The Black Buccaneer - Chapter - 37

The Black Pearl sailed into Tortuga’s harbor under the cover of twilight, its damaged hull creaking from the battle with Angelica’s Sea Whisper. Though the ship still floated, Jack knew it wouldn’t last another battle without proper repairs.

Jack adjusted his hat, watching as the lively port town came into view—Tortuga, the city of sin and debauchery, where pirates, smugglers, and thieves thrived.

Angelica stood beside him, her arms crossed as she took in the chaotic sight of drunken pirates brawling in the streets, women luring men into taverns, and the unmistakable stench of rum and sea salt in the air.

Her nose wrinkled.

“This is where you wanted to come?” she asked, her tone half-disgusted, half-intrigued.

Jack grinned, resting a hand over his heart in mock offense.

“Angelica, love, Tortuga is a fine establishment, full of culture and... opportunity.” He gestured broadly. “And, more importantly, it’s where I can get information and fix my ship. So, unless you’d rather swim to Havana, I suggest you make yourself comfortable.”

Angelica huffed but said nothing.

The Black Pearl docked, and as the gangplank lowered, Jack descended first, tipping his hat to a pair of prostitutes who immediately cozied up to him.

Angelica rolled her eyes and walked past them, determined not to waste time.

Jack followed lazily, grinning to himself. “First time in Tortuga, love?”

Angelica gave him a side glance.

“I was raised in a convent, Sparrow. Do you really think I’ve been here before?”

Jack laughed. “Well, then, consider this your grand introduction to civilization.”

Angelica ignored him, her mind focused on her true objective.

She needed to find information about Captain Blackbeard.

And in a place like Tortuga, someone had to know something.

Angelica walked through the crowded streets, careful to keep her hand on her sword hilt.

She knew how dangerous places like this could be for a woman alone.

Jack, meanwhile, was already three drinks in at a nearby tavern, chatting up an old sailor about the repairs for the Pearl.

Angelica approached a burly man sitting outside a weaponsmith’s shop, sharpening a curved cutlass.

“I’m looking for information,” she said firmly.

The man barely looked up, his scarred face indifferent.

“Depends on the information. And the coin.”

Angelica reached into her coat, pulling out a small pouch of gold coins. She tossed one onto his table.

The man stopped sharpening his sword, picking up the coin and examining it.

“I’m looking for a man. A captain. Goes by the name of Edward Teach.”

The man froze.

Then, he slowly placed the coin back on the table.

His eyes met Angelica’s, suddenly cautious.

“Blackbeard?” he muttered. “You’re looking for Blackbeard?”

Angelica nodded. “Yes. And I need to know where he is.”

The man leaned back, rubbing his jaw, thinking.

Then, he laughed.

It wasn’t a happy laugh.

It was a laugh of disbelief.

“You don’t find Blackbeard, lass. Blackbeard finds you.”

Angelica narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

The man stood up, tossing the coin back at her.

“I mean, if you’re looking for Blackbeard, you best be ready for what comes next. And trust me... you don’t want to meet him unprepared.”

Before Angelica could press further, a gunshot rang through the air.

Shouts followed.

From the direction of the tavern.

Angelica whipped around—

Jack Sparrow.

Of course.

She gritted her teeth.

“What has that fool done now?”

The stench of gunpowder and rum lingered in the air as Jack Sparrow staggered out of the tavern, his sword dripping with blood. His coat was slightly torn, but his grin remained ever-present as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

Behind him, the tavern owner and a few others dragged out three lifeless bodies, dumping them unceremoniously into the sea, their corpses sinking beneath the waves without a second glance.

The streets of Tortuga remained lively, as if a murder inside a tavern was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

Angelica watched the scene unfold, unimpressed.

She folded her arms, raising an eyebrow at Jack.

“Do I even want to know?” she asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.

Jack wiped his sword on his coat, tucking it back into its sheath.

“Ah, just a slight disagreement, love. Turns out, some people don’t take kindly to being called frauds.”

Angelica sighed. “And let me guess? You were the one calling them frauds?”

