Chapter 40: The War Begins
The sea screamed.
Dark clouds swirled above the broken sky as the Drowned King raised his arms high. The waves answered, roaring with fury, and from the abyss beneath the sea floor, shadows stirred.
"He calls them," Elias said, eyes narrowing as he stepped forward, glowing faintly with the power of the ancient pirate spirits still coursing through him. "His army."
Jake Sparrow leaned on the railing of the Black Pearl, peering through a spyglass. "Ugly bastards, too. Remind me never to vacation here."
The Drowned King screamed—a sound like a thousand drowned souls crying out in hatred—and the ocean foamed black. Dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of twisted sea-creatures emerged from the waves. Bloated corpses armored in coral, eyeless beasts with rusted cutlasses, skeletal monstrosities dripping with seaweed. They rose aboard barnacle-covered ships or swam directly toward the ghost fleet with gaping jaws.
Raina stepped up beside Elias, jaw tight. "You said we could stop him."
"We can," Elias said. "But it's going to cost."
Jake flicked the spyglass shut. "Then let's pay the bill."
Elias smiled at him " this will be first for you captain"
Then he raised his hand—and the ghost fleet charged.
A thousand ships sailed like a wave of vengeance. Cannons ignited with ghostly fire. Spectral swords flashed in the misty sunlight. The sea was filled with the clash of bone, rust, and spirit.
The ghost pirates, long dead and long angry, fought with unmatched fury. Their hatred for the Drowned King burned brighter than fire. These were pirates who had bled for the sea. Who had died trying to stop this monster. Now, they fought with nothing to lose.
Jake stood at the helm of the Black Pearl, guiding her into the heart of the chaos. "Raina, starboard guns! Elias, with me! Let's go say hello to the seafood special."
They boarded a ghost skiff and soared across the waves, weaving between ships and destruction. Above them, a ghost dragon carved from smoke shrieked down at a sea serpent the Drowned King had unleashed. Below, ships collided in thunderous crashes.
On a jagged reef at the center of the battlefield, the Drowned King stood tall, radiating rot and ancient power. His eyes locked on Elias.
"Shadow of mine," the Drowned King rumbled, voice like cracking stone. "Come home."
Elias landed on the reef, sword drawn. "Not today."
Jake leapt down beside him, pulling a flask from his belt. "I swear, this is worse than every tavern fight I've ever started. And that's saying something."
The Drowned King slammed his staff into the rock. The sea split. Two massive sea demons emerged, screeching.
Jake's eyes widened. "Oh, good. He's got pets."
Elias pointed his glowing blade forward. "Jake, go left. I go right. Raina?"
From above, a shot cracked. Raina stood on the mast of the Black Pearl, her rifle smoking. "Already ahead of you."
The battle at the reef was a blur of chaos.
Elias and Jake moved like whirlwinds. Jake ducked under a serpent's tail, slashing with a broken cutlass. "That one's mine!" he shouted, before being thrown ten feet and landing with a laugh. "I meant to do that!"
Elias struck fast, his sword glowing with ancient power. He cut through one of the demons, light exploding from the wound. He felt the spirits within him guide his movements.
The Drowned King snarled, stepping forward. Every motion he made sent tidal waves crashing.
"You are nothing but a shadow!" he roared at Elias. "You were made to serve!"
Elias raised his sword. "I was made. But I chose to live."
Their blades met in a shockwave that knocked Jake off his feet. The fight was like gods clashing. Each strike from the Drowned King echoed with centuries of hate. Each parry from Elias was filled with the will of the ancient pirates.
"You were never meant to fight me!" the Drowned King hissed.
"Maybe not," Elias grunted. "But here I am."
Jake rejoined the fight, sliding in behind the Drowned King and jabbing with his cutlass. "Mind if I cut in, love?"
The Drowned King whirled, tendrils lashing. Jake ducked, grinning. "Missed me."
Raina fired another shot, the bullet piercing the King's shoulder. He howled.
The sea exploded around them. The dead screamed. The air was fire and salt and steel.
And still, they fought.
In that moment, with the war raging behind them, it was three against the impossible.
Elias, the shadow who broke free.
Jake, the pirate with nothing but guts, wit, and a flask.
Raina, sharp-eyed and sharper-souled.
Together, they stood on the reef as the war raged.
Together, they prepared for the end.
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