A lone pirate vessel sat in the middle of the sea, taking a break from buccaneering activities for a short while. One of the crew members made their way above deck to get a drink from the barrel of water up there. He took the ladle that was sitting in the open barrel and brought it to his lips, letting the cold liquid run down his throat. After he finished drinking, he turned his head and he saw the most peculiar sight. It looked to be a small bird, but it was unnaturally blackened and was missing its right leg, yet stood as if it still had it. It squawked, and the pirate could've sworn he was seeing things. He took some of the water from the barrel and splashed his face, thinking the heat was just getting to him. When he turned to look at the bird again, he saw it was gone.

He scoffed at his own hallucination, but then he saw something up in the distance. It looked to be a ship, but its masts were dragging in the water and the ribs were exposed. But even despite its wrecked state, it looked to be sailing towards the pirate ship.

As it got closer, the front of the ship began to lift up, rising in the air and exposing more of the battered underside. The bottom then opened up what was left, dividing the ribs like a set of teeth ready to clamp down. The pirate stepped back in fear of the ghostly ship, and he turned his head to the side to see the undead bird flapping its wings and screeching in his face.

As the pirate let out a scream of terror, the Silent Mary closed its teeth upon the ship, crashing against it and causing the ship to sink down to the depths.

Night was fast approaching, and soon the sun would be no more. The island of St. Martin was getting ready for it's slumber, and hardly anyone in the town was walking through the streets.

This proved itself fortunate for Henry, who had finally managed to row all the way to St. Martin after two days with no food, little water, and little sleep. If he had arrived during the daytime, then the guards would've definitely asked questions, and it wouldn't take them long to find out who he was. If they did that, he couldn't think of a way to explain to them how the Monarch had been set upon by ghosts that didn't end with him lined up against the wall.

But the threat of the British executing him for treason was the least of his worries. Henry was still terrified at what he had witnessed only days ago. He thought that he had seen strange before given his father's curse, but Salazar was different. The man was a savage killer even before the Devil's Triangle left him and his crew cursed. He was so certain that he would die that day, but he considered himself beyond lucky that he had managed to escape Salazar's wrath. Just seeing the look in his eyes, his deep hatred for Jack Sparrow, was enough for a chill to run down his spine at the mere memory. He had read about El Matador Del Mar when he was a boy, but nothing could've prepared him for what he saw that day.

Now more than ever, he needed to find Jack. Based on what Salazar said to him, he somehow knew that he would be free very soon. And when that happened, not only would Jack's life be in danger, but so would every other pirate in the seas. The crew of the Silent Mary were unable to be killed, so if their reach extended beyond the Triangle, then everything would be at stake. Henry surmised that the Trident of Poseidon, able to control the power of the seas, could be the only thing that could stop Salazar should he escape. Now he had double the reason to find it as soon as he could, and he would need Jack Sparrow's help to do it.

First, he needed to find him.

Henry exited the lifeboat when he reached the dock and walked towards the center of town, looking for any signs of Jack. He had heard that Jack had been seen on the island a few months back, but there was no guarantee that he was still here. But it sufficed for a start, and he continued to look around, eventually finding the side of a building adorned with wanted posters of the pirate. The bottom of it said that the reward was 10,001 guineas for him dead, and Henry wondered what the one extra guinea was for.

He decided that he should probably start looking in some of the local taverns to see if anyone had seen Jack around there. From what he remembers his mother telling him, Jack was very fond of drinking excessively. She had called him an alcoholic, but Henry thought that he couldn't have been that heavy of a drinker for him to do all the things he did. Moving past this thought, he looked around some of the local establishments, asking if anyone had seen Jack Sparrow anywhere, and all of them said that they'd never seen him before but that he did rob a bank earlier that day. Henry's hopes shot up, knowing that Jack must still be in the area. He kept searching, until finally he walked through a tavern called the Rusty Anchor. Before he began to ask around, he asked the barkeep for a drink and a table because he finally felt the exhaustion and dehydration set in after days without water or sleep. After he had gotten his drink he drank it down and began staring at the floor, the horrifying image of Salazar still in his head.

Carina was in her room, keeping one eye on her watch and another on her calculations that she had drawn up on her desk. The blood moon was nearly here, and she felt nervous at the thought of unlocking the next clue that lead to the Trident. Galileo's diary had said something would reveal itself in the stars when the blood moon came, something that only she would be able to make out. She was almost sweating from the anxiety, obsessing over the fact that she would finally continue the quest started by her father. His calculations from years ago had gotten her this far, so she felt humbled that she could pick up the trail where he left off and finally prove to herself and everyone else that she was meant for greatness.

