Hyperdimension Neptunia - Across the Multiverse
A HyperDimension Neptunia Fanfiction by Dumbrarere1
Chapter 23 - At World's End
The survivors from the Black Pearl were in the longboat, rowing their way towards Tia Dalma's shack. Around them, people stepped into the misty waters, holding candles in remembrance of Jack. Once docked and moored at Tia Dalma's hut, everyone got out of the boat and up the stairs. Tia Dalma went to fetch drinks as soon as they entered. As they waited, William threw his knife into the table in frustration, peeling off bits of wood every time.
"Hard to believe that we're looking at a situation in which our enemy won… even harder to believe how much our failure cost us…" Andrew said drearily.
"Hey, come on, sweetie… The rest of us are still here, and we're still fighting." Neptune said, trying to cheer Andrew up.
"I know you're right, Nep… but it's… it's a shock, I guess." Andrew said as Tia Dalma returned. "Still… Beckett has the heart, now… The events we'd hoped to prevent have already been set in motion… And without a captain to lead us, we're bumbling around in the dark."
"Aye… a tragic end to a noble cause…" Edward said as Tia Dalma set a drink in front of him.
"Against the cold… and sorrow." Tia Dalma said as she handed a drink to Elizabeth, then to Andrew and Neptune, and to Asriel, then Pintel, Ragetti, Cotton, Marty and finally Gibbs. "It's a shame…" she said as she walked towards William. "I know you're thinking that with the Pearl, you could've freed your father's soul."
"Doesn't matter. The Pearl's gone… along with its captain." William said.
"Aye… and the world seems a bit less bright, too." Gibbs said. "He fooled us all, right to the end… but I guess that honest streak has finally won out." he continued, before raising his cup. "To Jack Sparrow."
"Never another like Captain Jack." Ragetti said as he raised his cup.
"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was." Pintel said as he raised his cup.
"He was a good man." Elizabeth said, though without raising her cup.
"He was… a good friend." Andrew said, to which Asriel and Edward both nodded.
"If Norrington hadn't betrayed us, maybe the consequences might not have been so severe…" Asriel said, a subtle rage flickering within him for a moment, before going out like a snuffed candle.
"Yeah…" Andrew agreed. "If only there was something we could do to bring him back…"
"What would you? Hmm?" Tia Dalma began. "What would any of you be willing to do? Hmm? Would you sail to the ends of the earth and beyond to fetch back wicked Jack and his precious Pearl?" she continued. Edward stood up at that moment.
"Aye." he said.
"Aye." Gibbs said next.
"Aye." Pintel said next.
"Aye." Ragetti said next.
"Aye." Cotton's parrot squawked.
"Yes…" Elizabeth said.
"Aye…" William said softly.
"And what of you, CPUs… Would you?" Tia Dalma asked.
"Yeah…" Andrew said, and Neptune and Asriel nodded confidently.
"Alright…" Tia Dalma began. "But if you're going to brave the weird and haunted shoals at World's End… you're going to need a captain who knows those waters." she continued, before a loud thumping could be heard from the stairs. A large, gruff pirate with an unkempt beard and a cavalier hat appeared, holding an apple. Aside from the CPUs and Edward, everyone recognized him immediately.
"So tell me… what's become of my ship?" the man, Barbossa, asked cheerfully as the undead monkey sat on his shoulder, before he took a bite of an apple with a chuckle.
"Barbossa… That's not possible…" William muttered.
"Are you sure we can trust him? I mean, after last time…" Pintel asked.
"As a captain with experience… I have no reason not to." Edward interjected. "Besides, until we can get Jack back, this man's our only hope at putting a stop to these events."
"I care not what happens to Jack Sparrow… however, as a Pirate Lord, he has something we require that may help us put a stop to such things." Barbossa said.
"I'm sorry, Jack's a what, now…?" Andrew asked in confusion, trying to get an idea of what Barbossa was talking about.
"As one of the nine Pirate Lords, he holds onto one of the nine Pieces of Eight. With the rise of the East India Trading Company across the sea, I have been dutifully gathering the other Pirate Lords together for a meeting at the Brethren Court… For we need all nine Pieces of Eight." Barbossa said.
"What's so important about these 'Pieces of Eight' that we need them so badly?" Asriel asked.
"Allow me to tell the tale of the goddess of the sea, Calypso." Barbossa began. "In another age, the sea goddess fell in love with a captain… Davy Jones. It was written that Jones would guide the souls of those who died at sea to the next world… and once every ten years, they could be together for a single day."
"Another version of the story Tia Dalma told us…" William muttered.
"But one day, the first Brethren Court convened, and with nine Pieces of Eight, they bound her in her bones." Barbossa continued.
"During which time, Jones cut out his heart..." Asriel said. "And I assume that to save this world from Kurome's schemes, we have to free this Calypso?"
"Aye. But in order to free Calypso, we must gather the Pirate Lords at Shipwreck Cove, to convene the next Brethren Court." Barbossa said.
William said, nodded. "We have a need to go to World's End."
"Davy Jones' Locker lies beyond the borders of the map. But to find our way there, we be needin' charts coveted by the Pirate Lord, Sao Feng." Barbossa said.
"So, then… What is our destination, 'Captain' Barbossa?" Andrew asked.
"Singapore." Barbossa said.
After having been thrown back onto the beach and discarded by Davy Jones, Kurome led an expedition to retrieve the chest and its key aboard a second rate ship of the line, the HMS Jamaica, with a lieutenant assigned to her as a temporary second-in-command. At the same time, the entire citizenry of Port Royal was being tried and executed for "crimes against the crown". It was a farce, of course. Anyone who did not show loyalty to Beckett and his private army and navy, regardless of their legal and empirical status with the British Empire, was considered a threat.
Kurome merely smirked at the idea of Beckett and the East India Trading Company tightening the figurative noose on the Caribbean, their iron grip encroaching on lands and colonies of the Spanish, French and Portuguese Empires. Those colonies that did not open their ports to the EITC, or sell their territory to Beckett, found themselves subject to naval blockades, cutting off wealthy and vital capillary sea lanes feeding supplies into these island colonies and raw materials back to their imperial overlords. Even Tortuga, the last free haven in the Caribbean, was beginning to succumb to the pressure. It was a sign that her plans were coming together, and soon, the Caribbean would fall into delusion.
"What do you think Kurome's after?" one EITC mercenary, Murtogg, asked one of his compatriots, Mullroy.
