Hyperdimension Neptunia - Across the Multiverse
A HyperDimension Neptunia Fanfiction by Dumbrarere1
Chapter 25 - Maelstrom
Andrew and Neptune joined Jack, Barbossa, Edward and the rest of the crew of the Black Pearl in a room around a large table. Other Pirate Lords and their crews joined as well. However, it seemed that Sao Feng had yet to show up.
"Sao Feng should be here right now…" Andrew said worriedly.
"Aye… It'd not be like Sao Feng to renege on a bargain." Barbossa said in agreement.
"Maybe he got caught up in traffic?" Neptune asked.
"Unlikely." Edward said. He looked towards a timepiece, before sighing. "We're a couple minutes late… Best not keep the Court waiting any longer."
Barbossa considered what Edward said, before he grabbed a piece of chain shot from the side and hit it against the table to call everyone to attention. "As he who issued summons, I convene this: the Fourth Brethren Court." he announced as he looked around the room. "To confirm your lordship and right to be heard, present now your Pieces of Eight, my fellow cap'ns." he continued. The Pirate Lords, one by one, grabbed their Pieces of Eight and tossed them into a bowl, revealing the Pieces of Eight to be…
"Those aren't Pieces of Eight! They're just pieces of junk!" Pintel said quietly in shock.
"Aye, the original plan was to use nine Pieces of Eight to bind Calypso, but when the First Court met, the Brethren were down to a one, skint broke." Gibbs explained.
"So change the name!" Pintel said.
"To what? To 'nine Pieces of Whatever We Happened To Have in our Pockets At the Time?' Oh yes, that sounds very piratey!" Gibbs said, a clear sarcasm in his voice at the last bit as the sixth Piece of Eight was added to the bowl.
"Mr Ragetti, if you will…" Barbossa gestured.
"I kept it safe for you, just like you said when you gave it to me." Ragetti said.
"Aye, ye have. Now I need it back." Barbossa said as he knocked a wooden eye out of the lanky pirate's socket, placing it in the bowl.
"Sparrow!" the Pirate Lord of Spain, Captain Edwardo Villanueva, called out.
Jack placed his fingers between a small, golden coin tied to his hair via beaded string. "Might I point out that we are still short one Pirate Lord, and I am content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us." he said.
"Sao Feng is dead!" a voice proclaimed. Andrew had turned to see that it was Elizabeth, with Asriel trailing behind her. "He fell to the Flying Dutchman!" she continued, to the outrage of the Court as she stabbed her cutlass into the globe.
"The plagued ship!" The Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, Mistress Ching, exclaimed.
"And made you captain?!" Jack asked, before turning towards Edward. "They're giving the bloody title away, now." he said.
Asriel ran up to Andrew and Neptune. Andrew knelt down and embraced him in welcome. "Are you okay, Asriel?" he asked.
"Yeah. A little shaken, but I'll live." Asriel replied.
"Listen to me!" Elizabeth shouted, getting the attention of the entire Court again. "Our location has been betrayed. Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett, they're on their way here."
"Who is this betrayer?!" the Pirate Lord of the Atlantic, Gentleman Jocard, asked.
"Not likely anyone among us!" Barbossa replied.
"Where's Will?" Elizabeth asked.
"Not among us." Jack said.
"And it matters not how they found us. The question is what will we do, now that they have?" Barbossa asked.
"We fight!" Elizabeth beckoned. However, her call to arms was met with incredulity, as the entire court burst out into laughter.
"Shipwreck Cove is a fortress! A well supplied fortress! There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us." Mistress Ching declared.
"Unfortunately, Davy Jones isn't the only tool in Beckett's arsenal." Andrew countered.
"You are not a Pirate Lord! Do not speak out of turn-" the Pirate Lord of the Black Sea, Ammand the Corsair, spoke up.
"Let the boy speak. I feel his words will be constructive to the issue at hand." the Pirate Lord of the Medditerannian, Capitaine Chevalle, interrupted.
"Very well…" Ammand said as he backed down.
"Please, continue." Chevalle beckoned.
"As previously stated… Davy Jones is not the only tool in Beckett's arsenal. Captain Sparrow, Captain Barbossa and Captain Swann are familiar with this, but a far more powerful adversary has allied herself with our enemy." Andrew began. "This adversary is a rogue CPU by the name of Kurome Ankokuboshi, who derives her power from Negativity and has the ability to create nightmares."
"Why would this Kurome seek to ally with Beckett?" Jocard asked.
"Beckett is merely a pawn… her end goal is to destroy this world, amongst others in the Multiverse. Asriel, Neptune and I have been fighting to stop her." Andrew said.
"To destroy this world is inconceivable!" Villanueva shouted as he slammed the table with his fist.
"If Captain Swann can confirm these statements…" Mistress Ching said, quelling the discussion for a bit.
"It's true. I have seen the effects of her power, myself. Kurome is indeed a very dangerous individual, one that we cannot hope to best without the aid of the CPUs of Planeptune." Elizabeth began. "After Beckett secured the Heart of Davy Jones, Kurome had gained the means to destroy this entire world, along with the Seven Seas." she continued. "From what I can gander, our existence is all that stands between survival and oblivion."
"Sri Sumbhajee expresses dismay over this development." the Pirate Lord of the Indian Ocean, Sumbhajee Angria, said through one of his aides.
"Fortunately, there is one final hope with which to aid us against the East India Trading Company and their mercenary forces." Andrew said, turning towards Captain Barbossa. "Barbossa, if you would explain…"
"In another age, at this very spot, the First Brethren Court captured the sea goddess and bound her in her bones." Barbossa said, to the nods of the other Pirate Lords. "That was a mistake. Oh, we tamed the seas for ourselves, aye… But opened the door to Beckett! And his ilk! Better were the days when mastery of seas came not from bargains struck with eldritch creatures, but from the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone! You all know this to be true!" He continued, before looking at the assembly. "Gentlemen… Ladies… We must free Calypso." he declared. The entire room fell silent, before everyone was in an uproar.
"Shoot him!" Ammand shouted.
"Cut out his tongue!" Jocard demanded.
"Shoot him AND cut out his tongue, and then shoot his tongue!" Jack said. "And trim that scraggly beard…"
"Sao Feng would have agreed with Barbossa." Tai Huang interjected.
"Calypso was our enemy then, she will be our enemy now!" Jocard shouted.
"And it's not likely her mood's improved." Chevalle said.
"Everyone, please! This bickering will get us nowhere!" Andrew exclaimed, trying to quell the people of the Brethren Court, though his words sadly fell on deaf ears.
"I would still agree with Sao Feng! We release Calypso!" Villanueva shouted.
"You threaten me?!" Chevalle snapped.
"I silence you!" Villanueva replied in earnest. The meeting descended into a brawl, all hell breaking loose.
"This is madness!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"This is politics." Jack countered, unfazed by the sudden brawl.
"All the while, our enemies are bearing down on us…" Edward muttered.
"If they not be here, already." Barbossa said.