I'll make you proud, father. I promise you.

Carina looked from the sketches of constellations on her paper, and looked over to her watch to see that the hour had come at last. It was bound to happen any minute now.

The clouds moved in the night sky, and the moon revealed itself, showing it's blood-red color to the whole island, engulfing it in a sea of red light. Carina looked out of her window and up in the night sky awestruck, never having seen such a beautiful sight in her life. She looked around the skies to see what clue would be revealed, looking at the known constellations for any sign of the clue that Galileo described. But there was nothing. Carina checked Orion, the Dippers, Capricorn, Scorpius, all the known constellations that she could see, and she found nothing. Not even her namesake was revealing any clue.

She knew she must've been missing something, so she directed her attention back to the diary to see what she had missed. But when she did, she saw something most peculiar. The ruby on the front cover of the diary was glowing. Not just reflecting the light from the moon, but actually glowing. Bewildered, Carina looked through the diary to see if any clue revealed itself, but it didn't. The pages remained the same. Sighing, she closed the diary, but then she saw something on the cover of the book, just below the ruby. It looked like the faint outline of a constellation, but she hadn't seen this one before, neither on the book nor in the heavens. It was five stars total, and it was in the shape of what she supposed was the Trident. But it was a most irregular shape; it wasn't symmetrical like she was expecting. It was jagged, with the prong on the left jutting farther out than the other two on the right, and those two were almost touching each other.

Carina was confused at what this meant, given that the constellation that was revealed to her didn't exist. And nothing else was shown about a location or a path or anything. She had hit a dead end and was no closer to finding the Trident than her father was.

Frustrated, she shoved her notes in between the pages of the diary, and then forcefully pushed the book to the side. She placed her elbows on the desk and buried her face in her hands in disappointment. She was that close to figuring it all out, and then nothing. All of her travelling, all of her work, every sacrifice she made, it was for nothing.

I'm sorry, father.

She moved her hands away from her face, and then picked up the diary and held it in her hands, eyeing the glowing ruby with curiosity. What good was knowing what a constellation looked like if it didn't exist?

Suddenly, it became apparent to Carina that maybe she was missing something. Carefully, she pulled on the ruby, loosening it from the cover of the book. She eventually pulled it out all the way, and when she did she saw that the light that came from the ruby was revealing more on the cover of the diary than she had initially thought. It showed an island, and above it the nonexistent constellation glowed even brighter than it had before. Carina's eyes widened at the fact that now she had an idea of what to look for, but she was no closer in knowing what this constellation meant.

She used the light of the ruby to further scan the cover, and she saw that there was writing towards the bottom. It was written in Italian, and (though her Italian was very rusty), she was able to make out a translation of what was written:

For those that find this manuscript

There is a power that lies in Poseidon's crypt

Hidden in the map no man can read

Are directions from Asteria that no man has see'd

Revealed once in three decades by a moon of blood

Five days only can the worthy travel should the gods' will be understood

To carry out their will and fulfill the goal

Restore the piece that was part of the whole

The Trident holds the power to control the wind and tide

And to release this power, all must divide

Carina's hopes shot up by the time she finished reading. She hadn't reached a dead end after all. She knew exactly what to look for. After the blood moon ended tonight, the nonexistent constellation would show itself in the night sky for the next five days. Though she was uncertain of this claim being supported by science, it seemed to be of Galileo's observation that he had seen the constellation himself, and sketched it on the front of the diary. He had spoken of "the map no man can read" in his writings, which obviously was in reference of the heavens, created by the Titan Asteria in Greek mythology. She surmised that the "piece that was part of the whole" was the ruby on the cover, for there was no other reference to a missing piece of anything in the book. She was confused by the last lines of the riddle, though, for she didn't know what "all must divide" meant. She supposed she would figure it out when she found the Trident.

But for now, Carina was content. She closed the book and held it close to her chest, closing her eyes and relishing in that she had found the next clue. She had waited so long for this moment. Her father would be proud of her if he were alive.

Placing the book back down on the desk, Carina realized that she only had five days after tonight to locate the Trident. She couldn't embark on her journey tonight, because for one the way hadn't revealed itself yet, and for another she didn't have a ship to take her to the island. Carina knew that she couldn't share her knowledge with just anyone; they'd either dismiss her findings as mere fantasies or have the guards arrest her for "witchcraft." She had to make sure that she could completely trust whomever she would barter with that would believe her.