Jack grinned, rocking back on his heels. “Well, in my defense, they were trying to cheat me out of a perfectly good wager. Had to set the record straight, didn’t I?”

Angelica shook her head but let it go. She had more important matters to deal with.

She had spent the last few hours asking about Edward Teach—her father.

Most men had laughed in disbelief, while others had refused to even speak his name. But at last, she had found a drunken sailor willing to talk for the right price.

The information he gave her made her blood run cold.

Blackbeard had been spotted near Port Royal.

Angelica’s fists clenched.

Her father was looking for her.

Angelica stood on the docks, the salty wind whipping through her hair, as she watched the crew of Sea Whisper prepare for departure. The moonlight reflected off the waves, casting eerie shadows on the weathered wooden planks beneath her feet.

Jack Sparrow leaned casually against a barrel, his arms crossed, watching her with an amused expression.

“So, you’re off to see dear old daddy, then?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Angelica nodded, her face serious.

“I have to. If he came all the way to Port Royal, it means he’s looking for me. And if I don’t meet him, he might tear the entire city apart trying to find me.”

Jack tilted his head, smirking. “Sounds like a reasonable bloke. Charming, even.”

Angelica rolled her eyes. “You know as well as I do that Blackbeard isn’t someone to take lightly.”

Jack sighed, pushing off the barrel.

“Aye, I know. He’s a devil on the sea, that one. You sure you want to go running straight into his arms? I mean, there are safer ways to spend your days, love.”

Angelica's eyes darkened. “It’s not about what I want, Jack. It’s about what I have to do.”

Jack studied her, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before sighing dramatically.

“Well then, I suppose this is where we part ways. I’ll miss the constant judging stares and the way you glare at me every time I take a sip of rum.”

Angelica gave him a sarcastic smile. “And I’ll miss the way you smell like bad decisions and regret.”

Jack grinned. “Ah, so you do like me. I knew it.”

Angelica ignored him, reaching into her coat pocket.

She pulled out a sealed letter and handed it to him.

“Take this. It’s for Henry. If you show this to anyone who works for him, they’ll take you to him.”

Jack flipped the letter in his hand, examining the wax seal.

“And where exactly am I supposed to find our dear Henry?”

Angelica crossed her arms.

“Havana. He has a shop there—Black Pepper. Go there, ask for him, and they’ll take you to him. Just try not to get into trouble before you find him.”

Jack gave her an innocent look.

“Me? Trouble? Angelica, you wound me.”

She raised an eyebrow.

Jack sighed dramatically. “Fine, fine. Off to Havana I go. You, meanwhile, enjoy your delightful family reunion. Give my regards to your father—on second thought, don’t.”

Angelica smirked, turning toward Sea Whisper, where her crew was waiting.

“Good luck, Sparrow. You’ll need it.”

Jack watched her step onto the ship, shaking his head as Sea Whisper set sail toward Port Royal.

He glanced down at the letter in his hand, then turned to where Black Pearl was docked.

“Havana it is, then,” he muttered, tucking the letter into his coat.

With that, the two captains parted ways, each heading toward their own destinations.


The streets of Havana were quiet, bathed in moonlight, as Jack Sparrow carefully maneuvered through the winding alleys. He knew this city well—too well, in fact. It wasn’t long ago that he had been here last, and he wasn’t exactly known for making peaceful visits.

His presence in Havana was risky at best, dangerous at worst. The Spanish authorities would have his head if they recognized him, so arriving in the dead of night was his best option.

Dressed in a simple, dark coat, with his hat pulled low over his face, Jack walked with purpose. It didn’t take him long to find Black Pepper, a modest but well-kept shop, nestled between two larger buildings in the heart of the trade district.

As he stepped inside, he was immediately hit with a wave of rich aromas—pepper, sugar, and fresh tobacco.

The air was thick with the scents of wealth, the very commodities that fueled the Caribbean economy.

A shopkeeper, a middle-aged man with a thick mustache, stood behind the counter. His eyes narrowed the moment he saw Jack.

“We’re closed, señor. Come back in the morning.”

Jack smirked, reaching into his coat.

“Ah, but you see, I come bearing gifts.”

He pulled out the letter Angelica had given him, holding it up for the man to see.

The shopkeeper’s suspicious expression vanished the moment he saw Angelica’s signature. He quickly gestured to another young worker nearby, who nodded and disappeared into the back.

Moments later, the worker returned and motioned for Jack to follow him outside.

Jack tipped his hat to the shopkeeper and followed the young man into a waiting horse-drawn carriage.

Jack leaned back as the carriage rolled through the moonlit countryside. The ride was long, but Jack wasn’t complaining.

He gazed out at the endless fields of sugarcane, tobacco, and pepper plants, stretching far beyond what his eyes could see.

“Bloody hell...” he muttered, his eyes wide with surprise.

He had expected Henry Creed to be wealthy, but this—this was something else entirely.

Henry Creed wasn’t just a merchant—he was a plantation lord.

Jack whistled softly, shaking his head.

“Looks like our dear Henry has done well for himself.”

The carriage pulled up to an imposing estate, a grand colonial house surrounded by endless acres of farmland.

A few workers tilted their hats in greeting as Jack hopped off the carriage, stretching his legs.

“Right then, where’s our dear host?”

One of the workers led him through the estate, past rows of drying tobacco leaves and barrels of sugar being prepared for shipment.

And finally, there, overseeing the packaging of the goods, stood Henry Creed.

Jack grinned and strode forward.

“Henry, old friend! You know, for a man who once lived the exciting life of a pirate, you’re looking rather—respectable.”

Henry looked up from his work, arching an eyebrow.

“Jack. I should have known you’d show up at my doorstep eventually. You only ever visit when you need something.”

Jack placed a hand on his chest, feigning offense.

“You wound me, mate. I simply came to—”

Henry cut him off, eyes narrowing.

“Angelica sent you, didn’t she?”

Jack hesitated for a brief second before pulling out the letter.

Henry took it, broke the seal, and read it quickly.

Jack watched as Henry’s expression softened slightly.

“So she’s safe. That’s good.”

Henry folded the letter, slipping it into his coat.

“Where did you meet her?”

Jack shrugged nonchalantly. “Tortuga. Quite the lively lass, if I may say so. You do have a type, Henry.”

Henry rolled his eyes, then his gaze darkened.

“You left something out, Jack. I can tell.”

Jack hesitated just a fraction too long.

“She’s fine, Henry, trust me. She just… had something she needed to do.”

Henry’s jaw tightened. “What is she doing?”

Jack waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, nothing too exciting. Just, you know… chasing after her dear old father.”

Henry froze.

His eyes sharpened dangerously.

“She’s looking for Blackbeard?”

Jack grinned sheepishly. “Well, in my defense, mate, she didn’t exactly ask my permission.”

Henry cursed under his breath, pacing.

Jack watched him for a moment, then decided to shift the subject—before Henry decided to throw him off the estate.

“Speaking of trouble, Henry, I seem to have gotten myself in a bit of a predicament.”

Henry stopped pacing, turning to face Jack.

“What did you do this time?”

Jack sighed dramatically, holding up his hand.

A dark, circular mark rested on his palm.

Henry’s brows furrowed.

“What is that?”

Jack grinned grimly.

“It’s a rather unfortunate souvenir from my good friend Davy Jones. Seems he’s grown impatient about a certain little debt of mine.”

Henry exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.

“You made a deal with Davy Jones.”

Jack grinned sheepishly. “Aye. And now he’s sending his pet Kraken to collect.”

Henry was silent for a long moment, then finally, he spoke.

“You need to stay here.”

Jack blinked. “What?”

Henry crossed his arms.

“Davy Jones can’t step foot on land. As long as you stay on dry ground, you’re safe.”

Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, yes, because staying in one place forever has always been my strong suit.”

Henry sighed. “You’re a fool, Jack. But for now, you stay here. I’ll figure out what Jones wants with me. And in the meantime… we need to talk about Angelica.”

Jack grinned nervously, knowing that conversation would not end well for him.