"Total control of the Caribbean and beyond in the name of our employers, I'd reckon." Mullroy responded. "The company's already expanded its influence into the crown's holdouts in Singapore and elsewhere, and we'd just taken Nassau and French Guiana."
"All the glory to us, then… but Kurome seems a little… sus." Murtogg said.
"'Sus'? Is that the best you can come up with?" Mullroy asked.
"Okay, that may've been incredulous of me to say. But that… feeling she gives off…" Murtogg said.
"I don't know. Personally, I hate that look that she gives us every-" Mullroy said, freezing a moment as Kurome glanced at them. He'd unwind as soon as she turned her gaze back.
"See what I mean?" Mullroy asked.
"Yeah that was… creepy." Murtogg said in agreement. The lieutenant walked up, as if to quell their discussions himself, and grabbed the attention of all the mercenaries on board.
"Look lively, men. In a matter of minutes, we shall arrive at Isla Cruces, the island where Admiral Norrington was reported to have been picked up, to find the chest of Davy Jones. Beckett commands this, for we all know that a heart without a chest… is a fragile thing indeed. You have your orders, gentlemen." the lieutenant said, before turning to Murtogg and Mullroy. "And as for you two…once we recover the chest, you will guard it with your lives until we return to the HMS Endeavor… failure will be seen as treason, to be punished by the hangman's noose. Am I understood?" he asked.
"Y-Yes, sir." Murtogg said nervously.
"Aye- sir." Mullroy said, equally nervous.
"Good. You'll be well rewarded upon completion of this assignment." the lieutenant said as he stepped away.
"Not gonna lie, this doesn't bode well…" Murtogg said.
"Aye… Wasn't even this bad in the Navy…" Mullroy said. "This job was your idea." he snarled, bearing the responsibility for their precarious position on his companion. Up front at the bow, Kurome and the lieutenant were discussing what they were to do.
"I'm curious, Kurome… How do you think the whole of the world will simply bow to the East India Trading Company without a fight? All of the foreign powers are turning to help from pirates to bring supplies to their besieged colonial assets… some of these colonies have resisted without fail for months." the lieutenant explained.
"It's simple, lieutenant. Once we present the heart before Davy Jones and gain control of the sea, everything will fall into place." Kurome replied.
"Land, ho!" a spotter said.
"Drop anchor! Assigned marines, to the boats! Make ready to go ashore!" the lieutenant ordered, before turning his attention back to Kurome. "Ma'am, we've arrived at Isla Cruces, on schedule." he reported.
"As predicted." Kurome said, puzzling the lieutenant. "I shall join the away team. You have command until I return."
"Very good, ma'am." the lieutenant said as he broke through the confusion. Kurome entered the row boat with the EITC mercenaries, heading ashore. Isla Cruces was just as deserted as it was when Jack found it. The evidence of a pretty fierce fight for survival was apparent as they made their way across the island. They'd soon found the chest, with the key still inside, dumped on the beach next to the old wooden chest it was found in.
"Hmph… that was simple enough." Kurome said, seeing no possible resistance, as she ordered two of the mercenaries to recover it and take it back with them to the ship. Once aboard, and the boat and precious cargo secured, they set course to rendezvous with Beckett's flagship.
Asmund and the group returned to Tython with Princess Esme in tow. Lana was with them, of course. They entered the Council Chambers and were surprised to see Darth Marr and Theran talking freely with Revan, Var Suthra and Master Satele. On the holo was King Andor of Onderon.
"Ah, welcome back, Asmund. I see your rescue mission was a success." Master Satele said.
"We've successfully rescued Princess Esme from the Malachor Prison… unfortunately the price we paid may have been too much." Asmund said.
"The loss of Captain Gregor and his men was indeed an unfortunate sacrifice. It is good they didn't die in vain." Darth Marr said solemnly.
"On the bright side, we rescued the princess, and stopped the Empire from forcing the King of Onderon to surrender to them. WIthout their bargaining chip, the entire sector has bolstered its resolve, many neutral worlds opting to join the Republic instead." Var Suthra said. "More so, Fireteam Viper rescued Ambassador Asara and Moff Cyrus. A strategic victory well earned, I would say."
"You and the entire Jedi Order have my thanks, Asmund. And to you, Darth Marr. I am forever in your debt." King Andor said with a bow.
"Papa!" Esme screamed towards the holo in jubilation.
"Esme, my little girl! Mother and I were so scared!" King Andor exclaimed.
"With your permission, Your Majesty, we wish to keep Esme here for a little while, so that she may be healed. We'll return her to you once our healers have done their job." Asmund said.
"Of course… Esme, the Jedi are going to make you all better after what those Sith did to you, and then send you home. Mother and I will see you again, soon, I promise." King Andor declared, to which Esme nodded.
"I know you, Kira and Scourge were hoping to reunite with the CPUs after this crisis was over, Asmund, but we've got fresh reports of Imperials near Manaan. Though the planet has opted to remain neutral, their government is seeing the possibility of an invasion, and has asked for our assistance in return for their full support in the war." Theran explained.
"Go to Manaan, and get in contact with their government. We have full faith in your abilities, Asmund. Good luck to you." Master Satele said.
While taking a merchant ship to Singapore, the group had found out that it was overrun with EITC mercenaries. William had gone on ahead to find the charts that Sao Feng possessed, leaving the rest of them to discuss their negotiation strategy.
"So, what do we know about Sao Feng?" he asked.
"Sao Feng be a strong, and honorary type… uncommon for us pirates. Hates betrayal and deceit as much as the next guy, but is willing to use it if be necessary. But he hav'n a short temper, and be absent my merciful nature and sense of fair play, and I'd not be the one to earn his ire." Barbossa said.
"Interesting… if he was honorable, he'd have accommodations made for our meeting… yet my Assassin's instinct tells me that something's amiss…" Edward said.
"Aye… It'd be wise to trust your instincts on this." Barbossa said.
"Hmm… we'll need a Plan B if this goes south…" Andrew said. "Gibbs, while Barbossa, Elizabeth, Asriel, Neptune and I meet with the Pirate Lord, you and the rest of the crew will be sneaking weapons in from below, and hanging back in case the Trading Company raids the meeting point."
"Aye." Gibbs said. Andrew turned his attention to Barbossa.
"Barbossa, your monkey, Cotton's parrot and Tia Dalma will provide a distraction while they get in. We can't risk our backup getting noticed and causing our negotiations to go sour." he said.
"I'd not be leaving Jack under your command." Barbossa said.
