Written the 7th of December
Year 1722

Dear Lizzie,

Apologies for not having written for so long and, although this won't reach you until long after, Happy Christmas.

Where to start? We've had ourselves a right old adventure the past 2 months. Aye, I suppose Gibbs is right, the best place to start is the beginning. He's watching me from a cot in my cabin, MY cabin mind you! Before I begin, I had best warn you that this is the true version (a bit condensed but true nonetheless) and it'll not be appreciated if you go spreading it around afore I get back to the Caribbean. It'll make good meat for legend, if you know what I mean. Aye, aye I'll start!

We reached Shanghai port three days after my last letter was written. The 26th I believe. Once we had secured anchorage (we told them we were merchants with goods to sell, which was partly true, as we'd picked up goods in our travels) our first action was to see the Pearl careened and repaired. The repairs were fairly minor…you don't really care about that, do you? Ah well, it's nice to be able to careen without having to keep lookout for the Royal bloody Navy. Money was set aside for outfitting our departure. Most of the crew went on shore leave, under warning to not get into trouble, and the rest (my officers and I) went to take care of the lovely business of selling, trading, and buying goods.

That was when it all began. This whole mess of a problem. Some of the crew (idiotic buggers) decided to pay the slums of Shanghai a more personal visit (meaning, at night) and they ended up getting tangled into a gang war. Brilliant fellows, eh? Because of this we had to stay and get them out of the trouble (harder than it sounds) Then a (scratched out curse words) Chinese man attacked and (more scribbles) oh bugger it, attacked and raped Ana. By God, the crew were mad enough to put the fires of Hell out. I'll admit this, I was fair damned angry meself. Now, if it'd been some whore, well, that's their lot but this was ANA. The Chinese had gone to damn far. We weren't leaving without spilling some Asian blood.

We managed to track down who it had been, and it turned out to be the leader of one of these 'gangs' (it's the best translation I can think of). This revelation led to the whole gang turning on him. Seemed (couldn't really catch their reason) they didn't hold with raping women -or men. He fled to another gang, who he had been working for the entire time (double-crossing a gang he ran? Why?) but, for some reason, they tossed him out and he fled to another gang, who he had also been working for! Everything was coming crashing down around this blighter's ears. His name is Yan Jiesha. Yan is his surname, mind you. Of course, his plans (basically some sort of domination) were failing and he wasn't to happy with us.

Ana, Legs, Zhaosa (Chinese crewman), and myself were captured and held prisoner, but the rest of the crew managed to free us and we escaped in the midst of a colossal battle. I swear, there were five sides fighting, not including us. Gibbs got the worst of any injury, a great gash in his leg, and is laid up in my quarters (they second as a sickroom). The rest of us have cuts, scrapes, and all manner of bruises. My left eye is so black, it matches me other one without any kohl.

That, m'dear, is why I haven't written. Can't exactly blame me, can you? Somehow (shows how much I like you two brats) I didn't forget presents for you and Will. They are (as usual) enclosed, but this time they are wrapped in Chinese silk worth 20-odd ducats. Don't damage it.

We'll now be heading for Japan, Christms will likely be spent there, on Hokkaido. That's one of the islands. An old acquaintence of mine fell in love with a Japanese maiden and married her, effectively retiring from the sea. He lives in Hokkaido. In the mountains there they have snow. I'm hoping it'll cheer Ana up. Luv, I'm worried for her. She's been unusually quiet and withdrawn since... well...since that. Happy Christmas, and do spare a prayer or two for this beleaguered band of buccaneers.

Signed,
CJS

PS. Zhaosa has given me a Chinese name. Juanshu. According to him it means something like superior, outstanding, talented, and refined. Suitable, don't you think? He gave Ana (and most of the crew actually) Chinese names as well. Ana is Angnu, meaning proud, bold, upright, exert, strive, and make effort. That is most certainly suitable.

A/N: Now, Jack doesn't know this, but Yan Jiesha is dead. Muahaha. Deserving bastard. Sorry for the delay. :D