The Pirate Council of Shipwreck Cove

Shipwreck Cove is an island with a very unique geographical structure, surrounded by cliffs on all sides, with only a narrow opening for entering and exiting the bay.

The unique geographical environment made this place a fortress that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. With natural defensive barriers and abundant food, pirates could gather here and hold out for their entire lives.

However, considering their nature, a lifetime is too long, so a single lifetime is quite possible!

Shipwreck Cove wasn't always called that. It was discovered by pirates who used shipwrecks to build it up over hundreds of years, eventually transforming it into an island. The pirate guild named it Shipwreck Cove, and it became a sacred place for all pirates.

All pirates who come here must abide by the Pirate Code. Private feuds and fights are strictly prohibited here. If you want to duel, you can go outside Shipwreck Cove. No one will care if you fight until you are bloodied.

Barbossa, Jack, Xiao Feng moored their ship and headed straight for the Pirate Guild Hall, where meetings were held.

Russell, eager to see what would happen, followed Xiao Feng to the meeting. Elizabeth and Turner were also with them. One of them had a blood feud with Lord Beckett for killing his father, and the other wanted to rescue his father, who Enslavement on the Flying Dutchman. They were very concerned about the outcome of the meeting.

Upon entering the hall, the group realized they were late; the other Pirate King had already arrived.

Barbossa, thick-skinned as ever, ignored the fiery glares of the pirates and cleared his throat, saying, "As the convener of this meeting, I, Captain Barbossa, hereby declare the Fourth Pirate Council officially open."

As the meeting began, the Pirate King took their seats one by one. The sacred Pirate Council was not to be desecrated, and although they were dissatisfied, they could only put it aside for the time being and bring it up later.

"Captains, to prove your identity and authority, please present your Spanish silver coins!"

They're called Spanish silver coin, but they're really just a bunch of scrap metal, like the wooden eyeball of Barbossa, the Pirate King of the Caspian Sea. The most valuable 'antique silver coin' comes from Xiao Feng, a meticulously carved jade stone with a silk pendant from the ancient East, standing out among a group of country bumpkins with its extremely high-class feel.

These tattered items were a product of the times. Back then, Calypso was doing whatever he wanted on the high seas, and the Nine Pirate Kings were so poor they couldn't even afford to eat. Where would they find the spare money to buy silver coins?

As for why the 'silver coin' in Xiao Feng's hand was so valuable, it can only be said that Chinese people care about face, and they would tighten their belts to make sure that the tokens were of high quality.

With time running out, Barbossa, as the meeting's moderator, exchanged a few casual pleasantries before getting to the main topic, recounting the East India Company's ambitious plans and the deadly threat it posed to the pirates.

The East India Company, with its ambitions for the seas, could not tolerate the pirates who were used to freedom. It pursued and intercepted them all over the world, making the pirates flee like rats in the street.

In terms of both money and manpower, the pirates combined couldn't even compare to a single toe of the East India Company. With nowhere to turn, they were either killed or sent to the gallows.

The seas are becoming increasingly difficult to navigate, and more than half of the pirates have abandoned their ships and gone ashore to become mountain bandits and outlaws!

Since the birth of piracy, a profession fraught with promise, it has never been so miserable. As the tide of piracy intensifies, this is truly a time of crisis and survival.

The last sentence wasn't spoken by Barbossa; it could have been spoken by Xiao Feng instead. But to save space, we've translated his words into classical Chinese, and this is roughly the gist of it.

After listening to Barbossa's brief explanation, the Pirate King fell silent. They all understood this principle; otherwise, they wouldn't have come to the meeting.

The East India Company has already eliminated most of the pirates, and now it's time to deal with these Pirate Kings. With the Nine Pirate Kings gathered, if they can't come up with a plan to break the deadlock, the pirate guild will be completely destroyed, and the troubles on the sea will no longer have anything to do with pirates.

"Gentlemen, I know many of you still harbor wishful thinking, believing that hiding and running away will allow you to escape this calamity." Barbossa looked around at everyone, his tone turning cold. "But unfortunately, disaster is sweeping in. You can escape it once, but you can't escape it a second time. We have no choice but to fight it."

"But the East India Company is backed by the Royal Navy of Britain, we can't beat them..."

Among the pirates, someone muttered something under their breath. It was the truth. No matter how powerful the pirates were, they could never defeat a large empire, especially one that possessed the most powerful fleet at sea.

"We can hide in Shipwreck Cove. It's an impregnable fortress; the East India Company can't break through!"

"Then we will lose our freedom. Without freedom, are we still pirates?"

"Life versus liberty, what's wrong with choosing life?"

The Pirate King started arguing with each other, not only because of their differing political views, but also because it was purely for the sake of arguing, arguing for the sake of arguing.

That's right, they just don't like what others do!

"Captains, please hear me out."

