"Captain Hardrock... I am Hawk Moth. Is the establishment censoring your right to make as much noise as you'd like? From now on... they won't hear anything but your music! I'm giving you an indestructible ship, and you will use it to sail around Paris and blast your music out everywhere you go, as loudly as you please. In return you will bring to me the greatest of all treasures: Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous!"
— Hawk Moth
During Paris' annual music festival, Hawk Moth corrupts Juleka's anti-authority mother into Captain Hardrock.
Tropes:
- Abnormal Ammo: Captain Hardrock's cannons fire cannonball-shaped speakers which seem to act as white noise machines, canceling out the music of the venues she fires them at.
- Because I Said So: At least in the English dub, one of the reasons for Officer Roger to fine Juleka's mom is "because I say so."
- The Cameo: Captain Hardrock's targets include Jagged Stone, XY, and Nightingale.
- Cats Hate Water: Never actually a problem, but heroes make an obligatory joke.
- Chain Pain: The akumatized Liberty can fire chains on command to ensnare Captain Hardrock's foes.
- Chekhov's Gun: Marinette is told not to place metal objects by the ship's compass, as it throws off the needle. When her Lucky Charm produces a chain with a magnetic lock, she uses it to bind Captain Hardrock to the ship's compass/steering wheel, causing it to veer off course and beach itself.
- Cutting the Knot: Ladybug and Cat Noir figure out pretty quickly that the akuma is somewhere on the boat, so if they just destroy the whole boat they don't need to search for it. The problem is if they did that in the water the captives would drown, so the conflict switches to finding a way to beach the boat.
- Determinator: Officer Roger continuously pursues Captain Hardrock despite being in over his head, first on a police speedboat, next with a paddleboat, and finally rowing on a rubber ducky swim ring.
- Disappeared Dad: This episode introduces Juleka's brother and their mother but has no mention of their father.
- Duet Bonding: Adrien with his father at the end of the episode.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Again, Laura Marano makes an appearance.
- Energy Weapon: The akumatized Liberty can fire lasers from its sails to destroy any bridges that get in its way.
- Fakeout Escape: When caught, Luka shouts out of the window for Marinette to get away so that Captain Hardrock doesn't check for her inside the ship - like, for example, in the underbed drawer.
- Family Theme Naming: Anarka, Luka and Juleka
- Gale-Force Sound: When Luka hits his first note, the speakers are cranked up so high that the sound knocks over a bunch of cars.
- Hairpin Lockpick: After Tikki opens the lock securing her chains, Marinette claims she used the guitar pick Luka gave her earlier to open it.
- Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Plagg when trying to cheer up Adrien with his singing. He still appreciates the effort.
- Irony: Anarka is obsessed with the idea of freedom, but her villain form Captain Hardrock has the teens chained and trapped in her ship (including her own children).
- Before Hawk Moth shows up for the day, Gabriel limits his son Adrien's freedom by forcing him to practice the piano within his room and refuses to let Adrien have fun with his friends. As Hawk Moth, he was the one who promised to give Anarka freedom upon being akumatized into the Villain of the Week.
- Laser Blade: Captain Hardrock has a microphone which doubles as a laser cutlass.
- Love Overrides the Law: Downplayed. Anarka shows no concern about the damage caused by her speakers (likely adding up to thousands of euros considering how many cars were blown over), pays no respect to Roger when he tries to call her out on violating noise restrictions, and then gets herself into further trouble by revealing she has none of the relevant permits for her houseboat. She ultimately faces no consequences for this, with Roger even pointing out that the speakers are still over the legal limit but choosing to let it slide for no reason beyond "it's the music festival."note
- Love Triangle: Implied at the end of the episode that one has been started between Luka, Marinette, and Adrien.
- Made of Indestructium: The akumatized Liberty is immune to all damage with the exception of Cat Noir's Cataclysm, as seen when his claws fail to shear through the sails.
- Magic Compass: After the ship's transformation, the compass on the Liberty points to whatever direction Captain Hardrock orders.
- Meet Cute: Marinette finds Luka meditating in his room, admiring him for a moment before he notices her presence.
- Moment Killer: After Luka compliments Marinette on allegedly picking their bindings, Marinette gets flustered and distracted. It takes Alya to remind them that the rest of the kids are still chained up.
- Punny Name: Juleka and Luka's mother, Anarka, revels in freedom, disorder, and chaos. You know, like anarchy.
- Rule of Three: Officer Roger pursues Captain Hardrock on three separate watercrafts, each smaller than the last.
- Sapient Ship: The akumatized Liberty is able to fire its weapons on its own under Captain Hardrock's command.
- Singing Voice Dissonance: The normally Cute, but Cacophonic Rose suddenly erupts into Harsh Vocals when singing for Kitty Section. Well, harsh for her anyway.
- Stepping Stones in the Sky: Used liberally with the Liberty's chains and cannons, by both heroes and villain alike.
- Talk Like a Pirate: Luka's and Juleka's mom, even before turning into a supervillain.
- Visual Pun: Captain Hardrock is a literal music pirate.
