Jack's POV

The icy tingle of a dagger still pressed to my... throat, I remained stiff as the beautiful blonde maintained her stance; but even the sensation of metal against my gullet wasn't enough to overpower the sting of her nails in my shoulder. After another moment of that piercing green stare, I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by another voice. "How about that?" chuckled the voice, just as raspy, but not as deep as my attacker's. Baring the pain of the dagger, I managed to turn just far enough to see Gibbs, held backward and gasping for air- a thick metal chain wrapped 'round his neck and standing firm behind him was a large... girl? "Guess it did work," she smiled with false astonishment and mockingly focused on me for a minute, before tightening her grip on Gibbs and looking to the fiery lass who still had me slammed against the counter.

"As I said it would," she confidently replied, her voice- still deep and rough for a girl- was now deliberate and strong, but still managed to maintain that alluring level of seduction. "Now I can take this bloody thing off," she grumbled. Despite my predicament, her comment couldn't help but excite as I stared at her dress and noticed that the corset had already been partially opened. However, it appeared my death wish would go un-granted, as instead of removing her gown, she quickly snatched the flowing blond hair from her head, revealing it to be a wig and thus allowing her true hair- hundreds of thick auburn dreadlocks- to gracefully fall to her shoulders and around her face. Still puzzled, I opened my mouth to speak, staring directly into the piercing emerald deadlights before me.

"...Well," I managed to exhale with a shy smile. "I must say, this is not the dream I had in min-"

"Shut up!" she shouted as she pushed her dagger down even harder; I could feel the blade pressing into my skin. "Don't make me ask again, Captain... You will give us the Pearl and your crew; and you will tell us about this Oracle and how to find it!" She shot a quick glance at her partner and Gibbs, before casually returning her attention back to me, her wine colored locks covering her face in scattered shadows, she smiled and continued, "Savvy?"

All was silent for a moment as I reflected on her 'proposition'; then I heard that bloody screech again and remembered that damned monkey in that bottle. Then, it hit me! Calmly I exchanged glances with the lass again as I straightened meself up and responded. "Of course Love," I said while slowly raising me hands and- cautiously- placed them on her shoulders. "Naturally I would be honored to offer my services to a pair of exquisite young women (and I used the term loosely) like yourselves... but there would appear to be a bit of an issue in the execution of your request." She briefly looked over my shoulder to her partner before, irritably refocusing her attention on my throat.

"What kind of issue?" she hissed as she pressed her cutlass further against my flesh. I strained to respond and breath as I managed to straighten up and reach for a handful of peanuts, but instead, she firmly turned me around and repeated her question.

"Well sweetie, as I'd said, I would love to surrender me ship and crew to you... if I had one..."

"What do ya mean 'if'!?" shouted the other girl as she used her strength to turn Gibbs to face me and challenge my statement. "Ye are Captain Jack Sparrow ain't ye? Captain of The Black Pearl- the fastest ship on the six-"

"Nine," my captor unenthusiastically corrected.

"Nine, seas" the other lass shyly agreed, before resuming her commanding presence. "Ya do have a ship?"

"Ye'd better..." growled the fuming redhead.

"Of course I do!" I shouted proudly as I tried to sway her into loosening that iron grip on my shoulder; distrustfully she let go, (and spitefully snatched up my hair instead) "But ya see dear," I continued as I picked up the Pearl, and a quick bit of peanuts, before turning back 'round. "My precious Pearl isn't exactly what you'd call 'seaworthy', at the moment..." Skeptically, she looked at the bottle in my hand before pushing me backward and snatching the bottle from my hand. Within a second of my release, I found myself snatched up again in the large arm of her associate- Gibbs still tightly gripped in her other. I watched as the lass twirled and fiddled with the bottle for a moment before peering into it. At first her stone expression of disinterest remained fixed on her face, but then I saw her eyes widen as she further studied the bottle's content. Turning my sights to Gibbs, we exchanged quick smiles as we both her a small pop and watched the reflection of a lightning bolt flash in her eyes.

"What in the-"

"You see love, my precious ship was once lively and sea worthy," I began as I slowly managed to squeeze out of that immense vice of an arm. "Unfortunately," I approached and managed to gently coax the bottle out of her hand. "As a result of the negligent idiocy of others, she's been trapped inside this little prison-"

"By Blackbeard himself!" added Gibbs proudly.

"Aye!" I shouted in confirmation. "That's why we need this supposed 'Oracle' you heard us blabbering about; and to be absolutely honest with you- I hate lying to women," I sighed as I stroked her hand. "I'm not even sure it's truth," I continued while briefly turning back to Gibbs and swallowing his last gulp of rum. "So you see Love, that's why I am sadly unable to grant you your wish. Can't lend you a ship if I don't have one meself," I shrugged as I looked into the bottle and shook it wildly in response to that blasted monkey. "Deeply sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm sure there're plenty of other gents who'd be more than happy to surrender their ships to you. You two lovely ladies already have a natural appeal toward drunken rogues like myself," I complimented while coaxing Gibbs' release, then affectionately pinched the big one's cheek before she snapped at me- 'almost lost one of my fingers'. "I'm sure you'll do fine." With the Pearl in my hand and our fleet back over Gibbs' shoulder we prepared to make leave. "Good lu-" I found myself cut short again, and this time unable to move. Puzzled, I tried a second time to move forward, only to realize that my arm wouldn't follow. Turning around I discovered it had been tethered to the counter- that same silver dagger pinning me down by my sleeve.

"Just a moment Captain," the redhead purred as she approached. I tried to remove the dagger before she could reach me but it was no use.

"You've got that stuck pretty tight don't ya?" Calmly, she cracked a smile as she slowly ran her fingers up and down the blade's hilt.

"There seems to be a slight change in plan... Your precious Pearl may not be available, but you are."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Fact or fable, you obviously seem to know plenty about this Oracle- more than enough to catch our attention," she calmly leaned against her partner. "Which is why you'll be takin' us to it."

"But we don't have a-"

"You're not the only fools whose ship can be stolen," she quickly interrupted Gibbs. "Tell us more, take us there, and we'll handle the rest" Again I tried to remove the dagger from my sleeve, only to watch the big one approach and- while staring at me- press it further into the counter. Staring down at the now half-buried blade, I was then startled by an open palm stretched in front of me. "Do we have a deal?" Nervous, I stared at her outstretched arm, unsure of whether to shake her hand. Pondering the proposition, I exchanged glances with Gibbs who- out of fear, I presume- eagerly nodded for me to agree. I studied the hand a moment longer, stained and worn, I watched it a moment longer. The long tattered nails and scattered freckles along her fingers, seemed to fit perfectly, with the rough palm- that of a seasoned pirate- and oddly, the still present black silk sleeve of her dress. "Captain?" she said impatiently, as I slowly looked up at those dark emerald eyes and opened my mouth.

"Peyton, was it?"