She lifted up the hem of her dress, and put the diary, the ruby, and her watch in a makeshift pouch tied to her waist underneath. She then exited her room and made her way downstairs to see if there was anyone in the tavern that could help her. She noticed that the pirate from earlier was gone (thank God), but before she could observe the other patrons, Mr. Woodhull came up to her and told her that he needed assistance, starting with a young man over at one of the tables that requested another drink.

Carina took another bottle of rum from the shelf behind the bar, and made her way over to the young man's table and refilled his mug, saying "Here you go, sir."

Henry didn't reply; he didn't even look at her. He was still staring at the floor, Salazar's menacing presence not leaving him. Carina looked at him oddly, and then asked "Are you okay?"

Henry looked up at her, and Carina saw the blood on his lip. Despite this, Henry replied "I'm fine, thanks."

"You don't look it to me," Carina acknowledged, concerned, "What happened?"

"I was in a spot of trouble, that's all you need to know," Henry said, taking a sip of his drink. Carina sighed, turning away because of the young man's stubbornness. Before she took a step forward, Henry spoke to her and said "I'm looking for a pirate by the name of Jack Sparrow. Have you happened to see him?"

Carina froze at the mention of the pirate's name, the drunken fool that had almost gotten her killed today. She turned to face Henry, and inquired "Jack Sparrow?"

"You know him?" Henry asked, his interest piqued.

"I had a run-in with him earlier today, why do you ask?" Carina answered, sitting down in the chair opposite of Henry.

"I need his help," Henry said, "That spot of trouble that I had, he's the only one that can help me with it. He's the only one that can get me to the Trident of Poseidon."

Carina's jaw dropped. Someone other than her believed that the Trident existed. She must've been dreaming.

"The Trident of Poseidon?" Carina inquired, "You believe it's real?"

"Yes, I do," Henry responded firmly, knowing full well what finding it meant to him.

Carina couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her face broke out into a wide smile and she chuckled lightly.

"What? What is it?" Henry asked, whereupon Carina said "I've been searching for the Trident my entire life, and not once have I ever met someone who believed it to be real!"

Henry's eyes widened, and he said "Really? I've never met anyone who believed it was real either."

The two smiled at each other, and then Carina said "Tell me, why do you seek the Trident?"

"I read that the Trident holds the power to break any curse of the sea. My father is trapped by such a curse," Henry finished, but Carina looked at him with an expression of amusement and doubt.

"Are you touched in the head or something?" she asked, to which Henry responded "Sorry, beg your pardon?"

"You do know that curses aren't supported by science, right?" Carina asked, wondering what Henry was playing at.

"Neither is the Trident," Henry said, looking around the room as he did so.

"I beg to differ," Carina replied with confidence, pulling out Galileo's diary from the pouch under her dress. Henry looked upon the book with intent, and then begged the question "Is that what I think it is?"

"This diary belonged to the astronomer Galileo Galilei. It belonged to my father before he died, and I've had it since I was a kid. Galileo spent his life looking for the Trident, and his work was the reason why we know the Earth to be round instead of flat," Carina explained.

"I remember reading about Galileo," Henry said, "He said that he encountered something of great power in a 'sea of stars.' You believe this is the Trident too?"

"I do," Carina said, "There was a blood moon tonight, and it revealed a clue. It's a constellation that can only be seen once every thirty years for five days only. The constellation leads to an island which is told to be where the Trident is. But we'll need to find a ship if we're to find the island in time."

"We?" Henry asked, surprised by the assumption.

"You want the Trident, don't you? Well, so do I," Carina said, putting the diary back in her pouch, "My father died searching for the Trident, and I made a promise to him that I would find it. I won't let him down."

"Then I'll help you," Henry said, "But I still need to find Jack Sparrow."

"What do you need that drunken pirate for?" Carina asked, wondering what Henry's intentions were.

"Sparrow was a friend of my father at one point," Henry answered, his voice trailing off, "and he also has a ship. If I can reach him, he'll get us to the Trident on time. Do you know where he's gone?"

"I have no idea. He was here a little bit ago drinking in the corner, but I don't know where his is," Carina said, and then she asked, "What's your name anyway?"

"Henry Turner," he replied, "Yours?"

Carina was about to answer him, but the doors of the tavern burst open and in came a half-dozen Redcoats, with the shopkeeper from earlier ahead of them.

