Once again, I don't own Jack or anyone/anything from the original Pirates films.

Enjoy! :)

In a nearby corner, a group of men were assembled, huddled close together, as though they were involved in some kind of underhanded deed that required secrecy. Judging from there dishevelled look and general smell, they could very well be pirates but Tortuga had reached such a level of depravity that even the most innocent of men looked a little shifty now. Regardless of this, Jack's curious nature got the better of him and he found himself compelled to eavesdrop. Besides, any information was, well...information.

He was going to have to be careful though. Despite his talent for getting out of even the trickiest of scrapes, Jack would rather not have to rely on quick thinking in his current state. The general demeanour of Grace, who had now returned to her usual spot behind the bar, indicated she would not be offering him any further assistance, short of refilling his mug. The Captain was on his own once more.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how one chose to view the situation, there were several barrels standing directly opposite the suspected pirates. If Jack could somehow manage to get behind one of them, he would have a much better chance of hearing what they were discussing. The only problem was if he got caught trying to get there he would potentially be subjecting himself to any number of viciously violent acts that he would rather not imagine.

Still leaning so far back in his chair that it would be considered dangerous by any normal person, Jack cast his gaze over to the group of men. Whatever they were talking about must have been bloody interesting because they were yet to notice him staring at them so intently. There was adequate space between the barrels and the end of the bar for him to fit and for that moment, Jack's ultimate goal was to be filling that space. Perhaps if he simply moved stealthily, no one would notice; they hadn't noticed him staring at them, after all.

Even though it was broad daylight outside, The Faithful Bride had a lack of windows, which kept it in an almost permanent state of semi-darkness. Besides, there were more than a few other people around so if he blended in, Jack would probably be able to slip by unnoticed. With this in mind, the Captain quickly got to his feet.

What followed was probably one of the most woeful acts of attempted stealth ever seen. Still hungover, the captain stumbled unceremoniously across the short distance of floor with one hand held up against the side of his head (apparently employing the tactic that if he couldn't see the men, they couldn't see him either) before doing a ridiculous spin and squatting uncomfortably beyond the barrels. Of course, Grace saw all this from her vantage point behind the bar and shook her head in disbelief. If she didn't like Jack so much, she would have had a right mind to inform the other pirates of what he was up to. Shrugging, she decided he was out of her hair, at any rate.

Behind the barrels, it was just as Jack had hoped. He could now hear the conversation between the sailors relatively clearly. With his back pressed up against the wooden exterior, he turned his head to the left to better capture the sound of their voices.

"I 'eard," a particularly ratty looking one spoke up, "That he'll soon be making his way somewhere you 'n' I ain't never ever dreamed of." Grunts and exclamations about what the man could possibly be talking about were soon put to rest. "Gentlemen, I be knowing for a fact, that he's goin' on the lookout for the Southern Continent. He'll be richer than you could ever be imagining."

The Great Southern Land? Well that was an entirely different kettle of fish. Every country in the world was seeking it but to no avail. Whoever found it, according to the legends surrounding it, would be very lucky indeed with promises of spices and treasures of unimaginable value. Many said it didn't exist but Jack still had his suspicions; those people would probably say the same about the Fountain of Youth, get he had been to there and back.

"Rubbish!" a hefty Northern sailor boomed, turning a few heads before being quickly silenced by his comrades. Jack now had no doubt that, whatever they were up to, they wanted kept quiet.

"It's the truth," the rat-like one insisted, "Every last word." His beady eyes flickered around those nearby before he continued. "Besides, if anyone's got the brains to pull of that one, it's ol' Barbossa."

Barbossa! Well, things had just gotten very interesting. It was giving Jack ideas, the sort of ideas he hadn't had for as long as he could remember, which admittedly, wasn't very long ago. Regardless, the prospect of discovering a world of unrivalled riches excited the pirate. Should he be the one to stake his claim on the land, he would no longer live under fear of persecution. In fact, no one would be able to persecute him, he'd be a king. King Jack Sparrow, he liked the sound of it.

He was still smirking when the shadow fell over him. Looking up, his eyes met with those of a huge, dark figure. The man was bald but looked extremely muscular and fierce, at about twice Jack's size. He also had dozen of piercings, all filled with silver rings but, most notably, he was wielding not only a sword, which was currently sheathed at his side, but a heavy-looking wooden club.

"Sparrow?" he enquired menacingly, in an accent that was foreign to the captain's ears. Gulping in terror, Jack hastily climbed to his feet and extended his hand in greeting.

"The one and only, mate," he smiled nervously, eyes darting up and down the dark stranger's chiselled physique. "What can I, ah...do for ya?"

He was given no time to react. In the blink of an eye, the stranger raised his club before bringing it down for a resounding crack. Jack fell crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold as the entire pub fell silent. Only Grace let out a scream as the stranger dragged the unconscious Captain from the establishment but he paid her no attention. His mission was now complete and his captain would be very pleased with him.

A/N: So what did you think? Don't worry, Jack's going to be fine. Any guesses as to who the stranger might be working for? Keep reading and reviewing.