"That makes two of us, Barbossa… but fortunately for both of us, that monkey is smarter than we give him credit for, and his undead state will come in handy for us." Andrew said, to the approving nod of Barbossa. Finally, Andrew turned to Edward.
"Edward, you'll be using the rooftops to scout out our path, and then observe the negotiations from the shadows. It's time for you to finally put those assassin's skills to use." he said.
"Finally. I shall see to it that the route to the meeting with Sao Feng is clear." Edward said.
"Good. Now… Let's hope that the meeting goes well." Andrew said as they approached the dock. The crew laid down the mooring lines, while a sympathetic merchant smuggled them off the ship.
Edward slinked away into the shadows, pulling the cowl of his assassin's robes over his head to conceal his identity. He'd then grab onto the woodwork of a traditional hut, climbing his way onto the rooftops. He'd then leap from rooftop to rooftop, scouting the route in which Barbossa and his "delegation" was to take. He would use a hidden blade in his gauntlet to silently remove any mercenaries that guarded the path to the bath house where the meeting was to take place.
Elsewhere, along the waterways, Elizabeth rowed a small boat towards the dock to make contact with Sao Fengs' men. She sang verses of a well known pirates' shanty as she did so.
"...The bell has been raised from its watery grave. Hear its sepulchral tune? A call to all, pay heed the squall, and turn your sails toward home! Yo Ho, haul together, hoist the colours high. Heave ho, thief-" Elizabeth sang.
"-Thief, and beggar! Never say we die!" one of Sao Feng's men, Tai Huang, interrupted with a sly and nefarious tone. "A dangerous song to be singing… for anyone ignorant in its meaning. Particularly a woman… particularly a woman alone."
"What makes you think she's alone?" Barbossa asked as he, Andrew, Neptune and Asriel arrived. Tai Huang took one good look at Asriel, and then Neptune, then Andrew as he noted their appearance… and then finally laid eyes on the infamous Captain Barbossa.
"You protect her?" he asked, only for Elizabeth to pull a hidden dagger from her belt and put it in his neck.
"What makes you think I need protecting?" she asked.
"Your master's expecting us, and an unexpected death'd cast a slight pall on our meeting." Barbossa said. Tai Huang turned his head to see EITC mercenaries responding to an alert of a dead body nearby, one of Edward's kills on the rooftops to ensure the group's safe passage, and he motioned for them to follow.
Still in the shadows, and watching closely, Edward continued to watch the group closely for any threats, moving towards the bath house. In the waterways, Gibbs, Marty, Pintel, Ragetti and Cotton slinked through the water towards the passage that led to the boiler rooms beneath the bath house.
"Steady as she goes." Cotton's parrot squawked, as the monkey turned a crank to a music box that Tia Dalma wheeled in, giving Gibbs and the others the ample cover they needed to cut through the rusted iron bars and break into the boiler room.
"Have you heard anything from William?" Asriel asked.
"I trust young Turner to acquire the charts, and you to remember your place in the presence of Sao Feng." Barbossa said, glancing at the young CPU, then towards Neptune, then finally towards Elizabeth. Asriel felt his fur stand on end at Barbossa's gaze, and he gulped nervously in response.
Near the passageway into the boiler room, Gibbs and the others with him managed to cut through the bars, granting them access.
"We're through! Make ready!" Gibbs said quietly as they walked inside.
Back with Barbossa, Elizabeth and the CPUs, Tai Huang led them all inside the bath house. It was secluded and hidden from the prying eyes of the East India Trading company, as far as they were aware. Barbossa and Elizabeth gave up their weapons. Elizabeth moved to go past the Chinese captain, but was soon stopped.
"You think because she is a woman, we would not suspect her of treachery?" Tai Huang asked.
"Well, when you put it that way…" Barbossa said.
"Remove, please." Tai Huang asked, and Elizabeth removed her coat and hat, revealing a great number of firearms and grenades. Andrew had to wonder how she was able to conceal all of those, as he watched her strip her weapons and leave herself unarmed, right down to a sawn off blunderbus that was hidden in her boot.
"I think that should be all the weapons… There'll be no treachery from-" Elizabeth said, hoping to get inside before it was a bit too late.
"Remove, please." Tai Huang said again, glancing down towards her pants with a sly grin, to which Elizabeth met with a scowl.
"In front of Asriel? I know he's a CPU, but he's still a kid! Not to mention that I'm going to be in front of so many men!" Elizabeth said. As she glanced around, she saw that Andrew, Neptune and Asriel were equally disgusted at the egregious demands of the pirate in front of them, while Barbossa had a look of indifference. It was clear that Tai Huang would not budge, however.
Andrew knew that time was short, and that further delays meant that they'd be closer to Kurome having her victory, and so he sighed, knowing that his friend would have to bite the bullet.
"Best get it over with, Elizabeth…" he said with sympathy in his voice, and so Elizabeth begrudgingly did as asked. Finally, after perceiving the three CPUs to be unarmed and not a threat, Tai Huang led everyone inside the bath house. Andrew and Asriel looked around, somewhat curious and nervous of their surroundings. It was all they could do to avoid staring at Elizabeth in her current state. Eventually, they'd put their eyes forward as they stood before Sao Feng, bowing to him in respect.
"Captain Barbossa. Welcome to Singapore." Sao Feng greeted, before turning to one of his servants. "More steam." he ordered, and with the pull of a handle, the servants alerted those in the boiler room below to release more steam into the bath house. The air was unbearably muggy, and Asriel hated it more than anybody. Outside on the rooftop, Edward casually watched from the shadows, managing to stay out of sight as he listened in on the negotiations in progress and waited in case things went south.
"I understand you have a request to make." Sao Feng said.
"More of a proposal to put to ye." Barbossa said. "I've a venture underway, and I find myself in need of a ship and a crew."
"Hmm… What an odd coincidence." Sao Feng said.
"Because you happen to have a ship and a crew you don't need?" Andrew asked.
"No." Sao Feng corrected. "Because earlier this day, not far from here, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple tried to make off with these." he added as he held up a scroll made of bamboo… the charts they needed to sail to the world beyond. "The navigational charts… the route to the farthest gate. Wouldn't it be amazing, if this venture of yours took you to the world beyond this one?" he asked. Andrew, Neptune and Asriel felt inwardly guilty that they had to resort to such tactics, but knew there was no other way.
"It would strain credulity at that." Barbossa remarked. Sao Feng turns to two of his men, and they lift William out of a tub of hot water, soaking wet.
