And here we go. Now to meet Davey Jones. Thanks to YamiChaos27 for his suggestion.
Shadow is owned by YamiChaos27.
Sivour is owned by GeminiZKnight.
Chapter 49: The Devil of the Deep
They found the place Tia Dalma said they would find the Flying Dutchman. There were rocks everywhere, and a storm had kicked in. Stranded against some of the rocks was a ship that looked to be broken.
"That's the Flying Dutchman?" Will asked. Mr. Gibbs nodded nervously.
"I kind of pictured something more impressive." Jason said.
Will shrugged. "She doesn't look like much."
"Looks can be deceiving." Riku told him.
"Toku's right. Do not underestimate her." Jack told them.
Riku looked at him. "It's Riku."
"So what's your plan?" Jack asked Will.
Will looked at him. "I row over, search the ship until I find your key."
"If there are crewmen?"
"I cut down anyone in my path."
"I like it." Jack said. "Short, simple, easy to remember."
Jason nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."
AJ nodded. "But you probably shouldn't do this alone. At least take a small group with you."
"AJ's right." Riku said. "A lot can go wrong. With a few extra hands you'll know you're covered."
Will thought about it. "Good point."
"Then I'll go." Jason said.
"Me too." AJ said.
"I'm in." Riku said.
"Wonderful. You have your group." Jack said.
"I'm coming too." Sora said.
Riku turned to him. "You should stay here. You know this world better than we do." Dropping his voice, Riku whispered, "Besides, I don't trust these men with Kairi or anyone else."
"Your chariot awaits you!" Ragetti joked as Will, Riku, Jason, and AJ got into a boat. Will took a lantern from Ragetti so they wouldn't be going in blind. Of course, Jason and AJ almost fell into the ocean.
"Oi!" Jack called from above. "If you lot do get captured, just tell him Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt. Might save your life."
"Thanks." Riku said, though he didn't sound convinced. He suspected something behind those words. He thought over them as they rowed to the Flying Dutchman.
Shadow couldn't believe his luck. He exited the dark corridor onto a broken ship in the middle of a storm, with no way to know where he was. The place was in worse shape than when he broke Demyx's sitar.
He noticed a light coming towards where he was. Shadow hid himself as the light drew closer. Eventually he could see the lamp was being carried by some guy dressed strangely. But then every world he had been to had people dressed strangely. Behind him were… Riku, Jason, and AJ. That means Kairi had to be in this world.
"Something's not right." Jason said. "The Flying Dutchman is supposed to be cursed, right? Well, this matchbox doesn't look like it could sail across a pond."
Flying Dutchman?
"Just keep looking. That key has to be around here somewhere." The man said.
"How do we know this isn't a trap, Will?" Jason asked.
AJ looked at him. "Shut up before you cause something to go wrong."
Everyone heard something creaking. They turned to see a man still pulling at a rope. He kept muttering under his breath, and from the tone of his voice was frightened. Really frightened.
"Sailor?" The man, Will, tried. "Sailor! It's no good. You've run aground."
The man looked at them. "No. Beneath us. Foul breath!"
Something fell into the water. Everyone, even Shadow, turned and looked. It looked like a body floating in the water. They headed over as the body crawled to them. The person was still alive.
"Hang on. We got you." Jason said before he turned the body over. "Gri's beak!"
Will put the lantern on a hook and rushed over. He jumped back as he, AJ, and Riku all saw what Jason saw. "What happened to his face?" AJ asked.
Shadow strained to get a look. What he saw revolted him. The man's face was gone! What could've done this?
Something burst out of the water behind them. Everyone turned to see a massive galleon erupt from the water. The ship's front looked like the open jaws of some demonic beast. Some sort of crocodile? It reminded Shadow more of the sea dragons he saw.
"Why do I get the feeling that that is the Flying Dutchman?" Riku asked.
"Probably because it is." AJ said.
