Chapter 23

Ana finally got the chance to prove her worth about two weeks later. Whie up in the crow's nest, she spotted a far away object. Looking into the telescope she saw that this wasn't like ordinary pirate ships, this was a mercenary ship one of the rare treasure ships still sent over to the Caribbean by power hungry European countries. Mercenary ships were every pirates dream to al least plunder from one.

"Gibbs!" She yelled over the railing, he saw nothing but water, "are ya sure?"

"Yea I'm sure."

Gibbs walked over to where Jack was and relayed the message.

"Really, interesting." Stated Jack as he peered at the sea, "tell tha men ta get ready." He ordered as he focused on what to do. Sea battles were like a game of chess, you had to move in all the right places, one wrong move in the slightest fault and you were done for.

"Get ready!" Ordered Gibbs to anyone within the range of his voice.

Even though Ana was in the crow's nest way up, she had seen the ship so she knew what was coming.

She pulled out her gun that was hidden in her holster on her thigh and her knife which was on the other side of her holster.

As the ship got within visible range The Pearl started firing its massive cannons at the advancing intruder.

The mercenary ship like most mercenary ships at the time had developed a defensive system from years of fighting with pirates locally in Europe or over in the Caribbean or other foreign countries. In retaliation the mercenary ship fired back trying to aim for the Pearl's flank.

Ana and the other crewmembers scurried down to the bottom level to refill the cannons.

"Fire!" Commanded Ana.

Normally they wouldn't listen her, but when in battle all the rules that you usually follow go out the window.

After a few shots, she and a few others rushed back upstairs just in time to help fight off some of the mercenary pirates that had swung over from their ship trying to overtake the Pearl.

Ana clashed knives with a pirate with a dark blue bandanna, green eyes, and burnette hair. She tried aimingfor his throat, but he deftly deflected her thrust. He in turn aimed for her stomach, if she hadn't turned by a few inches he would've gotten her. As his arm went past her, she stuck her knife into the end of his neck right where the vertebrae connected to the neck; it was a painful manuever that she had learned in Bogota.

Before that body fell a black haired man with brown eyes came after her next, but one quick shot from her pistol stopped him dead in his tracks because of the bullet landing right in between his eyes. That shot had taken years to land in Chile.

She looked up and saw Jack fighting well against a red haired pirate with his sword, but what he didn't know was that there was a big bald headed man sneaking up behind the both of them.

Ana took aim and fired hitting the big man in the chest.

Jack turned aroound which gave the red head a free shot at him, which he took by cutting Jack across the arm.

Jack quickly pulled out his gun and shot the man who thought he had the upper hand.

Their eyes met for a quick second and Jack gave a quick nod of thanks before he fell back into battle once again with another man.

Ana saw a few of her crewmembers gaining up on others so she helped them out until there wasn't much on their ship.

"Follow me ya yellabellies ta victory!" She exclaimed as she pointed her knife forward towards the rest of the mercenaries that were left on the other ship.

Ana looked crazed as she slashed or shot through each of her enemies. They just couldn't seem to touch her as her mind slipped into the subconscious where it wasn't connected with her body so she couldn't feel any pains from a punch or a grapple or any other move of that nature.

After stabbing a man in the chest with her knife, she spied the captain of the ship not too far from her as he stabbed one of her crewmates in the shoulder.

She ran through the crowds of men to get to him.

The captain saw her coming out of the corner of her eye and blocked her attack with his knife. she then tried to shoot him but he also pulled his grin out at the same time that she did and this caused them to knock their guns to a corner of the ship. She tried to punch him, but he blocked it with his hand. One of his many punches that he threw connected with her jaw, but that was the only punch that really landed. Once they tired of using their fists they resorted back to using their knives. Their fighting style was different from among the other pirates, the captain's was sophistciated but yet deadly while Ana's had finesse and was dangerous. He once again aimed for her throat, but Ana moved so he missed. She dug her heels down and aimed her shoulder at his stomach and ran forward knocking him down. Once knocking him down, she took her knife and stuck it in his shoulder. Blood poured forth from his shoulder like waterworks splattering her clothes and a bit of her face like the warpaint seen in the Native Americans of North America. A yell so ferocious leapt forth from the captain's throat that it didn't even seem human like. He tried to grab at Ana with his free hand, but with the way how she had positioned her knife he couldn't move.

Ana looked around to see where everyone else was at. There was more of Pearl crewmates than mercenary crewmembers. Ana raised her hand up and the other crewmembers looked up also. Once noticing that they had outnumbered the mercenaries, a great cry of victory rang out in their throats. The cry was so loud that Jack who had just stabbed a man in the chest looked up suprised.

He saw who was making the cries and heaved a sigh of relief.

As he walked over he noticed that the captain and what was left of his crew was tied together to a mast.

The Captain stared in disbelief as Jack approached him.

"Can...it be?...Word is ya're...ya're..." He said in disbelief.

"Wha?" Asked Jack as he got close to him, "ya thought I wuz dead?"

The captain nodded his head in mute agreement.

Jack chuckled a bit as he brought the knife out and lightly touched the captain's face.

"Well maybe I am, maybe ya're in hell already mate."

The captain's eyes widened in horror at what he said.

"Who captured this man?" He asked his crew.

Ana looked around to see who would step up and say that they did it.

When no one spoke she stepped forward.

"I did it." She admitted.

Jack and the rest of the crew eyed her suspiciously.

Ana furrowed her eyebrows, "ya don't think I did it?" She asked angrily.

The other crewmembers looked away while Jack held Ana's gaze.

"It's not tha I don't trust ya luv, but taking in da size of ya---"

Ana walked up to him and slapped him.

"Don't eva doubt me!" She angrily exclaimed as she stormed off towards the Pearl.

Jack watched her as she stormed off Women, can't live with them, can't live without them.

"Ya know she right," Admitted the mercenary captain, "she's got soem of da best moves I've eva seen anyone do before."

Jack realized the mistake in underestimating Ana, he turned back around but she was gone.

Jack sighed as he turned back around.

"Search tha ship for any goods, an' when ya find some bring 'em back on da ship. When ya're done, cut down their masts and take all der weaponery." Ordered Jack as he headed back over to the Pearl.