Chapter 18: Victory
Barbossa and Lucia confidently strutted aboard King's vessel. The rest of King's men, including Lieutenant Walker, remained aboard.
"Attention, men!" Barbossa shouted.
All of King's men turned in surprise to see Barbossa and Lucia, and that King was missing.
"Where is Commodore King, pirate?" Lieutenant Walker demanded. "Tell me now, or I'll hang you myself."
"Do not be so hasty to judge us, Lieutenant," Lucia said sternly. "We have done no treachery."
"That was not the answer to the question I asked," Walker replied.
"Commodore King was killed in the battle," Barbossa explained. "León perished with him."
A hush fell on the ship. The rest of King's men froze and their eyes widened in fear, including Lieutenant Walker. None of them thought that their Commodore would perish in a battle with pirates.
"I did not know of a battle," Walker said suspiciously.
"Did you expect Captain Jack Sparrow and his merry band, or even León to die without a fight?" Lucia questioned. "They led a fruitless rebellion before we killed them all."
"They're dead?" Walker questioned in surprise.
"If they were alive, they would've caught us already, you idiot!" Lucia snapped. "No ship can outmatch the Black Pearl."
"Understood," Lieutenant Walker said, intimidation in his voice. "What are our orders?"
"Well, it's funny you should mention orders," Barbossa laughed.
"I assure you that we are perfectly serious," Walker said strictly. "Did the Commodore tell you what we are to do?"
"Does this mean that we are now your Commodores?" Lucia questioned.
"No, it means that a new Commodore will be chosen," Walker said angrily, "And you will be hanged on a later date. Now, tell me what the Commodore said."
"Oh, now that you mention it, I don't think we want to," Lucia replied.
"You see, we're naught but humble pirates, and we've got a fear of hanging," Barbossa laughed.
"Well, that's not my problem, is it?" Walker snapped. "Enough time wasting! For the last time, tell me what our orders are!"
"We don't have to tell you anything," Barbossa said firmly.
"That was not a request, it was an order!" Walker said.
"We don't have to tell you because we can show you," Lucia replied. "Behind you."
Lieutenant Walker turned to find Jack, Guinevere, and Bootstrap pointing guns at King's men. Triumphantly, Lucia and Barbossa pointed their guns at Lieutenant Walker.
"But you're dead," Lieutenant Walker said in shock. "How?"
"Did you really think that the great Captain Jack Sparrow would be killed so easily by your Commodore?" Guinevere questioned.
"In fact we did," Walker answered.
"Clearly, these men have not heard of me," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Gentleman, stay calm. We are commandeering your vessel."
"Do not panic, men. No one will be harmed," Guinevere reassured them. "Simply step into the boat, and row away. You have my word."
"I would listen to the lady," Bootstrap said with a smile.
"Why should we trust your word?" Walker demanded.
"Pirate," Jack, Guinevere, and Bootstrap said in unison.
"Gentlemen, simply step into the boat, and get lost," Bootstrap said, jabbing King's men with his gun.
Reluctantly, Walker and the rest of King's men lowered their weapons and climbed into a dinghy awaiting them.
"Bon voyage, mates!" Jack laughed.
Meanwhile, the crew of León's vessel, The Spanish Lady, were about to meet the same fate. Will, Elizabeth, Rose, and Gibbs crept up on the ship through the gun deck. Like King's crew, León's men were awaiting their captain's return. The remaining crew only numbered about six men. With secrecy and the lessened numbers of León's crew, victory was assured for Will, Elizabeth, Rose, and Gibbs.
As soon as they reached the main deck, Elizabeth aimed her pistol and fired a shot in the air. The gunshot startled León's men, who turned to see Elizabeth and her company with pistols and swords drawn.
"What happened to the Captain?" Del Toro demanded.
"If you don't surrender, then you'll soon find out," Will replied menacingly. "Drop your weapons. Now!"
Del Toro and the rest of the crew remained defiant. They were not ready to give up.
"Do you really want to know what happened to León?" Will demanded.
"We said drop your weapons. Drop them!" Elizabeth shouted, pointing her gun at the crew.
"If I were you, I would be gentlemen and listen to the lady," Gibbs suggested.
Reluctantly, Del Toro gave the signal, and the crew dropped their weapons.
"I'm curious," Del Toro said defiantly. "After you killed our captain, what did you plan to do next?"
"That's easy," Will chortled. "We're going to set you off in a dinghy, and take your ship."
Del Toro spat.
"Are you telling me that's a mistake?" Will asked.
Del Toro did not say a word.
"Good. I thought not," Will said. "All of you, get into the boat! Move!"
León's crew was ushered into the boats at gunpoint by Elizabeth and Gibbs.
Elizabeth glared at Del Toro. "If I'm correct, you held my son captive, did you not?"
"Indeed, we did have your little brat," Del Toro answered.
