Tortuga

On the following evening, the Interceptor arrived in Tortuga. Marana looked out at the brightly lit town and frowned. She already knew that she hated the place. Jack came up behind her and gently touched her hand.

"You can stay on the ship if you want, love." She turned and faced him.

"No, I'll go with you, if that's alright." He nodded and smiled.

Jack, Will, and Marana got off the ship and traveled through the crowded town. Jack was talking to Will.

"More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep the sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy?" He looked around a bit before asking, "What do you think?" Marana certainly thought the place was horrid. The streets were so full, of drunks and prostitutes, that it was hard to move around. She and Will exchanged suspicious looks before answering,

"It'll linger."

"I'll tell you, mate," said Jack as he grabbed a wooden cane from a drunken man. "If every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted." Then, a woman in a red dress with flaming red hair walked up to him. He smiled. "Scarlet!" She slapped him hard across the face before walking away. He was puzzled. "…not sure I deserved that." Then another woman with a green dress and blonde hair appeared in her place. "Giselle!"

"Who was she?" the young woman asked.

"What?"

Giselle slapped him even harder than Scarlet had and walked away. Jack was still puzzled. "…I may have deserved that." When he walked back to the others, Marana gave his arm a playful slap. He grinned and said, "I did deserve that one." Together, the three of them each grabbed random buckets that were lying in the street and filled them with water from the well. Jack crept over to a pig sty. He held a finger to his lips and whispered, "On my signal."

He splashed the water from his bucket onto the man who was lying in the sty. The man woke up and pulled out a dagger. "Curse ya fer breathin', ya slack-jawed idiot!" Then he saw the pirate standing over him. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. It's bad luck."

Jack kneeled in front of him. "Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking." The man, Joshamee Gibbs, looked confused, but smiled.

"Aye, that'll about do it." He stood up. On Jack's signal, Marana and Will soaked him with the water from their buckets. He shook it off and shouted, "Blast, I'm already awake!"

"That was for the smell." Marana said calmly. Jack gave her a sweet smile.

When they arrived at the tavern, Jack bought two mugs of rum, for himself and for Gibbs. He went to the others, waiting by a pillar, and warned, 'Keep a sharp eye." before sitting down. Marana listened as best she could to what they were saying.

"Now, what's the nature of this venture of yourn?" He took a sip from his mug.

"I'm going after the Black Pearl." replied Jack. Gibbs gagged on his drink. Jack continued, "I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it."

Gibbs shook his head. "Jack…it's a fool's errand. Well, you know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl."

"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew."

"From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one."

"Well then, I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?"

"Prove me wrong. What makes you think Barbossa'll give up his ship to you?"

"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, eh?" He nodded his head in Will and Marana's directions.

"…the girl?" Gibbs asked, puzzled.

Jack shook his head. "No, the boy…that is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner…his only child, savvy?"

"Is he, now?" Gibbs smiled. "'Leverage,' says you, 'I think I feel a change in the wind,' says I. I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you."

"One can only hope," said Jack. He lifted his mug. "Take what you can."

"Give nothing back." They clanked their leather mugs, took a long drink, and slammed them down on the table. When Jack finished, he stood up and walked over to Marana. He glared at Will. "I would like a word alone with the lady, if you wouldn't mind." Once Will had sat down next to Gibbs, he turned back to Marana. She frowned.

"Jack, I heard what you were saying to Gibbs, and if you plan on using me as 'leverage' then you've got another thought in mind." He stroked her arm.

"Love, I wasn't talking about you."

"Then who were you talking about? Will?"

"No."

"Then who were you indicating?"

He sighed. He would have to admit it to her. "Love, when we do find Barbossa, I plan on giving him Will so he'll give me back my ship."

Marana gasped. "Jack, that's terrible!"

"I know, love."

"After how he helped us escape from jail, you would just betray him?"

Jack had no answer for that. He just said, "Love, it's about time we got back to the ship." She angrily followed him, thinking about whether or not she would trust Jack.