6. Pursuit on the Seas

Gangplank loved the feeling of the salty ocean wind coursing through his beard. The Dead Pool was making good tidings in the intended direction so Gangplank had permitted himself a moment to relax and enjoy the view. He stood still atop the mast in the crow's nest. He could see far out into the distance, the blue horizon that they were headed for. His calm thoughts were disrupted by a voice from below.

"Captain!"

Gangplank looked down to see his first mate, Shiv, waving up to him. Gangplank nodded down to his first mate. He walked round the mast to the back of the crow's nest and found the gap in the small bucket outlook. Gangplank grabbed the rope attached to the mast behind him and without hesitating jumped out of the crow's nest with both hands on the rope. He swung out till his feet landed on the mast. Gangplank ran down the mast using only the grip of his hands to stop him from falling to his death. When he neared the deck he jumped off the mast and flipped into the air. He landed with a solid thud on the deck where Shiv was waiting with a smirk across his face.

"Show off."

Gangplank puffed out his chest.

"Gotta remind these bilge rats how it's done."

Shiv looked around at the crew who were joking, gambling and drinking to pass the time.

"Making quite an impression you are captain."

"Anymore from you Shiv and I'll have ye scrubbing the poop deck for the next week, see what kind of an impression that makes."

The pair burst into laughter and Gangplank continued.

"So why is it ye disturbed me Shiv?"

"I need to talk to you."

"We're talking now."

"Alone captain."

Gangplank huffed.

"Fine."

The pair turned back towards the aft of the ship and walked towards Gangplank's cabin, which was nestled comfortably underneath the upper deck. Gangplank and Shiv walked inside where the noise of the crew outside dimmed to a quiet hum. Gangplank walked over to his navigation table and drew a bottle of rum from underneath it. He took a swig from it and handed it to Shiv who drank from it as Gangplank spoke.

"So what is it Shiv?"

Shiv finished drinking and replied.

"It has to do with our guest."

"Fate?"

"Ay captain."

Gangplank rolled his eyes.

"What is it this time?"

"Well as you know at Bilgewater the crew hired several maidens and men to keep them company for the long voyage."

Gangplank raised one of his bushy eyebrows.

"And?"

"Well on last count there were eight maidens and three men hired for the voyage."

"Where is this going Shiv?"

"Well they've been missing for the last week."

"But we've only been sailing for a week. Maybe they didn't get on."

"Oh they did captain I gave them their private cabins myself."

"Then where are they?"

Shiv tilted his head forward without answering. Gangplank's shoulders dropped and he groaned.

"I'm going to kill that bloody gypsy."

"Look it's not that the crew don't like having him around, just so long as he pays up. But captain it's making the men a little angry the way he's acting."

"In what ways?"

"Well even if Fate did release the companions from his service the men couldn't pay for them."

"Why not?"

"It would seem the card shark has swindled all the gold from your crew."

Gangplank laughed at this one.

"Well if the men are stupid enough to gamble or play cards with that gypsy then they deserve to have their gold sharked off of them."

"I remember you had a slightly different reaction when he swindled you."

"Well of course it's funny when it happens to someone else Shiv!"

"Look we're just asking you talk to him and see if you can straighten him out."

Gangplank held up his hand.

"Of course Shiv, I'll talk to him."

"Thank you captain. I'll keep you posted if anything changes."

Shiv and Gangplank walked out of the cabin and parted ways. Shiv walked up to the upper deck and Gangplank made his way below deck to the first floor where the private cabins were. Fate had been given a spacious cabin at the aft of the ship. Gangplank walked up to the door and opened it.

He flinched when he saw the room and roared.

"Sweet Bilgewater! What the hell is going on!?"

The room was designed for a capacity of seven people and yet it was occupied by twelve naked bodies in a bizarre arrangement of contortions and positions. Fate himself was lying on the bed wearing nothing but his hat, his arms round two particularly buxom women. The previously heated action of the room had somewhat slowed to listen to the words of the captain. Fate spoke first.

"Ahh captain good timing. Madame Rouge was looking for another partner."

He gestured to a red headed woman, which was the only visible part under the tangle of bodies. Gangplank glared at Fate and spoke.

"Fate can I have a word with ye?"

"You can have a lot more than a word."

"Alone!"

"Didn't know you swung that way captain. But I have been known to change certain minds. Isn't that right Cecil?"

If there was supposed to be a response it came in a muffled form which only further Gangplank's impatience.

"Fate!"

The gypsy held up his hands.

"Fine."

Fate stood up on the bed and began walking towards the door. Gangplank held up his hand and spoke.