Furious, Elizabeth threw her strongest punch, crunching Del Toro's nose. "Don't ever cross a mother and her children."
With a final sneer, Del Toro and the crew were lowered into the water and they rowed away in defeat.
"Blessed, sweet Mary! The Spanish Lady is ours!" Gibbs cheered.
"Gibbs, hoist the colours!" Elizabeth said triumphantly.
"Aye, aye, King Turner!" Gibbs said happily.
With hands that moved quicker than sight, Gibbs happily raised the Jolly Roger atop of the Spanish Lady.
"Well, we've won. Let's see how our friends are doing," Will said, staring into a spyglass.
Looking into the spyglass, Will looked to see a Jolly Roger flying proudly atop of King's former vessel.
"After this, I see more clearly now what your father said about piracy being the right course," Will said happily.
"Why is that?" Elizabeth questioned.
"Because we won!" Will said.
From the Spanish Lady to the Black Pearl, a roar of cheers could be heard. Gunshots and cheers for Captain Jack filled the air. León and King were at last no more and would no longer torment the Caribbean.
Later, Will and Elizabeth rejoined Jack, Guinevere, and the others aboard the Black Pearl.
William jumped into the arms of his parents. "Mother, Father!"
"William!" Elizabeth and Will cried, filling their son into their arms. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," William replied. "I missed you so much."
"We missed you, too, sweetheart," Elizabeth said.
"Just another Turner adventure I'll tell my children someday, I suppose," William said.
"I believe you will," Will chuckled.
"William!" James and Juliet greeted, embracing their friends.
"I knew I'd see you again," William said.
"I felt the same, my friend," James replied.
"I'm so glad to see you're alright, Juliet," William said. "I was so afraid when León told me you were sick."
"William Turner, we've been friends for more than ten years!" Juliet gasped. "If you think some disease could kill me, then you don't know me that well at all."
"Even I knew that," James said.
"I knew your stubbornness and strength. That's all I needed to know," William replied earnestly.
"Well, I guess you do know me," Juliet said. "Ah, come here!"
Juliet, William, and James embraced once more.
"Juliet, come down below decks," Guinevere beckoned. "There's someone we'd like you to meet."
Juliet, William, and James followed Guinevere and the others below decks. It was there that Juliet could hear tiny whimpers and see a basinet.
Jack picked up Jack Jr, and Guinevere picked up baby Elizabeth.
"This is your baby brother, Jack," Jack said.
"And this, is your baby sister, Elizabeth," Guinevere added.
Juliet gasped as she gazed upon her new brother and sister.
"Oh, my God!" she said. "I have a baby brother and a sister!"
"We knew you'd be happy to see them," Jack said with a smile.
"They're adorable," William said.
"Can I hold them?" Juliet asked.
"You most certainly can," Guinevere agreed.
Jack and Guinevere beamed as they watched Juliet hold her brother and sister for the first time. Will and Elizabeth smiled too as they watched the Sparrow family.
"Just think of it, now we can do that for William," Elizabeth sighed.
"I am eagerly awaiting that, Mrs. Turner," William said lovingly.
Suddenly, the smiles faded from the Sparrows.
"Jack, what is it?" Will asked.
"There's only one problem with this picture, mate," Jack said glumly.
"What problem? You have your family again," Elizabeth questioned.
"I have them for now," Jack replied. "But in case you've forgotten, as you have forgotten, the waters of the Fountain of Youth grant immortality to the drinker, and thus, whosoever drinks from said fountain becomes immortal. Juliet and I are immortal now."
Everyone went hush. There never was a more bittersweet moment than this. Jack and Juliet's lives had been spared, but at the cost of their mortal lives.
"All I ever thought of was being the Immortal Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack said bitterly. "Now that epithet doesn't have such a lovely ring to it."
"But you're alive," Guinevere said.
"I know, darling," Jack said. "But a life, an immortal life without you, the babies, and even the whelp and his family, is no life at all. God, I'm starting to sound like me father!"
Suddenly, in a spray of waves, Calypso appeared in her human form.
"Calypso," Guinevere gasped. "Can you help us?"
Calypso smiled. "Indeed, I can help you, Bonny Guin. De Fountain of Youth was indeed, my creation."
"Yours?" Will gasped.
"So dat any man could volunteer to serve me forever," Calypso explained.
"Please, can you undo the spell?" Juliet begged.
"I can, and I will," Calypso replied, grinning at the child.
Throwing a handful of crab legs on the floor, Calypso raised her arms and recited an incantation.
Jack and Juliet then began to convulse and cry out in pain. Calypso then finished her spell, and Jack and Juliet stopped twitching.
"Witty Jack, your immortalidy is now no more," Calypso declared.
"Thank you, Calypso," Jack said gratefully. "I always liked you."
"Thank you, Calypso," Juliet said.
With a smile, Calypso disappeared into waves and was gone.
"She did it," Juliet said.
"We're free now," Jack said happily. "We're free."