Chapter 8: Sailing into Battle
As Captain Blake told us about trying to contact other pirate captains for support, I asked Captain Blackwood about whether those captains would accept their request or not.
"Do you think this plan would work?" I said.
"It's okay," said Captain Blake. "Some would accept, some would reject, but as long as we work together, our plans will succeed." Captain Blackwood offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Amir. We've faced worse odds before."
Blake nodded. "You're right, Captain. We just need to stay one step ahead of Rodrigo." He turned to me, his sharp gaze assessing. "Amir, I have a task for you. I need someone to gather information from the locals, find out if Rodrigo has any new plans or alliances brewing. You're new here, so you'll blend in better than the rest of us."
I straightened, my chest swelling with determination. "Aye-aye, Captain Blake." I then tagged along with a young woman who may know some things about the town and its people. And with that, I disembarked on the docked Scarlet Serpent along with the woman, whose name was Jennifer.
She's a young and pretty pirate with fiery red hair and eyes like the ocean during a storm. I've heard she's good with the people of Port Royal, so she'd be the perfect partner for this task.
"Ready to do some snooping?" she replied with a wink.
"Looking forward to it," I said, matching her confident stride as we made our way through the crowded streets.
The sun was already high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the dusty roads and colorful buildings.
As we crossed the town, Jennifer told me, "So, you're the 'pirate from the future' everyone here talks about. Is that true?"
"Yes, I am. I was just reincarnated here, as a 17th-century pirate like yourself," I replied. "Speaking of, how long have you been with Captain Blackwood's crew?"
"About 3 months already. Captain Blackwood was so astonished about my intelligence, such as the time I successfully guessed the site of some coin chest in Saint-Domingue. She noted that girls like me can change the future of this world someday."
"Which would explain her diverse crew of men and women," I said.
Jennifer's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Well, I'd love to help you on your mission, Amir. Let's see what we can find out."
We started our journey of gathering information at a small tavern nestled in a back alley. The sign above the entrance read "The Tipsy Seagull," and it seemed like a popular hangout for the locals. As we stepped inside, the dimly lit interior was filled with the aroma of ale and the hum of lively chatter.
Jennifer led the way, her confident stride cutting through the crowd like a knife through butter.
I followed close behind, my eyes scanning the tavern for any familiar faces or eavesdroppers. The atmosphere inside The Tipsy Seagull was thick with the scent of tobacco, ale, and the faint hint of something else— something like... fear?
As we approached the bar, a burly, bearded man wiped the counter with a grimy cloth. He eyed us warily, his gaze lingering on Jennifer before shifting to me. "What can I get for you two?" he asked, his voice gruff and worn from years of shouting over the din of drunken patrons.
"We would like the latest info on the pirates of this region. Do you know someone named Rodrigo el Terrible?" I asked the man, who I guessed is the owner of this tavern.
"Sure thing. Ya just gotta pay me a few dollars to buy a drink and some news from me." The bartender's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the cloth as he wiped the counter. The man was clearly not one to be trifled with, and I could sense a dangerous edge lurking beneath his gruff exterior.
I nodded, pulling a few coins from my pocket and placing them on the counter. "Deal," I said, my voice steady despite the tense atmosphere. "We're looking for information about Rodrigo el Terrible. We heard he's been making waves in these parts."
The bartender's eyes flicked to the coins, then back to me. He grunted, pocketing the money before leaning in close.
"Rodrigo, huh? That bastard's been causin' a ruckus alright. Heard he found himself a nice little treasure lately—some gold llama or somethin'. Been talkin' 'bout it non-stop, like a kid with a new toy."
Jennifer leaned in as well, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "That's interesting. Do you know if he's got any plans for it?"
The bartender snorted. "Plans? Hell, he's just been showin' it off to anyone who'll listen."
"Actually, we currently own that llama since just last night. I feel that we might as well angered a dragon," I said. "Now, he's seeking revenge against us, and my closet ally is considering a small force of pirates to confront this menace." I informed Jennifer, as I polished off the last of my ale, the bartender provided as a part of our information deal.
"Well, he might be seeking revenge, but without a plan, all that anger won't amount to much," Jennifer replied, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
The bartender leaned in closer, his breath reeking of tobacco and ale. "There's talk of him gatherin' up a crew, though. Word is, he's got something big planned."
I raised an eyebrow. "Big, you say? That doesn't sound good."
The bartender nodded. "But I'm afraid the time's up, unless you want to pay extra..."
"Thanks, sir. We'll be on our way back to our ship," I said, complimenting him.