"With yer clothes on Fate."

Fate gestured to the room where it was obvious that finding anything that wasn't a body would be difficult. Gangplank spoke.

"Just get dressed and meet me in my cabin."

He closed the door and walked away. Even through the door he could hear Fate's voice followed by laughter from his audience. Gangplank decided to walk through the lower deck for a quick inspection. He looked at the tied down stacks of barrels and crates which appeared to be secure. The cannons that lined the sides appeared to be good condition but that would be put to the test when fired; and hopefully they wouldn't take a hole of the Dead Pool. As Gangplank walked further along the deck he was suddenly intercepted by a stumbling figure. It was Fredrick and Gangplank caught his pudgy form as he swayed with the ship.

"What's the matter Freddy, haven't found your sea legs yet?"

Fredrick shook his head.

"It would seem I haven't yet captain."

Gangplank slapped him on the back.

"Then find them soon Freddy. Those guns don't fire themselves matey."

Fredrick stumbled away and Gangplank suspected the fool had once again been sneaking drinks from the rum barrels. The Captain was satisfied with his ship for the time being; he would inspect the lower decks later. He walked up a flight of stairs, leading up to the middle of the deck. Gangplank sauntered along the deck threw his crews pastimes till he reached his cabin. He walked in and found Fate seated behind his table. Fate was looking at different bottles of rum, commentating on his comparison of them.

"Now no offence Captain, your rum does have a certain tar-like appeal to it."

He drank from the Black Pearl Rum in his right hand and continued as he coughed and gagged.

"It just leaves a person feeling like they were hit in the face by a stool. Whereas the Eclipse Rum."

He took a swig from the bottle in his left hand.

"It has much softer, fruity taste. Now I understand that your drink is for "real" men. But if being a real man means digging bits of rum out of my teeth with a toothpick I think I'll stick with the Eclipse."

Gangplank shook his head and sat down opposite Fate.

"Bloody landlubbers like ye can't appreciate a proper rum."

Gangplank held his hand out and Fate placed the Black Pearl Rum in it. They tapped bottles together for a quick toast and Fate spoke after his swig.

"So captain, why is that you disrupted my private time?"

"What part of what ye was doing was private?"

"Well it's not a what but who, or who not?"

Gangplank shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Look Fate you have yer style and I can respect that. Honestly I'm impressed. Been here a week and you've already managed to steal all the gold from my crew and their companions."

"Well really I won that money fair and square and I didn't steal anyone's companions. I simply seduced them."

"All eleven of them?"

"What can I say, must be the hat."

Gangplank chuckled and continued.

"If ye were a member of my crew I wouldn't care less Fate. But ye're a guest and because of that the rest of the crew are developing certain…"

"Animosities."

"I'll presume that's right."

"Well captain think about it as a form of training for your crew. Brush up on their seduction skills and maybe become less appalling at cards."

"Not the idea Fate. Although that would be rather nice. Look I just want ye to return the gold and stop… employing the services of all the companions. I'll give ye a day to con the money back off the companions."

Fate dropped a sack onto the table and Gangplank raised an eyebrow as Fate explained.

"The gold I won off your crew."

"Ye stole it off the companions?"

"My dear captain, I never paid them in the first place. What do you think seduction means?"

Gangplank chuckled and took another swig.

"Then I'll be taking that."

He stretched his arm out and scooped up the bag. Fate put the bottle down and looked at Gangplank.

"Okay captain. Now I've done you a favor how about doing the same in return."

Gangplank leaned back in his seat.

"What is it ye have in mind?"

Fate looked down at the map.

"Where are we going captain? And why do you need me? You still haven't told me."

Gangplank and walked round the table as he spoke.

"Fate I'm not telling ye anything. I will keep ye on a need to know basis."

Fate stood up and walked past Gangplank.

"I understand captain but if you know something about Evelynn then that is more than enough reason for me to stick around."

Gangplank sighed and looked down at the map.

"I'll keep ye informed as we cross those bridges."

"Well judging from this we're heading north and the only thing that would suggest is we're headed for Ionia."

Gangplank looked up to see Fate looking at a compass. Gangplank looked at his hip and saw his compass was missing. The gypsy had light fingers that was for sure. Gangplank held out his hand.

"Give me that Fate."

"Tell me why we're headed there?"

"To visit ye mother, now give it to me."

Fate feigned shock and spoke.

"Captain, did you just make a joke? All be it a bad one but none the less. We have to drink to this."

