The Athena had just set sail for it's trip across the Atlantic, and her fat captain had just sat down for his sumptuous evening meal, when he heard panicked voices calling out in alarm. The captain's blood ran cold when he heard the most dreaded and feared word any seafarer can hear... pirates! He hurriedly shoved his chair back so hard that it nearly tipped over, and left his fine meal to get cold on the table.
Hurrying out to the main deck from his cabin, he almost fainted. There, appearing at the side of his ship as if by magic and with full cannons pointing straight at them all, was the legendary Black Pearl, her colors raised high. They were being boarded effortlessly, as if being raided by ghosts, and his men were absolutely terrified. The Pearl was exceedingly large alongside the Athena, and they would never have a chance...
His crew didn't even fight. They simply dropped their weapons and surrendered. The stories that had come back from the Orient about this ship were enough to make any sailor tremble in fear or throw himself overboard. This enraged the chubby little man, and his triple chins were shaking indignantly as he ordered his men, "Pick up your swords, you cowards!!! These are real men, not ghosts! What is the matter with you fools???" He started to wave his arms around, his napkin flapping under his chin like a white flag.
His men refused... his first mate raised his hands once Mr. Pintel's pistol was in his face, and he said in a quavering voice, "Beg pardon, cap'n... ye can calls it mutiny if ye likes, or pick up a sword an' fights 'em off yerself, but no one can fight bein' boarded by the Black Pearl."
Pintel looked at Ragetti, who had a pistol to another sailor's head, and muttered, "I wishes they was all this easy! Either they's really bloody cowards or we're a lot more legendary than we ever was befo'!" He growled at his captive and stuck the barrel of his pistol up the poor man's nostril.
Just then, a wooden gangplank was lowered from the Pearl onto the railing of the Athena, and a tall, muscular, tanned young man walked across with a beautiful slender woman, surprisingly dressed in men's clothing. They approached the slaver captain, and the young man spoke, low and menacing.
"... if you and your crew will follow us across the gangplank, please." The young man put a very sharp, ivory handled dagger to the captain's throat, and the young woman coolly drew her sword and held it to his ample midriff. She spoke, "The captain of the Black Pearl wishes to speak to all of you."
The entire crew was escorted off of their ship, and led to the main deck of the dark pirate ship. Her sails snapped in the wind as though she was threatening them, herself, and her timbers creaked ominously. The men were lined up, their captain a few steps in front of them. The doors of the captain's cabin opened, and out stepped the man that had been taken down by the Kraken and who had come back from the dead - truly a walking dead man, although he looked quite alive and unbelievably angry.
He slowly swayed up to the captain of the Athena, silently, and was joined on either side by the young couple, still holding their weapons against him. The pirate captain stared at him, with little expression, one hand resting on the hilt of his saber, the other bandaged hand resting on the handle of the pistol that was stuck in his sash. His long, unbraided hair was blowing in the breeze, his hat resting firmly on what seemed to be a haphazardly tied red bandana. The man's face was dreadfully battered, but his inky dark eyes were burning holes right through him. The pirate leaned forward until his face was only about an inch from the slaver captain's. The captive man shook so hard that his chins were quivering like jelly.
"... I believe that you have met my cousins... allow me t' introduce us proper... you might have heard of us..." came the rasping, hoarse, and very threatening voice. "My cousins are William Turner an' Elizabeth Swann Turner... perhaps you have heard o' th' Flying Dutchman an' th' Empress?" There was a frightened murmer among the line of sailors being held under swords and pistols of the Pearl's crew. The pirate captain smiled wildly and his eyes widened with a mad gleam, "Aye! It's them! Th' ones ye heard tell 'bout!"
He then cocked his head to one side. "An' my name is Captain Jack Sparrow..." The captives all blanched, and were visibly shaking in their boots.
Captain Sparrow leaned in until his nose nearly touched the fat man's. His eyes began to burn like two red hot coals... "I am Captain Jack Sparrow, an' I hate slavery... I hate slave ships... I hate slave masters... an' I hate YOU."
