It was a flying storm, and it was raging over the ship like a thousand demons attacking their with all their might.
He was confident though, she had brought them save through many a storm though not one had quite been as bad as this one was and although confident he couldn't deny the danger of the situation.
"Strike the sails!
We've got to ride it out, nose straight into it, hold her straight i tell ye!"
The men fought with all their strength and did what Barbossa said knowing he was an experienced man of the sea and they trusted him such as a crew would a good Captain and leader.
The voyage had been carefully decided, knowing why Cape Horn had the nick name of Cape Good Hope, as many a good ship crew and fine ship had been taken down around the Horn no matter how experienced it's Captain and crew might have been, the Horn had taken many lives.
Barbossa had discussed it well, and let the men decide among themselves if they wanted to take the risk and the decision had been taken swiftly, the promise of fine loot such as they had never seen before was worth taking a risk and if they managed to make the price theirs they could settle down and live pleasantly for all time to come.
Barbossa had allowed his mind to wonder off and he cursed inside himself when a particularly strong wave rocked the ships backwards and he fell to the deck hard rolling down, being able to grab a rope sweeping through the air wildly, having been torn loose from it's place by the storm, only seconds before he would have been thrown overboard and he had to take a deep breath and brace himself, pulling himself up on his feet and looking around to oversee the situation.
The storm roared as it had never before in his long career on the oceans and he felt a strange fear grow inside as he suddenly felt he wasn't in control anymore, nor did he know how to regain it.
Then he heard it..the ear deafening noise that grew as it came closer, with a shock he turned his head in the direction of the noise and what he saw made him freeze at the spot for a moment.
He yelled at the men before throwing himself down to hold on to something, anything he could grab in a split second.
"WHITE SQUALL, DOWN ON THE DECK, LAY DOWN AND HOLD ON TIGHT!"
He fell to the deck and looking up from the corners of his eyes he counted the seconds before breathing in deeply and when he did he felt the water come down upon him and the ship with such a force he knew this was his last moment and though he tried to stay calm and hold his breath long enough until the ship would surface from the huge amount of water pressing it down under the waves, if it did, he felt panic take over.
But seconds later he felt dizziness come over him and slowly everything went black..
Millions of people gathered for the huge event.
It was one of the world's largest Tall ship events and people were having the time of their lives visiting the magnificent ships from all over the world, the largest of the world and smaller ones but not any less wonderful as many were historical ships, replica's of ships that sailed the oceans long ago.
A soft wind blew fresh air over the heads of the visitors while the sun made people feel warm and happy, a good summers day and a wonderful day for the big celebrations of the age of sail and it's beautiful ships.
Suddenly the sun hid itself behind dark clouds, making people gaze up at the sky surprised as no one had noticed the sky filling with clouds.
Astonishment was expressed as most people were absolutely certain seconds before the wasn't a cloud in the sky but wind was growing stronger and turning west while the clouds great thicker and darker.
Some children started crying and holding on to their parents as thunder roared and lightning shot through the sky and many ran to safety as heavy rain started to fall from the it.
Most people didn't make it dry, as the huge masses made it impossible to run to safety very swiftly and many just excepted their fate and looked on as the ships moved up and down wildly on the river being struck by
the wind causing big waves.
A child pointed to the middle of the river, but no one noticed.
Another person pointed, and soon many people gazed in bewilderment at the thing that was taking form in front of them, seemingly out of thing air.
Although reason told them it simply couldn't be, it was impossible and surely had to be a figment of their imagination more and more people started to stare at the dark form taking shape slowly in a thick fog which quickly grew thinner and in front of all the visitors of this so exciting Tall Ship event an old 17th century ship appeared before their very eyes.
Bewilderment turned to horror when they saw the black and white Jolly Roger blew proudly in the wind and upon the ship was a crew of pirates staring at them at least as bewildered as any of the people on shore could be as they had been taken through space and time and brought to a world unknown to them.
