Circumstances dictated that Ritsuka and Mash, overnight, turned from allies into hostages.
"Pirates are completely unpredictable, Senpai. Yesterday's comrade – today's enemy? It seems so?"
All Mash knew about pirates up to this point was limited to romanticized images from books in the Chaldea library.
"It seems so," Ritsuka agreed. "It seems my bookish illusions about piracy have completely crumbled."
Drake betrayed Deadpool and escaped, so he would surely pursue them. She, on the other hand, needed hostages to gain an advantage in case of a possible confrontation.
"They even took the communication device, what should we do?"
"With my power as a Demi-Servant, escaping is quite possible, but…"
"But fighting Drake right now is unwise. Besides, they have a numerical advantage."
Since Drake hadn't shown open aggression yet, Ritsuka and Mash decided to wait for the right moment.
◇
Meanwhile, Deadpool, consumed by a thirst for revenge, was urging his subordinates. The ship he had captured, "Hopeless," flew across the waves at full speed.
"Captain! According to the navigation charts, the 'Golden Hind' will most likely dock at this nearest island!"
One of the sailors, who could read maps, compared the escape route of Drake's flagship and concluded that they would land on the nearest landmass.
"He's not contacting us – so he's a hostage. Cunning bitch. A true pirate, you have to admit."
Deadpool in red pants grinned meaningfully, hurrying the pursuit.
He himself, no matter how much he acted crazy, was just playing pirates, but Francis Drake was the true embodiment of a sea robber. Moreover, he already knew that her skills should not be underestimated, and therefore he was preparing for a full-fledged revenge.
"It's a strange feeling, though. Killing 'Francis' for the second time is a very curious experience. What? You say it's a different person? Who's arguing! But she betrayed me! That damn Francis! Not only does the name annoy me, but she pretended to be his boyfriend, and then stabbed me in the back! Damn, the more I think about it, the more I boil!"
Deadpool was irritated by the mere coincidence of names with his sworn enemy, and Drake's betrayal stirred up old grievances. He swore that he wouldn't let this go so easily.
"Captain! Ship to port!"
At that moment, the lookout on the mast spotted a black ship. Unfortunately, it wasn't the "Golden Hind."
"It's closing in!"
The black ship was rapidly approaching. Deadpool had no doubt: it was pirates.
"Whoever strikes first has the advantage. Cannons to the ready!"
At Deadpool's command, the port-side cannons were loaded.
"H-hey?! Captain, wait! That ship…"
"Fire!"
The lookout, turning pale, tried to stop him, but it was too late. The salvo from the port side of "Hopeless" spewed fire, and cannonballs flew towards the black vessel.
"Captain! You can't! That's a dangerous ship!"
The lookout tumbled down from the mast and rushed to Deadpool with a face frozen in horror.
"What's dangerous about it? Look, it's already swallowing cannonballs and sinking. You pathetic coward, we don't need cowards on board."
Deadpool was already reaching for his pistol when the sailor, disregarding the fear of death, shouted:
"It's Davy Jones's 'Flying Dutchman'!"
At this cry, the entire crew of "Hopeless" seemed to freeze. A second later, screams of despair and horror echoed across the deck – the pirates scattered in panic.
"Why are you screaming?! Big deal, some octopus-head! Its weakness is its heart. You just need to find the chest with the heart and…"
"What a pity. Unfortunately, my heart was long ago devoured along with the curse of the sea god."
Deadpool felt a deathly chill run down his spine. A nauseating smell of rotting seaweed and stagnant sea salt hit his nostrils.
"Uh… Wait, this isn't the Davy Jones I was thinking of."
Sensing something was wrong, Deadpool turned around and saw not a slimy monster with tentacles for a beard.
Before him stood a zombie pirate. His skeletal body was hidden by salt-soaked rags, his beard was disheveled, and colonies of sea barnacles had grown all over his body like living armor.
"I am Davy Jones, captain of the 'Flying Dutchman.' King of the drowned, pirate of the deceased, guardian of the edge of the world. My name is the Reaper of the Sandy Seas."
While Davy Jones introduced himself, his deathly blue eyes gleaming, a colossal black frigate – the "Flying Dutchman," larger than even the former "Queen Anne's Revenge" – rose from the sea right alongside Deadpool's ship.
Immediately, like ghosts, Jones's subordinates appeared: zombies with rotting flesh, drowned men bloated with water, and living skeletons. All of them pointed their blades at Deadpool's crew.
"Oh. Now this looks more like it."
"I had a deal with the captain of this ship. Who is the captain here?!"
