"Shiver me timbers!" David shouted, clinging to the crow's nest of the giant pirate ship. The salty wind whipped through his hair, carrying the scent of the ocean and something else… something minty!
He climbed down, his sneakers thumping on the wooden deck. Grandma, wearing a pirate hat over her usual bun, waved him over. "Having fun, David?" she chuckled.
"I am," David said, peering around. "But, Grandma, why does it smell like…toothpaste?"
Grandma just winked and pointed to a sign flapping in the breeze: "Captain Cavity's Brushing Bonanza! Free treasure for every sparkly smile!"
David knew Captain Cavity was the friendliest pirate on the seven seas. But why was he giving away treasure for clean teeth? This was a mystery for a detective, and luckily, David had brought his trusty dino toothbrush!
He marched towards Captain Cavity's cabin, his toothbrush gripped tight. Inside, the captain sat on a treasure chest, his face a picture of despair.
"Ahoy, Captain!" David greeted him. "I hear you're giving away treasure for clean teeth!"
Captain Cavity sighed. “Aye, lad, but there’s a problem! Me magical dragon, Sparky, who loves the taste of minty fresh breath, has disappeared! Without him, no one can find me hidden treasure! He usually leaves a trail of sparkly toothpaste…"
David’s eyes widened. A dragon who loved minty breath? That explained the smell! He had to help! “Don’t worry, Captain! I’m a detective! I’ll find Sparky!”
The captain perked up. “You will? Then follow me!”
He led David to Sparky’s lair – a cave filled with giant toothbrushes and half-eaten tubes of toothpaste. It smelled like a giant had brushed their teeth with every flavor ever!
David spotted something shimmering under a mountain of floss: a single, sparkling scale, colored emerald green and ruby red! Remembering his dinosaur books, he knew dragons were strong and left clues like this. This was just like his favorite detective stories!
"Look, Captain!" David exclaimed, holding up the scale. "Sparky was here! And I think I know where he went!"
He remembered seeing a trail of sparkly green and red toothpaste leading away from the cave. He followed it, his dino toothbrush bouncing excitedly in his pocket.
The trail led them through a twisted maze of cannons and ropes, and finally, to the ship's galley. There, munching on a plate of…carrots? …was Sparky!
"Sparky, there you are!" Captain Cavity cried. "Why are you eating carrots? You love minty breath!"
Sparky burped, a small puff of smoke curling from his nostrils. "I do," he grumbled, "but I ran out of toothpaste! And a dragon’s gotta eat his veggies too, you know?"
David had an idea! He pulled out his dino toothbrush and some toothpaste. "Here, Sparky! Try this!"
Sparky cautiously took a sniff, then roared with delight. "This is amazing! The perfect blend of minty freshness and dino-mite flavor!"
Captain Cavity beamed. "You did it, lad! You saved the day! Now everyone can have their sparkly smiles and their treasure!"
He showered David and Sparky with gold coins and thanked them both for their help. As David and Grandma sailed back home to San Antonio, David thought about his adventure. He had learned that even dragons loved to brush their teeth, and sometimes, even detectives needed a little help from their grandmas, their imaginations, and a good dino toothbrush.
