The Day to Remember
The vote over, the pirates slowly stood up. Most of them wished that they had done the vote as soon as the argument had been started.
Captain Jack Sparrow was awed that he had actually been voted as captain – he'd never had really believed it. Of course, it was only by a margin of half a vote. That had to be the narrowest margin anyone had ever gained in a vote, anywhere, anytime. So Jack just had to say it. He wouldn't be Captain Jack Sparrow if he didn't, after all.
"Pintel, Barbossa – you'll always remember this as the day you almost gained even vote with Captain Jack Sparrow," he said, feeling more content he ever had. Oh yes, this was exactly how he wished to have his captaincy – by a narrower win anyone would have thought possible.
Under any other circumstances, Barbossa might have grunted something to resist, argue or curse but the fact that the vote had been called for, and counted by god of the sea in person meant that he really had to just swallow Jack's trademark boast. Anything else might insult the Sea Lord, and that was a risk Barbossa was not going to take. Tia Alma's disappearance from the deck told him that her involvement in bringing him back from the death was not going to sit well with Poseidon.
Pintel, for his part, was quite happy. He wasn't sure if he could have really pulled off being a captain, and the only reason he ever considered it was to end the rival between Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa. That was how things usually happened, after all - while others fight, someone else could remove the temptation from them.
"And the day the Black Pearl was visited by a god," Mr. Gibbs added in a humble tone, hoping that Jack would get the hint about not offending the Sea Lord with such boasting.
Jack, however, just grinned at Mr. Gibbs' gentle tweak. "I just think it's rarer to win the vote for captaincy by less than one vote with two runner-ups. A god counting the votes makes the result sacred."
Poseidon, Percy and captain Jack Sparrow retreated to the captain's cabin.
"Was there anything particular you wished to discuss?"
"First, you need to know Percy's from about two centuries to your future. Second, I want him to stay and train as a pirate – the code, lore and pirate's way to fight, and third…"Poseidon said and paused for emphasis – "don't you ever throw empty bottles into the sea!"
Jack paled at the last comment. Until now, he had done just that with nearly every rum bottle he had emptied. He certainly wouldn't dare do so again. As for Percy coming from future – well, if Poseidon said so, he wouldn't be questioning it. Training the boy as a pirate, though… things had to be bad – really bad- for pirates if the song had been sung…
"It will be dangerous," Jack said, not wanting to outright refuse. He'd had to warn about it, though.
He hadn't expected Percy to laugh at that comment.
"I expect Percy would be decidedly bored if there was no danger at all," Poseidon said. "You can exchange tales adventures later, but I doubt it was just the regular risk?"
Jack placed his token as a Pirate Lord onto the table, saying "the song has been sung. Not sure why, but I think the East India Company gaining the Heart of Davy Jones is a part of it. And apparently strong enough to bring Barbossa back from the death."
"Percy – you'll see her true nature when she's unbound, and no longer seeks to gain her freedom," Poseidon said. "I know you felt sorry for her after you left Ogygia."
"You mean…" Percy began, but his father placed his finger at his lips.
"Names have power," Poseidon reminded him gently but firmly.
"We call her Tia Dalma in the form she's been bound in," Jack added softly.
Poseidon held the little trinket of Jack's – one of the nine pieces of eight – and frowned. "Port Royal shall sink" he declared. "I do not approve of them hanging children".
Poseidon disappeared after that. Jack and his crew might remember the extremely unique and sacred vote for captain of the Black Pearl – but for the rest of the Caribbean that day, June 7 in 1692, was remembered as the day Port Royal sunk due to earthquakes, flooding and hurricanes. Clearly a divine act of displeasure, even if most people failed to correctly identify the god in question.
Note: I figured that the mass hanging in the beginning of At World's End would cause Poseidon to sink the city – particularly after looking up real Port Royal that outlawed piracy 1687 and mostly sunk in 1692 due to earthquakes, floods and hurricanes – leaving only five-year period between these acts…
