Norrington wouldn't normally believe in something like the undead, but after everything he had witnessed, he was no longer so sure.
Too many impossible things had happened in such a short time. He felt as if the fundamental truths he had believed in all his life had been shattered, leaving him unable to outright dismiss the existence of the undead.
"What kind of undead?"
Ethan signaled to Jack, who was eagerly exploring the Black Pearl, running his hands along its surfaces with visible excitement. Jack, however, had no intention of acknowledging Ethan's cue, he was far too absorbed in reacquainting himself with his ship. But after a moment of consideration, he decided he couldn't afford to offend Ethan. Reluctantly, he complied, providing Norrington with a demonstration of the pirates' current condition.
The scene was unsettling.
Norrington, Elizabeth, and even the seasoned Royal Navy officers were startled by the sight of the undead pirates. Norrington, recovering the fastest, immediately realized that controlling this crew was impossible. The only reason they weren't resisting now was because Ethan was present but once the Interceptor set sail back to Port Royal, there was no guarantee they wouldn't rebel.
He turned back to Ethan. The mysterious young man clearly had the means to deal with this, as proven by the rotting skeleton at his feet—Hector Barbossa.
From the murmurs of the surrounding pirates, Norrington had pieced together that it was Ethan who had slain the undead captain with a single stroke. That was why none of them dared to resist.
"Is there no way to deal with this?"
"There is."
"What's the solution?"
"Remove their curse."
Hearing that the curse could be lifted, Norrington felt reassured. That should solve the problem. However, Ethan had no intention of handling it himself.
"If you want to lift their curse, you'll have to do it yourself."
Ethan's only objective was the Black Pearl, more precisely, ensuring that Jack Sparrow reclaimed the ship. Once Jack had control of his vessel, he could help Ethan find what he was looking for.
As for Norrington? His problems were his own. Ethan had already handed him an easy victory, securing the credit he sought. He had no reason to clean up the aftermath. Giving a warning out of courtesy was already more than generous.
"What do I need to do?"
Norrington thought it over. Keeping the pirates in their cursed state wasn't ideal. They could be restrained with iron chains, but over time, there was no guarantee they wouldn't cause trouble. The best solution was to fully strip them of their immortality, once they were ordinary men again, they would be far easier to manage.
The method to lift the curse was simple.
Ethan didn't even need Will Turner's blood. With just a small piece of gem residue, he could create a one-time-use item. Handing the last gold coin to Norrington, he instructed him to break the gem fragment while returning the coin to its original place, this would lift the curse.
"That's all?"
"That's all."
Their conversation wasn't private; everyone around them heard it clearly. Since the pirates were desperate to be freed from the curse, the navy wouldn't have any issues with them, at least until Norrington followed through.
The real problem would arise afterward.
Once the curse was lifted, these pirates wouldn't just obediently follow Norrington back to Port Royal for trial. They would do everything in their power to escape. Whatever temporary cooperation existed now would dissolve the moment their mortality was restored.
Norrington understood this perfectly, but he wasn't about to ask Ethan for more help. If he couldn't handle a group of ordinary pirates, then he had no business being a commander.
Before long, the captured pirates were transferred to the Interceptor, and after a thorough search, the Black Pearl was deemed secure.
"Then I suppose this is where we part ways."
Norrington glanced at Jack, who was loitering nearby. He had originally intended to arrest him, but now it was clear that such a thing was absolutely impossible.
Not just difficult. Not just unlikely. But absolutely impossible.
Everyone present understood this distinction. And Jack, being the most aware of it, was now strolling about in front of Norrington with exaggerated confidence, deliberately provoking the Commodore's nerves.
"Then farewell, Sir Ethan," Norrington said. "I hope we'll have another chance to meet."
"Perhaps we will."
Norrington had no desire to see Jack again. He wasn't even comfortable being around Ethan anymore—this enigmatic young man put him on edge. Especially with that angelic form of his. Every moment in his presence was unsettling.
As the Interceptor sailed off, Ethan finally removed the hood he had been wearing. While it concealed his appearance and added to his air of mystery, it also obstructed his vision. Now that he had taken it off, the world felt noticeably wider.