"If this is how pirates run a government, I dread to think of how they handle other matters…" Andrew said with a shudder. "Does this happen often, when the Brethren convene?"
"Oh, this happens all the time." Jack said.
"Really…" Asriel groaned, facepalming.
On HMS Endeavor, Kurome was talking with EITC Lieutenants on the deck, as the private naval forces approached Shipwreck Cove.
"I hope you understand why I assembled you all here, gentlemen. Before dawn, we shall arrive at Shipwreck Cove, where pirates, privateers and freelance mercenaries have gathered in strength... united against our banner." she began. "Lord Beckett leaves you with the following instructions: there will be multiple watchers on each ship taking shifts, watching for any signs of pirate activity. If even one of those rodents escapes our blockade, they can rebuild their forces for a counterattack. We expect your senses to be as sharp as your swords… and remember, that failure will be seen as treason, to be punished by the hangman's noose."
"And what if we arrive, to find the Brethren gone?" a brash and inexperienced lieutenant asked.
"Then you had better pray that your begging is better than your leadership. I am not known for my patience, lieutenant." Kurome said, looking to all the assembled officers. "That goes for all of you. Cross me or Lord Beckett, and you will soon find out why they call me the 'Lady of Nightmares'. Am I understood?"
"Yes, ma'am." the Lieutenants said.
"Good. You will carry out these instructions immediately." Kurome said. "We are at the cusp of glory, gentlemen… for ourselves, and the Company. Return to your ships, and await further orders… and one more thing."
"Ma'am?" a lieutenant asked.
"If you see any of the CPUs, you will not engage unless necessary. As I am the only being in the Multiverse who can kill them, they are mine to deal with." Kurome said.
"Understood, ma'am. We won't let you or Lord Beckett down." another lieutenant said.
"You are dismissed, gentlemen." Kurome declared, and the Lieutenants returned to their ships. This left the Rogue CPU alone on the deck. "The Brethren and Calypso are all that stand between me and my goals in this world… Their elimination is the final step. Once they are dealt with, this world will fall into delusion, and the True Goddess' resurrection and final victory will come ever closer to fruition." she thought to herself, before she departed for her stateroom, which had been claimed from Weatherby Swann after his execution.
The Brethren Court was still in chaos, as the divide in opinions widened the rift and threatened all out war between the two sides.
"When will this nonsense ever stop?" Edward asked.
"These debates go on for months, my stabby friend." Jack said.
"Months?! We may not have more than a week left!" Andrew exclaimed in shock and frustration, before he turned to Barbossa. "We don't have time for this. You brought the Brethren Court together, do something to end this violence." Andrew said.
Barbossa looked at Andrew Hawker, before climbing the table and firing his flintlock into the air. The gunshot immediately stopped the brawl.
"Well that got their attention…" Asriel said to himself in his head.
"It was the First Court what imprisoned Calypso. We should be the ones to set her free, and in her gratitude, she will grant us boons." Barbossa declared.
"Who's boons? Your boons?" Jack asked, confused. "Utterly deceptive twaddle-speak, says I."
"If you have a better alternative… Please. Share." Barbossa beckoned slyly.
"Cuttlefish." Jack declared, to the utter and mind-numbing confusion of everyone in the room, especially Barbossa, Andrew and Asriel.
"Aye. Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the cuttlefish." Jack continued as he began monologuing whilst walking around the room. "Flippant glorious little sausages. Pen them up together and they'll devour each other without a second thought. Human nature, isn't it? Or… Or fish nature. So yes, we can hole up here, well-armed and well-provisioned, and half of us would be dead within the month! Which seems kinda grim, any way you slice it."
"What is he talking about?" Edward asked himself in a whispered tone.
"Speaking sense, by the sound of it…" Andrew whispered back. "But in a rather peculiar manner, to be sure."
"Or… uh… As my learned colleague so naively suggests, we release Calypso! And we can pray that she will be merciful… I rather doubt it. Can we pretend she is anything other than a woman scorned like which fury hell hath no? We cannot." Jack continued. "'Res Ipsa loquitur, tabula in naufragio'."
"What'd he say?" Asriel asked.
"It's a metaphor, spoken in latin. 'The thing speaks for itself, a plank in a shipwreck.' is the translation of it." Andrew replied. Elizabeth was impressed, but perhaps unsurprised, to find out that one of the leaders of the nation of Planeptune understood such a term.
"We are left with one option. I agree with, and I cannot believe the words are coming out of my mouth…" Jack concluded. "...Captain Swann. We must fight."
"You've always run away from a fight!" Barbossa countered, leading to a childish argument.
"Have not!" Jack shouted defensively.
"Have so!" Barbossa said.
"Have not!" Jack shouted back.
"You have so!" Barbossa retorted.
"HAVE NOT!" Jack shouted.
"YOU HAVE SO, AND YOU KNOW IT!" Barbossa snapped.
"Have not, slander and calumny. I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions." Jack countered, with some small manner of careful words and thoughtful planning. "I submit here and now, that is what we all must do: We must fight! ...to run away."
"Aye!" Gibbs exclaimed, to the agreement of all the crews gathered.
"As per the Code: an act of war, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the Pirate King." Barbossa said, intending to throw a wrench into Jack's hard-fought victory on the political stage.
"You made that up!" Jack shouted.
"Did I now?" Barbossa asked. "I call on Cap'n Teague! Keeper of the Code!" he shouted, to the utter shock of Jack.
"Sri Sumbhajee proclaims it's all to be folly!" Sumbhajee shouted through one of his aides. "Hang the Code! Who cares a-" the aide continued, before the loud crack of a gunshot interrupted his rant, a bullet entering said aide's chest and killing him. Asriel, who quite literally jumped in response to the gunshot, turned with everyone else to see where it came from.
Standing there on the second floor balcony, stood a gruff, old pirate named Teague Sparrow, flintlock in hand. "The Code is the law." Teague said as he stepped down from the balcony and entered the room. Jack looked somewhat stunned and wordless as the man approached him from behind.
"Who's he? Why's Jack acting so nervous?" Edward asked.
"Captain Edward Teague… Jack's father." Gibbs said.
"And he's a member of the delegation?" Andrew asked.
"Aye. He was elected as the Keeper of the Pirate Code." Gibbs replied.
Teague stopped just behind his son. "You're in me way, boy." he said, before Jack moved out of the way, allowing the old pirate to walk to the table. Trailing behind him, two pirates followed at his gesture, carrying an old and well-preserved book.
"The code…!" Pintel exclaimed in astonishment.
"That's the Pirate Code?" Asriel asked.
"As set forth by Morgan and Bartholomew." Ragetti said as the Code was set on the table with great care. Teague let out a sharp whistle, and a medium-sized dog came running with a set of keys in its mouth.
"That can't… how did…" Ragetti said in startling shock.
"Sea turtles, mate!" Teague said with a smirk.
"Ah, sea turtles." Pintel said with a nod.
"What's the deal with sea turtles? First they brought William to Isla Cruces, now a random dog to Shipwreck Cove…" Andrew wondered out loud.
