Chapter 3 - The Curse

On the Interceptor , the brig

Ekaterina was locked into the brig soon after. Her hand is being handcuffed by Jack.

"Now don't think of escaping Lieutenant" Jack said shoving her in the cell.

She glared at him and kicked him where it hurts the most.

Jack dodged it and laughed "you remind me of a woman who is very mad at me." Jack said with laughter as he left the room.

She is very angry. She hope James will save her.

Meanwhile James and his crew got the Dauntless ready to set sail.

On the Interceptor

"When I was a lad living in England , my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father." Said Will when he is sharpened his sword.

"Is that so?" Jack asked.

"My father, Will Turner . At the jail, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father." Said Will.

"I knew him. Probably one the few who knew him as William Turner . Everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."

"Bootstrap?" Will asked.

"Good man. Good pirate. I swear you look just like him."

"Its not true. He was a merchant sailor. A good respectable man who obeyed the law" William said as Jack shook his head.

"He was a bloody pirate a scallywag" Jack said as William took his sword out.

"My father was not a pirate" William said now irritated.

"Put it away son its not worth you getting beat again." Jack said calmly.

"You didn't beat me you ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight I'd kill you." William said correcting Jack.

"Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?" said Jack as he moves one of the sails so that the yard catches Will and swings him out over the sea. "Now, as long as you?re just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these ? What a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for example, I can let you drown but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesy, savvy? So?" Jack swings him back on board and offers him his sword. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate? Or can you not?"

Will takes the sword and asked"Tortuga ?"

"Tortuga." Jack said as they are on the island. "More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga , savvy? What do you think?"

"It'll linger." Said Will.

"I'll tell you mate, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted." Said Jack.

"Scarlett ! " Scarlett slaps him. Not sure I deserved that. Giselle! "Jack exclaimed.

"Who was she?! " asked Giselle.

"What?" She slaps him. "I may have deserved that." Said Jack.

-Time skip-

Jack looks for Gibbs and once he found him he threw water on his face. Will did the same.

"What was that for?" Gibbs said spitting water out.

"Waking you up" Jack said.

"The smell" William said.

They enter a tavern. Jack said to Will  "Keep a sharp eye." as he  sits at a table with Gibbs.

"Now, what's the nature of this venture of yourn?" asked Gibbs.

"I'm going after the Black Pearl."said Jack.Gibbs almost chokes on his drink. "I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it."

"Jack , it's a fool's errand. Why, you know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl."said Gibbs.

"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew."Jack said to Gibbs.

"From what I tell of Captain Barbossa. He's not a man at all" Gibbs said as William looked at him like he was crazy.

"Well, then I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?" Jack said.

"Prove me wrong. What makes ye think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?"

"Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, eh?" Jack said and nods at Will .

"The kid?" Asked Gibbs.

"That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy?" Jack told Gibbs.

"Is he, now?? Leverage? Says you? I think I feel a change in the wind, says I. I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you." Said Gibbs.

"One can only hope. Take what you can?" said Jack as he toasts Gibbs .

They clink their tankards. "Give nothing back!" Gibbs said as they drain their drinks.

On the Black Pearl

"You'll be dinin' with the Captain tonight" Pintel said to Elizabeth as she stood behind the bars in the cell. "He requests you wear this" He said giving her a dress.

"Well you may tell the captain the I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request" she said to Pintel.

"He said you'd say that. He said if that be the case, you'll be dinin' with the crew.and you'll be naked." Pintel said as Elizabeth snatched the dress "fine" he said as he walked off.

In the Captain's cabin, the food is laid out. Elizabeth eats daintily. "There's no need to stand on ceremony, nor call to impress anyone. You must be hungry." said Barbossa as he gives Elizabeth a goblet with wine. "Try the wine. And the apples?" He offers her one. "One of those next."

"It's poisoned." Elizabeth told Barbossa.

"There would be no sense to be killing ye, Miss Turner ."

"Then release me, you have your trinket; I'm of no further value to you." Said Elizabeth.

Barbossa takes out the medallion. "You don't know what this is, do ye?"

"It's a pirate medallion." Elizabeth answered.

"This is Aztec Gold one of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortes himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortes was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold?a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity." Barbosa said to Elizabeth.

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore,  Captain Barbossa ."she said to him.

"Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an Island of Dead what cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took them all. We spent them and traded them and frittered them away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave them away, the more we came to realize?The drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner . Compelled by greed, we were, but now we are consumed by it." said Barbossa as Elizabeth takes a butter knife and hides it. "There is one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye, we have the final piece."

"And the blood to be repaid?" Elizabeth asked.

"That's why there's no sense to be killing ye?yet." He offers her an apple. " Apple? Arr." She stabs him with the knife and he takes it out. "I'm curious ? After killing me what was it you planning on doing next?" Barbossa asked as she runs out and sees the pirates, all decaying skeletons. "Look! The moonlight shows us for what we really are. We are not among the living, and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead. For too long I've been parched with thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing ? Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman?s flesh." He walks out into the moonlight and reveals a skeleton. "You best start believing in ghost stories Miss Turner . You're in one!" said Barbossa and he drinks and it pours over his ribs, laughs and the crew laughs with him. "What are ye looking at? Back to work!"

"You heard the Captain. Back to work." the pirates said.