Pirates' Fortress



The Pirates' Fortress is a location that appears in Majora's Mask. It is located on Great Bay Coast and can only be accessed by Zora Link, for the entrance is blocked by wooden doors underwater. It is the hideout for a gang of Gerudo Pirates who have stolen four of the Zora Eggs from Lulu and plan on ruling the Western Ocean. It is also here that Link overhears the leader of the pirates, Aveil, saying that the other three eggs were taken by sea snakes in Pinnacle Rock. The main item acquired in this area is the Hookshot.

Once Link has obtained the Zora Mask, he must find the boarded up entrance to the fortress, and then crash through it. Like the Gerudo Fortress in Ocarina of Time, Link must use his stealth abilities in order to get to the inner part of the Fortress, which is where the four Zora Eggs are hidden. The outer part of the Fortress is mostly covered in water with Gerudos patrolling the entrance while riding in boats, so Link will need to use his abilities as Zora Link extensively to be able to get through the traps and enemies that await him. Once inside the inner Fortress, the Gerudo Pirates will increase in numbers, requiring Link to use his bow and arrows to stun the thieves and get through them. If Link is caught, he will either be thrown to the outer part of the Fortress or back outside at the Great Bay Coast, depending where he is initially found. Finding the way inside the Fortress can prove to be difficult for the young hero, for, like its counterpart in Ocarina of Time, the Pirates' Fortress is a maze with many doors and other entrances to go through.

Link has to fight a Gerudo Pirate before going into the rooms where each of the Zora Eggs are being kept. If he takes a certain amount of damage, he gets thrown out. When the Gerudo Pirate is defeated, the door to the Zora Egg room opens, allowing Link to scoop the egg inside an empty bottle and take it to the Marine Research Laboratory for them to hatch properly.

An easier way to get through the fortress is to use the Stone Mask. This makes makes Link invisible to enemies, so the Pirates will not be able to see him and, therefore, will not be able to throw him. However, the Stone Mask does not work on the Gerudo Pirates that are fought before each of the Zora Egg rooms, so wearing the mask while fighting them is useless.