Fate grabbed the bottles and Gangplank grabbed them at the same time locking them in a stalemate between the pairs grasps.

"Fate give me the compass."

"What can't find your way round the ship without it?"

"Do ye get off on being a smug prat?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

Gangplank glared at the gypsy who smiled back. Fate let go of the bottles and threw Gangplank the compass. Gangplank reached out for the compass when the ship suddenly lurched forward. Fate stumbled back and Gangplank readjusted his arm to catch the compass but focused his attention on the outside world. Fate gripped a chair and spoke.

"Is that normal?"

"We're speeding up."

"Why?"

Gangplank was ready to walk out of his cabin when Shiv burst in through the cabin doors. Behind him Fate and Gangplank could see dark skies and rain pouring down onto the deck. Gangplank cursed himself sometimes for making his cabin so secluded from the outside world. Shiv roared at Gangplank.

"Captain, storm just hit us!"

"Where the bloody hell did it come from?"

"Not a clue, lookout didn't see it coming. Came from nowhere."

"Brilliant. This week was starting to get rather mundane anyway!"

Shiv smiled at the captain and waited for Gangplank to run out of the cabin before moving on. The rain cascaded onto Gangplank's face, running down his face, seeping into his mustache and beard. He looked up and saw the dark clouds swirling above him, a storm was beginning to churn the ocean and he could see the waves were beginning to muster ferocity and height. He breathed in the salt air and felt the breath fill his body. He loved this; the open ocean, the unpredictable storm that now befell them, the possibility of death. At any point a wave could come down and smash his beloved ship to splinters. He smiled and roared out across the deck where his crew where busy packing away their pastimes.

"All hands to stations you bunch of sea rags!"

Gangplank roared his orders as he started to walk up to the helm. Gangplank watched as the ocean warped and contorted around the ship. Walls of water rising high above the ship, threatening to drown them and suck them into the dark depths of the ocean. Gangplank looked at Shiv, his first mate who stood beside him with his eye glued to a spyglass. Shiv had to yell to Gangplank over the rising roar of the storm.

"Captain the storm looks like it's only getting worse further ahead."

Fate had joined the pair on the deck but had opted to leave his hat below deck causing his long black hair to sail in the strong storm wind. Gangplank replied as he wrestled with the wheel.

"We'll have to circle back and find a way around the storm."

Fate's voice sounded through the storm.

"I don't think that's going to be an option captain."

Gangplank whipped round and looked out to where Fate was looking. Behind them, close in tow was a fleet of seven ships, bearing the flag of two guns crossed over one another. Gangplank whispered to himself.

"Fortune."

He roared at Shiv.

"How the hell did they sneak up on us?"

Shiv looked at Gangplank.

"And you wonder where the storm came from captain?"

Gangplank nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Right Fate keep watching them. Shiv give me eyes ahead. We can lose them in the storm."

Fate leaned against the back railing and watched the ships behind them whilst Shiv ran to the bottom of the mast to communicate with the lookout. Gangplank watched as the waves began to rise and fall around them. The crew were in position, holding the sails in place and tying themselves down to the mast in case the worst may happen. The Dead Pool looked into a wave as it surged towards them and grew. The ship rode up the wave and burst through the wake to face the downwards which gave the ship considerable speed. Amateur navigators could easily lose control and smash the ship into a wave at the wrong angle. Gangplank however was a pirate of the ocean, his entire body feeling the flow of the water. He turned the wheel with a slight touch and the ship slipped down the back of the wave and through an opening. Gangplank handled his ship like an extension of his own body as he swam the ship through the waves. Every wave that came before the Saltwater Scourge was handled in a way that made it look like he commanded the waves. The Dead Pool sailed forth into the storm for what seemed like hours. Gangplank had lost track of time but he knew the storm would not let up for hours to come. Gangplank shouted back to Fate.

"How are we looking Fate?"

Fate shouted back to him.

"Captain they're gaining on us!"

"What! How!?"

"I can't tell exactly from this distance but I think they have rowers deployed, and maybe even hextech accelerators."

"Blast it all! How quickly are they gaining?"

"Not sure but I give it another twenty, thirty minutes."

"Seven hells!"

Shiv ran up to the helm and spoke.

"The storm is only getting worse and captain it seems to be moving to a central point."

"Dammit, they're trying to trap us in the centre of the storm, they'll easily catch up to us."

"What's your plan?"

Gangplank thought.

"We have to fight them where the waves can provide us with cover and space."

Shiv pointed to the centre.

"The centre of the storm seems to be the calmest point but the waves around it are the fiercest."