The other captain nearly fainted. Sparrow continued, "... I wonder what we should do wif you?" He leaned back and tapped his chin with one slender finger. "Maybe we should keelhaul th' lot o' ye... maybe I should take me pistol and take target practice wif yer ears...maybe I should just dump ye in th' water an' see how ye floats... ye sort o' look like a sea turtle." The pirate paused to cough into his sleeve for several minutes, then looked up again with wide, very frightening eyes. "...maybe I should shackle YOU in th' the damned hold an' feed you only hardtack fer weeks!!!" he growled through gritted teeth.
He then backed up and regarded them in silence for a few minutes. "Mr. Gibbs."
"Aye, Cap'n."
"Find out where the keys for the shackles are an' get those people outta th' hold o' that worm eaten tub over there."
"Mr. Turner."
"Aye, Captain."
"Make ready the longboats... our guests are going for a little ride." He turned his face back to the slaver captain and said, in a low voice, "See that li'l island over off the port side?" The fat man nodded so quickly the the pirate had to stifle a smile. "There be plenty o' palm trees over there, so maybe, jus' maybe there might be some coconuts... don't know, don't care.. I think that maybe we might jus' set all o' ye off over there t' figure out how you are goin' t' get back t' th' mainland... because we are not going t' leave ye a boat, an' these waters are full o' hungry sharks...they get tired o' eatin' other fish all th' time."
As the pirate turned to leave, the slaver captain blurted out, "You, sir, are filth!!! You are no better than those savages down in the hold of my ship!!!"
Captain Jack Sparrow whirled around and was immediately in the other captain's face, his shirt front grabbed up in his fists and his face twisted in a black rage. "You're bloody lucky that I don't send ye into th' briny deep now, ye scum!!! How bloody dare you!!!! I have had personal experience wi' th' likes o' you!!! Tradin' in human misery an' pain, for money!!! MONEY!!!" he screamed until he had no voice left.
Will Turner quickly sheathed his dagger and threw his arms around the pirate captain, pulling him off of the slaver captain, yelling, "I would watch what I say to Captain Sparrow if I were you, you fool, he is known to be quite mad! He is being charitable that we don't summon the Flying Dutchman for your pitiful souls right now!" The young man's face was contorted in contempt, and it was then that Elizabeth Swann Turner spoke up.
"... Mr. Cotton! Marty! Take these men to the longboat and get them off of this ship NOW! We don't want the likes of them fouling the decks of Captain Sparrow's beautiful ship with their filthy presence!" As Will was calming the raging Captain Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann Turner turned back to the slaver captain with utter disdain on her face, and said, icily, "I would spit on you for your abhorrent trade in human tragedy, sir, but you are not WORTH my spit!!! Take them away!"
The captive slaves were set free upon the shore by Jack's crew, after they had been treated by Mr. Gibbs for the many injuries that they had sustained by the cat 'o' nine or from the iron shackles. They were given enough food and supplies in order to build shelter and survive for a few days until they could fend for themselves. They were also given a few items with which to make weapons to defend themselves and hunt with. They humbly thanked the pirate crew, even though they did not speak the same language. They would like to have thanked the pirate captain and his young cousins, also, but they were not to be found.
The crew of the slave ship were almost relieved to be marooned following their encounter with the Black Pearl... the pirate captain was certainly and undeniably mad, and they were happy to see the longboat leave them behind... this hardship was much better than facing the wrath of the Black Pearl and her crew. They were not certain what to do next, but at least they escaped the Black Pearl with their lives...
Will had nearly carried the hysterical Jack into his cabin and was rocking him as Jack sobbed, and tried not to get sick. Will soothed him, talked to him, argued with him, cajoled him into calming down.
"...please, Jack, it's all right... stop... it's me, Will... calm down... that's it...just calm down..."
Jack finally took large, gulping, ragged breaths, shaking and gripping Will's arm in a his hand. He was trying hard to control himself, but his mind was still reeling and his coughing was bringing up blood. Will pulled a blanket around Jack and held him until he could finally become coherent.