"It'd be certain, they do have a mysterious power." Gibbs said.
Teague took the key and unlocked the book cover, opening it to the appropriate page. Reading through it, he came to the realization that Barbossa was telling the truth. "Ah… Barbossa is right."
"Hang on a minute…" Jack said, wanting to see for himself. "'It shall be the duties as King to declare war, parlay with shared adversaries…' Fancy that."
"There has not been a King since the First Court, and that is not likely to change." Chevalle spoke, a slight tinge of pessimism laced into his words.
"Not likely…" Teague confirmed.
"Wh-what?! Why not?!" Neptune asked.
"See, the Pirate King is elected by popular vote." Gibbs said.
"And each pirate only ever votes for his self." Barbossa added.
"Care to do the honors, Jack?" Andrew asked.
"I call for a vote." Jack announced. Teague sat down in the corner and began playing his guitar as the vote commenced.
"I vote for Ammand the Corsair!" Ammand declared.
"Capitaine Chevalle. The penniless frenchman." Chevalle declared.
"Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee." Sumbhajee's assistant declared.
"Mistress Ching!" Mistress Ching declared.
"Gentleman Jocard." Jocard announced.
"Elizabeth Swann." Elizabeth announced.
"Barbossa." Barbossa said.
"Villanueva!" Villanueva exclaimed.
"Elizabeth Swann." Jack announced. It was apparent that he was going to vote for her from the start.
"What?!" Andrew, Edward, Asriel and Elizabeth shouted simultaneously with surprise, whilst Neptune had an obvious Nepu face.
"I know. Curious, isn't it?" Jack asked slyly. The entire room erupted into chaos, as the other Pirate Lords demanded that Jack vote for them instead of Elizabeth.
"And they're arguing again…" Neptune said with a sigh.
"Am I to understand that you lot will NOT be keeping to the Code, then?" Jack asked. That question alone caused Teague to break one of the strings on his guitar, and even Asriel jumped, his fur standing on end. The Pirate Lords surrounding the table all sat down, not saying a word, until Mistress Ching finally broke the ice.
"Very well then…" she said. "What say you, Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?"
"Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn… We're at war." Elizabeth declared.
Sumbhajee stood up, and spoke in an extremely high-pitched voice. "And so, we shall go to war!" The pirates gathered let out war cries, while Jack, Neptune, Asriel, Andrew, Elizabeth and Edward were all extremely confused by what they'd just heard. Jack, of course, shook his head and walked to his father, the CPUs trailing behind him.
"You look like you've got a lot of stories to tell, Teague. Stories of grandeur, gold and glory on the high seas. You've done it all… seen it all… and survived it all." Andrew said. "That's the only rule of engagement, isn't it? To survive?"
"It's not just about living forever, CPU. The trick is… living with yourself forever." Teague remarked.
"Yeah… siding with pirates was… a difficult choice. But once we defeat Beckett and Kurome, and save this world from destruction, we won't look back." Andrew admitted.
"Surely you… but your furry kid might have something to say." Teague said.
"I'd… done things I'm not proud of, I'll admit. Things I'd rather keep forgotten." Asriel said. "But I don't let them define the kind of person I am now, especially since I am dedicated to my duties as Auxiliary CPU of Planeptune."
"Good lad." Teague said, before turning towards Jack. "What are your opinions on them, Jackie?"
"Oh, they're a capable lot. Strange magic, a divine aura, loyal towards friends…" Jack said. "You should've seen Azzy boy on Isla Cruces, flinging stars all over the place." he said. All Teague did was flash Asriel a proud, fatherly smile.
"By the way, how's mum?" Jack asked.
Teague shows the four of them a shrunken head. Asriel was utterly speechless as he stared in utter shock. Jack, in an equal amount of shock as the furry prince beside him, stated "She looks great."
The following morning was met with tense waiting, as the amassed fleet of pirates, privateers, freelance mercenaries and the odd French, Spanish and Portuguese warship sat, guarding the only remaining safe haven for free trade in the world. A dense fog had fallen upon the seas that would be their battlefield, bringing visibility down to near zero.
"It's tense…" Asriel said.
"This dense fog doesn't make anything simpler, either…" Andrew said.
"The last time fog this dense sat along the oceans, was when Barbossa possessed the cursed Aztec treasure of Isla de Muerta…" Gibbs said with a shudder. "We'd better keep a weather eye on the horizon…"
"Yeah…" Andrew said as he stared out from the prow.
"Did that Beckett fella get cold feet?" Neptune asked.
"Nay. A false sense of security, is what he be giving us." Barbossa countered. Marty peered into the fog, before he noticed the shape of one or two ships.
"The enemy is here! Let's take 'em!" he called out, as pirates unsheathed their cutlasses and let out their war cries.
"Something's wrong… I don't like this one bit…" Edward said.
"Me neither…" Andrew replied. More ships appeared through the fog, then more, then more, then more… the entire crew fell silent as they stared at an enormous armada of impossible size.
"Mary, Mother of God!" Gibbs swore in sheer horror at the massive fleet in front of them.
"An enormous fleet of the Trading Company's warships… an entire private navy, coming out to face us…" Andrew muttered, equally horrified.
"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" Cotton's parrot squawked, flying away from the Pearl. Everyone aboard looked in Jack's direction expectantly.
"...Parlay?" Jack asked nervously.
Barbossa, Jack, Neptune, Andrew, Asriel, Edward and Elizabeth had rowed out onto a sandbar nearby. The skies had cleared out, and as they walked along the sliver of land, the three CPUs activated HDD. Opposite of them, stood Beckett, William, Davy Jones and Kurome.
Asriel had a bit of fear welling up within him as they approached their adversaries, yet he bravely soldiered on.
Davy Jones cocked an eyebrow smugly, while Kurome held a fiendish smirk on her face, as though anticipating that she had won this battle. Inevitably, the two groups met face to face.
"You be the cur that led these wolves to our door?" Beckett asked, glancing at William.
"William, again?!" Asriel asked, feeling somewhat angry.
"Don't blame Turner. I've had spies within your Court from the beginning." Beckett said. "It was a matter of getting the right people to talk, for the right price."
"But why join the enemy again, William? Why risk our freedom?" Asriel asked.
"My reasons were my own, and to my own purpose." William replied.
"I see…" Asriel said, looking down for a moment, before looking back up at him. "William, Liz and I have been aboard the Flying Dutchman."
"We understand the burden you bear, but we're afraid that cause is lost." Elizabeth said.
"No cause is lost, if there is but one fool left to fight for it." William said stubbornly.
"We had a deal, Jack, to deliver the pirates. And here they are." Beckett said. "Don't be bashful, step up. Claim your reward."
"If I may… you'd recall that no such bargain was struck." Jack said defensively. "My negotiations were merely an attempt to stall for time."
"That's the Jack we know!" Edward said fairly quietly.
"I'm sure they were…" Beckett said, a little annoyed at the fact that his attempts to derail the CPUs' trust was outplayed.
