Quickly arriving at the rail, he'd hopped over it and stood on the deck for a moment to catch his breath, once again promising himself that it was time to give up the fags and take up a healthier lifestyle. (It was never, ever going to happen of course. Such was Ronnie's commitment to smoking, drinking, and general debauching, that there was more chance of Flamboyantbeard drooling over a copy of PlayPirate, fathering a couple of kids, and becoming World Heavyweight Boxing Champion).
Whilst he'd been recovering, Bobcat had climbed back on board The Bloody Cutlass, and he and Dragonbeard had walked off together. Ronnie had given them a chance to get clear before risking any further movement.
Although his task would have been a lot simpler if he'd followed one of them, it could potentially
