Chapter 1: Shiver Me Timbers, I've Been Reborn?!
[2009 AD, The seas off the coast of Somalia]
My crewmates and I were struggling to fight, these white men firing their guns at us. We have executed our plan to raid a cargo vessel to take some valuable items, only for it to be heavily guarded.
As the foreigners' guns started to claim the lives of who I call my comrades, my fighting spirit welled up in me. I aggressively shot the white men with my PKM machine gun. However, just I was getting the advantage, the foreign army called in their reinforcements. At that moment, we were outnumbered, then...
The whites proceeded to fire their machine guns.
As my body became riddled with bullets, I can only pray that my nation of Somalia prosper, apologizing to myself that I could have had better ways of making a living, only to settle on this dark route of piracy.
Then, all went black.
-----
[325 Years Earlier, The Caribbean Sea]
As the rays of the scorching sun caressed the vast expanse of the Caribbean Sea, the waves danced and shimmered, their turquoise hues blending seamlessly with the cerulean sky above. The air was thick with anticipation, a symphony of salty scents and tropical melodies that swirled around the scattered islands like a siren's song.
In the heart of this paradise, a lone ship, weathered and battle-worn, sailed through the choppy waters.
"Dang, not a single chest on that island," a buxom, blonde-haired woman said. She was wearing the gear of a pirate captain, coat, hat, and all.
"It's okay, Captain Blackwood," a crewman said. "We can always try another island tomorrow."
"You keep saying that, Gordon," Captain Blackwood said. "5 days sailing on this freaking sea, and we haven't found a single piece of evidence of treasure."
As the ship navigated the harsh waters of the Caribbean, another crewman noticed something peculiar.
"Captain, look! It's a black man, and he's floating!" he cried out.
"Let me see!" Blackwood said.
As Captain Blackwood looked through her spyglass, the crewman's words held true...
-----
...How many hours has it been?
Why am I floating?
I'm supposed to be dead, right?
Is this the afterlife?
If no, then why am I still feeling consciousness?
This storm of thoughts plagued me as I found myself floating on a piece of wood, in the middle of a mysterious sea.
After what seemed like forever on this wood piece, I noticed something peculiar. A wooden galleon, old and rugged, floating towards me.
With what little energy I could muster, I yelled to the ship for help. A few moments of this later, I heard a female voice.
"Hey! African! Can you hear me?"
"Where am I? What is this place?"
"We'll explain later. Here, grab the rope as I pull you onboard."
As I held on tightly to the rope, I felt a sudden jolt as the wooden galleon pulled me onboard. My eyes met with the piercing gaze of a woman standing before me. She had golden blonde hair, her face marked with scars of countless battles, and her eyes emanating a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.
"Welcome aboard The Scarlet Serpent," she said in a commanding tone. "I am Captain Eliza Blackwood."
"Um... my name is Amir. Nice to meet you, Captain Blackwood. Wait, did you say 'Captain?'"
"Yup! I'm the captain of my pirate ship, The Scarlet Serpent! Anyway, I haven't seen those kinds of clothes on you before. Are you from an unknown civilization?"
"Well, I come from a country named 'Somalia', and I have worked as a pirate before. You know, raiding ships for valuable stuff..."
"Ooh, what a brave pirate you were, Amir."
"And I believe you made an excellent captain, right? Despite the fact you're a woman..."
"Well, you say that..."
"Anyway, do you know where I am? This place seems so old-fashioned."
"You are in the Caribbean Sea, in the year of Our Lord 1684!"
"16... 84? Caribbean Sea? As in... THE GOLDEN AGE OF MOTHERLOVING PIRACY?!!"
"Golden Age... Hehe, sounds funny, especially when gold is one of our goals in sailing these high seas."
So, let me get this straight: My cargo raid operation went horribly wrong, I was shot to death by machine guns, I ended up floating in the Caribbean, and now I am onboard a pirate ship in the 17th century.
That's when it hit me hard like a club.
I HAD TRAVELLED BACK IN TIME!!!