"Ahoy there, matey!" Jackson shouted, balancing on a pretend plank. He was playing pirates in the living room, his trusty stuffed dragon, Sparky, tucked under his arm. Mom was drawing at the kitchen table, humming along to a sea shanty. Suddenly, a loud "Squeak! Squeak!" echoed from outside.
"That sounds like... Captain Salty!" Jackson exclaimed, his eyes wide. Captain Salty was a real parrot who belonged to Old Man Finnigan, their neighbor. Jackson loved visiting Captain Salty because the parrot always told the best stories about buried treasure!
"Come on, Sparky!" Jackson whispered, grabbing his shoes. "We have a mystery to solve!"
Outside, Old Man Finnigan was pacing by his empty birdcage, looking worried. "He flew away, lad! My precious Salty is gone!"
Jackson, with Sparky perched on his shoulder, decided to put his detective skills to work. "Don't worry, Mr. Finnigan! I'll find Captain Salty. He's my friend, and friends always help each other!"
He looked around for clues. There, on the ground, was a shiny button! It was red with a picture of a ship on it. "This looks like a pirate's button," Jackson thought. He remembered seeing a picture of a pirate ship docked at the harbor earlier that day. Could Captain Salty be there?
Jackson told Mom and Mr. Finnigan about his idea. Mom drove them to the harbor, and sure enough, there was the pirate ship! It was huge and made of dark wood, with a tall mast and a black flag with a skull and crossbones.
They boarded the ship, and it was like stepping into another world! There were pirates everywhere, singing and laughing. A big, friendly-looking pirate with a bushy beard greeted them. "Ahoy there! What brings ye to our humble vessel?"
"We're looking for our friend, Captain Salty," Jackson said, holding up the button. "Have you seen him?"
The pirate's eyes widened. "Why, that be Captain Blackheart's button! He was here earlier, lookin' for a new first mate. He even took a shine to a certain squawking parrot..."
Jackson's heart sank. Captain Blackheart was known to be a grumpy pirate who didn't treat his parrots very well. He had to save Captain Salty!
Thinking fast, Jackson remembered a trick his mom taught him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and imagined himself on the Robot Planet, his secret hideout where his robot arms were strongest. He could almost feel the metal on his arms!
With a burst of energy, Jackson ran towards the ship's mast and, with the strength of his imaginary robot arms, climbed to the top in seconds! From his perch, he could see Captain Blackheart's ship sailing away in the distance, with a familiar squawk coming from the deck.
"There he is!" Jackson shouted, pointing. The friendly pirate, impressed by Jackson's bravery, quickly helped them lower a lifeboat. They sped after Captain Blackheart, Mom rowing with all her might.
On Captain Blackheart's ship, Captain Salty was looking very unhappy. He missed Old Man Finnigan and his cozy cage. He missed Jackson and their talks about buried treasure. But most of all, he missed being with his friends.
Suddenly, a small but determined voice rang out, "Captain Blackheart, let Captain Salty go!"
Captain Blackheart turned around to see Jackson standing on his deck, looking small but fearless. Jackson explained how important friendship was and how much Captain Salty meant to them.
Captain Blackheart, who deep down was just lonely, was touched by Jackson's words. He grumbled, "Fine, take the blasted bird! I never liked parrots anyway."
Captain Salty flew straight into Jackson's arms, squawking happily. They returned to the pirate ship, where the friendly pirates cheered for Jackson's bravery. Back on land, Old Man Finnigan was overjoyed to have Captain Salty back safe and sound.
"You were right, Jackson," he said, patting Jackson's head. "Friends always help each other!"
That night, back home in Phoenix, Jackson snuggled into bed, Sparky tucked under his chin. He had saved the day, found a lost friend, and even met real pirates! It was the best adventure ever, and he knew that with true friends by his side, any mystery could be solved.