"That's her! That's the witch!" he shouted pointing his finger right at Carina, "She was the one that destroyed my shop and caused the blood moon!"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Carina said, standing up while raising her hands in the air, "Not this again."

"Carina Smyth," Scarfield said, emerging from behind his troops, "you are under arrest for destruction of property and practicing witchcraft. You shall be hanged on the morrow for your crimes, and may God have mercy on your heathen soul."

One of the Redcoats came behind Carina and restrained her arms behind her back, and she began to panic. There was no escaping this time. She was escorted out by the soldier restraining her, and then Scarfield said to the soldier next to him, "She'll swing along with the pirate."

Henry sat there the entire time, watching as Carina was being taken away by the guards and listening to every word. His only hopes of finding the Trident lay with Jack and Carina, and they were both going to be hung. He knew he had to do something about it before it was too late. If they were to die, the Trident would be lost, his father would remain cursed, and there would be nothing to stop Salazar.

Over in Tortuga, the pirate haven, a magnificent vessel sat docked in place. The ship had once belonged to the feared pirate Edward Teach, better known as "Blackbeard," but was now under the command of a pirate feared probably more than Teach ever would be. His name was Hector Barbossa, and the ship was known as the Queen Anne's Revenge.

Ever since he killed Blackbeard, Barbossa had taken over both his vessel and his crew, who greatly respected him for his charisma and leadership, which in turn made them some of the best pirates to sail the seas. Barbossa amassed a fleet of ships under his command, and none would dare oppose them unless they bore the colors of the military or had a death wish.

The crew of the Revenge were enjoying themselves, drinking from casks of wine and playing music. But not all were taking part in the festivities. Murtogg and Mullroy, two former Royal Marines who had joined Barbossa's crew, were fretting as they made their way towards his cabin, bickering between the two.

"I'm not going in there to tell him!"

"It was your idea!"

"No, it was my idea for you to tell him!"

"He likes you better!"

"He doesn't like anybody!"

They had finished their bickering by the time they made it to the cabin doors, and they walked in. Barbossa was sitting below them in an ornate leather chair, wearing his classic pirate attire, brown coat and orange sash all, minus his favorite wide-brimmed hat as he was enjoying his dinner while listening to a group of cellists play for him. He was about to take a bite from a green apple when the two bumbling pirates walked in and began to speak.

"Sorry sir."

"We know you said never to disturb you."

"Or to come in without good cause."

"Or to speak without first... um..."

"Or to speak unless our thoughts were absolutely necessary."

"Like the time the ship was on fire."

"That being an example of necessary thoughts. Again, we do apologize for starting that fi-"

Barbossa lost his patience with the two, and put down his apple and whipped out his favored skull-handled pistol and fired a shot at the ceiling above the two scoundrels, causing them to flinch and the musicians to stop playing.

"SPEAK!" Barbossa ordered, frustrated by their disturbance.

"We picked up Scrum and two others. Apparently someone's been attacking our ships," Murtogg began.

"We've lost three ships so far. The Hook, the Barnacle, and the Mermaid. Only one man from each crew has been left alive to tell the tale," Mullroy continued.

"The men that lived said that they were attacked by an enemy that gave no provocations and took no riches. They were just slaughtered," Murtogg continued.

"Scrum said that they were attacked by a Captain called, um... Salamander, I think," Mullroy said.

"Actually, I think it was Salvator, wasn't it?" Murtogg inquired.

"Salavar?" Mullroy asked, "I dunno, but it was definitely Spanish. Or was it Portuguese?"

Barbossa stood up with a start, looking away from Murtogg and Mullroy. This couldn't be true. He was there that day. He had watched him die. There was no way he could've survived that. He placed his pistol on the table in front of him and started to tremble. It just wasn't possible.

"Salazar..." he uttered, his voice rich with fear.

"That's the one, your sirness!" Murtogg said confidently, "Salazar!"

Barbossa had seen his fair share of strangeness and danger in his life, but Salazar returning from the dead? This was a nightmare. He grabbed his pistol and his hat, holstering the former and putting on the latter, and then grabbed his cane that doubled as a blunderbuss as he limped with his peg-leg out of his cabin. He saw Scrum and the others had been brought to the top deck, and then Barbossa walked up to them and got down on his good knee.

"What happened, Scrum?" Barbossa asked with concern.

Scrum was trembling with terror, his arms around himself as he shook back and forth, muttering "He's coming for us. He's coming for all of us. He wants his revenge. He wants his revenge."