"This is the thief. Is his face familiar to you?" he asked, to which Elizabeth tried to deny. However, the fear in her eyes was visible.
"Of course not, Sao Feng." Andrew fibbed to cover his friend.
"Then I guess he has no further need of it." Sao Feng said, going to kill William. Elizabeth gasped loudly, unable to stop herself. Sao Feng looked back, happy that he extracted the truth from them, but also rather angered and mildly perplexed.
"So you come into my city… you betray my hospitality." he said.
"Sao Feng, I assure you we had no idea-" Barbossa said, trying to bring negotiations back on course.
"That he would get caught?!" Sao Feng interrupted. "You intend a voyage into Davy Jones' Locker! When I cannot help but wonder… why?" he asked, to which Barbossa tossed him a Piece of Eight.
"The song has been sung. The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court." he said. "As one of the nine Pirate Lords… you must honor the call."
"More steam…" Sao Feng said, before his servants pulled the string. There was a few seconds of nothing. "MORE STEAM!" he snapped, and again, the servants pulled the string. Finally, some more hot steam entered the bath house, and the temperamental pirate turned his attention back towards the five "delegates" who deigned to meet with him on some not-so-friendly terms. "There is a price on all of our heads, it is true. Since it seems that the only way for pirates to turn a profit anymore… is by betraying other pirates."
"We must put our differences aside." Andrew interjected. "Lord Cutler Beckett extends his iron grip across the world, with the aid of Kurome Ankokuboshi… a rogue CPU who seeks nothing more than the destruction of the entire Multiverse. We CPUs have sworn to stop her and prevent this calamity, but If we do not work together, this world will simply cease to exist."
"A madman's tale, Andrew Hawker… but for some reason, I believe you." Sao Feng said, giving a glimmer of hope that proved short lived. "But against the Trading Company, and your rogue CPU, what is the value of the Brethren Court? What can any of us do?"
"You can fight!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she stepped forward. A pirate tried to stop her, but she simply shook them off. "You are Sao Feng, the Pirate Lord of Singapore! You command entire fleets in an age of piracy, where bold captains sail free waters. Where waves aren't measured in feet, but as increments of fear, and those who pass the test become legend! Would you have that era come to an end on your watch?" she asked, talking sense into him. "The most notorious pirates, freelance privateers and even these three gods from another world are uniting against our enemy, and yet you sit here, cowering in your bath water!"
"Elizabeth Swann… there is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?" Sao Feng asked. "And the eye does not go wanting. But I cannot help but notice… you have failed to answer my question. What is it you seek in Davy Jones' Locker?"
"Jack Sparrow." William interjected, to the giggles of Sao Feng's servants. "He's one of the Pirate Lords."
"The only reason... I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the land of the dead…" Sao Feng began. "...is so I can SEND HIM BACK MYSELF!"
"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine Pieces of Eight. He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died, so we must go and get him back." Barbossa said.
"It's our only hope, Sao Feng, and time is not on our side. We humbly ask that you at least consider what we're asking of you, and name your price." Andrew said.
"So you admit… you have deceived me." Sao Feng snarled. "Weapons!" he called out. Suddenly, he and every pirate in the room grabbed their weapons, turning them against the five of them.
"Sao Feng, I assure you, our intentions are strictly honorable!" Barbossa said, only for weapons to slide through the floorboards, and into Barbossa and Elizabteth's hands.
"Drop your weapons! Or I'll kill the man!" Sao Feng declared as he took a random man hostage, leaving Barbossa perplexed.
"Kill him, he's not our man." he said, making Sao Feng equally perplexed, but William and Andrew both knew something was up.
"If he's not with you… and he's not with us… who's he with?" William asked.
"There's only one name I can think of that can answer that question…" Andrew said, realizing that the man who was just taken hostage was a spy for their enemy. "Beckett." he declared. At that moment, the front doors burst open as EITC mercenaries poured in, armed for close quarters combat.
"To arms! Sao Feng must not fall!" Andrew called out as Asriel transformed, before the three CPUs took out their weapons and went at it against the enemy mercenaries. Elizabeth ducked under an attack, before she retaliated. William, using the heavy wooden beam he'd been tied to, proceeded to whack the mercenaries with enough force to split their skulls, killing them or leaving them unable to fight. Suddenly, Gibbs, Marty, Pintel, Ragetti and Cotton joined the fight as well. William's plight would last until Neptune cut the rope with her katana, freeing him and allowing him to grab a random cutlass from off a dead mercenary so that he may get into the fight properly.
They'd managed to push the mercenaries out of the bath house and into the streets, where it was utter chaos. Asriel grabbed Elizabeth's pants and tossed them to her, allowing her to get dressed before she ran out the door. Asriel, himself nearly got jumped by an EITC Lieutenant, who was jumped himself by Edward as he took a leap of faith off the bath house roof, stabbing him in the throat.
"Thanks, Edward!" Asriel said.
"Don't mention it, kid! Means I don't have to pay you back for what you did for me during the Kraken attack! Now, let's finish this." Edward exclaimed as he unsheathed his own cutlass, joining the fray.
Elsewhere, a squad of mercenaries were forming into a line, ready to fire upon pirates and innocent civilians alike.
"Company! Make ready!" a lieutenant acting as the commander of that line shouted as the men took their positions. "Level!" he shouted again, and the soldiers leveled their muskets. "Fire!" he ordered, and a volley of musket fire was sent off, killing an innocent fisherman who was in the crossfire. The squad quickly reloaded, but behind them, a music box played on its own, the music getting more shrill over time.
"Level!" the lieutenant ordered, as the men once again leveled their guns. "Fire!" he ordered again. This time however, the line was blown apart by an explosion from behind, the music box turning out to be a literal time bomb.
Mercer, who was on assignment to retrieve information from his spy in Sao Feng's crew, knocked down a woman and mercilessly shot her, before kneeling to observe a conversation between William and the Pirate Lord of Singapore.
"It is an odd coincidence, isn't it? That the East India Trading Company finds me the day you show up in Singapore." Sao Feng snarled.
"It is coincidence only." William countered, unsheathing his father's knife and sticking it in Sao Feng's neck. In the background, Mercer aims his custom flintlock towards William, holding his fire as the situation plays itself out. "If you want to make a deal with Beckett, you need what I offer." William continued.
"You cross Barbossa. You're willing to cross Jack Sparrow, and the CPUs. Why should I expect any better?" Sao Feng snarled again, to which Mercer stood down as he listened in.
"I need the Black Pearl to free my father. And you're helping me to get it." William said.
