"Eleanor, me eyes be deceivin' me, for I can hardly believe ye be standin' here," Jack greeted her with a sly grin.
"Captain Jack Thunder and Mary Grace. I be here to express my gratitude, for you saved me from the clutches of slavery," Eleanor replied, her voice filled with sincerity.
Jack's gaze fell upon the leather pouch adorning her waist, an identical match to his own. "Be that me pouch?" he inquired, pointing at the familiar item.
Without hesitation, she tossed the medium-sized, brownish pouch to Jack, who deftly caught it and swiftly opened it.
As his fingers grazed over his belongings, a mix of confusion and disbelief washed over his face. "How did this come to be? And more importantly, why and how did ye end up here? Ye do realize we be a good 60 meters away from the dock."
Leaning against the weathered wooden planks, Eleanor revealed her intentions. "Aye, Captain, I be seeking to join your crew."
Jack burst into a mocking laughter, unable to contain his amusement. "No way in the seven seas! Ye be naught but a spoiled noble brat, clueless 'bout the work aboard a ship. And ye be a noble, mark me words, they'll send search parties across the vast expanse of the ocean for ye."
Annoyance etched across her face, Eleanor retorted, "I be willing to scrub the very dock, work for free, if it means you'll let me join."
Jack's expression turned serious as he questioned her motives. "And why be it ye wish to join?"
Eleanor spoke from the depths of her heart, her voice filled with determination. "You never lived the life of a noble; you don't know the facade we must maintain. Forced to wear masks, always pretending to be someone we're not, all to satisfy the whims of others and uphold me family's reputation. They push me to scorn people, especially pirates. But I be different. I long for a life beyond the mundane, a life filled with thrill and adventure..."
While she poured out her reasons, Jack, with nimble fingers, began picking the lock on his own cuffs, only catching snippets of Eleanor's passionate plea. Finally, the cuffs fell free, landing on the floor with a thud.
"Ahh, that be a sweet relief," Jack remarked, feeling the weight lift off his wrists.
Eleanor approached Jack, her voice rising in frustration. "You didn't even listen to what I said! You be completely disinterested. Did I save you for naught? Did I waste 860 gold coins on a lost cause?"
A mischievous smile played upon Jack's lips as he replied, "For a lass who claims she be nothin' like the nobles, ye seem mighty similar to 'em right now."
Eleanor's face flushed crimson, and she whispered, barely audible, "It ain't like that..."
He proceeded to unlock Mary's cuffs while continuing to speak, "Ye'll only be gettin' thanks from us for savin' our hides. I don't be wantin' any trouble with nobles in the future."
Surprised by the denial, Eleanor stammered, "But... you don't understand the lengths I went to save you, to retrieve your belongings. Please, I beg you to let me join."
As Mary's cuffs unlocked and she dropped them to the ground, she chimed in, "Captain, maybe ye should consider acceptin' her into the crew. We came to this island to earn some gold and recruit more hands, but our plans have gone awry. And she be offerin' to work for free. A little help wouldn't hurt."
Jack remained firm, declaring, "There be no way I be acceptin' her. She knows nothin' 'bout what it means to be a pirate." He then turned his gaze to Eleanor and asked, "Do ye even know what it means to be a pirate?"
Eleanor's face lit up with enthusiasm as she replied, "Sailing the seven seas, freedom, drinking spirits, singing, escaping the navy."
Even Mary began to have doubts about her own suggestion to accept Eleanor.
"HAR HAR HAR. So ye be ready to plunder? Killin' folks, be they innocent or not? Slayin' ships, whether they be navy or pirate vessels? Sailin' the treacherous seas of Thieves, Calamity, Cursed Sea, and Sea of Bones?" Jack questioned, his tone filled with skepticism.
Eleanor swiftly and confidently responded, "Aye!"
Jack shook his head, unable to hide his frustration. "Ye think like a child. Do ye even know what lurks in those seas ye mentioned?"
Eleanor confidently replied, "Yes, I've read books about them."
Suppressing the urge to facepalm, Jack retorted, "Books? Ye believe a book be holdin' the truth 'bout those treacherous waters? Out of a hundred souls who venture into any of those seas, only a rare few return. What ye were readin' be naught but fairy tales and falsehoods."
Mary pondered, The Captain be cruel, but I reckon I understand why. He don't want her to throw away her perfect life, where she has everythin' and be safe from constant danger. He be harsh to make her reconsider her wish.
Eleanor, taken aback, protested, "But... me father assured me the books were true. He spent a fortune on them, they must be real."
"El, as of now, I don't want ye in me crew, nor in me life. Find yerself a different pastime," Jack coldly declared.
Undeterred, Eleanor asserted, "Whether you want me or not, we be already distant from the island, and you can't go back, for they'll hunt you down. That means you must accept me."
Rising from his wooden chair, Jack responded, "Ye think ye understand pirates? And ye believe that just 'cause I can't return, I'll accept ye?"
"Yes! You must," Eleanor insisted.
Mary interjected, "Lass, when I ponder on it, this ain't the life ye truly desire. If we ever come under attack from another crew and they overpower us, both you and I will be sold as slaves and held captive for the rest of our days. And that be just one scenario, with countless other dangers awaitin'."
With her unwavering determination, Eleanor declared, "Aye, I be certain about my choice. It be far better to embrace life in all its glory, living it on your own terms, rather than merely existing and feeling as if you be a walking corpse."
Jack, without uttering a solitary word, swiftly departed the captain's cabin, closely trailed by Mary, and Eleanor, not wishing to be left adrift, hastened in their wake.
As they arrived at the stern, Jack gripped the tiller with a firm hand, taking command and steering the ship on a new course.
"Adjust the angle!" he thundered at Mary, who, swift as a seabird, sprang into action, deftly tending to the tattered sails.
Eager to lend a hand, Eleanor called out, "Captain, what be me task in this venture?"
A cruel smirk danced across Jack's face as he schemed in his wicked mind. That young lass believes herself already a part of the crew. Little does she know, I be settin' a trap by redirectin' the ship back to the very island we departed from.
"Stay right where ye stand!" he bellowed, relishing in the deception he had spun.