"Your debt to me is still to be satisfied! One hundred years in servitude aboard the Dutchman AS A START!" Davy Jones proclaimed.
"That debt was paid, mate. With some… help." Jack reminded.
"You escaped!" Davy Jones snapped.
"Technically-" Jack began.
"I propose an exchange…" Elizabeth interrupted, having a cunning plan in mind to help stall for time and perhaps have the one man on the inside who can cause the most damage to the enemy's ranks. "Will leaves with us… and you can take Jack."
"Elizabeth, are you certain?" Edward asked, knowing that Jack needed to remain in command of the Black Pearl for them to have a chance.
"I am." Elizabeth replied. There was a moment of silence, before William spoke up.
"Done." he said.
"Undone!" Jack countered.
"Done!" Beckett said.
"Jack's one of the nine Pirate Lords! You have no right!" Barbossa snarled.
"King?" Elizabeth asked slyly, reminding them of her status within the ranks of the Brethren.
"As you command, your nibs." Jack said with a gracious bow, taking his tricorne off in the process.
"Blackguard!" Barbossa snapped, unsheathing his cutlass and slicing Jack's Piece of Eight off his head. The monkey quickly grabbed it, running towards its master and handing it to him. "If you have something to say, I might be saying something as well."
"First to the finish, then?" Jack asked nervously, as the exchange began. William walked over to rejoin the crew, while Jack walked towards Beckett. Jack's intent to join Beckett on the Endeavor was met with futility, as he was gestured to join Davy Jones instead.
"Do you fear death?" the cursed pirate captain asked.
"You've no idea." Jack said.
Becket stepped up to announce his intentions. "Advise your Brethren: You can fight, and all of you will die… or you can not fight, in which case only most of you will die."
"Think of this as an act of mercy, Miss Swann. Surely you wouldn't want those you care about to die." Kurome said, trying to scare the Pirate King into surrender.
"You murdered my father!" Elizabeth said bravely, not giving an inch of ground.
"He chose his own fate." Beckett said.
"And you have chosen yours." Elizabeth replied, making her own intentions known. "We will fight… and you will die." she said before she turned and walked back towards the longboat with William, Edward, Barbossa and the CPUs.
"So be it…" Beckett said confidently.
As they were walking, the CPUs left HDD to conserve their strength for the fight ahead.
"King?" William asked.
"Of the Brethren Court, courtesy of Jack." Elizabeth replied.
"Maybe he really does know what he's doing…" William muttered. They soon returned to the Black Pearl in the early hours of the afternoon, to witness the crew gathered for something.
"We'll need to use the Black Pearl as a flagship, while we make our attack." Elizabeth said.
"Oh, will we, now?" Barbossa asked. It soon became clear what was about to happen as Pintel and Ragetti ushered Tia Dalma, who was tied up, from the brig.
"Alright, Mrs. Fish. Come on." Pintel beckoned almost mockingly.
"Barbossa, you can't release her!" William argued. Some crewmembers grabbed him and Elizabeth.
"William! Liz!" Asriel shouted, only to be grabbed from behind as well.
"Asriel!" Andrew said as he and Neptune were grabbed next.
"Barbossa, please! Don't do this!" Asriel begged.
"We need to give Jack a chance!" Elizabeth said.
"Apologies, your Majesty! Too long, my fate has not been in me own hands…" Barbossa said as he grabbed Elizabeth's Piece of Eight. "...no longer." he concluded, before snapping it off her neck.
On the deck of HMS Endeavor, the various Lieutenants had reassembled for new orders.
"The enemy… has opted for oblivion!" Beckett shouted, before turning towards one of the Lieutenants. "Ready the fleet."
"To your stations!" the lieutenant in question shouted, as the men got ready for battle.
Beckett turned towards Kurome. "Kurome. I'd like for you to join Mercer on the Dutchman."
"Of course, Lord Beckett." Kurome said with a smirk as she quickly went to the Dutchman.
Back on the Pearl, the ritual needed to release Calypso was nearing its climax as the last two Pieces of Eight were added to the bowl.
"The items brought together… done. Items to be burned… and someone must speak the words 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds'!" Barbossa declared.
"Is that it?" Pintel asked.
"It is said, it must be spoken as if to a lover." Barbossa said, to the interest of the crew. "Calypso! I release you from your human bonds!" he said in a more regal manner, as he attempted to light the Pieces of Eight alight. Nothing.
"Nothing's happening...?" Edward asked.
"N-No! You didn't say it right!" Ragetti said, coming up with a logical explanation as to why the ritual wasn't working. "You- you have to say it right…" he continued, looking towards Tia Dalma as he walked towards her.
"Oh dear…" Tia Dalma said in her head, ready for what was about to happen.
"Calypso…" Ragetti said as he eased his head against hers in a loving manner. "I release you from your human bonds…"
Tia Dalma let out a sneeze, and the Pieces of Eight suddenly caught fire. The men holding the bowl had to back up, so as not to catch fire. The fire went out soon after as the contents of the bowl smoldered, letting out a lot of smoke that she then inhaled.
"Tia Dalma!" William shouted, trying to interrupt the process. But it was too late. The incense had already broken the bonds that kept Calypso in Human Form.
"William…?" Asriel asked.
"Calypso!" William shouted. This caught Calypso's attention, as the bowl fell to the ground. "When the Brethren Court first imprisoned you, who was it that told them how? Who was it that betrayed you?!"
"Name them!" Calypso demanded angrily.
"Davy Jones." William revealed. Heartbroken and feeling betrayed, Calypso began to grow in size as her powers did.
"This is it! THIS IS IT!" Pintel shouted as the ritual's results proceeded rapidly. The many ropes and lines used to contain her release began to snap from being overstretched, and the wood beneath her began to splinter and crack under her weight, before she stopped growing.
Barbossa walked up, as he and the rest of the crew knelt down in humility. "Calypso! I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite." he began. "I have fulfilled me vow, and now ask you a favor… Spare meself, me ship, me crew… but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters… or mine."
Calypso looked down upon her new subjects, grinning towards the CPUs as though knowing the strength they possessed as godlikes, before turning back towards Barbossa.
In a twisted voice, Calypso declared a hatred most vile for Davy Jones and the East India Trading Company, vowing to use all the power of the seas against them, before breaking apart into hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of White Crabs that spilled over the decks. Andrew and Neptune had to rush over to Asriel and grab him, before taking him to a set of crates for safety so that he couldn't get swept of the ship. By the time it was over, Asriel looked around in a daze, as single white crabs littered the deck.
"Are you alright, Asriel?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yeah…! Yeah, I'm okay!" Asriel called out.
"What happened?" Edward asked as he went to the railing.
"Is that it? Why, she's no help at all…" Pintel swore, before looking towards Barbossa. "What now?"
"Nothing. The final hope has failed us." Barbossa said.
"But we just can't give up! Not while we've gotten this far!" Asriel exclaimed as he, Andrew and Neptune walked up.
"Asriel is right, Barbossa. We didn't get this far just by giving up, did we?" Andrew asked.