As the battle raged, Jack the monkey set down a piece of pyrotechnic on a board, aimed at a warehouse full of them.
"Uh oh…" Cotton's parrot squawked as the monkey took a candle and lit the fuse. "Fire in the hole!" Cotton's parrot squawked again. The firework soon lit up, flying between Barbossa and an EITC lieutenant, before detonating inside the warehouse and igniting a whole bunch of other fireworks in a chain reaction, killing a number of mercenaries and distracting the lieutenant long enough that Barbossa was able to kill him.
"Thank you, Jack!" Barbossa said.
"Thank you, Jack!" Cotton's parrot echoed. With the battle just about over, everyone met at the docks.
"That'd better be the last of those mercs, or Sao Feng's fury will be the least of our worries." Andrew remarked.
"Man, can't I get one fanfic without an entire private army chasing after us?" Neptune squealed in frustration. Asriel deactivated HDD, burned out from the fighting, as William walked up, trailed by Tai Huang and some of his best men.
"Glad you could make it, William." Edward said as he lowered his cowl.
"You got the charts?" Barbossa asked.
"And better yet. A ship, and a crew." William declared.
"And what of Sao Feng?" Andrew asked.
"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove." William said.
"Good enough for me. Let's get underway, before any more of those mercs show up." Edward said as everyone followed Tai Huang to a decently sized ship, the Hai Peng. Once out to sea, and Singapore behind them, Elizabeth was joined by Asriel and Tia Dalma.
"There's nowhere else left for Sao Feng to cower…" Elizabeth said, before looking towards Asriel. "Do you think he'll answer the call, Asriel?"
"I hope so… If not, then Kurome will have already won." Asriel said, noting how bleak the situation was.
"There is an evil on these seas, that even the most staunch and bloodthirsty pirates have come to fear…" Tia Dalma said. "I fear that Kurome will have come close to her goal before the end."
"A Piece of Eight… Nine of them, you say?" Beckett asked towards Mercer. Kurome had joined him on the Endeavor not a week ago, after the rendezvous, and the Jamaica had been sent back to Port Royal, and now Mercer was here, too.
"Our friend in Singapore was very specific. Nine Pieces of Eight." Mercer said.
"Interesting… What could be the significance of this? Are they merely ornamental? Do they hold some higher meaning amongst the Brethren? Or is there some other purpose behind them?" Kurome asked.
"Does it matter? There's nothing that can hold against the armada, not with you and the Flying Dutchman at the lead." Mercer countered.
"Nothing we know of… Did your friend happen to mention where the Brethren Court are meeting?" Beckett asked.
"He was mum on that, sir." Mercer said.
"Well, then, he knows the value of information. Best keep this between ourselves. We don't want anyone running off to Singapore." Beckett said, glancing towards Weatherby Swann. That was when Norrington entered, in his Admiral's uniform.
"You summoned me, Lord Beckett." he said.
"Ah, Admiral. Yes, something for you, there." Beckett said, pointing to a weapons case with a walking stick. "Your new station deserves an old friend." he continued as Norrington walked over to the case and opened it, to find the polished sabre he got when he was promoted to Commodore. He'd look towards Kurome as he unsheathed his sword.
"What are my orders?" the Admiral asked.
"Patience, Admiral. Your time for glory will come soon enough." Kurome said.
"The Brethren know they face extinction. All that remains is for them to decide where they make their final stand." Beckett said smugly.
Somewhere around the northernmost end of the Bering Strait, the Hai Peng sailed amongst the ice floes and icebergs. Most of the crew were succumbing to frostbite, hypothermia, or worse. Asriel was doing his best to remain warm, helped by his coat of fur, though even that was a bit difficult. He didn't have the benefit of the winter gear he had borrowed when he went to Hoth.
"No one said anything about cold!" Pintel exclaimed, his teeth chattering.
"The goat boy must be warm and cozy with all that fur…" Ragetti said in regards to Asriel.
"Why couldn't that obeah woman bring back Jack the same way she brought back Barbossa?" Pintel asked.
"Because Barbossa was only dead. Jack Sparrow is taken, body and soul, to a place not of death… but punishment! The worst fate a person can bring upon himself. Stretching on forever. That's what awaits at Davy Jones' Locker." Tia Dalma said. The tone in her voice suggested that she was most familiar with this world beyond. Asriel stood up, walking over towards William, Tai Huang, and Andrew. William was manipulating the charts.
"Anything?" Asriel asked.
"He's still manipulating the charts… it's just riddles…" Andrew said with the shake of a head.
"Nothing here is set… These can't be as accurate as modern charts." William said.
"No. But it leads to more places." Tai Huang said.
"Over the edge… over again…" William muttered as he read the riddles on the charts. "Sunrise sets… flashes green…"
"Flashes green? That's a little hard to believe, don't you think?" Andrew asked.
"After seeing the three of you in battle, I'll believe anything…" William said as he took the charts, going to Barbossa. "Two riddles. Over the edge, over again. Sunrise sets, flashes green. Care to interpret, 'Captain' Barbossa?"
"Ever gazed upon the Green Flash, Mister Gibbs?" Barbossa asked.
"I reckon I seen my fair share. It happens on rare occasion. At the last glimpse of sunset, a flash of green light shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without seeing it. Some claim to have seen it, who ain't. Some say-" Gibbs said.
"It signals when a soul comes back to this world from the dead!" Pintel interrupted, before getting a death stare. "Sorry…"
"Still… a green flash… a myth, or a glimmer of hope?" Andrew asked nobody in particular.
"Trust me, young Mister Hawker. It's not getting to the land of the dead that's the problem." Barbossa said, turning the rudder. "It's getting back." Andrew, Asriel and William all looked up as they went into a chasm deep within the ice. Asriel in particular was in awe by the sight of it, as it got darker and darker.
Beckett, Mercer and Kurome looked upon the wreckage of a pirate fleet feeding supplies to some besieged colony in the Caribbean. Beckett was astonished at the level of destruction brought upon these ships by Davy Jones.
"Bloody hell, there's nothing left." he exclaimed.
"Jones is a loose cannon, sir." Mercer remarked.
"Fetch the chest." Beckett ordered.
"And the Governor?" Mercer asked. "He's been asking questions about the heart."
"Has he now? Well, maybe his usefulness has run its course." Beckett said, finally ready to cast Weatherby Swann aside. Kurome joined Mercer and Beckett as they and several mercenaries rowed to the Flying Dutchman and boarded it. Two men brought the chest, with the heart safely back inside, and when Davy Jones set his eyes on it, he felt a deep anger.
