abunch of kids… oh, and two women! Hahaha!"A sailor's jeering voice rang out, followed by raucous laughter. More of them crowded to the edge, gawking at the trio like predators eyeing easy prey.
Du Wei sighed, raising his voice. "We've been shipwrecked! Can you help us?"
The laughter only grew louder, laced with a clear note of malice.
A rope ladder was lowered. Du Wei exhaled in relief and exchanged a glance with Joanna, who immediately understood. Without hesitation, she climbed up first.
Joanna's courage matched her skill. Though her magical abilities were only partially restored—roughly a third of her former strength—they still placed her at the level of a low-ranking mage. Coupled with her formidable combat skills, she was more than capable of handling a few dozen lowly pirates.
Du Wei followed Joanna, with Vivian bringing up the rear.
The sailors encircled them, their laughter coarse and mocking, their gazes brimming with ill intent.
"Oh, look at them! Two beautiful little doves!"
"Yeah, check out the legs on the one to the left! The captain's going to love her!"
"Guess what, kids? You've boarded the perfect ship!"
The pirates were a sorry-looking bunch, most barefoot and clad in tattered clothing, their faces smeared with grime. They leered shamelessly at Joanna and Vivian, baring yellowed teeth.
Vivian, timid by nature, pressed closer to Du Wei, while Joanna's expression darkened, a storm brewing in her icy gaze. She was on the verge of snapping—after all, this violent beauty had once stormed an Imperial military camp. What were a few pirates to her?
"Silence!"
A raspy voice cut through the din, followed by the crisp, deliberate steps of polished boots. A tall man emerged, dressed in a ragged Imperial Navy uniform stripped of its insignias and epaulettes. Though filthy, his boots gleamed as if freshly shined.
A slender sword, typical of a naval officer, hung at his waist, and he wore a captain's hat tilted jauntily to one side. In one hand, he held a pocket watch, the other resting on his hip.
Despite his imposing stature, the man's features were grotesque—narrow, shifty eyes, a bulbous nose, and two greasy, pencil-thin mustaches that only heightened his unsavory appearance. The word sleazy came unbidden to Du Wei's mind.
"Quiet down! Don't frighten my guests!" the captain said, his voice dripping with malice. His eyes swept over the group, lingering lasciviously on Joanna and Vivian. However, his gaze faltered briefly when he noticed Joanna's armor.
He quickly dismissed it. A young woman like her couldn't possibly be a threat. Likely some pampered noble brat, he reasoned.
As for Du Wei, he wasn't worth a second glance.
With his ragged clothes, bare feet, unkempt hair, and several oversized gourds tied to his body like crude flotation devices, Du Wei looked more like a shipwrecked savage than anything else.
"Welcome aboard my ship," the captain said, his tone smug. "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Captain Morales. You may call me Captain or, if you prefer, Your Excellency."
His eyes gleamed as they roved over the two women. "What a delightful surprise to find such lovely ladies on such a dull day! My quarters are just aft. I imagine you'd like to change into something more comfortable and enjoy a hearty meal, wouldn't you?"
Though Joanna and Vivian tried to maintain their composure, days of starvation had left them visibly weakened. Even their beauty was shadowed by gauntness, a fact that did not escape the captain's predatory gaze.
Captain Morales could hardly contain his glee. After several wretched days, fortune seemed to have finally smiled on him.
Just days ago, the Imperial Navy's Eastern Fleet had mobilized in full force, patrolling the seas and making life miserable for every pirate in the region. Captain Morales' ship had narrowly escaped a skirmish with an Imperial warship two days prior, fleeing into a fog bank after a grueling chase.
Exhausted and demoralized, Morales had been cursing his luck—until now. The gods themselves had delivered three helpless lambs into his clutches.
And what lambs they were! The two young women were leagues above the dockside harlots of any port. Cleaned up and laid out on his bed, they would be a feast for the senses.
"Come now, my beautiful ladies." Captain Morales, emboldened, reached out to grab Joanna's arm. "Such exquisite guests shouldn't be treated poorly. I'll make sure you fall in love with my ship…"
When the captain's hand fell upon Joanna's shoulder, Du Wei sighed deeply and instinctively closed his eyes.
A blood-curdling scream followed.
Joanna erupted in a dazzling light—a brilliance reserved for warriors of advanced rank.
Battle Aura!
The captain's cry pierced the air as his entire body was hurled skyward, his ornate hat tumbling onto the deck. And as for the captain himself...
See that arc tracing across the sky? With a faint splash, Du Wei smiled knowingly as the captain plunged into the sea.
Everyone froze, stunned for a moment.
Then the pirates snapped back to their senses, weapons drawn, shouting as they charged.
Joanna sneered. After days of pent-up fury, she finally had an outlet.
Unarmed, she moved like a storm. Grabbing the first man to approach, she swung him effortlessly, using his body as a grotesque weapon.