A sudden, strong gust of wind slightly rocked the Black Pearl, which Elizabeth made a note of. "It's not over…"
"There's still a fight to be had." William said.
"We've an armada against us, and with the Dutchman, there's no chance." Gibbs said.
"It's only a fool's chance…" Elizabeth said.
"But it's still a chance, isn't it?" Edward asked.
"Revenge won't bring your father back, Miss Swann, and it's not something that I'm intending to die for." Barbossa said.
"You're right… then what shall we die for?" Elizabeth asked in response, before she turned towards the crew. "You will listen to me… Listen!" she declared as she grabbed the rigging. "The Brethren will still be looking here to us… to the Black Pearl to lead! And what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No… no, they will see free men! And freedom!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, rallying the crew to fight. "And what the enemy will see, is the flash of our cannons! They will hear the ring of our swords! They will witness the power of the CPUs, and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brows… and the strength of our backs… and the courage of our hearts!" she shouted, looking each crew in the eyes. "Gentlemen… hoist the colours."
"Hoist the colours…" William echoed.
"Hoist the colours…" Ragetti echoed.
"Hoist the colours…" Edward echoed.
"Hoist the colours!" Pintel shouted.
"Aye… The wind's on our side, boys! That's all we need!" Gibbs shouted, as war cries once more echoed across the decks while the Jolly Roger began to be raised.
"Hoist the colours!" Elizabeth shouted towards the other ships, and across the Brethren's fleet, the flags were raised in defiance of the EITC threat.
"We have a favorable wind, sir." the Lieutenant on HMS Endeavor declared.
"Oh, so we do…" Beckett said. "Signal Jones to give no quarter. That should brighten his day." he ordered. The lieutenant grabbed a set of signal flags and rushed to the bow, before giving the signal. Mercer and Kurome were the first to receive the signal aboard the Dutchman.
"No quarter…" Mercer muttered.
"Jones! We give no quarter!" Kurome called, and soon enough the sails on the Flying Dutchman unfurled as a massive storm brewed in the skies above them, Calypso's anger and sorrow raining down like tears as she focused her wrath on the pirate captain who wronged her.
"Calypso…" Davy Jones muttered as the skies thundered, before he gave out a scream in anger.
"All hands, full sail! Take us in!" Edward ordered, and on his command, the sails on the Black Pearl unfurled as it sailed ahead of the main fleet and towards its certain demise.
"Have you noticed, on top of everything, it's raining?!" Pintel shouted.
"That's a bad sign!" Ragetti agreed.
"Man the capstan! Raise the main topyard! Keep that powder dry!" Gibbs shouted Ahead of them, the seas whirled, and a massive storm native to Norway began to form as meteorological conditions destabilized unnaturally and rapidly. "Maelstrom!" he called out. Asriel and Andrew rushed towards the bow with Elizabeth to see the massive whirlpool in front of them.
"It's her…" Andrew muttered. "Kurome is on the Dutchman…"
"Kurome…" Elizabeth echoed, before turning back towards the stern. "Captain Barbossa! We need you at the helm!"
Barbossa heard Elizabeth's callout, and did not hesitate. "Aye, that'd be true!" he shouted as he took the helm from Cotton. "Brace up yards, ya cack-handed deck apes! Dyin' is the day worth livin' for!" he shouted. On the Dutchman, Kurome smirked as she stared at the Pearl from across the gaping maw of the Malestrom, as though trying to intimidate the CPUs.
Mercer saw the danger that lay ahead. "Veer off!"
"She'll not harm us!" Davy Jones countered, in reference to Calypso. "Full-bore and into the abyss!"
"ARE YOU MAD?!" Mercer shouted, trying to dissuade Davy Jones from the madness that was about to happen.
"HAH! YA AFRAID TO GET WET?!" Davy Jones countered as they crested the lip of the giant whirlpool at the center of the storm, the Black Pearl doing the same on the opposite end of the arena. The Flying Dutchman, using the deeper end of the Maelstrom, quickly caught the tail of the Pearl in its sights.
"She's on our stern and gaining!" William warned.
"More speed! Haul your wind and hold your water!" Barbossa shouted, as he pulled the Pearl deeper into the center of the storm.
"Bow cannons!" Davy Jones ordered, and the triple-guns were rolled out. They opened fire on the Pearl, smashing the deck and knocking crewmembers to their deaths. Andrew, Asriel and Elizabeth were lucky to avoid flying debris as they made their way to the stern, linking up with Neptune along the way.
"Take us out! Or they'll overbear us!" William shouted.
"Nay! Farther in! We'll cut across to faster waters!" Barbossa countermanded, before pulling them deeper into the Maelstrom.
"Prepare to broadside!" Elizabeth shouted. The crew on deck got ready to fire their first salvos, knowing it was do or die.
"Take your positions! Ready the guns!" Andrew shouted.
"Muster your courage, men! At the ready!" William shouted. Paper-sheathed sticks of black powder were loaded into the main cannons, followed by the ammunition.
"Batten down the hatches!" Gibbs called, going down to the gun deck. "Stand to your guns! Midship cannoneers, sight the masts!" he continued, and the main guns on the Black Pearl were heaved into firing position.
"Main battery at the ready!" Mercer ordered, and the Dutchman's heavy guns followed suit, pointed towards their black-sailed adversary.
"Hold there! Wait till we're board and board!" Gibbs ordered.
"Hold fire! Wait for our signal!" Andrew shouted. The Dutchman and Black Pearl soon entered each other's firing arcs.
"Fire!" Barbossa ordered.
"Fire!" Elizabeth called out.
"Fire!" William shouted.
"Fire all!" Edward shouted. The Black Pearl soon opened fire on the Flying Dutchman.
"Fire!" Davy Jones ordered, and the Flying Dutchman returned fire.
"Don't stop! Keep firing! Keep firing!" Andrew shouted. "Give them everything you've got!" he continued, as cannonfire continued to echo across the ship's deck.
"It'd be too late to alter course now, mateys!" Barbossa shouted with a hearty chuckle at the crew's expense as he kept the Black Pearl stable.
Inside the Captain's Cabin on the Dutchman, Jack entered the room to see Murtogg and Mullroy point the small cannons at him.
"Halt there! Or we'll shoot!" Mullroy shouted. Behind him, a cannonball from the Black Pearl shot through the cabin, destroying the pipe organ in the process.
"Good one!" Jack said, going towards his personal effects. "I've just come to get me effects!" he said as he grabbed them. "Admirable, though it may be… why are you here, when you could be elsewhere?"
"Someone has to stay and guard the Chest." Murtogg said. He glanced at his buddy, before rotating his cannon to talk to him.
"There is no question, there's been a breakdown in military discipline aboard this vessel." Mullroy said.
"I blame the fish people." Murtogg said.
"Oh. So fish people, by dint of being fish people automatically aren't as disciplined as non-fish people?" Mullroy asked.
"Seems contributory, is all I'm suggesting." Murtogg said.
"It's true. If there were no fish people, we wouldn't need to guard the Chest." Mullroy suggested.