What happened next was enough to make Shadow lose his lunch. From the ship they were on came these… things. They were covered in barnacles and looked like some hideous hybrid between sea creatures and men. What kind of messed up world was this place? Shadow may have his issues, but he had enough sense to not take on these things on his own.
"Behind you!" Shadow called out. His four enemies turned to see one of the fish sailors approach them with ball and chains. They jumped over him as Riku, Jason, and AJ summoned their keyblades.
Riku looked at him. "Shadow, what are you doing here?"
"Talk later. Fight now." Shadow said as he used his keyblade to fend off one of the fish sailors. Soon they were all fighting together against these seafood rejects. Shadow didn't like the keyblade meddlers, but he'd rather deal with them than these things.
Will dipped his cutlass into something and smashed their lantern. Shadow realized it was oil because the sword caught fire. Impressive move, he had to admit. He sliced a fish sailor in the gut. Fish spilled out from it. Shadow's stomach lurched.
"This is disgusting." AJ said.
A fish sailor hit Will on the head and knocked him out. Jason moved to help, but this guy with a t-shaped head grabbed him. Shadow found himself ambushed from behind and like that the fight was over.
All of them were lined up with the remaining sailors of this ship. Shadow noticed the sailors weren't in the best of condition. But why were they spared? These monsters from the deep could've killed them, but they didn't. Why?
They heard someone approaching. They turned to see what had to be their leader, their captain, approaching. He had a peg leg, but his left arm was a huge crab claw. Shadow could also see his head was like that of an octopus, with the tentacles serving as the beard.
"Nine men still alive. The rest have moved on." The t-headed man told the captain. The captain looked over them. Shadow sensed darkness from this man unlike anything he ever sensed before. He tried to look at the man's heart, but only saw an empty chest. Yet it was different from what he'd seen of Organization XIII. He couldn't explain it, but Shadow could tell this captain was not a Nobody or a Heartless.
"I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that's Davey Jones." Jason whispered to Riku and AJ. They watched as Davey Jones approached the whimpering man from before and lit a pipe. Strange that something that looked like him still needed to smoke.
"Do ye fear death?" Davey Jones asked the man. "Do ye fear that dark abyss? All yer deeds laid bare? All yer sins punished? I can offer you an escape."
"Don't listen to him!" A man further down said. Davey Jones turned and approached him. Shadow had a bad feeling. He noticed the man was holding something. Some sacred totem, perhaps?
Davey Jones grabbed him with his claw. "Do ye not fear death?"
"I'll take my chances." The man said.
"To the depths." Davey Jones said. One of his men took a knife and slit the sailor's throat. Shadow found himself hating this… Davey Jones, more and more. The body was thrown overboard. One of the sailors said something, but Shadow didn't catch what he said.
Davey Jones looked at him. "Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any different?" He looked back at the whimpering coward. "I offer you a choice. Join my crew and postpone the judgment. One hundred years before the mast. Will ye serve?"
"I will serve." The whimpering coward said. Shadow felt in his heart that that was a bad choice. Davey Jones's crew laughed as he approached them.
"None of you are neither dead nor dying." Davey Jones noticed. "What is yer purpose here?"
"There you are." Shadow heard a familiar voice say. He looked to see Sivour standing with Davey Jones. "That boy there is with me."
Davey Jones looked at Sivour. "Is he now?"
"But you can use him as part of your crew. He'd be useful."
Shadow stood to rush as Sivour, but found Davey Jones claw at his throat. "Do ye fear death?" Davey Jones asked him.
"He's more useful alive than dead." Sivour said. Shadow's response was to spit at the sea captain's face.
"He's got courage, for a landlubber." Davey Jones said. "But what use could he be to me?"
"Keeping an eye on those three." Sivour pointed to Riku, Jason, and AJ. "They'll be trouble for you, as well as their friends."
"Jack Sparrow sent us to settle his debt." Will said quickly.
That got Davey Jones attention. "What is yer purpose here?"
"Jack Sparrow sent the four of us to settle his debt." Will said.
Davey Jones smiled. "Did he now? I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer."