"Go… All of you! And take that infernal thing with you! I will not have it on my ship!" he snarled.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that… because I will!" Beckett countered. "Because it seems the only way to ensure that this ship do as directed by the company!" he continued, implying that he'd been trying for months to get Jones to bow to his will.
"We are EXTERMINATING pirates as directed by the company!" Davy Jones said, trying to anger Beckett into making a mistake. However, he wouldn't have any of it, and so Kurome stepped up at his command to intimidate the cursed pirate captain.
"We need prisoners to interrogate… which tends to work best when they're alive." she said.
"The Dutchman sails as its captain commands!" Davy Jones said, bravely defying Kurome.
"And its captain is to sail it as commanded!" she countered back, filling Davy Jones' head with a serious nightmare. This got the captain to back off and submit.
"I would have thought you'd learned that after I ordered you to kill your pet." Beckett said. "This is no longer your world, Jones… The immaterial has become… immaterial."
In the captain's stateroom, the chest was opened up, and two mercenaries aimed their muskets at the heart to force Jones' loyalty. However, Weatherby Swann had some other ideas as he took a bayonet off a musket and got ready to stab the heart, only for Norrington to stop him. He'd learn of the fate that whoever were to stab the heart would face, and felt sickened, as he calmly went to the boat back to the Endeavor.
"I must return to England and let His Majesty the King know what Beckett is planning… Please, my friend… if you ever run into Elizabeth… write to me. Let me know if she is safe…" Weatherby Swann begged.
"Of course, Governor…" Norrington said.
"Hard to believe, Norrington, but she's safer with Jack Sparrow than could ever be with Beckett." he said as he stepped aboard the boat. Norrington nodded in understanding as he saw Weatherby Swann off. Once Kurome and Beckett had a private moment, the ambitious Lord dropped the ball.
"What can I do for you, Lord Beckett?" Kurome asked.
"I'd like for you to tie up some loose ends. Discreetly, if you can." Beckett said, ordering Kurome to kill Weatherby Swann.
"It shall be done." Kurome said with a smirk as she went to the governor's stateroom. Weatherby Swann was busy packing and writing a letter to the royal family about Beckett's ambition. "Governor Swann." Kurome said.
"What, Kurome? Can't you see that I am busy?" Weatherby Swann asked rudely, not wanting anything more to do with Beckett's cohorts.
"Surely you can stop for a moment. Get some fresh air on the balcony, exchange a few words." Kurome said, trying to manipulate Weatherby Swann.
"I'd rather not." Weatherby Swann said as he finished his note and put it in with his other belongings. In response to this, Kurome filled his head with a nightmarish vision, before grabbing his face. She'd knock him out, before weighing him down with his own luggage and tossing him over the side, leaving him to drown in the ocean below. She was careful enough to make sure that nobody on the ship would bat an eyelash at his disappearance, as she returned to Beckett to report the deed being done.
The Hai Peng sailed under a star-lit sky, with no further obstacles in sight. Asriel sighed as he stared out at the horizon, watching as the stars in the sky bounced off the calm waters, as though wanting to reach out and touch them. Elizabeth was with him, as though to give him some company.
"You doing okay, Asriel?" she asked.
"Yeah… I guess. Just a lot on my mind." Asriel said.
"Yeah? Like what?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'll be honest, Liz… I've come to look up to and rely on Andrew and Nep a lot since my adventures with them truly began. They're like family… you get me?" Asriel asked.
"I think I do. There is nothing wrong with admitting this." Elizabeth said.
"I don't think I'm ready to face what happens if I were to suddenly lose them." Asriel admitted with a sigh.
"I'm sure they feel the same way… and I'm certain that they're proud of you." Elizabeth said as William, Neptune and Andrew walked up. However, Tia Dalma appeared at the bow suddenly.
"For what we want most… there is a cost must be paid in the end." she said. This measure of foreboding didn't sit well with either of them.
"What's she mean?" Asriel asked, somewhat nervous.
"Something nasty…" Andrew said as he turned towards Barbossa. "Barbossa! Ahead!" he shouted as he and William walked back towards the helm.
"Aye, we're good and lost now." Barbossa declared.
"Lost?!" Elizabeth asked, shocked at the incredulity of Barbossa's statement.
"For certain, you have to be lost to find the places that can't be found. Elseway, everyone would know where it was." Barbossa explained.
"We're gaining speed!" Gibbs said.
"Aye!" Barbossa said.
"To stations… All hands to stations!" William called out. "Hard to port! Gather way!"
"Nay, belay that! Better run straight and true!" Barbossa countered. Andrew and Edward both ran back towards the bow to see what was going on.
"Mother of mercy…" Andrew swore, horrified at what was in front of them: a giant waterfall off the edge of the Earth.
"You've doomed us all!" Elizabeth snarled, glaring at Barbossa.
"Don't be so unkind! You may not survive to pass this way again. And these be the last friendly words you'll hear." Barbossa said sadistically. Elizabeth turned back towards the bow, to see Asriel frozen as he stared off the bow, before she ran back over and got his attention. The two of them ran back towards the mast, where Andrew and Neptune both grasped him tightly for safety, after which Elizabeth knew she was needed elsewhere.
"Malfaiteur en Tombeau, Crocher l'Esplanade, Dans l'Fond d'l'eau!" Tia Dalma muttered in French, laying down crab shells on the deck.
"Hard to port!" Elizabeth called out. Edward grasped the helm and pulled hard left, trying to tack the ship in the other direction. It was a fruitless attempt, and soon they'd be sailing backwards.
"It's no use!" Edward called out.
"Hold on!" William shouted, warning everyone to grab hold onto something.
"Hold on tight, Asriel!" Andrew said as he kept the boy firmly sandwiched between himself and the mast for protection. Barbossa laughed as the ship slid off the edge of the waterfall, and down into the endless abyss that separated the two worlds from each other.
Asriel walked onto a beach with the others, drenched in water with sand sticking to his fur.
"Ugh! I'm all wet, and I've got sand in my fur!" he groaned. "Where are we?"
"Pretty sure we're not in Kansas anymore…" Andrew quipped half-jokingly. "So this is Davy Jones' Locker… Not sure if this is what I'd expected." He continued, wondering how long they've been there, falling out of the sky from that giant waterfall at the edge of the world.
"This truly is a god forsaken place…" Gibbs said.
