Setting sail on a large ship-especially in the age of sail-was an experience Noah and Hermione had never had before.
It was slow. The harbor smelled terrible.
And yet, the novelty alone was enough to hold their full attention.
The sea was calm.
Endless and gentle.
Seagulls circled overhead, and the wind carried a faint taste of salt as it brushed against their faces.
It was a feeling that couldn't be replicated.
Noah stood by the wheel with Hermione, quietly watching the scenery roll past.
Before long, their presence drew attention.
They were simply too idle.
"You haven't been to sea much, have you?" Commodore Norrington walked over after finishing his inspection.
"Don't deny it. People who rarely sail always look like this at first. You live inland, don't you?"
"Yes. Westminster, more or less," Noah replied with a polite smile.
"We rarely have the chance to see the sea."
"Though we do get to walk around Buckingham Palace and stroll down Downing Street fairly often."
"I envy you," Norrington said with a faint smile.
"I haven't returned to London in years."
He paused, then studied the two of them more carefully.
"But why would people like you come all the way out here? No guards. Far from home."
"...Did you elope?"
As a soldier, Norrington wasn't like Governor Swann.
Even if he suspected something, he preferred to clarify it directly.
And the Caribbean was far from Britain.
If he offended the wrong people out here, consequences might arrive very slowly-or not at all.
He wasn't easily replaceable.
That made him cautious.
"Who said we eloped?" Noah rolled his eyes. Hermione also gave Norrington a strange look.
"Do we really look like we ran away?"
"...A little," Norrington admitted, clearly embarrassed despite his serious expression.
"If I've offended you-"
"No need," Noah said, spreading his hands.
"You're helping us, aren't you?"
He glanced at Hermione and smiled.
"We didn't elope. But it's close enough."
"I'm about to inherit a position with considerable power and status. I rarely have time to accompany my fiancée. The future's uncertain."
"So we decided to take some time for ourselves."
"..."
Norrington stared at him.
Someone about to inherit immense authority... traveling to a dangerous region without guards... purely because he lacked time for his fiancée?
In that moment, Norrington became convinced these two had been quietly protected by officials the entire way here.
Otherwise, they wouldn't still be alive.
And now he had brought them out to sea.
That made the situation... uncomfortable.
He made a decision.
If things turned bad, he would retreat immediately.
Most of the ships sent out were fast interceptors.
Firepower wasn't their strength, but escape was.
Port Royal's heavy ship-the Dauntless-remained behind.
Noah, of course, had no idea what Norrington was thinking.
He continued chatting casually.
They talked about many things.
Including what kind of "treatment" Jack Sparrow had received the night before.
Norrington didn't hide anything.
And honestly, Noah felt he had overestimated pirates.
Just as he'd said, pirates were traitors by nature.
Betrayal was routine.
Using any means to achieve their goals was normal.
Leading the Navy straight to their enemies?
Perfectly acceptable.
So while Jack Sparrow had suffered a bit, it wasn't severe.
He'd spilled everything he could without hesitation.
The only thing that annoyed Norrington was that Jack didn't know the Black Pearl's exact course.
He only claimed he had a way to track her.
"Do you believe him?" Norrington muttered.
"That pirate is unreliable."
"It doesn't hurt to try," Noah said, patting his shoulder and completely ignoring Norrington's stiff reaction.
"My fiancée and I want to tour the Caribbean anyway. Don't worry. We'll gain something."
"So you really just came for fun," Norrington laughed awkwardly and dropped the topic.
At that moment, a guard rushed over and whispered something.
Norrington's expression darkened.
Noah heard everything.
He just hadn't expected it to be this... convenient.
Elizabeth had been discovered aboard the ship.
She had hidden herself well, but not well enough.
Norrington immediately felt a headache coming on.
Noah, meanwhile, seriously began to wonder whether the Royal Navy was simply incompetent.
Sneaking onto a warship shouldn't be this easy.
Perhaps that was why piracy thrived here.
Back in Port Royal, Governor Swann stared at the letter in his hand, furious and helpless.
Chasing them now was pointless.
That was the fastest ship in the harbor.
He could only hope Norrington kept his daughter safe.
"How did you get aboard?"
"I'm the Governor's daughter."
That explained everything.
No soldier would dare offend her.
The problem was that they were already far from port.
Sending her back wasn't realistic.
In the end, Norrington gave her the captain's quarters and assigned guards.
If necessary, Hermione would accompany her.
Hermione didn't object.
Having another woman along wasn't unpleasant.
And Elizabeth clearly knew far more about the sea.
So Elizabeth stayed.
Her presence caused Noah no trouble.
If anything, she became a convenient guide.
More importantly, she and Hermione got along well.
That was enough.
At sea, even the best scenery grew dull over time.
Having someone to talk to helped.
The search for the Black Pearl itself was uneventful.
Noah's daily routine involved taking Hermione-and sometimes Elizabeth-to enjoy the ocean.
Simple.
Quiet.
Comfortable.
Norrington spent most of his time inspecting the ship.
The rest was split between speaking with Jack Sparrow and Noah.
He still didn't understand the compass in Jack's hand.
Nor did he trust it.
Noah couldn't help with that.
He didn't understand compasses either.
He did, however, notice the gold coin Elizabeth carried.
He hadn't expected her to bring it.
But he didn't ask for it.
There was no reason.
What mattered was finding the pirates.
Nothing else was urgent.
Days passed.
Then one morning-
"Ship ahoy!"
The lookout's shout snapped everyone awake.
Eyes turned upward.
Norrington rushed to the railing.
"Black sails," he said grimly.
"It's the Black Pearl."
In daylight, black sails stood out clearly.
Before long, the ship came into view.
Majestic.
Menacing.
Jack Sparrow's gaze locked onto it.
That ship.
His ship.
Even from this distance, he knew.
"She's turning!" the lookout shouted.
"They're fleeing!"
The moment the Interceptor spotted the Pearl, it had been seen in return.
On the open sea, nothing could hide.
Distance only meant time.
The Black Pearl adjusted course calmly.
With her speed, escape was guaranteed.
"Damn it," Norrington muttered.
"She's going to outrun us."
Now he finally believed Jack and Noah.
And now he realized-
He had no solution.
"Can we get closer?" Noah asked calmly.
"You don't need to board her. Just get us close."
Norrington turned to him.
"What are you planning to do?"
Noah's tone was steady.
"Do what I must."