The Black Pirate Crew's ship was gradually approaching Karna, the infamous pirate island. Located in the heart of the Caribbean, Karna was a lawless haven where pirates freely came and went, trading their plundered treasures and preparing for new adventures.
As the island came into view, the loud cheers of pirates filled the air. Drunken pirates poured off the ships, flooding the harbor, and the entire island was wrapped in a rowdy party atmosphere. Merslin and his party blended in with the crew and cautiously disembarked.
As soon as Merslin set foot on the island, he looked around in amazement.
Merslin: "This place is incredible. Feels like a scene straight out of an Earth pirate movie."
Elena (smiling): "Yeah. It really does feel like we're inside a movie. But we have to be careful—this place is far more dangerous than it looks."
Serena (confidently): "Don't worry. I'll blend in with them and gather some intel. I'll join their gambling games and naturally extract some information."
Lisa (cautiously scanning the surroundings): "Alright, let's make sure to have each other's backs. These pirates will come after us the moment we let our guard down."
Merslin's party made their way toward the central plaza of the island. The square was bustling with pirates gambling, trading weapons, and repairing their ships. Serena had already decided to immerse herself among them to extract valuable information.
Serena: "This is where we'll get the information we need. Let's blend in and figure out what they're planning."
Lisa trailed closely behind, keeping watch over Serena, while Merslin, Elena, and Aria moved discreetly in a different direction to survey the situation. As they passed through the island's entertainment district, filled with taverns and rowdy pubs, they noticed a horrifying sight.
A group of pirates was dragging bound women and children, their faces filled with fear. The pirates laughed crudely as they shoved the captives deeper into the island.
Elena (shocked): "Those people… the pirates are taking those women and children somewhere!"
Merslin (grimly): "This is worse than I expected. This island is far more dangerous than we thought. We need to do something."
Aria (nervously): "What can we do? There are too many pirates here… can we really save them?"
The group ducked into an alleyway to quickly discuss their options, evaluating the best approach to rescue the captives without attracting too much attention.
Merslin: "We have two options. We can either fight our way through and rescue them by force, or we can discreetly bid on them at the auction and free them without raising suspicion."
Elena (seriously): "If we fight, we'll be greatly outnumbered. This island is crawling with pirates, and if we get caught, we won't escape alive. The auction seems like the safer option."
Aria (concerned): "But do we have enough money? Can we really afford to buy all of them?"
Merslin (determined): "If we don't have enough, we'll buy as many as we can and come up with another plan for the rest. The important thing is to keep them out of the pirates' hands."
The Slave Auction Begins
Merslin's party arrived at the auction site, where pirates were openly selling the captives to the highest bidder. The air was thick with tension, and pirates eagerly competed, raising the prices for the prisoners.
Merslin (whispering): "We have to be careful here. We can't let them suspect anything."
Elena (agreeing): "And we can't bid too high, or they'll start questioning why we're so desperate to buy them."
Serena took the lead in bidding, while Merslin and Elena kept watch, monitoring the situation closely.
Auctioneer (shouting): "Next up! These women and children! Strong, healthy, and perfect for servitude! Place your bids!"
Serena (calmly raising her hand): "200 gold."
Pirate 1 (mocking): "Ha! 200? I'll bid 300!"
Serena strategically increased her bids, ensuring they stayed competitive while remaining low enough to avoid suspicion.
Serena (whispering): "We have to rescue as many as possible without drawing too much attention."
Merslin (supporting her): "You're doing great. Just keep it natural. We'll handle the rest."
With calculated bidding, Serena managed to secure a few captives, and Merslin and Elena swiftly escorted them out of the auction site. However, they soon realized they didn't have enough gold to free everyone.
Suddenly, chaos erupted in the auction hall. A heated argument broke out among the pirates, and fists began flying. In the midst of the turmoil, some members of the Black Pirate Crew secretly helped Merslin's party escape.
Black Pirate 1 (whispering): "Now's your chance. We started this fight on purpose. Get them out of here while you can."
Taking advantage of the commotion, Serena successfully freed the remaining captives, and they all escaped the auction hall unnoticed.
Returning to the Ship
Having successfully rescued the captives, Merslin and his party had no choice but to bring them aboard the Black Pirate Crew's ship for safety.
Merslin (seriously): "There's no safe place for them on this island. The best option is to take them with us."
Elena (nodding): "Agreed. But this time, they won't be cargo—they'll be our companions."
Aria (worried): "We have to make sure they feel safe. They've been through too much already."
Onboard, some pirates from the Black Pirate Crew approached them with smirks.
Black Pirate 1 (grinning): "You lot pulled that off well. You know we helped you, right?"
Serena (calmly): "Yeah, we know. We appreciate it."
The pirate smirked, clearly enjoying the acknowledgment.
Black Pirate 1: "So, we can work together when it suits us, huh?"
Meanwhile, another pirate scowled at the rescued captives.
Black Pirate 2 (mocking): "Look at that. Those 'merchandise' are now passengers, huh? What a joke."
Serena's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Serena (low voice): "Watch your mouth. You know exactly what you're implying."
Lisa (firmly): "They're with us now. Get used to it."
Black Pirate 2 muttered under his breath but backed off. The tension between Merslin's group and the pirates was evident, but at least, for now, there was an uneasy truce.
The Rescued Captives' Fears
The freed prisoners were still shaken. Their bodies trembled with fear, unable to trust that they were finally safe.
Rescued Woman 1 (voice trembling): "Are we really… free? Or is this just another trick?"
Merslin gently took her hands, offering reassurance.
Merslin (calmly): "You're safe now. No one will hurt you again."
But the trauma wasn't so easily erased. Another woman nervously clenched her fists.
Rescued Woman 2 (anxiously): "How do we know this isn't just another nightmare?"
Elena (softly): "We won't abandon you. We'll protect you until we reach safety."
A young child burst into tears, clinging to Aria's hand.
Rescued Child (sobbing): "We're not going to be taken away again… right? I want to see my parents…"
Aria gently held the child close, whispering soothing words.
Aria (smiling): "You're safe now. We'll find your family."
One by one, the rescued captives slowly began to trust them, realizing that—for the first time in a long time—there was hope.
And as Merslin's party set sail, they knew that their journey was far from over. The real battle had only just begun.