"I'll admit, I was afraid of getting separated from everyone…" Asriel said with a sigh, admitting that he was afraid.
"Aww, don't worry, kiddo. You're not leaving our sight until you're good and ready to work and fight on your own." Neptune said with a smile. "Anyways… where's Jack?"
"He's here. Davy Jones never once gave up that what he took." Barbossa said, answering Neptune's question.
"But does it matter? We're stuck here, thanks to you! A situation no different from Jack's." Andrew said, a little peeved at Barbossa's recklessness.
"Wicked Jack is closer than you think." Tia Dalma said as she petted a white crab native to the locker… a vestige of Calypso's power. Asriel had to shake his head, believing everyone around him to be mad, when he caught sight of the Black Pearl sailing on the sand!
"What the!?" he exclaimed, confused out of his mind. "Am I the only one seeing this?!"
"It's not just you, kid!" Edward said as the Pearl crested the dune.
"Impossible…" Tai Huang muttered in astonishment as the Pearl slipped out of the sand and into the ocean where it belonged.
"Boat!" Ragetti quipped. They all bolted towards Jack when they saw him row to shore and walk towards them.
"Jack!" Asriel exclaimed.
"A sight for sore eyes!" Gibbs exclaimed next.
"Mister Gibbs." Jack said.
"Aye, Captain!" Gibbs said.
"I thought so… I expect that you can account for your actions, then?" Jack asked.
"Sir?" Gibbs asked.
"There has been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline aboard my vessel, why? WHY IS THAT, SIR?!" Jack snapped, confusing Gibbs.
"Sir, you're-" Gibbs said, trying to think of how to respond. "You're in Davy Jones' Locker, Captain." he continued. Jack glanced around, so sure of himself that this was his imagination playing tricks on him.
"I know that! I know where I am! And don't think I don't!" he said defensively.
"Jack Sparrow!" Barbossa said.
"Ah, Hector! It's been too long, hasn't it?" Jack asked.
"Aye. Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me!" Barbossa replied.
"No I didn't…" Jack said, turning his gaze to Tia Dalma. "Tia Dalma… Out and about, eh?"
"Are you alright, Jack?" Asriel asked in confusion.
"What is a fuzzy child like you doing here?" Jack asked.
"We came searching for-" Asriel said, only to be interrupted as Jack suddenly turned his attention to Edward.
"Mister Kenway. Never thought I'd see you of all people." he said.
"Seriously, what's going on with him, William?" Andrew asked.
"He thinks we're a hallucination." William replied.
"William, tell me something. Have you come because you need my help with a certain distressing damsel, or rather… damsel in distress? Either one." Jack asked as he faced William.
"No." William said flatly.
"Then you wouldn't be here. So you can't be here. Q. E. D., you're NOT really here!" Jack raved.
"Jack… this is real, we're here." Elizabeth interjected. Jack had a good look at her, and began to realize that this may not be a figment of his imagination afterall. He quickly went back to Gibbs.
"The locker, you say?" he asked.
"Aye." Gibbs said.
"We came to rescue you, Jack!" Asriel said.
"Have you now? That's very kind of you." Jack said. "But seeing as I possess a ship, and you don't… you're the ones in need of rescuing, and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood to."
"But…" Asriel said.
"I see my ship right there." Barbossa said, pointing towards the Black Pearl.
"Can't spot it. Must be a tiny little thing hiding somewhere behind the pearl." Jack said.
"Jack, listen." Edward said, interjecting. "We know for certain that Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones."
"He's taking over the seas!" Elizabeth said.
"The song has already been sung. The Brethren Court is called." Tia Dalma said.
"Leave you people alone for a minute, and look what happened. Everything's gone to pot." Jack said.
"Aye, the world needs you back something fierce." Gibbs said.
"And you need a crew!" William declared. Jack turned to face everyone.
"Why should I sail with any of you?" he asked.
"Because you're the only captain we can trust in this crisis." Andrew said.
"Trust? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past! One of you succeeded." Jack said. Asriel, William, Edward and Andrew all looked at Elizabeth as she looked down in guilt.
"Elizabeth… you?" Asriel asked, disheartened.
"Oh? She's not told you? You'll have loads to talk about while we're here." Jack said. "As for you…" Jack said, turning his attention to Tia Dalma.
"Now, don't tell me you didn't enjoy it, at the time." Tia Dalma said.
"Alright, fair enough, you're in." Jack said as he looked through his roster. "Don't need you, you scare me…" He said to Ragetti, going to Gibbs. "You can come… Marty… Cotton… Cotton's parrot, I'm a little iffy, but at least I'll have something to talk to… CPUs, you're good… Kenway, you're scary, but I like you…" He continued, going through the people in front of him, before he stopped in front of Tai Huang. "Who're you?"
"Tai Huang. These are my men." Tai Huang said, gesturing to the Chinese pirates behind him.
"Where do your allegiances lie?" Jack asked.
"With the highest bidder." Tai Huang said.
"I have a ship." Jack said.
"That makes you the highest bidder." Tai Huang said.
"Good man. Weigh anchor, all hands! Prepare to make sail!" Jack commanded. He opened his trusty compass, which should tell him what he wanted most… only to see the compass hand spinning violently in a clockwise pattern.
"Jack… Which way you going, Jack?" Barbossa asked, holding the charts.
They were underway on the Black Pearl, sailing as far away from land as possible. Neptune, Andrew, Asriel and Edward seemed to observe some kind of argument between Jack and Barbossa, and it was clear that there was bad blood between the two of them.
"Trim that sail!" Barbossa ordered.
"Trim that sail!" Jack parroted.
"Slack windward brace and sheets!" Barbossa ordered.
"Slack windward brace and sheets!" Jack parroted.
"Haul that pallet line!" Barbossa ordered.
"Haul that pallet line!" Jack parroted.
"What ARE you doing?" Barbossa asked, turning towards Jack.
"What are YOU Doing?" Jack asked.
"No, what ARE you doing?" Barbossa asked.
"What are YOU doing?" Jack asked.
"NO, What ARE you doing?!" Barbossa asked.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Jack asked, before pausing. "Captain gives orders on the ship."
"The captain of this ship IS giving orders!" Barbossa countered.
"My ship! Makes me Captain!" Jack countered back.
"THEY BE MY CHARTS!" Barbossa snapped, shoving the charts in Jack's face.
"That makes you… CHARTMAN!" Jack snapped, not noticing Andrew and Edward approaching.
