The Black Pearl drifted across the open sea.
The wind was steady but unremarkable, carrying the ship forward without urgency. Devil's Cove lay behind them now, reduced to a distant shadow on the horizon, its jagged outline slowly dissolving into mist. The sea had returned to its usual rhythm, as if nothing extraordinary had happened at all.
Jack stood near the rail and laughed.
The sound came suddenly, bursting out of him without warning. His shoulders shook as he gripped the wood, his laughter carrying across the empty deck. It was loud, unrestrained, almost wild. He tilted his head back and laughed harder, breathless, the noise echoing against the sails.
He laughed because it was over.
He laughed because they were gone.
He laughed because he was still standing.
Tears followed quickly, blurring his vision. They spilled down his face unchecked as the laughter faltered, twisting into something broken. His knees gave way, and he sank to the deck, clutching the rail as sobs tore out of him in uneven bursts.
The sea rolled on, indifferent.
Behind him, the pirate who had boarded the ship stood quietly.
Joshamee Gibbs watched the horizon where the Blue Parrot Pirates had vanished. There was no smoke now, no fire, no sign that a ship had ever been dragged screaming into Devil's Cove. Just water, endless and calm.
He had not known those men long. He had joined their crew that very morning at Jaya, drawn by promises of easy coin and loud drinking. Still, seeing a ship vanish like that left a weight in his chest he could not quite shake.
Then he heard the laughter.
Gibbs turned, instinctively alert, his hand moving toward where his pistol should have been. What he saw made him stop short.
The boy was crying.
Jack knelt on the deck, shoulders trembling, face buried against his sleeve. He looked impossibly young at that moment, all sharp edges and thin limbs, grief spilling out of him in a way that had nothing to do with fear.
Gibbs hesitated.
He had seen men break before. He had seen panic, rage, despair. He once had the same look on his face.
Gibbs took a step forward, then stopped. Words did not come to him. Nothing he could say felt appropriate. He stayed where he was and waited.
After a while, the sobs slowed.
Jack wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and stayed kneeling for a moment longer, staring down at the deck. Then he pushed himself to his feet.
He looked out at the open sea first, breathing deeply, then turned to face Gibbs. His eyes were red, his expression worn, but there was a faint brightness there now, something relieved and fragile.
"What's your name?" Jack asked.
Gibbs blinked. "Mine?"
Jack nodded once.
"Joshamee Gibbs," he said. "Most people just call me Gibbs."
Jack repeated it quietly. "Mister Gibbs." He tilted his head. "How long were you with the Blue Parrot Pirates?"
"Since this morning," Gibbs replied. "Signed on at Jaya. Thought it'd be an easy run."
Jack nodded, absorbing that.
"They plundered my father's merchant ship," Jack said. "Burned it. Killed him. Took the rest of my family."
He said it plainly, without anger or emphasis.
"I survived," Jack continued. "And now they didn't."
Jack studied his face for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Good you weren't there," Jack said. "Would've complicated things."
Gibbs exhaled slowly.
Jack straightened and gestured around the deck, as if only now taking full stock of the ship. "Right. So. I'm the captain now."
Gibbs stared at him.
"You're—" He stopped himself and replayed the day in his mind. The chase. The Devil's Cove. The turn. The way this boy had taken the wheel and brought them through something veteran crews refused to face.
He inclined his head. "Aye," he said. "Captain."
Jack smiled faintly. "Good. Then you're my first mate."
Gibbs stiffened. "Your what?"
"First mate," Jack repeated. "Seems practical."
Gibbs opened his mouth, closed it, then laughed under his breath. "Most captains ask first."
Jack shrugged. "Didn't feel necessary."
Gibbs studied him, then nodded. "Very well, Captain."
Jack brightened. "Excellent. Now, what do we do next?"
Gibbs thought for a moment. "We name the crew."
Jack snapped his fingers. "Right. Yes. Important."
He paced a few steps, hands clasped behind his back. "Jack Pirates."
Gibbs grimaced immediately. "No."
"Jack D. Pirates?"
"Absolutely not."
"Jack D. Sparrow Pirates?"
Gibbs rubbed his temples. "You're inviting trouble."
Jack frowned. "Sparrow Pirates?"
Gibbs considered it. "Still don't like it."
They stared at each other.
Jack shrugged. "Caribbean Pirates."
Gibbs blinked. "Caribbean?"
Jack nodded. "Came to mind. Felt nice."
Gibbs stared at him for a long second, then let out a slow breath. "That's… not how naming works."
Jack folded his arms. "Captain's decision."
Gibbs sighed. "I already regret this."