Invitation

London's streets were unusually lively today, with members of the Royal Guard visible everywhere. Dressed in bright uniforms, they marched in perfect formation, their muskets glinting coldly in the sunlight and lending the city an air of tension.

The citizens were puzzled by this sudden change. They watched the hurried soldiers with curiosity or discussed the unusual bustle in hushed voices.

"They're finally here," Wes murmured, then gently set down the newspaper in his hand.

Wes quietly followed behind a squad of Royal Guards, his footsteps light and cautious, drawing almost no one's attention.

The Royal Guards, muskets in hand, stormed into the Old Captain's Daughter Tavern with imposing force.

At that moment, pirates in the tavern were loudly swapping tales of their adventures, while the prostitutes giggled coquettishly and flirted with passing men using seductive glances.

Yet the instant the Royal Guards burst in, the entire tavern descended into chaos and panic. The pirates and prostitutes inside were immediately thrown into a frenzy.

They had no idea why the Royal Guard had suddenly appeared in this lawless place. It had always been their safe haven, a place where they could indulge themselves to their hearts' content.

Some pirates instinctively tried to resist, fumbling for their weapons. But before they could make a move, several gunshots rang out through the tavern, and several pirates fell to the floor.

The sharp gunfire echoed through the tavern like a proclamation of death.

The rest fled in panic, like startled birds searching everywhere for a way out.

But the Royal Guards seemed to know their target perfectly. Without hesitation, they rushed toward the tavern's inner rooms, clearly having come prepared.

Inside one room, Angelica and Jack Sparrow were surrounded by a group of Royal Guards.

Faced with the sudden encirclement, Angelica tried to activate a hidden mechanism to escape, only to discover in horror that she could not move, as though an invisible force had firmly bound her.

Not only that, but all the Royal Guards had fallen into the same predicament. It was as if they had been immobilized by a spell, unable to move an inch.

"Darling, what's wrong with you?" Jack Sparrow asked with apparent concern, though inwardly, he was rapidly calculating how to slip away while he had the chance.

"Captain Sparrow." Wes strolled into the room at an unhurried pace, his voice calm and firm. "Nice to meet you."

"Who are you?" Jack Sparrow cautiously drew his sword. "Is this your doing?"

"No need to be nervous." Wes calmly pulled over a chair and sat down, his movements elegant and confident, as though everything were under his control.

Jack Sparrow tried to take Angelica away, only to find that she seemed fixed in place.

"Darling, this isn't the time for jokes..."

Angelica could only keep signaling Jack Sparrow with her eyes, urging him to run.

After confirming that Wes was behind all this, Jack Sparrow calmed down instead. He held his hand in an affected pose and looked Wes up and down, secretly pondering the mysterious man's purpose and identity.

"Are you a wizard?"

"Yes." Wes's answer was brief and firm.

"What does this mysterious wizard want with me?"

Jack Sparrow felt he could not lose in terms of presence, so he found himself a chair as well. Crossing one leg over the other, he wore a roguish, carefree expression.

"Captain Sparrow."

"Mm-hmm."

Jack Sparrow was quite pleased with Wes's form of address. Though he did not have a ship at the moment, he firmly believed that he would one day reclaim the Black Pearl.

"I need you to take me somewhere." Wes's voice echoed through the room.

Jack Sparrow raised an eyebrow slightly, as if he had already guessed Wes's intentions.

"The Fountain of Youth. I need you to take me to the Fountain of Youth."

"Oh, heavens, what day is it today? Why is everyone suddenly interested in the Fountain of Youth?" Jack Sparrow shook his head, a wry smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "This news is spreading faster than the plague."

"There are no secrets in this world that can be hidden from me." There was a hint of confidence in Wes's tone, but his expression soon turned somewhat awkward when he realized that he did not know the Fountain of Youth's exact location.

"Then why don't you know where the Fountain of Youth is?" Jack Sparrow shot back.

Wes coughed awkwardly twice, trying to cover up his blunder.

"Looks like the wizard isn't all-knowing after all." Jack Sparrow brushed his beard with his pinky, his eyes darting about as he considered how to deal with this troublesome Wes.

He had no desire to work with someone as dangerous and mysterious as Wes. He knew full well that people like that often brought unexpected trouble.

"I can offer you a reward that will satisfy you."

Wes opened the leather case, and gold bars flew out of it, piling up as high as a person. The dim room instantly glittered with golden light.

Everyone became greedy, their eyes fixed tightly on the gold.

If they had not been held in place by the spell, they would have rushed forward in a swarm already.

Jack Sparrow was no exception, but he quickly suppressed the greed in his heart, and his gaze turned calm once more.

"You're mistaken. I don't know where the Fountain of Youth is. You've come to the wrong person..."

As he spoke, he headed for the door. As for Angelica, he could find another chance to rescue her later. Right now, preserving his own life was what mattered most.

"The Black Pearl."

Jack Sparrow stopped in his tracks, his body stiffening slightly. That name held special meaning for him.

"I can help you take back the Black Pearl."

Jack Sparrow sat back down in his chair, leaning forward slightly with both hands clenched into fists. He said painfully, "The Black Pearl was destroyed by Blackbeard."

Wes shook his head. "It wasn't destroyed. The Black Pearl became Blackbeard's prize."

"What proof do you have?" Jack Sparrow looked at Wes suspiciously.

Instead of answering directly, Wes lifted the curse on Angelica. Angelica tried to trigger the mechanism and escape.

"Don't make any rash moves, madam."

Hearing Wes's warning, Angelica froze with her sword raised halfway. Though unwilling, she knew she was no match for Wes.

"This is between us. Don't drag her into it."

Jack Sparrow stepped forward, shielding Angelica behind him.

Moved, Angelica dropped her sword and tightly wrapped her arms around Jack Sparrow's waist.

"Didn't you want proof? She's Blackbeard's daughter."

The moment Wes finished speaking, Jack Sparrow spun around in shock, his hands clamping tightly onto Angelica's shoulders.

"You're hurting me, Jack," Angelica cried out in pain.

"Oh, sorry." Jack Sparrow let go. "Is what he said true?"

Angelica nodded. "Although I don't know where he got the information, Father really did take the Black Pearl..." Angelica poured out the entire story in one breath.

"You're saying the Black Pearl is trapped inside a little bottle now?" Jack Sparrow interrupted her, speaking urgently.

"Jack, as long as you help me find the Fountain of Youth, I'll have Father return the Black Pearl to you."

"Ha~~ Are you really Blackbeard's biological daughter? How can you be so naive?"

"Jack!!" Angelica flew into a rage out of embarrassment.

Jack Sparrow shrugged. "Blackbeard is the cruelest and most cunning pirate on the seas. I don't trust him."

"Captain Sparrow is right. Besides, I made the invitation first." Wes stood up.

"Don't waste time, Captain Sparrow. Give me an answer." Wes spoke in a tone that allowed no refusal.

If Jack Sparrow refused Wes's invitation, he had a backup plan: steal the Magic Compass from Jack Sparrow.