As we walked our way back to @The Scarlet Serpent , Jennifer and I discussed what we learned about Rodrigo's plans. I couldn't help but feel a mix of concern and excitement bubbling inside me. Concern for the potential danger that lay ahead, and excitement for the adventure that awaited us.
"So, what's the plan now?" Jennifer asked, her eyes reflecting the glow of the setting sun.
"We have to warn Captain Blackwood about what we learned," I replied, my voice filled with determination. "If Rodrigo is indeed gathering a crew for something big, we need to be prepared. And we need allies."
Jennifer nodded in agreement. "That's true. We can't face him alone.
We need to rally as many pirate crews as possible. Our chances of victory will depend on the number of allies we can gather."
Jennifer nodded, her red hair bouncing with the rhythm of her steps. "I agree. We'll need to spread the word quickly if we want to outmaneuver Rodrigo. He's been underestimating us, but that doesn't mean he's not dangerous."
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets as we hurried back towards The Scarlet Serpent.
As we embarked on the ship, Captain Blake was about to leave for his ship. "So, I sent some messages to some captains I know, and I'm yet to receive some responses. Anyway, what info did you learn, Amir?" he asked me.
I quickly recounted our visit to The Tipsy Seagull and the information we gathered from the bartender. "He's been showing off his golden llama treasure, but more importantly, he's been gathering a crew. It seems like he's planning something big."
Captain Blake's expression darkened at the news. "Things are heating up faster than I expected. We need to move quickly if we're going to stay ahead of Rodrigo."
He turned to Jennifer, who stood beside me, her eyes sparkling with determination. "And what do you think, Jennifer?"
"Yeah, having picked up from the rumors from earlier, I also heard that Captain Blackwood is preparing a small fleet of galleons designed to encircle Rodrigo," she answered.
"Captain Hawkswell might've been involved in the planning stage too. You know, being an old friend of hers and all."
I nodded, taking in the new information. "Alright, so what's the next move?"
Jennifer's eyes gleamed with fierce determination. "We need to gather more intel. Who knows what other schemes Rodrigo might be brewing? We have to be one step ahead. Maybe we can sneak onto his ship again and-"
"Not tonight," Captain Blackwood said. "And besides the growing evening, we still need to prepare for the coming voyage against Rodrigo tomorrow. In fact, I can hear the quartermaster calling you. Maybe he wants the deck swept or something."
"Aye-aye, Captain!" Jennifer exclaimed as she made her way to the quartermaster.
I watched as she hurried off, her red hair bouncing with each step. I glanced over at Captain Blackwood, who was deep in thought, her brows furrowed as she contemplated our next move.
"Captain, any thoughts on how we should proceed?" I asked, walking over to her.
She looked up at me, her eyes reflecting the glow of the setting sun. "We need to be cautious, Amir. Rodrigo is a cunning man, and he likely has allies we know nothing about. We need to be prepared for anything."
I nodded in agreement.
"Well, Amir and Captain Blackwood, I'll be seeing you next time," Captain Blake said. "I'll inform you of our allies as soon as possible."
And with that, he left our ship.
The day ended with some final ship checks before the ship takes the waves once more tomorrow morning.
[The next morning...]
I woke up with a big yawn in my cabin. As I headed outside to the main deck, I received a letter from Captain Blake, telling us here in @The Scarlet Serpent that he has some captains that would accept his request, though only a few approved. I'm still thrilled to have reinforcements for the voyage later, anyway.
As the quartermaster, whose name I learned was Jonathan, wrapped up the roll call for us crew, Captain Blackwood gave us an announcement that reinforcements will come as soon as we sailed far enough to confront Rodrigo in his ship. We then did some final checks to see whether the ship's fine, then we sailed off to the warm blue seas.
[Meanwhile, onboard the docked Amazing Siren...]
Captain Blake Hawkswell looked at the few pirate captains who accepted the invitation. "So, you men ready to help an old friend?" he asked them.
"Aye-aye. Captain Blake!" they replied in unison.
One of the captains, a man with a thick beard and an eye patch, spoke up, "We heard about your plan to take down Rodrigo. We figure the more pirates we got working together, the better our chances of takin' him down."
"Exactly right, Captain," Blake replied with a nod. "And I'm glad you and your crew are willing to join us."
Another captain, a woman with a scar running down her cheek, added, "I've tasted Rodrigo's wrath before. He took one of my men and made an example of him.
I won't let that happen again. That's why I'm here," she said, her voice steady and fierce. "We all have our reasons. But together, we stand a chance. Now, let's go over the plan once more before we set sail."
"Aye-aye," Blake said, beginning to discuss the plan with his allies. "So, we start by flanking this ship called @The Scarlet Serpent..."