Chapter 24
A Few Days at Sea
The sea stretched out in every direction, the horizon glowing orange as the sun dipped low. Days had passed since the escape from Port Royal, and the Black Pearl hadn't stopped dancing with chaos since. Pirate ships, navy vessels, rogue scavengers—they all came sniffing after them like hungry dogs.
But none had succeeded.
Because aboard the Pearl were three things you didn't want to meet in a fair fight:
Jake Sparrow, captain of trickery and rum.
Elias, sword-dancer of death with a smile sharper than his blade.
And Raina, with a knife in her boot and fire in her eyes.
The deck of the Pearl was littered with ropes, crates, and the remains of a recent skirmish—a broken cannon wheel here, a snapped sail there—but the crew moved around with ease, patching things up as they always did. They had rum in their bellies, gold in their pockets, and stories that would make the devil raise a brow.
Jake leaned on the helm, twirling his compass like a coin, looking as if he had no care in the world.
"Three ships in three days," Raina muttered, wiping blood from her blade. "We can't keep doing this."
Jake grinned. "We can. And we are."
Elias walked by shirtless, covered in bruises and cuts, a fresh tear in his coat, his black sword resting across his shoulders. He looked like a storm in the shape of a man. He bit into an apple like it had personally offended him.
"Didn't even break a sweat on the last one," Elias said, chewing. "Though I think I scared the cook. He dove into the sea before we even boarded."
Jake chuckled. "That's your face, mate. You look like a nightmare even when you're smiling."
Elias grinned wide. "That's the goal."
They'd taken food, water, powder, weapons—and even a bit of good rum—from the ships they'd fought. No survivors that wanted a second round. The Pearl moved like a ghost, striking hard and vanishing into mist. The name was growing again. The Black Pearl. A name whispered in fear and awe.
Raina leaned over the railing, watching dolphins play in the waves. "You two make one hell of a team."
Jake didn't look at her, just smirked. "We're like a perfectly baked pie. Sweet, deadly, and with just a hint of crazy."
"I'm the crust," Elias added. "Hard, sharp. Keeps the whole thing from falling apart."
Jake looked offended. "Excuse me, I'm the crust. You're the meat. The chewy, bloodthirsty filling."
"I'll take that."
A shout came from above. "Ship ahead! No flag!"
Jake groaned. "Oh, come on, can't a man enjoy the sunset without someone trying to kill him?"
He adjusted his hat, handed the wheel to a sailor, and turned to Elias and Raina.
"Well then. Shall we go introduce ourselves? Nicely of course… until they give us a reason not to."
The other ship was smaller but fast. The crew looked rough—mercenaries, probably, or deserters. No flags meant no rules. Jake loved those types. Easy to trick.
They pulled alongside the ship, cannons aimed but not fired. Jake walked to the edge, megaphone in hand.
"Ahoy there, charming strangers!" he called, arms wide. "Might I suggest you lower your weapons, your sails, and perhaps your pride, before my friends and I make a very messy example of your entire existence?"
No answer.
Jake looked at Elias. "Do you think they're deaf, rude, or suicidal?"
Elias spun his sword once. "Let's find out."
The mercenaries fired first.
Bad idea.
The Pearl's crew opened fire. Grappling hooks were thrown. Chaos erupted.
Jake danced across the ropes like it was a party, sword in hand, laughing as he ducked a swing and tripped a man overboard. "You're doing it wrong, mate!" he shouted at one attacker. "You stab with that end. That one!"
Elias didn't laugh. He moved through the enemy like a shadow. His black sword blurred, cutting clean through blades and men like they were paper. Every time someone thought they had him, he was already behind them.
Raina fought with speed and precision. She threw a knife, caught another, and spun around to kick a man into a barrel. "You guys really need better hobbies!"
Ten minutes later, the other ship was empty—of resistance, anyway.
Jake stood on the deck, hands on his hips. "Well, that was fun. Anyone hungry?"
Elias looked around at the defeated ship. "I'll check for more rum."
They took what they needed—fresh water, food, some spices, two crates of ammo, and one extremely confused parrot that had been repeating, "Don't stab me!" the entire time.
Back aboard the Pearl, Jake sat on a barrel near the helm, legs crossed, hat tilted, sipping stolen rum from a silver cup.
"You know what I love most about pirate life?" he said to no one in particular. "No paperwork."
Elias leaned beside him, sipping too. "You know what I love? The sword fights."
Raina raised her hand. "Surviving."
Jake nodded thoughtfully. "Also a valid option."
The sun sank into the sea, and the Black Pearl sailed on, a shadow among waves. The crew laughed and sang as the stars came out. Another day alive. Another day free.
And tomorrow?
More madness.
---
You can contact me through my official page on the following Accounts:
telegram:
miraclenarrator
tiktok:
miracle_narrator
instagram:
miracle_narrator