Barbossa opened his eyes and for seconds everything was a blur.
Slowly he started to recognize shapes and got up to his feet, unsteady but quickly re finding his balance.
He was alive, but where were they?
A thick fog kept the ship in a world unrecognizable and he knew no navigation would be possible until the sky cleared and he started to walk around the ship to see how many wounded there were and who had been lost.
He was relieved when but two had been swept off of the ship, meaning they were gone for good.
No one would have survived such a sea and he didn't give it another thought, but he knew it was good he still had most of his crew to count on..
He made sure those who knew how to take care of wounds did so and had the wounded brought down below.
Thankfully not many had been injured as there was no way of knowing where they were or what would happen.
Nothing upon the oceans was as dangerous as a thick fog..
About an hour later slowly the fog started to clear and some of their surroundings started to show.
Barbossa was soon accompanied by his crew as he stared ahead and saw many masts and sails take shape and soon he realized they were in a port, none he had ever visited, and surrounded by thousands of ships and sailing boats from very small to several times the size of the Black Pearl and unlike any he had ever seen.
Alarmed immediately he called out orders to raise the sails.
He sent a man up the mast to the lookout to see if he could spot open sea and soon the man yelled back "DEAD AHEAD SIR!"
Barbossa squinted and decided they had to try and get out to open sea as soon as possible, there was no way they could win against such a number of ships in case of a battle breaking out.
"Strike the colors, quickly before anyone has seen it!"
As the task was performed he looked this his right and slowly realization grew it was too late as the sun started to reveal a disturbing view..many thousands of people, dressed very strangely who without failing all stared straight back at him and for the first time he knew how a caged animal had to feel.
Jack squealed and jumped on his shoulder grabbing his hair and holding on tight.
"I know lad, we're in a bad situation.
Now he will we get out of this eh?"
He turned around and saw the crew look at him, expecting him to tell them what was next, and for once he didn't know..he just didn't know..
The people on and around the river stared in disbelief at the thing that just happened in front of them.
Military on the event as always on duty even during this event got quick orders and help troops had been called in which would be armed unlike themselves as their ships during civil events were not loaded.
Things were tense as people were directed away from the ports by policemen and the pirate ship lay as she were crew seemingly were unsure what to do In this for them strange situation.
People outside the quickly set up blockade managed to find high places so as to follow the proceedings from their safe places.
The wait was for military ships which were already on their way.
Barbossa had seen the little boats and people on shore being directed away from the quays and port and this is where he saw chance to get out, ordering to run out the sweeps and having being under full sail the Black Pearl obviously still with super natural help soon moved to a speed no one still present had expected and the police and military on shore and navy ships looked astonished to the un natural speed the old Tall ship soon reached.
Barbossa snickered.
"Where ever we be, these gents haven't ever seen a ship this fast, aye..our Pearl won't abandon us, as always she will get us out!"
He called to Bosun to have the gun crew read and have them aim for the anything close but not shoot unless being shot upon themselves.
Soon the ship saw the river widen and Barbossa had good hope they would soon reach open sea when in the distance the lookout saw something that made it simply impossible to continue.
"Blast! The river doesn't go straight to sea, no doubt we won't be let passed there..what to do".
Barbossa felt a panic and was completely lost for the first time ever.
As he looked ahead trying to find a plan to escape fog started to form again and wind turned letting the sails slacken and Barbossa felt eerie..something was about to happen again and he knew it would not make things better.
Squinting he looked ahead and before him he saw what surely had to be what the spectators on shore had seen before as a 17th century galleon rather like the Black Pearl itself slowly took shape.
As the fog cleared Barbossa felt his blood run faster as he saw it was a French galleon.
Being a pirate he was an enemy of the British state but when things came down to it he was still a Britt and the French he regarded as his enemy.
The ship slowly closed in and it was obvious it had seen the Pearl.
