said.

"Yeah, but a deadly disease got her," Captain Noir said.

"I'm sorry for your loss" Marinette gave him her condolences.

"Thank you, Marinette" Captain Noir held her hand.

"So what made you move on?" Marinette asked.

"I started my own crew and thought of what she told me; she wants me to be happy," Captain Noir said.

"But are you really happy as being captain in your own way?" Marinette asked.

"The only freedom I could have than be my father's puppet. My mother died very young when I was 12 and my father forgets his father's title" Captain Noir said, glancing at the portrait when he was younger alongside his mother and father.

Marinette noticed that the portrait of his father was slashed, "You look so much like your mother with green eyes" Marinette said.

"Thanks," Captain Noir said.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a twin brother," Marinette said, noticing the other portrait of another identical look-a-like with him.

"That's Felix, my maternal cousin. His mother and mine are twins" Captain Noir said.

"That's nearly impossible to have a twin cousin," Marinette said.

"There are only minor differences between us. He like me is a pirate. He's from England, I'm from Paris. We both are from different worlds and have opposite personalities. One time he did impersonate me but not clever enough that he's nothing like me" Captain Noir said.

"Disguises are not always perfect," Marinette said.

"But we are identical, him and I," Captain Noir said.

"So does he have his crew as well?" Marinette asked.

"Yes, and his ship The Peacock" Captain Noir said.

"Name of a bird. That's unusual" Marinette said.

"Yep, the sails on his ship even have patterns of one." Captain Noir said.

"I see. I noticed your father's ship had a lot of your mother's face. Was he really that obsessed with her?" Marinette asked.

"Yes, he was" Captain Noir confirmed.

"Sounds like he was searching for something until it took his life away," Marinette said.

"Perhaps. Although he was secretive about mostly everything he never tells me about" Captain Noir drank his rum, "But at least I don't need him controlling my life"

"You're no one's puppet," Marinette said.

"And let's hope I'm not," Captain Noir said.

"I hope," Marinette said.

Alya came inside the cabin, "Captain! Mr. Seagull is close by and he's loaded with bloody birds on his ship!"

"Load the guns! Get everyone ready! Guard our guest, Alya!" Captain Noir ordered.

"Aye sir" Alya nods as Captain Noir heads out.

"Battle stations! Cannons ready you lazy bilge rats!" Captain Noir ordered them.

The cannon ports opened as the crew loaded the guns, pouring in gunpowder before lighting the fuses. One by one the guns were brought out.

"Ready! Aim! FIRE!" The shots were all fired at the enemy ship.

"Agh! Fire all!" The lanky captain of the seagull ship ordered his crew to fire the cannons.

"Get down!" Nino dodged.

The feline climbed up the mast to dodge the incoming cannonballs and he took a rope to swing to the other side of the ship. Laughing like a maniac to sword fight the pirates. He strikes down two of them before shooting another with his pistol. Another tries to shoot him but he cuts a rope to cause a heavy block to knock him out.

"Argh! Somebody shoot that demon cat now!" Mr. Seagull demanded his crew.

Flock of seagulls cawed to attack him but the feline scared them off by firing his pistol.

"Piss off! Ye bloody birds!" Captain Noir taunted them.

"Don't you dare hurt me darlings!" Mr. Seagull shouted.

"Well, well, well, looks like the seagull is really a chicken" Captain Noir sneered and pointed his sword at him, "I suggest you and your pets surrender"

"Not until they get one last poop on your ship, pussycat" Mr. Seagull cackled.

Captain Noir grunts by slashing the man's chest area, "Don't insult me, dumb bird! I rule the seas and if you want your birds to live, I suggest you don't sail again!"

Mr. Seagull gulps as Captain Noir smirks and swings over back to his ship. Once he does, he ignites the fuse of a cannon and fires at the main mast, causing it to fall over on Mr. Seagull's ship.

"SHE'S GOING DOWN!" One of the crew moved out of the way.

The feline chuckled and kicked the plank off before the crew nearly tried to cross over to the ship, "See you all in hell! Hahaha!"

"CURSE YOU CAPTAIN NOIR!" Mr. Seagull yelled.

The flock of seagulls abandoned the stranded ship and took flight to find land.

"Mission accomplished mates!" Captain Noir said and his crew cheered at victory that they won the battle.

"That was awesome," Marinette said.

"Ah, thank you, milady. Great to see you in a barrel of water" Captain Noir chuckled.

"I needed to see you kick ass," Marinette said.

"Well, I hope my performance was puruurrrrfect" Captain Noir said with his purring tone.

"And I thought cats eat birds. You just scared them off" Marinette teased.

"A cat's got style, princess. Stay the course to the north, you lazy rats! Keep her steady!" Captain Noir ordered his crew.

"Aye aye, Captain!" Luka saluted.

The feline pirate carried his mermaid in his arms to return to his cabin, "I hope you have a pleasant sleep, princess. That is if it's your first time sleeping on my ship than underwater"

"This is the first time, Kitty" Marinette said.

"Such a shame you don't have human legs. Just don't snore, princess" Captain Noir teased before putting her back in the bathtub.

"I don't snore" Marinette chuckled.

Captain Noir hung up his hat and coat, "Plagg takes lots of naps all the time, don't you my little furball?" He scratched Plagg's chin.

"Meow" Plagg closed his eyes purring.

"Heh, just don't oversleep like an adorable kitten, kitty. Unless you want the ocean to wake you up" Marinette said.

"We'll see" Captain Noir got into his bed after removing his boots.

"Sleep well, Kitty," Marinette said.