On the raging sea, a ghost ship named the Queen Anne's Revenge drifted slowly—it was the legendary vessel of the great pirate Blackbeard.
At the bow stood a massive skull, intricately pieced together from human bones. Its hollow eye sockets stared at passing ships, radiating a chilling aura, silently recounting countless bloody tales and atrocities it had witnessed.
Inside the ship's cabin, every corner was adorned with human heads. Their expressions varied—some ferocious, some twisted in pain. These silent decorations cast a suffocating, terrifying atmosphere over the entire ship.
This ship was not only a symbol of Blackbeard's ambition and cruelty but also a sanctuary for his mysterious identity. Though the pirates on board were savage, none had ever seen Blackbeard's true face.
He always secluded himself in the captain's quarters, shrouded in mystery, issuing commands only through his first mate or his terrifying undead messengers.
These undead, despite their stiff movements, carried an overwhelming aura. Their presence kept the pirates in a constant state of unease.
Though the crew harbored doubts about their captain's true identity, the fearsome reputation of Blackbeard held them in check, leaving them too afraid to rebel.
But that uneasy peace didn't last long.
One day, the door to the captain's quarters was suddenly kicked open from the inside, the loud crash instantly grabbing everyone's attention on deck.
Thud...
Thud...
Thud...
Heavy footsteps echoed across the deck. A bearded man emerged before them all.
His face was hidden beneath a thick, tangled beard, revealing only a pair of fierce, gloomy eyes.
Any pirate caught in his piercing gaze immediately lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes—afraid they'd be devoured alive by that sharp stare.
Blackbeard suddenly smashed the bottle in his hand with a loud crack, the sound of shattering glass echoing sharply through the silence.
Without warning, he drew the Sword of Triton from his waist. Its blade gleamed with a cold light in the dim surroundings.
Suddenly, the ship began to move—despite the still wind, it accelerated with the speed of an arrow fired from a bow.
Caught off guard, the pirates stumbled and fell across the deck in chaos.
"Get up, you worthless scum!" Blackbeard's voice roared like a demon from the depths of hell. "From this moment forward, you're not allowed a second of rest!"
"Captain, where are we headed?" one pirate asked bravely.
In response, he received a brutal lashing from one of the undead. The whip, like a reaper's tendril, mercilessly struck him down.
"Head east! And don't you dare stop unless I give the order!" Blackbeard's furious voice echoed across the deck—he was in an absolutely foul mood.
It turned out that the undead he sent to protect his daughter had returned with dire news—Jack Sparrow and his daughter had both been captured by a mysterious sorcerer.
Blackbeard knew well that if he wanted to find the Fountain of Youth, he needed Jack Sparrow alive.
Fortunately, he had prepared a backup plan. From his robes, he pulled out a doll crafted in the likeness of Angelica—meticulously created through dark magic. The doll faced east—the direction where Angelica was last known to be.
"The Fountain of Youth is mine!" That terrifying prophecy had become Blackbeard's death knell. He was determined to find the fountain, no matter the cost, to extend his life and defy that cursed fate.
Meanwhile, the British Navy, led by Hector Barbossa, and a Spanish royal fleet were both headed in full force toward Whitecap Bay.
The first to arrive at Whitecap Bay was Wes Elwin. The sun hung high in the sky, blazing with intense heat.
"Mermaids usually come out to hunt at night or when it's foggy," said Jack Sparrow.
From yesterday until now, Wes hadn't rested for even a moment.
"Let's dock."
After bringing the ship ashore, Jack Sparrow decided to relax for a while—after all, there was still some time before nightfall.
"Who knows if we'll even be alive tomorrow? Enjoy life while we can." Jacksparrow wasn't ashamed at all—on the contrary, he wore a roguish grin.
Night fell quickly.
Jacksparrow strolled out of the cabin feeling refreshed, with Angelica silently trailing behind him.
"So how do you plan to catch those mermaids?"
Wes stood on the deck without replying. He silently lowered a small boat into the sea, then pulled out four scarecrows, chanting under his breath.
At first, they looked like nothing but dry bundles of straw. But under Wes Elwin's quiet incantation, the scarecrows began to swell and shift, transforming into four lifelike pirates.
Wes hopped into the boat, and the scarecrow-pirates took positions around him, paddling gently. The boat glided silently across the surface of the sea.
The kerosene lamp in Wes's hand glowed with a soft light, illuminating several meters around him.
Back on the ship, Angelica was urging Jacksparrow to escape.
"Jack, we should take this chance to run."
"What about the curse on us?" Jacksparrow hesitated, glancing between Angelica and the distant sea.
"I'll ask my father to lift it," Angelica said urgently.
"Blackbeard??" Jacksparrow scoffed. "Please. I'd rather put my trust in that wizard."
Before Angelica could argue further, a hauntingly beautiful song drifted over the waves.
The melody was like soft waves lapping against the shore of one's heart.
Within that song was boundless gentleness, capable of soothing all pain and weariness.
"They're here," Wes murmured.
Even Angelica was momentarily entranced by the mermaids' song.
One mermaid clung to the stern of the boat. Her face was delicate like a fae's, and her eyes seemed to speak—a beauty that could bewitch most men.
Unfortunately, she was casting her charms on the wrong person.
One of the scarecrow pirates suddenly struck. In a swift, precise motion, it grabbed the mermaid by the neck—and immediately reverted back into a straw figure.
The mermaid dropped her disguise, revealing sharp teeth and letting out a threatening hiss.
The hiss carried a signal. Instantly, more mermaids surged toward the boat, ramming into it in a frenzy. Some tossed seaweed-woven ropes to snare the scarecrows and drag them into the water.
But once they realized they had only pulled in lifeless scarecrows, unease spread among them—it was already too late.
Wes tapped the sea's surface lightly with his wand. A frost spread out instantly.
Five mermaids, too slow to flee, were frozen mid-attack. Trapped beneath the icy surface, they beat against it in desperation to no avail. Other mermaids hovered at a distance, afraid to trigger another trap.
"Not bad. Five of them." Wes calmly walked across the frozen sea.
The mermaids now looked pitiful and harmless, softly begging for mercy. But Wes was unmoved. Beneath their beauty, these creatures were deadly predators—they ate people.
He pulled out a bottle and tapped it lightly with his wand.
The bottle emitted a strong suction force, drawing the five frozen mermaids inside.
Now miniaturized, the mermaids pounded on the glass walls of the bottle, screaming, but the soundproof container let nothing out.
Wes tucked the bottle into his coat pocket with satisfaction.
°°°
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