"Why did he spare ye, Scrum?" Barbossa asked, and then Scrum turned to face his Captain.

"He leaves one to tell the tale," he whimpered, "His ship was a cage of death. His crew couldn't be killed. He wants us all dead. He wants revenge."

Barbossa was disturbed by Scrum being so mortified by what had happened, and so what he did next was get off of the Revenge and make his way to meet an old friend.

He walked into an isolated hut on the outskirts of Tortuga, and walked in and was greeted with the sight of a feminine figure wearing a black cloak facing away from him.

"I have been expecting you, Captain Barbossa," the woman said, removing her hood to reveal her bald, mark-covered head.

"Shansa," Barbossa addressed the witch.

"The price of crossing my door is blood, Captain," Shansa said, an aura of mystery to her tone. But Barbossa merely replied, "That would explain why you're not so busy."

Shansa turned to face the pirate, and then said "Everyone pays... eventually."

"I've already paid my blood already," Barbossa responded, thinking back to what had happened on Isla de Muerta twenty years ago. The hand that wasn't resting on his cane-gun reached for his chest, where he could still feel the scars underneath his waistcoat.

Continuing, Barbossa said "And besides, we made a bargain long ago. I saved you from the gallows, remember? And I've protected you while you've resided here. And in return you would help me should the need arise, and the time for that has come at last."

"Yes," Shansa began, "the time has come, for now the dead have taken command of the sea."

"And what would the dead be wanting with me?" Barbossa inquired, stepping closer to the witch.

"It's not you that they want," Shansa answered, "They're searching for a Pearl, a girl, a boy, and a Sparrow."

Barbossa blinked at the last answer, and then uttered "Jack?"

"Jack Sparrow will sail for the Trident of Poseidon," Shansa continued, "It is his only hope of survival."

"The Trident of Poseidon?" Barbossa inquired, "That's just a tale."

"Just like the curse you bore for ten years, yes?" Shansa said, tilting her head slightly. Barbossa grumbled, and Shansa continued, saying "The dead are conquering the sea, slaughtering every pirate they see on the ocean, unable to step on dry land. Maybe you should consider retiring to the countryside, perhaps? Until Jack finds the Trident at least."

Barbossa felt insulted by the suggestion. Someone of his notorious reputation wasn't prepared to back down this easily.

"You mean... grass?" he asked, "On a farm somewhere? Milking a cow, making cheese? I will do no such thing. I am Captain Hector Barbossa, slayer of Blackbeard, king of the seas. This be my ocean. I be the master of the sea, not Salazar!"

"Ask yourself this, Captain," Shansa began, "Is the sea really yours? And if it is, is it worth dying for?"

"I'm a pirate," Barbossa said proudly, "Always have been, always will be. So how do I hold on to what be under my control?"

"Jack held a compass, a compass that didn't point North, given to him by the witch Tia Dalma," Shansa said.

"Aye, Calypso," Barbossa remarked, "But what does that have to do with this?"

"The compass points you to whatever you want the most," Shansa began, "but betray the compass and it releases whatever you dread the most."

"Impossible," Barbossa said, "I have never heard of such a thing before. Besides, Jack would never betray his compass. And even if he did, the thing he fears most is not Salazar. I was there that day, he kept his calm. Not a flicker of fear in him."

"And what does Jack Sparrow fear most then, Hector?" Shansa asked.

Barbossa thought on the matter for a moment, and then he said "His end."

Shansa gave a wicked grin, and then said "Precisely."

Barbossa blinked again, "So you be saying that Salazar will be Jack's end?"

"Not unless he gets to the Trident first," Shansa told him. She reached behind herself and pulled something attached to a small rope. It was Jack's compass.

"Where in the blazes did you get that?" Barbossa asked, surprised.

"I have my ways," Shansa replied, "You have a choice, Hector Barbossa. You can either choose to let Jack live and risk losing everything you have, or you can lead the dead to Sparrow before he finds the Trident and you will keep your control of the sea. The choice is yours."

Barbossa thought about his options carefully, and then he took the compass from the witch's grasp, and then said "Time to make a deal with the devil."

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I hope you like all my little twists and turns I've been adding to the story. There's more to come soon, including Barbossa's parlay with Salazar, Henry's dastardly escape plan, and more insight onto Jack's past. Until then, be sure to read, review, and share this story with as many people as possible. Thanks so much you guys, and stay classy!

-Spent