Breath of the Dragon

Former US Navy officer Colin Worth and pirate captain Elizabeth Parker, after a grueling campaign in the Caribbean against the English forces fighting the Americans during the War of 1812, have sailed around the southern tip of South America, seeking a peaceful home somewhere in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. They quickly discover, though, that life in the 'peaceful' ocean is just as chaotic and dangerous as it had been in the islands. From Tahiti to Australia, and then on to China, which is suffering under the heels of western forces who have brought the dreaded drug opium to the Celestial Kingdom, they must contend with treachery and double-dealing at every turn. Determined to avoid involvement in other people's wars, though, they sail from port to port, each time finding the situation worse than what they have left behind.