Davy Jones snapped his jaws, demanding an answer. Deadpool casually raised his hand.
"Well, I am. At least, for now."
"Strange. The captain I knew was a grim, dirty, and wicked fellow nicknamed Blackbeard."
"Ah, him. About three hours ago, there was a mutiny here, and he went to the brig. Now I'm in charge here!"
Deadpool proudly proclaimed himself leader. Davy Jones stroked his beard for a moment, then drew his cutlass with a menacing roar.
"So, you will pay the price of the deal! Red Captain!"
"Wait, what?!"
Deadpool was taken aback. A deal? A price? Him? Frantically trying to figure out what he had missed, Deadpool stared at his subordinates.
"Hey, you idiots! Did you forget to tell me anything?"
Under Deadpool's heavy gaze, the very lookout timidly spoke:
"Well… Captain… I mean, the former captain. He wanted to know the location of the Grail and who owned it. For this, he made a deal with Davy Jones and the White Witch. The price was the captain's soul. And also…"
They received the promised information, but, disregarding the agreement, Teach simply fled.
"Something's not going well for me here."
"Enough talk! Since you are now the 'captain' of this tub, I'm taking your soul!"
Davy Jones, without further ceremony, plunged his frost-covered blade directly into Deadpool's heart.
The spectral sword of the king of the dead was a legendary weapon that had bound thousands of souls in the abyss.
"A-a-a… It got a little cold in my heart, but overall, the condition is acceptable."
However, the sword's curse did not take effect: Deadpool did not become a dead man, and his soul was not absorbed. He only felt a slight coolness in his chest.
"My blade doesn't obey? Who are you, spawn of corruption?!"
Stunned, Davy Jones struck a few more blows, but all to no avail.
Normally, any living person would immediately lose their soul and become a slave of the "Flying Dutchman," doomed to serve on board forever, unable to depart to the afterlife.
"Do I have to explain again? I don't die. My regeneration is so fast and strange that killing me is practically impossible. I was torn to pieces in the epicenter of an explosion, and nothing – as you can see, I'm intact. Got it?"
At this moment, Davy Jones raised his hand, and shackles snapped onto Deadpool's neck and wrists. The dead man's terrifying beard trembled, and a sinister grin spread across his face.
"This is even better. I wanted to turn you into a dead man so you would serve me mindlessly and easily. But now you will become a slave who will experience torment day after day! Heh-heh-heh!"
Deadpool had a very bad premonition. His body, which already knew what endless torture was, reacted instinctively.
"Damn it! This is madness! I'm leaving!"
He tried to break free from the shackles to avoid the threshold of pain, but they were stuck fast.
"These are the 'Shackles of Retribution,' a gift from the White Witch. Until the price of the deal is fully paid, you will remain my eternal slave!"
"Oh god. I think I just soiled myself. Damn it!"
Helpless, Deadpool was transferred to the deck of the "Flying Dutchman" under Davy Jones's escort.
Since Jones only needed the object of the deal, the crew of "Hopeless" breathed a sigh of relief, watching the returning dead emerge from the abyss.
"Hey! If the captain is in trouble, isn't it a pirate's duty to sacrifice himself for him?!"
Deadpool made a last attempt to appeal to the crew's conscience, but they didn't even bat an eye. And no wonder: only three hours had passed since the ship was captured and the power changed hands. What kind of loyalty could be expected? These were pirates, Blackbeard's pirates at that.
And betrayal was a pirate's daily bread.
"What does that mean?! Betrayed again?! Everyone now?! Oh, what a disgrace! If I were you, I'd commit harakiri right here! Idiots!"
No matter how many curses he hurled, the "Flying Dutchman" was already sailing into the open sea.
Soon, Hector came up on deck, drawn by the noise. Glancing at the wrecked ship, he whistled.
"Fweee~ Did Medea-chan pull some strings? Or did Davy Jones take the initiative? In any case, we're lucky. Now we can get back to executing the plan."
"Get out of the way, Lancer! I don't need you."
Behind Hector, Teach appeared, aiming his pistol. The tumor on his face had almost subsided.
"Captain!"
His subordinates immediately rushed to him, welcoming the return of the "legitimate" leader.
"Dyu-hu-hu-hu! I deliberately took that hit back then to build up inertia for this moment! Uhyo-o-ot!! And now – we're off again in pursuit of B-B-B-Tyan! Let's go-o-o!!"
To Teach's shouts, as he returned to his usual absurd state, the "Queen Anne's Revenge" unfurled its sails and once again set off in pursuit of the "Golden Hind."
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan