Joshamee Gibbs, a former Royal Navy sailor, had left the service to sail with Jack Sparrow's father. He had practically watched Jack grow up and had long been Jack's most trusted companion—at least, according to Jack himself.
So, the moment Jack reclaimed the Black Pearl, he wasted no time in seeking him out. Fortunately, finding Gibbs proved to be quite easy.
"Wake him up?"
Ethan looked down at Gibbs, who was fast asleep in the mud of a pigsty. He couldn't help but admire how pirates could sleep soundly in any environment—though, in this case, rum likely played a decisive role.
"I'll go find a bucket."
"No need for that."
They were on an island surrounded by water, and while Ethan's magic had its limitations, conjuring a bit of fresh water in this setting was as effortless as waving his hand.
With a simple gesture, moisture in the air condensed into a large sphere of water, which then hovered steadily over Gibbs' head. The moment Ethan released his spell, the water splashed down, drenching Gibbs in an instant.
"Who goes there?!"
Gibbs jolted awake, instinctively scanning his surroundings. The moment he recognized Jack Sparrow standing before him, he relaxed and flopped back into the mud.
"It's just you, Jack. Do you have any idea how rude it is to wake a man from his sleep?"
Seeing that Gibbs was already drifting off again, Ethan conjured another water ball and unceremoniously hurled it into his face.
The first time had startled him. This time, it woke him up completely, though given the circumstances, Gibbs now suspected Ethan was just a cruel sailor pouring buckets of water over him.
"Alright, alright, I'm up."
Wiping his face, Gibbs finally stood and staggered out of the pigsty.
The moment he stepped out, both Ethan and Elizabeth instinctively took a step back. The stench following him was unbearable.
Elizabeth, however, was more surprised than disgusted. She recognized him.
"Mr. Gibbs? What are you doing here?"
"Miss Elizabeth Swann?"
Gibbs had once served under Norrington, and when Elizabeth first arrived in Port Royal, she had traveled aboard the very ship he had been stationed on. They were acquaintances, though neither had expected to meet again under these circumstances.
"As you can see, I'm no longer with the Navy."
Then, he gestured toward Jack. "I spend most of my time with this guy, though most of the time that means doing nothing."
Jack shrugged. "Well, I'm here to offer you a job now."
"A job, huh?" Gibbs grinned. "And what might that be?"
"Do we really need to have this conversation here?" Ethan interrupted, unable to endure the pigsty's stench any longer. Jack and Gibbs seemed completely unbothered by their surroundings, making Ethan feel like the odd one out. Fortunately, Elizabeth agreed with him.
"Let's talk somewhere else," she said firmly.
Gibbs understood why Elizabeth might react this way, but Ethan's distaste puzzled him. He looked the young man up and down. Another noble? Two aristocrats and Jack Sparrow, of all people, wandering around Tortuga—what exactly were they up to?
Still, he trusted Jack would explain things in due time.
"Alright then," he said, pointing to a tavern in the distance. "Let's grab a drink and talk there."
"No, no, no!" Jack cut him off immediately. "Look at them, do they look like the kind of people who can sit and drink in a place like that? We'll talk on the ship."
Besides, discussing this matter in public wasn't ideal. The Black Pearl offered more privacy. Otherwise, given his personality, Jack would have loved to see Ethan and Elizabeth squirm in an unruly pirate tavern.
Gibbs didn't question it too much. Instead, he focused on something else.
"The ship? You mean you've got a ship?"
"I got the Black Pearl back."
Jack practically beamed with pride. He could hardly wait to announce to the world that he was once again captain of the Black Pearl.
Gibbs was completely dumbfounded.
For a moment, he wondered if Jack was dreaming… or maybe he was.
"Maybe I'm not fully awake yet—"
Before he could finish his thought, yet another splash of cold water doused him. Rather than making him feel more alert, it only deepened his suspicion that he was still dreaming.
"Let's get back to the ship," Jack said, grinning. "I'll explain everything there."
Dragging the still-stunned Gibbs along, Ethan and Elizabeth walked quickly toward the pier. Before long, they were back aboard the Black Pearl.
Along the way, Jack briefly explained the situation to Gibbs. Once they returned to the ship, Gibbs took a moment to freshen up and change into clean clothes. It took him a while to fully process everything he had just heard.
"So you're telling me… with the help of this Lord Ethan and the Royal Navy, you killed Barbossa and reclaimed the Black Pearl?"
"Uh-huh!"
Jack left out the specifics, feeling there was no point in explaining. Trying to tell Gibbs that Ethan had appeared like an angel and wielded divine magic would only sound absurd. Besides, Ethan would be traveling with them for some time. If they truly ended up going after Blackbeard, Gibbs would see everything with his own eyes soon enough.
"You're saying this Lord Ethan… is actually a mage?"
"As you can see, Mr. Gibbs," Elizabeth replied.
Ethan casually conjured a ball of water in his palm, letting it hover in the air. Gibbs had already endured this trick a few times before and could tell it was no illusion. The water was very real—and ice cold.
Swallowing nervously, Gibbs quickly motioned that he had just changed into dry clothes and would prefer to stay that way.
"Then… you're planning to search for the Fountain of Youth and go after Blackbeard?"
"It's not me—it's Lord Ethan who wants to find the Fountain of Youth… and deal with Blackbeard." Jack gestured toward Ethan. He personally had no interest in confronting Blackbeard, but the Fountain of Youth? That was a different story.
Gibbs turned to Ethan, then back to Jack. "Blackbeard doesn't care about you, to him, you're just another pirate."
"No, we are just another group of pirates!" Jack clapped Gibbs on the shoulder, making it clear that the old sailor wouldn't be running away from this. "Trust me, if we actually find Blackbeard, he's the one who'll be in trouble."
"Because of this mage?" Gibbs still wasn't convinced. "I've heard Blackbeard also dabbles in black magic."
The rumors of Blackbeard wielding dark magic were widespread, though many dismissed them as superstition. However, looking at Ethan now, Gibbs found those old tales a lot more believable.
Ethan, of course, knew that Blackbeard's magic was real. Aside from using his enchanted cutlass to control his ship's rigging, Blackbeard could also command undead zombies, curse enemies with voodoo dolls, and most intriguing to Ethan, shrink entire ships into bottles.
As for his combat ability, aside from his curses, there wasn't much to be concerned about. In a direct fight, Blackbeard relied mostly on his sword skills, which wouldn't pose much of a threat to Ethan.
However, Ethan wasn't planning to go after Blackbeard just yet.
"I know about Blackbeard's magic—it won't be a problem. But for now, he isn't our main target. The priority is finding the Fountain of Youth."
This decision was based on practicality. The Fountain of Youth was a fixed location, whereas Blackbeard roamed unpredictably. Tracking him down would take too much time. Finding the Fountain first ensured at least one objective could be achieved.
"Ah, well, that makes sense," Gibbs admitted. He had no desire to provoke Blackbeard but was definitely intrigued by the idea of searching for mystical treasures. Compared to most pirates, he and Jack were somewhat of an oddity.
The two of them weren't so much traditional pirates as they were adventurers, driven by a love for exploration and freedom. They relished the open sea, the thrill of the unknown, and the chase for legendary artifacts.
Jack's tendency to pursue adventure over wealth was precisely why he struggled to maintain the loyalty of his crew. Time and time again, he would gather sailors, only to be betrayed—because a captain who didn't lead his men to riches wasn't worth following.
Gibbs, however, had always stayed by his side. He was the only one who truly shared Jack's spirit.
Now, hearing Ethan's plan to seek out the Fountain of Youth, both Jack and Gibbs felt their excitement building.
"You're saying the Fountain of Youth actually exists?"
The Fountain had long been the subject of countless legends, but no one had ever confirmed its existence.
Judging from what Jack knew, he clearly believed in the legend—his endless curiosity and fascination with the supernatural made it inevitable.
"It does," Ethan answered firmly.
His certainty made Jack and Gibbs even more eager, while Elizabeth, who had remained quiet until now, found herself deeply intrigued. She made a silent vow, no matter what, she would see this legendary Fountain with her own eyes.
As for why they were looking for it? That was a question for later. Right now, they had to focus on preparations.
"First, we need to recruit enough sailors."
The ship was theirs, but they still needed to gather a proper crew, fully clean and maintain the Black Pearl, and stock up on supplies before setting sail.
They didn't need too many sailors, about a dozen would suffice. This was a purely exploratory mission, meaning combat prowess wasn't a major concern. Besides, with Ethan on board, Jack wasn't worried about the Black Pearl lacking firepower.
After handling everything in the shortest time possible, the Black Pearl finally set sail once more.
After days of preparation, Ethan was finally heading toward his true goal.
(To be continued.)
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