[Isla De Muerta: Caves - MAIN CAVERN]
The caverns of Isla de Muerta were alive with the sounds of battle—swords clashing, explosions rocking the ground, and the distant echoes of shouts and curses. The golden glow of torches mixed with the eerie shimmer of cursed Aztec gold, casting long, dancing shadows across the treasure-laden floor.
Arlo, Elizabeth, and Link emerged from the tunnels, their eyes immediately locking onto the chaos before them. At the center of it all, Jack Sparrow and Barbossa dueled, their swords clashing with a deadly rhythm, the metallic ring of each strike echoing through the cavern.
Jack, now fully under the curse, moved with a strange confidence, his skeletal form flashing in and out of the moonlight as he fought. He parried Barbossa's attacks with his usual flair, dodging and weaving like a drunken acrobat, a smirk never leaving his face. Barbossa, in contrast, fought with calculated brutality, his strikes powerful and relentless, every movement designed to corner Jack and end the fight swiftly.
Arlo knew better than to assume Jack was losing—Jack never fought fair, and he always had a plan.
Arlo then used his [Observe] to see Barbossa's status:
---
Hector Barbossa
Race: Undead/Skeleton
Level: 15
HP: 180/180
MP: None
[Stats]
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 15
Intelligence: 9
Charisma: 12
Luck: 7
Endurance: 25 (∞)
Wisdom: 8
Status: Immortality (via the Aztec Curse)
Skills: Expert Buccaneer LV. 8/10, Marksmanship LV. 7/10, Defensive Sword Style LV. 8/10, Master Seaman LV. 9/10, Undead Curse LV. 9/10
Description: A legendary pirate of the Caribbean as well as the archenemy, nemesis and rival of Captain Jack Sparrow. A captain of treacherous morality, ruthless and cunning. One of the nine pirate lord of the Brethren Court.
Threat Level: High
---
Arlo turned to Elizabeth and handed her a cutlass, his grip firm on his threaded cane. "Be careful, Miss Swan."
Elizabeth nodded, gripping the cutlass tightly. "You too, Arlo."
Before they could move, an explosion erupted across the cavern, sending coins, debris, and splintered wood flying. Both of them instinctively shielded their faces from the blast before turning toward the source. Across the cavern, Will was locked in his own battle, struggling against multiple cursed pirates.
A booming laugh pulled Arlo's attention away. From the swirling smoke, Jacoby emerged, sword raised, his skeletal form flickering in and out of its cursed state beneath the moonlight. His hollow eyes locked onto Elizabeth.
"I'm gonna teach you the meaning of PAIN!" Jacob roared.
Elizabeth didn't flinch. She tilted her head and smirked. "You like pain?"
Jacoby barely had time to react before Elizabeth rushed forward, her cutlass flashing. She dodged his first clumsy swing and countered with a powerful strike, her blade crashing into his ribs and sending him flying into a pile of gold and bones.
Arlo didn't have time to watch as two more undead pirates charged at him and Link simultaneously. One wielded a jagged cutlass, while the other raised a rusted axe, both lunging forward with unnatural speed. The first pirate swung wildly, aiming for Arlo's midsection.
Arlo twisted at the last second, parrying the strike with his cane before delivering a powerful kick to the pirate's ribs, sending it staggering backward. But before he could recover, his danger intuition flared violently. The second pirate was coming from behind. Without hesitation, Arlo flicked his cane into its whip form, the razor-sharp edges wrapping around the second pirate's wrist mid-swing. With a forceful tug, the pirate's entire forearm detached, the skeletal limb clattering to the ground. The pirate reeled back, but its empty sockets still burned with cursed life.
tsk, their curse protect them from ever harming them lucky the threaded cane can affect them from recovering quickly, Arlo thought
Meanwhile, Link was a blur of motion, dodging the first pirate's attacks with effortless agility. The skeletal pirate swung again, but Link ducked low, barely avoiding the blade before launching forward with a full-speed tackle. The force of the impact sent the pirate staggering toward Arlo.
Arlo saw the opening. Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out five tarot cards—each one enchanted and razor-sharp through his ability Paper Dagger. As the pirate stumbled forward, Arlo moved swiftly, striking with surgical precision. One strike to the neck. Two to the arms. Two to the legs.
Link, eyes gleaming, rushed forward and kicked the torso with his paws, sending the still-moving remains tumbling across the cavern floor. Even disassembled, the skull continued to chatter, its hollow jaw snapping at the air.
Arlo huffed, adjusting his grip on his cane. "You lot really don't know when to stay down." Link growled, standing beside Arlo, tail raised, ready for the next fight. And the battle was far from over, time to join Jack.
***
The battle in the cavern intensified, the sound of metal against metal ringing through the air like a chaotic symphony. Arlo took a sharp breath, scanning the battlefield. Jack and Barbossa's duel raged on, the two pirates locked in a deadly dance of steel and strategy. Jack fought like a man with nothing to lose, his movements fluid, unpredictable, while Barbossa countered with sheer brutality, his strikes designed to overpower rather than outmaneuver.
Arlo's gaze flicked to Elizabeth, who had just blown apart another pirate, sending a shower of bones and gold scattering across the cavern floor. She was holding her own, but Will was still fighting across the room, and the longer this battle dragged on, the worse their odds became, they need to end the curse.
Making a quick decision, Arlo tightened his grip on his threaded cane and sprinted toward Jack and Barbossa. "Link, use tackle!"
Link, ever faithful, charged forward at full speed, his small frame blurring with the force of his momentum. He slammed into Barbossa's side, sending the undead pirate staggering away from Jack.
Jack, taking full advantage of the opening, backpedaled, brushing off his coat like he'd just walked through a mild inconvenience. He turned to Arlo, grinning as he extended a hand.
"What took you so long?, mate" Jack quipped.
Arlo smirked, grabbing Jack's hand and pulling him up."Sorry, too many obstacle on the way,"he replied.
Jack dusted himself off, but the moment was cut short as Barbossa regained his footing, his yellowed eyes burning with frustration. Barbossa steadied himself, his skeletal form flickering between flesh and bone in the moonlight. His yellowed teeth curled into a snarl, eyes darting between Jack, Arlo, and Link, who stood ready for battle.
"Ye escaped me, and now ye bring a dog to a fight? What's next, a parrot?" Barbossa sneered, eyeing Arlo with irritation.
Arlo gave a casual shrug, twirling his threaded cane in his grip. "You shouldn't have left only four pirates to guard the Black Pearl. Maybe next time, leave a few more."
Barbossa's face twisted with rage. "I'll gut ye like a fish, boy!"
Arlo raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You can try."
Before Arlo could respond, Jack leaned in slightly, whispering just loud enough for Arlo to hear. "Just so you know, he means that quite literally, mate. Just sayin'." Arlo sighed. "Can you let me have this moment, Jack?"
Barbossa, losing patience, shouted,"Are we fightin' or not?!"He didn't wait for an answer—he charged, blade raised.
Jack and Arlo exchanged a quick glance before moving in unison, both of them rushing forward to meet the attack. Arlo lashed out first, his threaded cane's blade gleaming as it slashed across Barbossa's coat. The Barbossa barely flinched, his undead nature rendering the wound meaningless. But Jack was already moving, parrying Barbossa's counterattack with a well-timed block, forcing him to shift his focus.
Barbossa growled, his frustration mounting. "Ye think ye can best me, Jack? And you, boy—ye're nothin' but a nuisance!"
Arlo smirked, dodging a heavy swing from Barbossa's sword. "Nuisance? I'll take that as a compliment."
The fight became a whirlwind of motion—
The fight intensified, the cavern echoing with the sound of clashing steel. Jack, ever the opportunist, danced around Barbossa's strikes, dodging with his usual unpredictable flair. Arlo, on the other hand, kept his movements sharp and efficient, his strikes calculated, aimed at keeping Barbossa off-balance. Arlo and Jack attacked simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized. Arlo slashed at Barbossa's legs, forcing him to stumble, while Jack aimed for his torso. Barbossa barely managed to block both attacks, his frustration boiling over.
Barbossa growled in frustration. He had fought hundreds of men in his time, but never two opponents who fought so differently, yet seamlessly together. He slashed wildly at Jack, forcing him to step back—then turned his full attention to Arlo.
Barbossa grinned, sensing an opportunity. Jack was too unpredictable, but Arlo was still human, still vulnerable. With a sudden feint, Barbossa plunged his sword into Jack's chest. The force sent Jack stumbling backward, the sword impaled through his heart. But before Arlo could react— Barbossa push the blade deeper and drove it into Arlo's close to his heart. Pain exploded through Arlo's body, his danger intuition flaring too late to fully avoid the strike. His vision blurred slightly as he staggered back, blood seeping through his coat. He cough some blood and His Clown's Bodily control's calm expression shattered for the first time, replaced by a mix of shock and grim realization.
[Critical Damage Taken: - 80 HP]
[Status Effect: Massive Bleeding]
[HP: 45/145]
Arlo saw the warning in his HUD.
"Who would've thought,"Arlo muttered through gritted teeth, "that fighting undead Captain Pirate was actually hard? Jack made this look way too easy in the movie."
