Minna, Sam and cousin Bianca visit their grandfather Ivo, who lives some distance away along the coast. Inside his house Minna discovers that a ship on a painting is called Doncella Sangre, the same name as on the old wooden sign they found on the beach. Ivo tells them that the ship belonged to the pirate captain Aquila, who helped the people on the Orchid Coast, while another pirate captain, Marquis de Roche, plundered them. In a terrible fight, Aquila's ship foundered, and a big treasure sank with the ship to the bottom of the sea. Suddenly a car stops outside the house, and Ivo goes out. When Minna touches the painting, a brazen plate falls down from the back of it. It has a sign, which corresponds to a similar sign on the pirate ship. When Ivo returns, he tells the children that the woman outside was from Holtexz, a big company which intends to build industries all over the Orchid Coast. Because of this all people are forced to leave their houses before Christmas. Minna gets the idea, that if they find the pirate treasure, they can save the Orchid Coast.