Jack was watching how things were going through a telescope. Nettie was really worried. When they saw that ship erupt from the water and the lights go out several of them feared for their friends. She couldn't tell what was going on, but she hoped they were alive. Then, suddenly, there was this man with an octopus-like head standing in front of them. Nettie screamed while Kairi started. Donald and Goofy leapt into each other's arms, resulting in both of them crashing onto the deck. Everyone soon found themselves captured by these barnacle-covered fish sailors.
"Is that Davey Jones?" Sora asked.
Mr. Gibbs nodded. "Aye. That be him."
"You have a debt to pay." Davey Jones said. "You've been captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. That was our agreement."
"Technically I was only captain for two years, and then I was viciously mutinied upon." Jack explained.
"Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless. Have you not introduced yourself all these years as Captain Jack Sparrow?" Davey Jones said in a mocking tone. His crew laughed at that.
"You have my payment." Jack said. "Four souls to serve on your ship are already over there."
"What?" Sora asked. "Those are our friends Jack!"
"And four souls is not equal to another." Davey Jones said.
"Aha!" Jack said. "So we've established my proposal and sounding principle, now we're to go up a price."
"Price?" Davey Jones asked.
"You can't do this Jack!" Donald said.
"This is wrong!" Goofy added.
"Those are our friends. You can't just give them away like trading cards!" Nettie said.
Jack ignored them. "Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?"
"One hundred souls." Davey Jones answered. "Three days."
"I don't believe this." Mika said.
Jack smiled. "You're a diamond, mate. Just send me back the boys and I'll get started."
"I keep the boys as good faith payment." Davey Jones said. "That leaves you only ninety-six more to go." His crew laughed.
"Have you not met Will Turner?" Jack asked. "Noble. Heroic. Terrific soprano. Worth at least four. Maybe three and a half. And did I happen to mention he's in love?" That got Davey Jones's undivided attention. "With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him would only be half as cruel as allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony. Aye?"
Davey Jones looked at him. "I keep the boys. Ninety-six souls."
"But what about our friends?" Roxas asked.
Davey Jones looked at him. "They're mine now. Unless you lot wish to join them?" When none of them answered Davey Jones smiled. "Didn't think so." He looked at Jack. "But I wonder Sparrow, can you live with this? Can you condemn innocent men, friends, to a lifetime of servitude while you roam free?"
"Yep. I'm good with it." Jack said. "I only just met three of them anyway."
"You cad." Mika said.
Again, Jack ignored her. "Shall we seal it in blood, or ink?"
Davey Jones grabbed his hand. "Three days." He then departed with his crew. Jack looked at his slime-covered hand. Nettie sensed something happening with it. Something to do with the Black Spot.
Kairi walked up and slapped Jack hard. "How could you do that? You just condemned our friends to a fate worse than death!"
"All part of me plan." Jack said. That earned him another slap.
"You can't gamble with our friends lives like they're worthless!" Kairi added.
Jack looked at her. "If I told them, things wouldn't have worked out. I was able to negotiate with Davey Jones. Now I know I can exchange souls. Once I get the other ninety-six souls, I'll discuss with him how many souls it'll take to get your friends back, savvy?"
Kairi folded her arms. "I don't trust a word you say."
"Never trust a pirate." Sora told her.
"Good lad." Jack said. "If you don't mind, help teach your lass more about dealing with pirates, eh?" Sora and Kairi shook their heads and walked off. Mika walked up to Jack and slapped him too.
"Mr. Gibbs." Jack said. "I feel sullied and unusual."
"And how do you intend to harvest these ninety-six souls in three days?" Mr. Gibbs asked.
"Fortunately mum is the condition of which these souls need be." Jack said.
Mr. Gibbs smiled. "Tortuga?"
Jack wiped his hand on Mr. Gibbs vest. "Tortuga."
And there it is. Wow. It's amazing to think that we're almost at 50 chapters. I'm thinking we need to do something special for chapter 50, but I'm not sure what.