Barbossa knew they were getting ready for battle and shouting his orders he did the same.
Things would happen he knew, no more waiting and seeing, it was now time for serious action.
Their guns were loaded and as the people from shore looked through binoculars and from as close as they could get, as well as the police and navy the battle began.
The French ship fired it's 20 guns one by one and the Pearl immediately answered with fire from her own heavy guns and Barbossa was relieved to see all but two were full hits and at first shot the French ship was already quite heavily damaged.
"First guns, aim fer the masts, the rest of ye, aim fer the guns of the blooming frogs!"
His men did just as they were told and soon two guns shot ball&chains quickly and expertly breaking two of the masts and with a lot of noise it came cracking down upon the French and he saw how quite a few men ended up helpless under the heavy wooden masts to be killed soon by his own men.
"Grapples! Get ready to board her!"
Swiftly his men swung over to the enemy ship and French men ended up on theirs as the fierce fight broke loose from man to man and Barbossa himself took out pistol and cutlass and soon found himself fighting off French enemies while keeping an eye on the proceedings, calling out orders and warnings where needed.
Things were going his way, he saw the French were getting outnumbered and his chances were improving by the minute.
Suddenly the French fired two more guns and obviously done in haste one of the canons was off by 40 feet and the canon ball fell in the water with a loud splash but the other one hit the Black Pearl high on deck not far from where Barbossa was and he felt as if his arm was torn off as a big piece of wood injured his left shoulder.
Blood sprayed in all directions and having fought off two more Frenchmen he withdrew to his quarters and managed to quickly bandage his shoulder the best he could after tightening a long strip of cotton around his upper arm to prevent him bleeding too heavily.
He then went back on deck and quickly eyed the situation.
He saw to his satisfaction the battle was close to being over and the last French threw away their guns and stuck their hands up In the air.
Looking over to the other vessel he suddenly felt very lucky indeed for on the other ship, reluctantly raising his hands as Pintel held his pistol pointed at him was no other then Jean Du Maurrier, a highly wanted French Privateer and in his mind a little plan was forming..
"Take'm to the brig, they may get us a nice sum of money when handed to the navy.
That gent over there be their Captain, take him!
He be a French privateer, I recognized him and know the navy has been looking fer him a long time.. snickering this may be our lucky day yet!"
He sent some of his men down to their hold and sure enough some nice cargo, surely looted from British ships was found and Barbossa felt the day was getting better and better.
Just as the men returned from the enemy ship having set fire in the powder magazine a thick fog began forming around them and Barbossa though to himself "Blast..not again
Thrice in one day be too much..blast!"
Looking around him, remembering the strange world they were in he was relieved when it seemed to be fading..could it be..
The people in and around the IJ saw the old ships disappear and wondered if they had just seen a nice piece of improvisation as it surely was like a historical battle re-enactment but some how they knew something supernatural had just happened and everyone was talking to everyone else as excitement grew and fear and tension were lifted.
Police and navy were cautious as no one could be certain if the ships would return.
Soon news would be all over the world about the things going on at Sail Amsterdam 2005 and people knew they would probably never get to experience another real battle between two ships straight from the early 18th century again..
Barbossa and his men were in shock when the fog cleared and they found they were surrounded by navy vessels.
He stared in disbelief..it couldn't get worse, they had been brought to another place again and this time it was straight in the middle of an English navy fleet.
Things reached their ultimate as he recognized the HMS Dauntless.
"The same blooming ship that help Jack Sparrow kill me and me men..blast..any other surprises yet today? "
He sighed as there simply wasn't a way out of this.
He saw his little plan go up in smoke and instead envisioned him and his men hung and quartered for piracy.
Looking at Bosun he could see he thought the same as he balled his hands and growled deep in his throat.
Some how Barbossa thought this time there wouldn't be no super natural help if they were hung, they would remain dead.
Before long he faced Commodore Norrington who seemed strangely displeased.
