First some announcements. #1: Thanks for the positive feedback. #2: This story is now avaliable for viewing at deviantart(dot)com. Leave a review there if you'd like. That's about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own either "Danny Phantom" or "Pirates of the Carabbean". Most of the characters you see are either property of Nickelodeon or Disney. Some others are my own.

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The Spirit of the Ship

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Chapter 5: What It All Means

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The afternoon was a bustling day at the marketplace. Gustavo resumed his position at the parchment stand, trying to avoid any contact with the patroling guards. After making another sell, he signaled for someone to come up and peek upon the marketplace. Danny, Jack, and Adriana poked their heads up as Gustavo bent over to speak with them. "The antiquity shop is just two buildings to our right," he told his comrades.

"Good," Jack said. "We attack at night."

"Night's too long from now," Danny whispered back.

"Are you suggesting we steal the vase now?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Danny, it's broad daylight," Adriana added, "and there has to be people in that shop right now."

"Just relax," Danny said, as if having a plan. "I'm gonna go into the store the only way I can: by not being seen. Jack, after I disappear, I want you to casually walk into the store."

An awkward silence came after. "So then what?" Jack asked, hoping for more. Instead, Danny just disappered as he said. "Strange, and I didn't even have any ruum today."

"Nevermind that," Gustavo said. "Just do as he says. Walk into the shop and don't bring any attention to you. But, you being dressed as you are, I don't see how that's possible."

"Just watch me," Jack said, first assuring the coast was clear, then jumping over Gustavo's stand and walking casually over to the antique shop.

"¿Por qué tengo una sensación negativa enorme sobre esto?" Gustav asked himself in his native tounge.

"Ese marcas dos de nosotros," Adriana added.

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Jack walked into the shop. As expected, there were three witnesses: the shopkeeper and two customers. Whatever Danny had planned, Jack had a strong gut feeling it just fail, for he didn't see Danny anywhere. "Hello, my friend," the shopkeeper said to Jack, in perfect English, yet in horrible accent. "Welcome to my antique store. What can I do for you?"

Jack had a long pause as the shopkeeper approached him. The shopkeeper should've yelled for the guards by now, but went on highly friendly. "Look, sir," Jack said," I've had an odd day today, and you've just about made it even more strange."

"Jack, it's me, Danny," the shopkeeper whispered to Jack, causing him to jump since he sounded just like he said he was.

"Danny?" Jack said. "You looked a lot different than you did a couple of seconds ago. And I still didn't have any rum, looking at it this way."

"If you need an explaination," Danny started, "I used my ghost powers to overshadow the shopkeeper. We can get the vase right here and now if you just play it cool."

"Alright," Jack whispered to him. "Just one question, though. How do I 'play it cool'?"

"Just play along," Danny responded. And with that, he went back to his horrible Spanish accent and asked Jack, "So, what brings you to my fine establishment, señor?"

"Well," Jack said, getting the idea, "I just thought I'd browse around for a bit, and my fancy was caught by that vase over there."

"Ah, perfect," Danny said, doing what he could to sound convincing. "Come with that with me to the counter. You can pay for it there."

Jack had put on a rather fake smile. Like many pirates, he didn't have any money. He wondered why Danny had asked for a payment when they clearly agreed on stealing the vase.

At the counter, Danny suddenly shouted, "Well, what do you know? You're my one thousanth customer. Congratulations!"

"I... see," Jack said, not quite getting the idea. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Danny said, "You don't have to pay for that vase. It's yours for the taking. Go on, take it and leave."

As Jack went to exit with the vase, he paused and said, "You know, while I'm here, is it possible I can take whatever I want around here, Shoppy."

"Oh, no," Dany replied. "I'm sure you have a lot of people you want to show that vase to, like a thief, or that paper salesman, and, just out of the blue, a ghost. Now go away, you're bothering me." Danny said these three items by winking at Jack at each point. He was unaware that the other two browsers were giving them odd looks.

A long, awkward came as Jack was still figuring out whether the shopkeeper was normal or not. Realizing it was Danny again, he said, "Oh, I know exactly what you mean. Well, sir, I do believe I should be on my way and show some good friends of mine my latest purchase at the antiquity's." He winked at purchase, giving Danny a nervous chuckle. "I bid you farewell." With that, Jack exited.

Giving a sigh of relief and seeing no point in staying in the shopkeeper any longer, Danny flew out of him. The shopkeeper collapsed as soon as Danny went out, causing the other two customers to rush to his aid.

