*Sneaky bear-hug from behind!*
"Eek! You’re not gonna catch me, coppers! I-… "
"… eh? Hold the banana phone, you’re not the police!” A surprised look soon turned into that of amusement as Diddy tried to return the hug much stronger than his.
"Hehe, you got me this time, Banjo."
Yep, that was a down to earth, bona fide deed alright. What luck, his friend managed to call the shots around Spiral Mountain! But those witches on the Isle O’ Hags weren’t guaranteed to leave all the innocent folks alone; they must have been fumed after Gruntilda, the head honcho, was reduced to nothing but a mere head. Skull. Thingy?
Nevertheless, Diddy followed his bear buddy towards the docks where he could see a seaworthy ship (say that three times fast!) and its captain rearing to go. Fortunately, he was accustomed to foul-odored vessels after days of purging pirate ships, so this wasn’t anything surprising. Save for the big hippo himself, a master at saying everything he had in mind via belches.
"Hey there, pirate sir… err… dude!” Diddy happily greeted their captain.
"We’re packed and ready to go!" The chimp hopped aboard the deck and attempted to steady himself for the voyage. He would then glance towards Banjo and spoke in whispers, hoping Blubber didn’t hear a potentially insulting remark. "This, uh… this ship is sound and won’t fall to pieces, right?”
Banjo’s confidence seemed to fade at that particular inquisition, his shoulders rising together. An unsure shrug was going to have to see them through. Banjo attempted to speak in a hushed tone as well: "Errr… well we only lost a few pieces of the ship on the way here... Buh I brought a floaty in mah backpack just in case…"
"YARRR!" A mighty belch did cause their craft to quake! ”This ship be the finest of its kind, Laddies! We be seein’ land er mah name ain’t Captain Blubber!”
This half-baked announcement is more than enough to make Banjo upgrade his unsure shrug to an unsure nod! He was sure that he was at least a little more sure now! Surely. “Guh… huh! Yep! This ship has many years to come, Diddy! I think.”
The approaching storm-clouds which caused the skies to clash in the distance seemed to suggest otherwise. And, of course, they were hovering over Banjo’s own beloved Isle o’ Hags in the distance. The unsure nod was suddenly downgraded to a cautious swallow and worried glance to their pilot, whom either didn’t notice the spiraling storm clouds in the distance or was too proud to turn them away.
"...You can hide in my backpack if you need to, Little Buddy..."
Either way, the way seemed set in stone! Next stop, Stormy Trove Cove!
