Xiang and Anh--ages sixteen and seventeen--hunt the South China Sea for the lost treasure of the fabled pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao.

1826. The legendary Dragon Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more. Xiang has grown up with stories about the Dragon Fleet and its ruthless leader, a woman known only as the Dragon Queen. Desperate to set sail and explore, Xiang mainly wishes to find her father, a crew member of the Dragon Fleet. Her only memento of him is a simple but plain piece of gold jewelry. The pendant's true nature is revealed when a girl named Anh steals it, only to return it to Xiang in exchange for her help in decoding the tiny map scroll hidden inside. Convinced the map could lead to a fabled treasure, Xiang joins Anh and her motley crew off in pursuit of the island. But the sea-- and those who sail it-- are far more dangerous than the legends led them to believe.