"If there were no Chest, we wouldn't need to be here to guard it." Murtogg said. The two of them glanced down to find the Chest gone, and a quick glance around was enough to tell that Jack was nowhere to be found.
On the deck, the battle continued to rage, as the EITC Mercenaries readied a boarding party.
"Prepare to board!" Mercer ordered.
Davy Jones glanced behind him, to see an incoming cannonball. "Cover!" he countermanded, moving to shield Mercer from the splinters. Kurome rushed up to see the mercenaries bloodied and in varying states of shock, before turning towards Mercer with a death glare.
"Kurome…" Mercer said.
"You may share Beckett's second in command, Mercer. But if there is one thing that Beckett detests more than pirates, its incompetence. Perhaps the good Captain should leave the command of his vessel in the hands of someone more… suitable." Kurome said. Davy Jones looked back at her, with a sharp glare, but she had other ideas. "Davy Jones… Kill Ian Mercer. Kill him slowly."
Davy Jones' sharp glare turned into a smirk as he turned back towards Mercer as he began to choke Mercer in a gruesome manner with his tentacles.
"What are you… Ahhh! No!" Mercer begged, as Davy Jones snuffed the life out him. Not a moment later, Mercer was dead, and not a moment after that, Jack waltzed his way out of the Captain's Cabin. Kurome saw him and moved to stop him.
"Going somewhere, Sparrow?" she asked.
"Ah… uh…" Jack muttered. "If I may, Kurome… I firmly believe it is not I that you want…"
"Oh? If it is not you, then who might it be?" Kurome asked as she unsheathed her rapier from her back. "You have something that belongs to me. The Chest… I'd like it back."
"Lookie here, boys! A lost bird!" Davy Jones mocked as he and his crew approached Jack. "A lost bird who never learned to fly!" he continued, before unsheathing Norrington's sabre.
"To my great regrets…" Jack said. "But…never too late to learn, aye?" he asked as he grabbed the line of one of the sails and used the Chest to break it free. Kurome and Davy Jones both watched as he flew up towards the mast.
"That insolent fool…" Kurome said, before looking towards the Black Pearl as she felt the CPUs transform. "Deal with Sparrow, Davy Jones. I'll handle the CPUs." she said as she walked away, taking a rope towards the Black Pearl, which was still under siege.
"Boarding party, make ready! To the railing!" Edward shouted as he, Neptune, Andrew, Asriel and a few others got ready. Their attempt was interrupted, when Kurome showed up, kicking Edward as she came in and knocking him to his feet.
"Kurome!" Andrew said as the three of them spawned in their weapons. "There's no escape, this time! Surrender!"
"Surrender? To you?" Kurome chuckled, as the runes on her rapier began to glow a sinister crimson. "Come! Accept your fate!"
"You think we can take her on?" Asriel asked.
"Follow my lead." Neptune shouted as she ran in. She drew the first attacks, all of which were parried.
"Shocker Breaker!" Asriel shouted as he used Shocker Breaker against Kurome. All but one of the rainbow-colored lightning strikes missed her. The one that hit ler left her in a short daze, which left her vulnerable to a quick followup attack from the Auxiliary CPU.
"He… He hit me! Dammit!" Kurome snarled to herself. "Suffer!" she shouted as she summoned negativity monsters.
"Watch out! She's not playing around!" Andrew warned.
"I can't use Star Blazing, or I'll hit our allies!" Asriel said.
"Then we have no choice. Hit her summons one by one! Don't let her blade touch you!" Neptune said as she parried a downward slice from Kurome.
"Asriel!" William shouted, before he and Elizabeth ran in to help. They managed to take out Kurome's summons, leaving the Rogue CPU by herself, now flanked by EITC Mercenaries.
"William! Liz! Thanks for the assist!" Asriel said.
"Don't mention it, Asriel! Let's finish this!" Elizabeth shouted as they got back into the fight.
"I should have gutted him on the Endeavor…" Kurome snarled, as she took on Asriel directly, putting him on the defensive as the two mercenaries kept Andrew and Neptune busy.
"Gotta put her on the defensive… one bad stab with that sword of hers can kill me…" Asriel thought to himself. Rather than block endlessly towards the railing, he dodged left, before using a mix of feints to put her on the defensive.
Elsewhere on the Black Pearl, William and Elizabeth were busy fighting mercenaries and Jones' crew, trying to force them into a retreat. William had decided in his head, to finally tie the knot.
"Elizabeth!" He shouted. "Will you marry me?"
"I don't think now's the best time!" Elizabeth countered, blocking a mercenary's attack.
"Now may be the only time!" William countered back as he stabbed a mercenary in the gut. "I love you. I've made my choice, what's yours?"
"Barbossa!" Elizabeth called out. "Marry us!"
"I'm a little busy at the moment!" Barbossa snapped.
"Barbossa, now!" William shouted.
"Fine then!" Barbossa shouted in annoyance. "Dearly beloved, we be gathered here today…" he said, before stabbing an unlucky mercenary in the eye. "...to nail your gizzards to the mast, you poxy cur!"
"Elizabeth Swann. Do you take me to be your husband?" William asked.
"I do." Elizabeth replied.
"Great." Willam said with a smile. The mercenaries attempted to interrupt their marriage vows, but they struck back.
"Will Turner! Do you take me…" Elizabeth said as she blocked an attack. "...to be your wife?! In sickness and in health, with health being the less likely?"
"I do." William said.
"As captain I now pronounce you-" Barbossa said, only to be interrupted by a mercenary. He kicked him in the face, before stabbing him. "You may kiss!" he shouted, stabbing another mercenary in the throat. "You may kiss!" he repeated himself when he noticed that William and Elizabeth hadn't kissed yet.
Despite their best efforts to do so, William and Elizabeth could not complete their vows due to all the EITC mercenaries rushing at them. They soon found their swords crossing each other.
"Just kiss!" Barbossa said in an annoyed tone, and soon enough, the newly-wedded couple finally kissed. Andrew and Neptune managed to pull the pressure off of Asriel long enough for him to catch a glimpse of the marriage, and couldn't help but feel joy for the two of them. He turned around to see Kurome attempting to rush him, but he blocked just in time.
Edward, who had climbed the mast, used his assassin's skills to take out the EITC mercs swarming the deck. After a leap of faith, he grabbed a line and used it to swing across, towards the Dutchman. William followed suit, whilst Kurome disarmed Andrew and Neptune temporarily.
"You're good, Asriel Dreemurr… Andrew and Neptune have trained you well…" Kurome said as she panted, approaching the young Auxiliary CPU.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Asriel said. Kurome suddenly rushed him, catching him off guard. With various swings and the use of her nightmare powers, she was able to disarm him and knock him over.
"Asriel!" Elizabeth shouted. As Kurome went in for the kill, she was knocked off her feet as the masts of the two opposing ships slammed into each other, granting Asriel a moment to get back to his feet and respawn the Trinity Blade.
"I'm alright, Liz!" he said.