Barbossa took off his shoes and slammed them on the table. After everyone stopped arguing, he continued, "Captains, I have gathered you all here because I have come up with a solution to our predicament."

The pirates fell silent, intently listening to Barbossa's insightful opinion. The situation was dire; they were powerless to stop it, yet unwilling to die. They were the Pirate King, and the East India Company would never let them go; their ultimate fate was certain death. So, despite their outward nonchalance, they were more anxious than anyone else.

Barbossa held up one finger. "There is someone who can help us change this situation and restore the sea to its former glory as a pirate powerhouse."

"Who?"

"King George II of Britain!?"

Feeling everyone's gaze focused on him, Barbossa smiled mysteriously, "Ocean goddess, Calypso!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment before erupting into chaos. They had never imagined that Barbossa would see Calypso, the pirates' mortal enemy, as their savior.

"This is outrageous!"

"Calypso was sealed away by the first generation of Pirate King. Although that has little to do with us, she is, after all, a goddess. Goddesses are often petty, and I don't think she would mind venting her anger on us."

"Barbossa, you actually thought of her? Don't you know how cruel she is?"

There were those who rejected the proposal, and naturally, there were those who supported it, all of whom held a pessimistic and negative attitude. Since they were doomed anyway because they couldn't defeat the East India Company, they figured they might as well release Calypso and drag the East India Company down with them.

If the goddess isn't as cruel as rumored, perhaps they might even receive some rewards, such as gold coins sunk to the bottom of the sea, or treasures on a deserted island.

"Don't be silly, you're daydreaming. Once Calypso is released, the first people she'll kill will be us."

"This debt was incurred by the first generation of Pirate King; it has nothing to do with us!"

"Calypso wouldn't think that way; she has no reason to help me deal with the East India Company."

How will you know if you don't try?

"You'll die if you try, you stupid pig!"

"How dare you call me a stupid pig? Are you trying to provoke me?"

"That's right!"

"..."

The hall erupted into a cacophony of noise, quickly escalating from a verbal dispute into a full-blown brawl, with shoes and spittle flying everywhere... no flying, at least not yet.

The chaotic hall resembled a courtroom from the same period, with fierce fighting, arguments, shouting, and physical altercations. Even if you hid in a secluded spot, you could still be hit by projectiles if you weren't careful.

"Unbelievable, they're insane..." Elizabeth stared in disbelief. Pirates were indeed a synonym for vulgarity, but couldn't they be a little more serious during a meeting?

Barbossa, used to this, replied, "Study hard, the political lesson is about to begin."

"Ha, politics is just fighting?"

"To be precise, this is called war; they are waging war for their own interests!"

Barbossa's words were a summary of his many years of life experience. Elizabeth was too young to understand them simply because of the word 'Sabel' in her name. She stared in disbelief as she continued to watch.

The situation briefly spiraled out of control, but Barbossa did not intervene. Rather than trying to stop the argument in a thankless way, he figured it was better to wait for them to tire themselves out and stop on their own, making it easier for the meeting to proceed when they were exhausted.

The Pirate King were all shrewd men. They all knew when they came to the meeting that a Pirate Emperor would be elected. They were not convinced by each other and none of them wanted to take orders from others. Their current quarrels and fights were to show off their strength and gain enough prestige to vote later.

The first two Pirate Council failed to elect Pirate King, and the situation was similar to the present: everyone disliked each other, and it was difficult to find someone who could win everyone's respect.

To say there wasn't one wouldn't be entirely true. In the corner of the hall, Russell saw a pirate dressed in a magnificent red captain's uniform, with smoky makeup, a braided beard, and an appearance identical to Jack's. He was playing a wooden guitar, looking like a rock star.

Jack's biological father, the retired Pirate King, and now the Pirate Code —Teag Sparrow!

On this vast ocean, if there's anyone who can truly calm the unruly Jack down, it can only be him.

Russell sensed a Magic Power aura emanating from him, and his intuition told him that this old pirate playing the guitar was even more powerful than David Jones.

Russell recalled to himself that Teague appeared very little in the original book, was a very mysterious figure, and had a very high reputation among the pirates.

As expected, the pirates argued endlessly. One of them offended the Pirate Code, claiming it was a joke, and was shot dead by Teague. His Pirate King captain didn't even utter a sound.

"The Code of Law is supreme!"

The group of Pirate King remained silent, all sitting quietly with their eyes fixed on Barbossa, waiting for him to continue the meeting.

Barbossa pursed his lips. Teague's appearance put him under immense pressure. He had once stolen Jack's ship and was afraid that his father would seek revenge for his son.

"Now, according to the code, let's begin the vote to elect the Pirate Emperor. He will decide whether to release the sealed Calypso!"

The vote began, and apart from the predetermined outcome, everything else was very formal, fair, just, and transparent!