"... Will... God, Will... he called me filth... I can call me filth, but I'll be damned if he can!" Will stifled a laugh, as Jack looked at him, trying not to cough and sputtering in indignant anger. Looking at his cousin, Jack started to laugh a little, too. "... that came out wrong... did it not?" He was still shaking, and could not sit him up on his own. Will helped Jack over to his bunk, and carefully helped Jack to lay down. Jack suddenly felt extremely weak, and pulled the blanket around himself, trying valiantly not to vomit, and looking around desperately for the bucket.
There was a knock at the door... it was Elizabeth. She came over to Will and quietly put her arms around him for a moment, embracing him to her with all of her strength. "Are you all right?" She whispered. "Yes. You?" The young couple then turned to Jack, who had quietly started to wretch into the bucket, again. They sadly held him as he shook uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face, sobbing between the spasms that took control of him...
Night had fallen, when Will gathered up Jack and helped slowly walk out on to the main deck. They made their way up onto the quarterdeck, and leaned against the rail, with Elizabeth holding Jack's other arm.
After the crew had pillaged the supplies of the Athena and brought them aboard the Pearl... some good honest piratin' in Gibbs' opinion... they placed a cache of powder kegs on the main deck of the slave ship. The crew of the Black Pearl looked forward to a find display of fireworks. The crew had waited until Will brought their sick captain out of his cabin to see the spectacle.
Will screamed, "FIRE!!!" and with that, the mighty cannons of the Black Pearl blasted fireballs into the Athena, and there was a massive, glorious explosion. The masts crumpled and the sails immediately took fire. Timbers blew into the sky, and a cloud of smoke covered the water like fog... the ship burst into flame moments later, and a plume of black sparks flew upward to the stars.
Jack's fingernails dug into the polished railing of the Pearl, shaking and leaning hard against Will. Will pulled the captain into a full,straight, proud stand and they watched the slave ship being consumed.
As the crew cheered and they watched the massive fire before them, Elizabeth stood a half step away and looked at her two men... the bright light reflected on them showed their two faces as if it was daylight... Will jaw was set defiantly, his eyes hard and shining with fierce pride. Jack's face was nearly expressionless, but his dark eyes were half closed and glittering almost with pleasure. A muscle in his jaw was working slightly, and almost self consciously, Jack's right hand slowly reached up and touched the scar through his eyebrow that had been inflicted nearly thirty years ago. By a slave master.
One more powder keg on the slave ship exploded, and Jack faltered. Will gripped him, and looked into a face that was momentarily full of despair. Elizabeth quickly took Jack's other arm. Jack looked at William, and Will nodded slowly. He understood. Jack did not know how much that the young couple knew, only that they knew how he had been forced into piracy and his Wicked Wench was destroyed in the same way that this ship was... only it was destroyed by the East India Trading Company because he had done the right thing. Whatever Will and Elizabeth knew, Jack was thankful to have them by his side, for the burden was almost too heavy to bear alone, any longer.
Finally, the captain's rush of strength was gone. As the burning Athena slipped beneath the surface of the water, Jack also began slipping from the Turners' grip. Will finally hefted his sick and semi-conscious friend into his arms, and headed back to Jack's cabin. Elizabeth followed silently, with Jack's hat in her hands.
As Will laid Jack in his bunk and pulled off his boots, he paused to gently grip his cousin's hand in his... Jack's left hand, with its imbedded black soot from the night that the Wicked Wench went down. Will leaned down and whispered, grimly, "We did as you said we would, Jack. We blasted the bloody bejesus out of her, and sent her straight to hell... where she belongs... she will carry no more human cargo...we did it for you... and we are just getting started".
Jack opened his eyes and looked at Will, squeezing his hand back, as Elizabeth leaned down and softly kissed his cheek. Jack had no strength left with which to speak, but Elizabeth saw the look that Will and Jack exchanged. Will gave the captain a look that told of blood ties and loyalty... and recieved a look of trust and gratitude.
As he drifted off, Will's words floated about in Jack's exhausted mind... they were just getting started...they were just getting started...