"Lucky for you, I am needed on the Dutchman. Follow if you dare..." Kurome snarled as she grabbed one of the lines, swinging back across. Murtogg and Mullroy took that same line across towards the Pearl, only to hit the side.
"Asriel! Let's go after her! She can't get away!" Elizabeth shouted. Asriel nodded in response, before he, Neptune and Andrew spawned in her wings. Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, looking back towards Gibbs.
"Go!" Gibbs beckoned, and with a nod, Elizabeth swung over, the CPUs taking flight and following closely. The deck of the Flying Dutchman was complete chaos. William had just entered into a fight with Bootstrap, Davy Jones was chasing Jack, Chinese Pirates and EITC Mercenaries were dying all around them, and Kurome… she rushed at Asriel once again, only to be stopped by Andrew, who used Dimension Blitz against her.
"Not bad…" Kurome said. Asriel turned around to face her, before going all out with a mix of light and heavy attacks. Neptune joined in with Cross Combination, and with the cooperative attack taking most of Kurome's remaining strength, Asriel's attack managed to cut her across the chest.
"It's over, Kurome!" Asriel called out.
"Don't think it is, boy! This is far from over…" Kurome said, looking towards Davy Jones. "You may have secured the survival of this world, CPUs... but don't count your chickens before they hatch! You may soon find yourselves unable to stop the whirlpool of delusion!" she said as she opened a portal to the next world, slinking away into the shadows.
"Dang it!" Andrew shouted.
"She got away… This won't be the last we'll see of her, will it?" Asriel asked.
"Never mind her for now. We've got a battle to win." Neptune said.
Davy Jones had just knocked Jack off his feet, when he turned around to see Elizabeth standing there defiantly.
"Harridan! You'll see no mercy from me!" he shouted.
"That's why I brought this!" Elizabeth shouted in response as she unsheathed her cutlass, attacking Davy Jones with all her might. A fourteen minute swordfight between the two of them ensued.
Asriel, after Kurome had fled, came in to assist. His first attack cut the tentacle holding the key. He looked up to see Jack with the Chest, and decided to throw the key to him. "Jack! Catch!" he shouted as he grabbed the key, tossing it to him. Jack caught the key and, after a bit of finagling to get the tentacle out of it, unlocked the Chest. By that time, however, Elizabeth was knocked to the ground.
"No! Don't hurt Liz!" Asriel shouted, getting between Davy Jones and Elizabeth.
"Stay out of this, boy!" Davy Jones snarled.
"I won't let you hurt my friends!" Asriel said defiantly.
William came up behind the cursed pirate captain and stabbed him through the back. Davy Jones wasn't fazed, however, and simply looked back at him.
"Mister…" Jones said. "Did you forget? I'm a heartless wretch!" he continued, bending William's cutlass. He chuckled, before knocking William down.
"Will!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Ah… love! A dreadful board! And yet… so easily severed. Tell me, William Turner! Do you fear death!?" Davy Jones asked.
"Do you?!" Jack asked. Jones looked over to him, to see a snapped cutlass in one hand and his heart in the other. "Heady tonic, holding life and death in the palm of one's hand."
"You're a cruel man, Jack Sparrow!" Davy Jones snarled.
"'Cruel' is a matter of perspective!" Jack countered.
"Is it?!" Jones asked, before stabbing William with Norrington's sabre.
"William!" Asriel exclaimed in horror. Elizabeth, Andrew and Jack stood in shock as they witnessed their friend get stabbed.
"NO!" Bootstrap shouted, before attacking Davy Jones in a fit of rage.
"Jack, do something!" Asriel exclaimed. Jack rushed over to Elizabeth and William, putting the snapped cutlass in William's hand.
Davy Jones wrestled Bootstrap off of him, before pinning him to the side of the mast. "You will not forestall my judgement!" he roared, before going to stab Bootstrap. He was stopped, when a dying William stabbed the heart with the help of Jack. He looked back to see what happened, before looking weakly up at the sky. "Calypso…" he muttered, before falling into the abyss.
"She's taking us down! Make haste, or it's the Locker for us all!" Barbossa shouted, as a cannon was pointed at the mast, loaded with chain shot. Ragetti fired the cannon, separating the Black Pearl from the Flying Dutchman.
As for William, he was too mortally wounded. There was nothing that could be done.
"William! Stay with us!" Asriel begged. "Come on! Liz needs you! You've got to stay determined!"
"I'm sorry, Asriel… There's nothing more we can do for him…" Andrew said. The crew of the Flying Dutchman came out of the woodwork, surrounding them. "We can't stay here! We've got to go!"
"No! Please! I need him!" Elizabeth begged as Jack grabbed her. Andrew grabbed Asriel and took flight with Neptune, whilst Jack used a sail to allow the wind currents to carry himself and Elizabeth out of danger. Below them, the Flying Dutchman was swallowed by the Maelstrom, sinking beneath the waves. They would drift for a while, before reaching the Pearl safely as the storm subsided.
"I can't believe he's gone…" Asriel said as he left HDD. Andrew and Neptune left HDD soon after.
"It'll be okay, Asriel…" Andrew said with a sigh, giving his protege a comforting embrace.
"Is Asriel alright?" Edward asked.
All Andrew could do was sigh. "He'll be alright. He's a very strong boy for his age." Jack and Elizabeth climbed the side of the ship to join them.
"Thank goodness, Jack! The armada's still out there. The Endeavor's coming up hard to starboard, and I think it's time we embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions!" Gibbs said.
"Never actually been one for tradition…" Jack said.
"I'm okay… I'll be alright…" Asriel said as he wiped his tears away. He still sounded like he was grieving, but it was clear that he wasn't going to let this loss distract him from his duties.
"I'm glad to hear it, kid…" Andrew said with a comforting smile, before walking towards the helm. "We're not out of this yet. Jack, orders!"
"Close haul her! Luff the sails and lay her in irons!" Jack ordered.
"Belay that, or we'll be a sitting duck!" Barbossa countermanded.
"Belay that 'belay that'!" Jack counter-countermanded.
"But Jack-" Gibbs protested.
"Belay!" Jack ordered.
"The arma-" Gibbs shouted.
"Belay!" Jack ordered.
"The Endeav-" Gibbs continued to protest.
"Stow! Shut it!" Jack said.
"What's he doing?" Edward asked, unnerved by Jack's sudden tenacious attitude in the face of certain death.
"I think he has a plan." Andrew said with a smirk.
On board HMS Endeavor, the crew and mercenaries on board were preparing for a naval engagement against the Black Pearl. The Lieutenant noticed the target vessel just sitting there. "What are they waiting for?"
"He expects us to 'honor' our agreement." Beckett said slyly. Across the three gun decks and the top deck, the guns were loaded and wheeled into position in preparation to fire. "It's nothing personal, Jack. It's just good business." he said as the First Rate Ship of the Line that served as the flagship of Beckett's private naval force sailed towards the Black Pearl. Suddenly, off to the side, the Flying Dutchman rose once more from the depths, its hull shedding oceanic material and sea life. "Ah, she survived." Beckett mused.