"They're using magic to shape the storm and if we get caught in the centre they'll have us outnumbered!"

"Your orders captain?"

"Prepare the cannons, we're gonna face these blaggards!"

Shiv ran down to relay the orders as Fate joined Gangplank.

"Captain your orders?"

"How nimble are ye feeling gypsy?"

"I don't exactly have my sea legs if that's what you're asking."

"Well when we engage with that fleet I want ye to get yourself over to one of the ships at the back of the fleet, ignite the reserves of gunpowder and teleport back over here. Think ye can handle that?"

Fate looked at Gangplank through the torrential downpour.

"You want me to single handily board an enemy vessel where I could probably be killed. Make my way through a ship which I have no idea how it's designed. And then blow it up whilst I'm still aboard."

Fate smiled.

"Now those are odds I'll gamble on."

Gangplank smiled back.

"Good man! Get prepared, we're going to engage in a few minutes."

Fate departed back down to the lower decks to prepare for this battle. Gangplank continued navigating through the waves that were continuing to grow in size and intensity. The closer he could draw them to the centre, the more intense the waves would become, which he could use to his advantage. Ahead he saw the waves were becoming monstrous and suddenly a wave grew above the ship till it towered high above the ship. Several of the crew grabbed their life lines and prepared for the impact. Gangplank simply roared.

"Come on ye beauty!"

He urged the ship forward and up the wave. The ship slowed as it reached the wake and Gangplank felt the Dead Pool hang on the balance, a moment from tipping back down the wave into the crushing darkness. Then he saw on the deck, Shiv was leading the crew in a run up to the bow. The crew hit the railing at full pace and Gangplank felt the weight of the ship begin to shift. The Dead Pool tipped forward and Gangplank watched as they began their descent down the wave. He knew this was the worst part of the storm, from here it would calm down till it reached the centre. So the captain of the Dead Pool made a choice and he shouted out from the helm to his crew.

"All hands, furl the sails!"

The orders were relayed and the crew gave looks of confusion and fear in response so Gangplank's voice boomed again across the deck.

"Do it now you salty dogs or I'll send yer quivering lips to the watery abyss me 'self!"

The crew jumped into gear and scurried about the deck as they furled the sails. Gangplank continued to navigate the slowly diminishing waves; if they didn't soon they would be caught in the centre. He watched as the sails were furled and he gripped the wheel tightly. Fate joined Gangplank at the helm and spoke.

"Captain the centre."

"I know Fate!"

Gangplank looked up and smiled. The sails were furled finally so Gangplank shouted his next command.

"Hold onto your life lines!"

Fate gripped the guardrail and watched as Gangplank suddenly bent down to the bottom of the wheel and grabbed the spokes. With a single mighty swing he brought his hands up to the top, spinning the wheel round. The ship lurched as it made a wide turn in the churning ocean. Gangplank wrestled with the wheel and led the ship through the waves that could tip them with the slightest mistake. Their turn soon ended and they found themselves looking at wall of immense waves. Fate spoke to Gangplank.

"Captain they will be right behind those waves!"

"Then we have the element of surprise! All hands to battle stations! Prepare to fire on my mark!"

The crew roared and cheered as the adrenaline of battle began seeping into their veins. Fate spoke to the Gangplank.

"Captain with the wind against us how are we getting over those waves?"

"They aren't the only ones with hextech aboard their ships. But we only get one shot at this so I need yer help."

Fate nodded and drew a deck of cards from his coat. He placed a hand on top of the cards and waited for Gangplank. The captain navigated his way through the waves but he knew he wasn't making any progress in their escape from the centre of the storm. He put his hand on the middle of the wheel and prepared to push the button.

"Fate?"

The gypsy remained silent. Gangplank's nerves were being strained. Any moment Fortune's fleet could break over those waves and blow them away.

"Fate!?"

"Wait."

"Fate talk to me we're running out of time!"

"Hold!"

Gangplank looked up and saw the masthead of a ship peeking over a wave in front of them.

"Fate!"

Fate drew a card from his deck, eight of hearts.

"Now!"

Gangplank pressed the button and the Dead Pool lurched forward as the hextech engines kicked in and the ship accelerated. The crew hung on tight as the ship raced up the wave drawing close to the break. Gangplank looked at Fate and then roared out to his crew.

"Prove to me you're each worth the salt on yer back! Time to show these landlubbers what real pirates are made of!"

The Dead Pool had picked up a colossal amount of speed and when it hit the break of the wave the bumped up. Gangplank and Fate watched as they sailed up into the air; straight towards an enemy ship.