"Now who have we here, I thought you were dead Captain Barbossa.
Not only do I find you alive, but instead of catching you red handed in the act of piracy, I find you assisting us by catching the most wanted privateer of the French enemy.
A new act was passed that says anyone who does assist in catching such highly wanted enemies shall not be trialed for whatever crimes they have committed but instead be brought to the Queen for her to decide what happens to him.
You seem to be lucky again, Captain Barbossa"
Barbossa began snickering quietly but soon after burst out in full laughter when he realized just how uncomfortable this had to make the Commodore feel.
"Sorry, Commodore, fer not making yer day.
Now, I get ta meet the queen eh?
I've always wondered what she's like for real" Laughing again.
"Take him below!
I wouldn't be so cheerful, Captain.
The queen is not as easy on pirates as you would like, you might end up hung yet, be it in London."
"Well, it will be my honor to give the fine citizens of London the event of my death but I wouldn't be so certain myself, Commodore, about the queen hanging me.
It's not over until it's over!"
With that he turned around laughing again and calmly walked with the men taking him to the brig to join the rest of his crew.
The palace was shining in brilliance, gold leaf decorated figures adorned the door entries and ceilings were decorated with magnificent paintings.
Barbossa's crew didn't know where to look, being of poor descent they had never seen the likes of it and they were surprised their Captain wasn't looking around admiring all the beauty that surrounded them.
Barbossa just smiled, confidently and walked calmly behind the page taking them, and Commodore Norrington along with some of his officers, to the audience room of their Queen.
Having arrived there he surprised them again when he made a gallant bow and stood up straight and proud as if he was a nobleman instead of the pirate captain he was.
The queen nodded at the Commodore and his officers and told them to sit down on the chairs behind them.
Barbossa and his crew stood before the queen silently and waited what she would say.
"Captain Barbossa, we meet finally.
You do not need to look so surprised, I have heard a lot about you, and not all of it has been bad.
You have caused my citizens a lot of troubles over the years, but you are known to be intelligent and brave.
A combination not many have in this kingdom."
Commodore Norrington and his men looked as if the palace was on fire and couldn't believe what they heard.
Barbossa felt satisfied, he had known..things would go his way, just as expected.
"I know the Commodore and his men must surely think I have lost my senses but I can assure you dear sirs, I know very well what I am doing. Turning back to Barbossa
Most people think you are of poor standard and know you as nothing but the ruthless pirate you are, or should I say you have become?
Yes, I know who you are, it is my duty to know what goes on in my kingdom and have good advisers, people who know what goes on and tell me everything.
You given name I believe is Don Hector Fernandes Barbossa La Gutiérrez.
The Commodore almost choked and surprised sounds came from all the people in the room, court people, the officers with the Commodore and even his own crew.
They had not known this, only Bosun seemed not to be surprised and the crew looked up at him at awe, wondering how come he knew such an important fact about their captain.
Barbossa's smile had now become a toothless grin, but he also looked completely surprised at the same time.
"I assure you Your Majesty I am no Don."
"I assure you that you most certainly are.
Your father, married to an Irish woman and living in our country due to his family having moved to our country in time of peace and having build a big ship company here, has died and the title has gone to his oldest son, you Captain.
You see, I know everything that goes on in my kingdom!"
Barbossa stared at the queen and the importance of what she just said was clear to him.
"Of course that will not mean anything until you take your decision about what is to become of me and my crew, and I can assure you, I will not take any favors if my crew are to be hung, I will stand by my men."
His crew looked at him and felt a new respect for their Captain who just had shown just how loyal he was to them, no matter how harsh he could be on them.
"I respect that Captain, you are very loyal to your men.
I have studied everything I have heard of you and besides the one betrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow you have always been a very honest man, until you turned bitter and became a pirate.
I know why that happened too.
Some of your old crew members on board of your fathers ship have been brought to me and spoke on your behalf.