Jack, meanwhile, grunted as he pushed himself up, yanking the sword from his chest.
Jack, seeing Arlo wounded, pushed Barbossa away with a furious strike. "Not today, Hector!"
Barbossa snarled, slashing at Jack with renewed ferocity. Arlo, fighting past the pain, subtly reached into his inventory, fingers brushing against a small vial—a low health potion. He could feel the warmth of his own blood against his hand, the wound deep but not fatal. Keeping his movements deliberate, he popped the cork with his thumb and downed the liquid in one swift motion.
Thank God for inventory systems, Arlo thought, his breathing steadying.
[Status Effect: +100 HP]
[HP: 125/145]
The heath potion effect surged through him, the wound slowly knitting together, though the dull ache remained. He didn't let Barbossa see any of it.
Barbossa, meanwhile, turned back toward Jack, raising his blade for another strike.
Jack, ever the opportunist, palmed the stolen medallion, slicing his own palm with his sword and letting the blood drip onto the coin. With a quick flick, he tossed it across the cavern. Straight to Will.
Barbossa's expression shifted instantly, realization dawning on him. His eyes snapped toward Will, who held the coin tightly in his grip. Panic flashed across Barbossa's face. Without hesitation, he ripped his pistol from his belt, spinning toward Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, her eyes locking onto the gun.The moment slowed—Barbossa's finger tightened on the trigger.
Then a blur of fur launched forward. Link lunged. His sharp teeth sank deep into Barbossa's wrist, forcing his arm upward. The pistol fired, but the bullet whizzed harmlessly past Elizabeth, embedding itself into the stone wall.The weapon clattered to the ground, Barbossa roaring in pain as he tried to shake Link off.
Arlo exhaled, adjusting his grip on his cane. "You really should've seen that coming."
A shot ECHOES in the cavern, for a moment, there was silence. Barbossa's face twisted in confusion, his grip loosening on his sword. Slowly, he turned his head, locking eyes with Jack. The pirate captain's expression shifted from rage to disbelief as he noticed Jack's pistol still raised, a faint wisp of smoke trailing from the barrel.
"Ten years you carry that pistol,"Barbossa muttered, his voice laced with incredulity. "And now you waste your shot?"
Before Jack could answer, Will spoke instead. "He didn't waste it."
Barbossa's gaze snapped toward Will, who now stood over the Aztec chest, his left hand clenched into a fist. Slowly, he opened his fingers, revealing one bloodstained medallions. The coins slipped from his palm, landing with a metallic clink into the chest, joining the rest of the cursed gold.
Arlo, still catching his breath, watched the realization dawn on Barbossa's face. The pirate looked down, confusion deepening as he noticed the dark red stain spreading across his coat. His own blood.
Jack lowered his pistol, watching as Barbossa stumbled slightly, his skeletal form no longer flickering between life and death. Barbossa let out a breathless chuckle, his fingers twitching as he pressed them lightly over the bullet wound in his chest. His expression wavered—a strange mixture of anger, dismay, and, strangely, relief. His lips parted, voice barely
Then, with a final exhale, Barbossa collapsed onto his back, the weight of his body disrupting the pile of gold beneath him. His sword slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the floor beside him. In his lifeless grip, an apple rolled from his palm, coming to a rest beside his motionless body.The cavern felt different now—the curse was lifted, the supernatural energy that had loomed over the space now dissipating into the air.
Arlo let out a quiet sigh, adjusting his stance as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He didn't feel satisfaction or triumph—just exhaustion. The battle had been long, brutal, and nearly fatal, and despite the victory, there was still one last thing he had to do. He turned his attention to the Aztec chest, eyes narrowing slightly. The curse was broken, but the gold remained. The thought lingered in his mind—how long until greed led to another tragedy?
Feeling a nudge against his leg, Arlo glanced down to see Link staring up at him, tail wagging slightly.
A small smirk tugged at Arlo's lips as he knelt down, ruffling Link's fur. "Nice work, buddy,"
Arlo murmured."That last move was solid."
Link barked softly, his ears perking up, clearly pleased with himself. Jack, ever the one to break a moment, clapped his hands together. "Well, that was exciting. Now, if no one minds, I believe we have a ship to reclaim."
Arlo stood, shaking his head with a tired chuckle. "You never change, Jack."
Jack grinned, swaggering toward the cavern's exit."Aye. And I'd prefer to keep it that way."
As Arlo watched him go, he cast one final glance at Barbossa's lifeless body. There was no honor in what had happened, but it was necessary.
Still, he wondered—had Barbossa truly felt relief in that last moment? With a quiet breath, Arlo pushed the thought aside. The battle was over, but the adventure wasn't.