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Outside the shop, Gustavo and Adriana were waiting. As Jack exited, vase in hand, he noticed his Spanish teammates to his immideate left. "So," he started, "how did I do?"

"You weren't exactly convincing," Gustavo said, "but not everyone in the town understands English."

"After we see Danny," Adriana said, "we ought to retreat back to the watermill. We can figure out what all those symbols on the vase mean there."

"Good," Gustavo added. "I have maps of Europe to help decipher it. I took some classes in cartogrophy. It's a hobby."

After Danny reappeared, Adriana told everyone to follow her back to the watermill.

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Night had come. Outside the watermill, Jack was training Danny on the arts of swordplay. Inside, Gustavo was looking at the vase carefully to figure out its meaning. Also inside, and by candlelight, Adriana was filling another page in her diary.

(NOTICE: Adriana writes in her diary in Spanish. Since I don't wanna translate the entire thing, the entries will be shown in English)

"Dear diary,

You won't believe this, but I'm going to go on a treasure hunt with a real pirate. His name is Jack Sparrow, and his is much more of a gentleman than any other pirates I've heard of. Right now, Jack is training Danny on sword fighting, with some help from Gustavo, the parchment salesman. Gustavo found a map on a vase, and is trying to fisure out just what the drawings and pictures mean on it. They could either mean that there is a valuble treasure, or that it's just a vase. I really hope it's a treasure, because I always wanted to see what lied beyond the ocean, even if it did take my father. I'm full of anxiousness and fear all at once. I only hope none of us meet my father's fate.

-Adriana."

"¡Lo encontré!" Gustavo's voice of discovery boomed across the watermill. His three companions gathered around him suddenly to see the big deal.

"Any luck on that?" Danny asked.

"Luck?" Gustavo said. "It's more than just that. I found the treasure's location." Gustavo turned the vase to a side with a dragon on it. "Tell me what you see."

"Uh... a dragon?" Danny guessed.

"Not just a dragon," Gustavo answered, "this is Europe." He then unfolded a map of Europe to show the simularities. "As you can see, there is something resembling a coin near the dragon's foot. That foot is the boot-shaped country of Italy. This reams the treasure is somewhere near Italy; however, there are these other markings on the vase, and some clear writing on it's lip. I don't know what either the markings or the writing mean."

"So," Danny said, "I take we're gonna have to go to Italy then."

"That's perfect," Jack said. "Not only do I have a ship, but I also happen to know some people from Italy. At least on of them should know what that means. At night, we gather, and by dawn, we set sail on the Hairy Turtle!"

Jack's would-be crew just stared at him, along with an awkward silence. "You named your ship the Hairy Turtle?" Adriana bewilderly asked.

"Jack, didn't you have another ship?" Gustavo asked.

"Ah, yes, the Black Pearl," Jack said. "Let me tell you something, mates: next time you party on Tortuga, make sure you leave on the right ship."

"You named your ship the Hairy Turtle?" Danny repeated.

"The Turtle's about half the size of the Pearl," Jack continued, "but it was the best ship I could hijack. It's perfect for a small crew such as ourselves. We can resupply ourselves in Italy."

"You named your ship the Hairy Turtle?" Danny and Adriana said in unison, still shocked by the ridiculous name.

"If you're that edgy on the name, I got it from how I managed to escape dying on a deserted island. I rounded up a bundle of sea turtles and tied them together with human hair. ...From my back." Danny, Adriana, and Gustavo cringed at Jack's story.

"Well, name aside," Adriana said, "how can you be sure the four of us can manage."

"Correction!" Gustavo rudely blurted. "The three of us. It's pure bad luck to bring a woman on a ship."

"Correction!" Jack copied. "I had a woman on the crew of the Black Pearl, and I can assure you that there was no bad luck when she was there."

"If that's the case, why do you not have the Black Pearl now?"

Jack paused and thought for a second. Giving up, he said, "Oh, you're good."

"But..." Adriana was speechless.

"Look, Adriana," Danny said, trying to comfort her, "I'm against what Gustavo's saying too, but this is really the only way they'll go on this quest. Just accept that."

Adriana sighed and pouted, "Alright."

"Well, enough arguing," Jack said. "We've got a big day ahead of us." He blew out the candle, signaling time for sleep.

"But it's called the Hairy Turtle," Danny said in the dark.

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That's it. Fell free to post comments here or on deviantart. My name there is still HauntingYourKids.