On the Dutchmen, the crew walked towards the deck, shedding various bits of sea life as they became human once again. At the wheel was William Turner, who had just had his heart removed and placed in the chest.
"Ready on the guns!" William ordered.
"William!" Asriel exclaimed in astonishment, to see his friend alive and well.
"Full canvas!" Jack ordered.
Barbossa realized what Jack had intended, and followed suit. "Aye, full canvas!" he said as the two ships began to sail ahead, converging in striking position against the Endeavor.
Beckett looked between the two ships, realizing that he had fallen into a cunning trap set by his rival.
"Orders, sir!" the Lieutenant shouted, on the verge of panic, only to get no response. "Sir!"
"Cap'n!" Gibbs shouted, looking towards Jack.
"Fire." Jack said whimsically.
"Fire!" Gibbs shouted.
"Fire!" William shouted.
"Fire!" Barbossa shouted.
"Fire!" Elizabeth shouted. Both the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman erupted with cannonfire simultaneously, cannonballs slamming into the Endeavor's hull and killing the crew on the gun decks with shrapnel, while also destroying vital equipment.
"Orders! Orders, sir!" The lieutenant shouted. Beckett could say nothing as his flagship was pelted on both sides by the two pirate vessels. Not a single word came from the once proud Lord as he realized that Kurome had abandoned him, and that he was watching the death of his Company. "Sir, what do you command?!" the lieutenant asked once more.
"It's just… good business…" Beckett whimpered.
"Abandon ship! Abandon ship! All hands, abandon ship!" the Lieutenant shouted as he ran off, ordering the mercenaries and crew aboard to abandon the vessel. Beckett stood frozen, as mercenaries tried in vain to reach the guns, to give the sailors a chance. One lucky hit sent a deck gun flying back into the mainmast, sending it falling to the side and immobilizing the ship.
Beckett walked down the steps onto the deck, somehow avoiding flying debris, until he stopped as the Endeavor was engulfed in a rapid series of fiery explosions, the powder magazine detonating with enough energy to level a hillside.
Andrew and Asriel both jumped as the explosion happened, the former running towards the stern and peering over the side. "It's… It's gone…" he said. "The Endeavor is sinking! The day is ours!" he shouted, to the cheers of the crew.
"They're turning away!" Marty shouted as the armada turned tail, their morale shattered at the loss of their two flagships.
"We won!" Asriel exclaimed as he jumped for joy.
"We did it, Asriel! We pulled this world back from the brink!" Andrew shouted as he, Asriel and Neptune entered into a group hug.
The celebration on the Black Pearl's deck was mirrored by celebration across the entire fleet. Even the French, Spanish and Portuguese navy sailors in the combined fleet were celebrating their hard-earned and swift victory.
"Mister Gibbs!" Jack said.
"Cap'n!" Gibbs said.
Jack took off his tricorne, handing it to Gibbs. "You may throw my hat, if you'd like."
"Aye Aye, cap'n!" Gibbs exclaimed, throwing the tricorne in celebration. "Hooray!" he yelled, chuckling as well.
"Now go get it." Jack ordered with a tease, to Gibbs' detriment.
The daylight was waning as they entered the evening hours, and Andrew, Neptune and Asriel were on the top deck, talking about their adventure so far.
"I can't believe… we managed to win this so quickly…" Asriel said, filled with euphoria over their victory.
"We're proud of you, Asriel. This victory might not have been possible without you." Andrew said, ruffling the white fur on Asriel's head. Asriel let out a chuckle in response.
"I've only gotten where I am because of all of my wonderful friends. You guys are the reason I can keep fighting, no matter the odds." Asriel admitted.
"Aww… Come here, kiddo." Neptune cooed, pulling Asriel into a quick hug.
"You've still got a long way to go… but the progress you've made since first becoming Auxiliary CPU is astounding." Andrew said. He, Neptune and Asriel stood up and joined the rest of the crew when they noticed Elizabeth from the top deck.
"Your chariot awaits, your Highness." Gibbs said, beckoning Elizabeth towards an awaiting longboat to join William on the Dutchman. Elizabeth looked towards the gathered crew with a smile, saying a final goodbye to everyone.
"Mrs. Turner." Barbossa said with the bob of his head. Elizabeth gazed at Pintel and Ragetti, next.
"Goodbye, Poppet." Pintel said.
Elizabeth continued, before stopping in front of the CPU Trio. "I may not have known you for long, Asriel. But I'm so glad to have met you." she said as she knelt down in front of Asriel.
"I promise, once we save the Multiverse, I'll come back and visit you sometime." Asriel said with a smile, tears streaming from his face.
Elizabeth pulled him into a hug. "You'll always be welcome, when you do. I'll be praying to you three, hoping for your success." she said, before releasing him. "Where you three are bound, I cannot follow. But I will always be with you in spirit."
"Yeah… Until next time, Liz." Asriel said. Elizabeth stood back up, giving a thankful gaze to Andrew and Neptune, before moving on to Jack.
"Jack. It would never have worked out between us." she said.
"Keep telling yourself that, darling." Jack replied almost teasingly. Elizabeth went up to try and kiss him, but he politely declined.
"Thank you…" Elizabeth said, before she entered the longboat, and would be off towards the Flying Dutchman to be with William.
"I'm going to miss her…" Asriel said.
Andrew took Asriel and Neptune aside as he approached the bow, before turning to face Jack and the crew. "I'm afraid that this is where we must part ways, gentlemen. I thank you all for this. Your aid in helping us save this world won't be forgotten."
"You lot have been a fine addition to the crew. The three of ya will be deeply missed." Gibbs said.
"Of course, Gibbs." Andrew said, before turning towards Jack. "You may not have been the most honest person, or the most dignified. But you've been a valuable friend and ally, and you have our respect. You will always be welcome in Planeptune, Jack."
"'Preciate it, mate." Jack said, giving a two-finger salute. He grabbed a small coin from his belt, tossing it to Asriel. "Somethin' to remember me by, my furry friend."
"Thank you." Asriel said, before he, Neptune and Andrew turned around. With the wave of a hand, the Dimensional Gateway opened, and they were off to the next world. The gateway closed behind them, and they were gone.
"I'm going to miss them." Jack said.
"Aye. It'll be hard, sailing without them aboard." Barbossa agreed.
"They have many more adventures ahead of them… many battles they have yet to fight…" Edward said.
"The hopes and dreams of countless worlds rest on their shoulders. Best we can do for them is pray." Gibbs said.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Thus ends the Pirates of the Caribbean Arc of Across the Multiverse. This was fun, but the story has yet more content on the way. Stay tuned!
Due to canonical and word limit reasons, the Maelstrom and Beckett's Death sequences have been modified and condensed from their original theatrical experience. Hopefully they have not been rushed.
The addition of French, Portuguese and Spanish navy warships in the Brethren's fleet was a personal touch of mine, to show just how big a threat the East India Trading Company was, not just to piracy, but to free trade in general for the other colonial empires in the early/mid 1700s.
That's all for now! Stay safe, everyone!