New York ? Avast matey – is John Edwards a pirate? The Spaniards say yes, and they want their plundered loot back.

In a campaign twist right out of a summer movie, the Democratic presidential candidate turns out to have a share of the recovered treasure trove recently revealed.

Edwards is an investor in Odyssey Marine Exploration, the company that announced it found a 350-year-old sunken ship laden with 17 tons of silver coins and gold objects.

Edwards has already technically seen spoils from the sunken ship. He is a major investor in Fortress Investments, which has a 10 percent stake in Odyssey.