Cries of agony rang out, mingling with the chaotic clatter of steel and the relentless plop of men plunging into the sea.
By the time Du Wei silently counted to ten, a third of the pirates lay defeated.
"Enough! Joanna, that's enough," Du Wei called, sensing the battle had sufficiently shifted.
Joanna hesitated, then lashed out one final time, kicking a man overboard. Around her, the remaining pirates backed away in terror, their faces pale as if they'd seen a ghost.
"I said, enough!" Du Wei frowned and gently placed a hand on Joanna's shoulder.
Joanna turned angrily. "We're not on that cursed island anymore! Do you still think you can order me around?"
She lunged to grab his wrist, but Du Wei didn't resist. Instead, he locked his gaze onto hers and said in a low, commanding voice, "Look at me."
Joanna froze, her eyes irresistibly drawn to his.
Was it an illusion?
For the first time, Joanna noticed how profoundly captivating his eyes were—dark, unfathomably deep, like the vast, star-studded night sky. A single glance made her feel as though her very soul might be swallowed whole.
Her anger ebbed away. Her grip slackened, her body refusing to obey her will. She could only stand there, gazing into his eyes as if entranced.
"I said, enough." His voice was calm, deliberate, and struck her heart like a hammer.
"…Understood," she murmured, her tone unexpectedly gentle, devoid of her usual defiance.
"Good." Still holding her gaze, Du Wei's voice seemed melodic, compelling—a sound she could not help but obey.
"Stand behind me. And unless I give you a direct order, do not interfere," he commanded softly.
Joanna hesitated for the briefest of moments, a flicker of rebellion flashing in her eyes. Yet that strange, intoxicating sensation overwhelmed her. She stepped back obediently, positioning herself behind him.
As soon as Du Wei's eyes released her, clarity returned to Joanna's mind. Her chest heaved, confusion swirling.
What just happened? Why did I… listen to him?
Frustration bubbled within her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't summon the will to defy him. The mere thought of disobedience brought a deep, inexplicable discomfort, while compliance felt oddly satisfying.
This feeling… was terrifying.
Joanna's expression darkened, but Du Wei gave her no time to dwell on her confusion. Turning to the remaining pirates, he raised the fallen captain's hat and placed it upon his own head.
"Listen up, you filthy scum!" he bellowed, glaring at the cowering pirates.
Fear gripped them. Joanna's strength was beyond anything they could contend with.
"You are nothing but parasites—disgraceful wretches fit for the gallows!" Du Wei's voice dripped with contempt. "You pillage, murder, and destroy. But now, your lives are mine. This ship, every last one of you, is my property!"
He stepped onto the back of a fallen pirate, eliciting a pained groan, and surveyed the rest.
"As prisoners, your fates rest in my hands. I could toss you all overboard to drown or deliver you to the authorities to be hanged. But I am merciful. From this moment forward, you are no longer pirates. You are my slaves and servants. By imperial law, as a noble, I claim the right to decide your fate. Do you understand?"
The pirates hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances.
"I said, do you understand?!" Du Wei's voice thundered. "Whoever doesn't respond can join their captain in the sea!"
"Yes! We understand!" the pirates shouted, scrambling to respond.
Satisfied, Du Wei smirked. "Good. Now, clean the deck. Toss these useless bodies overboard!"
The pirates obeyed without hesitation, hauling their fallen comrades overboard.
"Throw down two lifeboats," Du Wei added.
The sea below churned with over twenty splashing pirates. Upon spotting the lifeboats, they swam frantically toward them.
"I should kill you all, but as I said, I am merciful," Du Wei declared. "Take those boats. There's an island in that direction. If you row hard, you might reach it by tomorrow noon. That's my final act of mercy."
Ignoring their desperate cries and curses, Du Wei turned to the trembling sailors who remained on deck. "Food and water—now. Move quickly!"
They scattered like frightened mice.
Vivian, her face pale, approached hesitantly. "Du Wei… wasn't that… too cruel?"
"Too cruel?" he replied coldly. "These men are pirates, Vivian. Murderers, thieves, and worse. Do you think they deserve mercy? If they'd caught us under different circumstances, you and Joanna would've faced horrors I dare not describe."
Vivian fell silent, and even Joanna nodded grimly in agreement.
Later, as the group devoured their meal—a feast compared to the days of starvation—Du Wei addressed the crew once more.
"This ship now belongs to my personal fleet. You will sail under my command, and I will appoint a new captain…" His eyes scanned the crowd and settled on a man whose face seemed least offensive.
"You. Step forward. What's your name?"
The man stammered nervously, "I-I'm…"
"Never mind. A new ship deserves a new name, and so do you." A sly grin spread across Du Wei's face.
"From today, you are Captain Jack Sparrow, and this ship is the Black Pearl."
The crew stared in bewilderment, while Du Wei suppressed a laugh.
The Black Pearl and Captain Jack Sparrow—a fitting start to his private fleet.