A bumbling but enthusiastic pirate captain is determined to overcome his rivals and win the much-coveted Pirate of the Year Award, the highest honor among pirate peers. His quest is fraught with misadventures and mishaps, largely because he is, frankly, a rather inept pirate. Despite this, his loyalty and infectious charm endear him to his colorful crew, who are equally inept but unwaveringly supportive of their captain. Year after year, his attempts to win the prize fail miserably, mainly because he lacks the one thing all notable pirates seem to have in abundance: booty. In his world, piracy is not so much about the terror it induces but the loot it yields, and he and his crew are sorely lacking in this department.

The captain stumbles upon a chance to turn his fortunes around when he meets Charles Darwin, who points out that the captain's "parrot" is in fact the last living dodo. The promise of untold riches and scientific fame lures them to Victorian London, where they must evade the city's diabolical queen and an ambitious scientist who covet the bird for their own nefarious purposes. As the pirate captain navigates this new urban terrain, his mission for glory becomes one of survival, forcing him to outwit both old rivals and new enemies, while his aspirations for the award spark a deeper quest for identity and respect among his high-seas colleagues.