They were very much positive about the person you were and seemed to understand why you had turned pirate."
Barbossa's face turned grim as he recalled the events which had made him turn pirate and shook his head to forget the treatment of his father before his whole crew, the way he had disciplined him for every little flaw and abused him again and again, last of all flogging him, his own son for talking back at him.
First chance he got he turned against his father and joined a pirate crew that attacked his father's ship.
His father had not believed his eyes, never would he have thought his son would do this but some of his other crew members had done the same no longer accepting the harsh regime they lived under on his ship.
His father had made sure he never saw his beloved mother again and had turned his harshness to her ultimately destroying her and his mother had died an unhappy woman, surrounded by her two daughters and younger sons who had all taken her side and turned against her husband.
And now he was dead, and the title was his, if the queen would let him have it.
The family estates, the stables of fine Arab and English full bloods and all other possessions would be his, to have and to share with his other family members.
His brothers..his sisters, would they even want to know him?
Did he want all this?
He didn't have to think long, yes, he wanted it and he realized his bitterness fell off of him with the news of his fathers death.
God willing if he had the chance, he would get together with his brothers and sisters and he would change his life and live off of the money the shipping company and stables would bring up.
He remembered as a young man he always wanted to work with the horses but his father had forced him to work on board his ship to learn the ropes, quite literally, to one day take over the company knowing what the work on and around ships entailed.
Now he might have a chance to do what he had always wanted.
"I see you are thinking about all that has happened, and your face shows me you are not at all unwilling to take your title.
I imagine you would like to settle and work with the horses?
Live an easier and safer life.
Yes captain, I understand, but you do have a lot to make up for.
A life of crime isn't undone by just one good deed.
I will grand you the title you have are entitled to and you will be able to settle and live off of the money your father's company and the stables bring you but you will, if you truly want this, become a privateer of the British empire and fight our enemies for five years and bring the treasures, every single bit of it, to us and after that you will be free to go home to the estate of your desire and you may live your life in freedom and riches.
I sympathy in your past and what turned you to who you are and this is my gift to you to become what you would have been had you not been treated so harshly and unfairly by your father.
Any man with his pride broken in such a way by his own father could have turned bad but I want you to prove you are willing to change.
What say ye to that Captain?"
Barbossa looked at his crew, and around him at the noblemen and ladies and realized he was all too happy to leave the life of piracy behind him and start a new.
He was getting on in age and the thought of living the rest of his life with the title of Don and In ease and riches and to see his family again..
"Aye, Your Majesty, I will gladly accept your offer.
And my men?"
"Your men can go freely as your crew, and after you resign yourself from piracy they may join the crew of one of my other privateers.
I am pleased you will take my offer captain, I am confident you will bring the nation many riches and will deal with many of our enemies.
I have a last surprise for you now, some people are waiting to see you."
Barbossa turned to look in the direction the queen pointed in and his breath stopped momentarily.
From across the room through a small door came his brothers and sisters.
They had ages and all of them looked different from the last time he saw them but not so much he didn't recognize them immediately.
He stood still, arms hanging down besides his body and when they reached him for a short moment they just stared at him.
Then his youngest sister broke out in tears and embraced him firmly and the ice was broken, he embraced her back and soon all of them were holding each other closely and with tears in their eyes.
For the first time in his life he felt over flown by his emotions and for a while he couldn't speak.
"I am happy to see you, all of you" caressing his youngest sisters cheek, Mariella who he loved so dearly, the last time he saw her she was the little girl with the curls who would sit on his lap and ask him to read her a story.
"Can ye all forgive me?"
His brother said "Yes Hector we can, and we will.
Welcome back to your family. "
All the time his crew had watched in silence and when Barbossa turned back at them he asked "Well, what say ye to all of this?"
His crew broke out in loud cheers and laughter and Barbossa laughed along loudly and happily and soon the whole room including the queen were in laughter.