Boarding the Pirate Ship

Facing Wes's aggressive demeanor, Jack Sparrow's body jolted. It felt as though he were being watched intently by a beast lurking in the dark, and a chill shot straight from his spine to his head.

He instinctively pressed a hand tightly to his chest. Hidden there was not merely a compass, but the key to his fate.

Damn it, this Wizard seemed to know about the compass.

Jack Sparrow's mind spun like a windmill in a gale, trying to devise a way to escape Wes.

Yet the reality was that the gap in strength between him and Wes was an unbridgeable chasm.

"Captain Sparrow?" Wes called again.

Faced with Wes's urging, Jack Sparrow struggled fiercely within himself before ultimately deciding to yield for the time being.

A fawning smile quickly spread across his face, as though it were his most natural expression. "Of course. It is my honor to be of service to you, Wizard."

As he spoke, he gave Wes a deep bow, though a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes.

"A wise choice." A satisfied smile curled Wes's lips. He knew this pirate captain would not submit easily, but at least for now, he was willing to cooperate. "Come with me, both of you."

"Both of us?" Jack Sparrow wore a baffled expression, as though he truly did not understand what Wes meant. "Who else is there besides me?"

"Stop playing dumb, Captain Sparrow." Wes's voice was steady and forceful. With a light flick of his index finger, two glowing orbs radiating a mysterious light instantly shot into Jack Sparrow and Angelica's bodies.

"What is this?!" Jack Sparrow frantically slapped at his body as though it were crawling with disgusting insects.

He tried to swat the mysterious orb out, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not find it.

Angelica's face instantly went pale. She thought of those terrifying spells, powers capable of controlling life and death and twisting reality.

The color gradually drained from her face until she looked like a sheet of paper.

"Just a few restraints. You are a treacherous pirate, after all. I don't believe you would honestly take me to the Fountain of Youth."

Wes's words were calm and cold, without the slightest trace of emotion.

"How heartbreaking. We're partners now..." Jack Sparrow's acting was superb. A wounded look appeared on his face, as though he truly were some pitiful soul who had been misunderstood.

But Wes was not moved in the slightest. He knew that if given even the smallest chance, Jack Sparrow would slip away like a cunning fox.

"You may try betraying me, but bear the consequences yourself." After saying that, Wes ignored Jack Sparrow and walked straight out of the tavern.

Jack Sparrow's mouth twitched. He grabbed Angelica, who had yet to react, and hurried after Wes.

Because of the disturbance Jack Sparrow had caused, soldiers were everywhere in the streets.

They checked the identity of everyone on the street and fired directly at anyone who resisted.

Wanted posters for Jack Sparrow had also begun appearing throughout the streets.

Just moments ago, Jack Sparrow had been worried that walking so openly down the street would get him caught.

But before long, he discovered that neither passersby nor soldiers seemed able to see him.

He even walked in circles around a soldier, yet the soldier still ignored his existence.

The power of magic?

Jack Sparrow's wariness of Wes rose several more levels. Angelica whispered to Jack Sparrow, "Not even Father had magic like this."

Fulfill the agreement first, then find a chance to shake off this Wizard along the way.

Jack Sparrow was not someone willing to let others manipulate him. He was a free pirate, and he would never allow himself to be controlled by anyone else.

But the most important thing now was to find out exactly what spell he had been hit with.

Jack Sparrow lightly leaped to Wes's side, trying to coax some clue from the other's inscrutable smile. However, Wes's face was like an ancient well of unfathomable depth, utterly still.

The three arrived at a secluded harbor, where several ships lay moored here and there. They looked somewhat dilapidated beneath the sun, their hulls bearing indelible marks left by time and war.

They were all pirate ships—once lords of the sea, now lying silently here.

The British government had always turned a blind eye to these pirates, because the treasures they plundered would ultimately flow into London's markets, while also helping weaken Spain's naval power.

"Which ship is the best..." Wes asked.

"What?" Jack Sparrow did not react at first, until Wes's words broke through his thoughts.

"Oh, the one in the middle. That ship has at least sixteen eighteen-pound cannons, and look at her streamlined hull..."

Jack Sparrow launched into an endless introduction, failing to notice that Wes had already boarded that pirate ship.

"Who goes there?!" The pirates left behind on the ship noticed Wes, this unwelcome visitor.

Pirates were not usually known for their good tempers. One by one, they furiously drew their blades and charged at Wes as though they intended to chop him into pieces.

But before those pirates could get near Wes, an invisible force sent them flying, and they tumbled into the sea one after another.

The scene was like fallen leaves swept up by a violent gale—helpless and bleak.

"Looks like we have ourselves a ship." Jack Sparrow stared in stunned silence, his mouth hanging wide enough to fit an egg. "Wizard, you have quite the talent for piracy."

Angelica found Wes even more dangerous than she had imagined.

By the time the two of them boarded the pirate ship, Wes had already thoroughly cleared out its pirates, tossing every last one of them into the sea.

"Leave some of them behind, at least. The three of us can't sail a ship this large."

Jack Sparrow began inspecting the vessel, touching here and knocking there.

"Not bad. It was just serviced."

He was satisfied with the ship. Though it could not compare to his Black Pearl, under the current circumstances, it was still a decent vessel.

"That's good." With a wave of Wes's hand, the sails rose on their own. The massive canvas billowed in the wind with a loud whooshing sound.

The anchor also reeled itself up, and the entire ship seemed to come alive, preparing itself to set sail.

"Captain Sparrow..." Wes's voice roused Jack Sparrow from his thoughts.

"What are your orders?" Jack Sparrow came back to himself.

"I'll leave the helm to you."

"Of course!" Jack Sparrow went to the wheel and lovingly stroked it, as if caressing his most precious treasure.

He suddenly spun the wheel, and the pirate ship sailed out of the harbor.

"How did it feel to be back at sea?"

"Wonderful!" Jack Sparrow closed his eyes in bliss, a look of intoxicated pleasure on his face.

The sea breeze brushed against his face, seagulls cried overhead, and everything felt so familiar. This was exactly the life he longed for.

It would be even better without you. Jack Sparrow thought silently.

"Then let's get going. First, we're heading to White Hat Bay."

"Oh, don't be in such a hurry. Is this Wizard's first time at sea?" Wes nodded.

"I just checked. There's nothing on this ship—fresh water, food, rum..." Jack Sparrow counted on his fingers. "In short, my suggestion is that we find somewhere to resupply first and recruit some hands. I doubt Wizard wants to clean the ship himself."

"There's no need to make it so complicated." Wes snapped his fingers, and Jandi appeared before them.

"My God!!" Angelica drew the sword at her waist and pointed it at Jandi. "What the hell is that??"

Jack Sparrow's eyes widened as well as he stared at the suddenly appearing Jandi.