"Firstly, Jack, I believe the proper term is 'navigator'? Secondly, the two of you need to knock it off." Andrew said. Jack and Barbossa gave him a death stare, to which Andrew took a deep breath. "Look. We're in the middle of a crisis, and disunity will only serve to hasten this world's demise. All I ask is that the two of you put whatever bad blood you have aside." he defended himself. Barbossa raised an eyebrow, as did Jack.
"At least until Beckett is dealt with? Please?" Andrew asked. Barbossa and Jack looked at each other, before fighting their way in the direction of the helm.
"Gotta wonder what's making them act like this…" Edward said.
"Yeah… they're acting like kids…" Andrew said. Below deck, Asriel and William were talking with Elizabeth.
"You left Jack to the Kraken?" William asked.
"He's rescued, now, it's done with…" Elizabeth said, trying to excuse her actions, only to find that she herself couldn't.
"But, Liz… Why?" Asriel asked.
"I had to… to save us all." Elizabeth said.
"And yet you chose not to tell us… to tell me." William said.
"I couldn't. It wasn't your burden to bear." Elizabeth said.
"Yeah, but we did bear it, didn't we?" Asriel asked, clearly a little upset. "I forgive you, Liz, but… if you keep making these decisions for yourself… how can we trust you?"
"You can't…" Elizabeth said, before running upstairs to the top deck, leaving William looking dejected and confused. Asriel just sighed as he went upstairs as well, before peering over the side. The sun was beginning to set as he stared out at the ocean.
"Hey, Az. You doing okay, kiddo?" Neptune asked, seeing her usually cheerful and carefree protege looking somewhat down.
"I don't know, Neptune… I thought I could trust Elizabeth as a friend…" Asriel said. "But after today, I just don't know."
"You'll be okay, kid." Neptune said as she handed a cup of butterscotch pudding to him. "This'll probably help cheer you up."
"Heh… you really know how to lift my spirits, huh?" Asriel asked, taking the pudding cup from her.
"Yeah. It'll be okay, kid." Neptune said with a smile.
"Thanks, Nep." Asriel said, returning the smile with one of his own.
"Any time." Neptune said. As the sun went down past the horizon, Asriel could swear he saw a smidge of green. A sure sign that the Green Flash was to happen soon. Pintel and Ragetti joined him with some fishing poles, handing one to him, although he had no idea how to fish. He probably just figured that it was best to let himself figure it out on his own.
"Mind telling me where you got your fur from, fuzzball?" Pintel asked.
"As much as I can remember, I've always had it, like my mom and dad do." Asriel replied. He looked down, then reeled back, as did Pintel and Ragetti, the latter of whom lost his pole in the water.
"Are those… ghosts in the water?" Asriel asked.
"Eerie… That's downright macabre!" Pintel said.
"I know this is the land of the dead, but…" Asriel said. "Why… would there be ghosts in the water?" he asked, confused.
"They should be in the care of Davy Jones!" Tia Dalma interjected. "That was the duty he was charged with by the goddess, Calypso. To ferry the souls of those who died at sea to the other side. And every ten years, he could come ashore… to be with she who love him, truly."
"So… these souls… they're just drifting towards the shore without guidance…" Asriel said.
"The man has become a monster… Abandoned his duty… corrupted his purpose..." Tia Dalma said.
"So he wasn't always… tentacley." Ragetti said.
"No… He was a man… once." Tia Dalma said as Andrew, Neptune, Jack, William, Edward, Elizabeth and Gibbs joined them at the front to see what was up.
"Now there's boats coming…" Ragetti said. Everyone turned to see boats in the water. Each boat had a person that died at sea.
"Are they a threat to us?" William asked.
"We're nothing but ghosts to them." Tia Dalma said. Elizabeth gazed at the boats, to lay her eyes on Weatherby Swann.
"It's my father, we've made it back! Father, here! Up here!" she called. Weatherby Swann didn't seem to respond.
"Elizabeth… we're not back…" Jack said wearily, knowing Elizabeth would be crushed to hear this news. She looked worried, as she turned back towards her father.
"Father!" she called out. This time, Weatherby Swann turned to see her.
"Elizabeth… Are you dead?" he asked.
"No…" Elizabeth replied, shaking her head.
"I think I am…" Weatherby Swann said.
"No, you can't be!" Elizabeth said, heartbroken.
"There was this chest, you see… and a heart. At the time, it seemed so important." Weatherby Swann said.
"The Heart of Davy Jones… You've seen it?" Edward asked.
"I have… and I've laid my eyes on Kurome…" Weatherby Swann said.
"So you've met Kurome… I would assume that she is the reason for your tragic fate?" Andrew asked.
"I believe so…" Weatherby Swann said.
"Come aboard!" Elizabeth said, wanting to save him from death.
"But I'd learned that if you stab the heart… yours must take its place… Sail the seas for eternity… The Dutchman must always have a Captain… Silly thing to die for." Weatherby Swann said.
"So killing Jones to free your father wouldn't have worked in your favor, William…" Andrew said.
"Someone, cast a line!" Elizabeth called out. Marty grabbed a line, handing it to her.
"A touch… of destiny." Tia Dalma said grimly. Elizabeth took the line and tossed it over the side, which landed on Weatherby Swann's boat. "Take the line!" She beckoned.
"I'm so proud of you, Elizabeth…" Weatherby Swann said, before looking towards Jack. "You keep my daughter safe, Jack Sparrow, do you hear me?" he asked. Jack nodded uncharacteristically, reassuring Weatherby Swann that Elizabeth would be kept safe.
"Father, take the line, take the line!" Elizabeth begged, only to see the line slide off of Weatherby Swann's boat. She made a run for the stern of the Pearl.
"She must not leave the ship!" Tia Dalma warned, and Edward and William both ran over to stop Elizabeth.
"Father, come back with us, I won't leave you!" she begged.
"I'll give your love to your mother, shall I?" Weatherby Swann asked, wishing her the best of luck.
"No! Please, I won't let you go!" Elizabeth cried, tears streaming down her face as she embraced William. Asriel looked at her sympathetically.
"Is there a way?" William asked, to which Tia Dalma simply shook her head.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
This is a good place to leave it for now. I know that if I go further than this, I'll be at it forever.
Apologies to the readers, but this is where interactions with Asmund, Kira and Lord Scourge will have to end for now, simply for the fact that I've no idea how the Battle of Manaan will happen. They will return, once adventures in the Caribbean will end.
Some more liberties were taken, and there are a couple more references to the At World's End video game.
That's all for now, folks! Keep on nepping!