The fiery wings behind him slowly extinguished, reforming into a cape. Ethan didn't change out of his gear, keeping it on as he turned his gaze to Jack Sparrow with a smile.
Jack, having thoroughly explored every inch of the Black Pearl, finally stopped moving and approached Ethan in a composed manner.
"I understand what you're thinking," Jack said, "but first, we'll need to make a stop at Tortuga."
"Recruiting a crew?"
"Exactly." Jack nodded. "Otherwise, the three of us won't be able to handle the ship for long."
"Three?" Ethan's eye twitched. He had a bad feeling about this.
Jack Sparrow was not the type to sit still. Even if he struck a fair deal, whether he followed through depended entirely on his mood. Given the overwhelming difference in strength between him and Ethan, he would undoubtedly look for ways to "contain" him.
So… with Jack's instigation and assistance, Elizabeth successfully evaded Norrington and the navy, hiding aboard the Black Pearl until now.
Seeing Elizabeth emerge from the cabin with an eager curiosity, Ethan could only shake his head in resignation.
"This doesn't really change anything."
"At the very least, it puts my mind at ease."
Jack was not the kind of person who would rely solely on Ethan's character. Bringing along some form of insurance was completely in line with his nature. Ethan, in his place, would likely have done the same.
However, this also meant their relationship was strictly transactional. With Ethan having demonstrated overwhelming power, any chance of genuine camaraderie had vanished. There was now an unspoken distance between them—once their deal was complete, Jack would likely disappear without a trace, never wanting to see Ethan again.
While this wasn't entirely in line with Ethan's original plan, the overall progress was still going smoothly.
So, he didn't bother trying to correct anything.
After lightly flicking the back of Elizabeth's head—much to her confusion—Ethan changed into his casual attire and returned to the deck, signaling Jack to get the Black Pearl moving again.
Elizabeth, rubbing her head indignantly, opened her mouth to protest. But after glancing around, she seemed to realize something was off.
She had always been fascinated by pirate stories and had a solid theoretical understanding of ship operations. As the Governor of Port Royal's daughter, she had also observed naval training sessions. Though she lacked hands-on experience, her knowledge was sufficient to make her a competent assistant, except when it came to physical labor, as she simply lacked the strength.
For now, the Black Pearl could only be operated by two capable hands: Ethan and Jack. Elizabeth could stand on the quarterdeck, steering according to Jack's commands while rapidly absorbing practical knowledge.
After all, in the original timeline, she did become the Pirate King. Meanwhile, a certain rubber-limbed individual dreaming of the same title was still years away from realizing that ambition.
Despite their small crew, the Black Pearl was exceptionally fast. Even without operating at full capacity, they reached Tortuga in a surprisingly short time.
This island was a pirate's paradise, where every establishment and service catered to the needs of seafarers.
The navy was well aware of Tortuga's existence, but due to its treacherous terrain, no commander was willing to risk a high-casualty assault. As a result, the island remained a haven for pirates, mercenaries, and those looking to join their ranks. Whenever a pirate crew needed to replenish their numbers, Tortuga was the first place they turned to.
Jack, naturally, was no stranger to this place.
Ethan had some knowledge from the movies, but for Elizabeth—who had always romanticized piracy—this was a harsh reality check.
The place was filthy and chaotic. The pirates here were nothing like the dashing figures from legend. Instead, they were little more than a drunken, unruly mob. The sheer crudeness and debauchery made Elizabeth want to turn around and leave immediately.
"We're supposed to recruit a crew from this lot?" she asked, clearly appalled.
"Of course!" Jack maneuvered effortlessly through the crowd, dodging obstacles with a mix of instinct and practiced ease. When avoidance wasn't an option, he simply shoved his way through. The drunken masses barely reacted, too lost in their stupor to realize what was happening.
Ethan, by contrast, took a more direct approach—anyone who got in his way was shoved aside, and anyone who resisted received a swift knockout punch.
This was simply the way of Tortuga. Not only did no one object to Ethan's actions, but the surrounding crowd even cheered. Then, as if inspired, raised bottles began flying, sparking yet another drunken brawl.
After more than half an hour, Jack finally found the person he was looking for, in a pigsty behind the tavern.
(To be continued.)
***
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