Heading west to the southwestern corner of the grid map, Link comes to Horseshoe Island. There’s a puzzle here that resembles mini-golf, rolling Deku Nuts into holes to open the way forward. Once the puzzle’s clear, Link can claim two treasure charts: one from a hidden cave with Mothulas, one from the tall island in the center of the horseshoe. The fish tells Link that the swordsman on Outset Island has a Knight’s Crest, which is a spoil Link got in the last dungeon, so that’s who they go to.
Turning to the north now, Link comes to Diamond Steppe Island. There’s not much to do with the island itself, but it corresponds to one of Link’s treasure charts, so he can grab that now and get another heart piece. The fish’s hint seems to be about the ghost ship, which appears near Diamond Steppe Island during a waning gibbous moon. However, it seems that if Link gets close to the ghost ship without an item on the island, the ship disappears.
Next up is Needle Rock Island. There’s a treasure chest protected by flames generated by a switch on top of the tall island, which is in turn protected by a bunch of Kangarocs. So, Link needs to charm a seagull, fly it to the top, and hit the switch without getting hit too many times. It’s doable, but it’s not easy. Once that’s done, Link can claim the treasure, another heart piece for a third complete heart container. The fish says that sinking the warships Link sees around the area is likely to be a good source for treasure. One more square to the north, Link comes to Three-Eye Reef. There’s nothing of interest here, except the fish who says there’s a big treasure hunter on the island to the east.
Now it’s time to turn that way and visit the destination marked on the map, Greatfish Isle, which is easily spotted from a distance because of the large clouds around it. Arriving at the island, the King of Red Lions expresses dismay at the state of the island, and especially the fact that there’s no sign of Jabun, the water spirit he hoped to visit. Quill happens to be visiting the island at the time, sent by Valoo to look for Link. He confirms that Jabun did escape – to Outset Island. There are two complications: First, Jabun is protected and no one can get in to see him. Second, Quill told the pirates about Jabun, and after they couldn’t get past his protection, they went to Windfall Island. Before leaving the island, Link can get a piece of heart from a cave. As Link sails away, he finds the fish, who says something (the ghost ship, presumably) appears nearby during a waxing gibbous moon.
After Link’s visit to Greatfish Isle, the skies are locked in a perpetual storm and the music takes on a darker sound [1], with Ganon’s theme mixed in. This makes exploration a little more difficult because sailing is kinda choppy, but it’s still doable. So, Link heads off to the east, finding two more eye reefs. The fish at Cyclops Reef explains that the rings of light Link sees sometimes in the ocean mark buried treasure, and the really shiny ones correspond to his open treasure maps. Six-Eye Reef has a submarine with three moblins guarding another heart piece, then before Link turns to the north, the fish tells Link that the outdoors shop (the guy Link bought the sail from) on Windfall Island is an enticing target for thieves. Hrm.
At Northern Triangle Island, the last stop before Link arrives back at Windfall Island, the most prominent feature is a giant cylcone. Inside the cyclone is Cyclos, and if Link can’t keep the King of Red Lions from being sucked up into it, they’re sent flying in a random direction. There isn’t anything Link can do about Cyclos right now, so he just avoids the whirlwind and looks for the fish. The fish talks about the teacher on Windfall Island and the Killer Bees – well, we’ve already dealt with that.
Link and the King of Red Lions approach Windfall Island, where the pirate ship is docked. The King advises Link not to ask the pirates directly what they’re up to, and to not let them know what he’s up to. Link nods and runs off to begin the next quest.
Next: Stealing stolen goods.
[1] I’m not musically adept enough to say for sure it switched to a minor key, but that’s what it feels like.
