The End of Piracy: an Alonzo Batia story

Chapter One: The day the war began

It had been six years since the first sighting of the new threat. Six years since the first ship had been attacked. Within six years, over 300 ships were destroyed, and entire crews slaughtered. Three years since Firien met his end, and Alonzo couldn't wait much longer. No pirate could wait any longer.

Opening the door, Alonzo, Gabriella and Phantom strolled into the council room, only to be met with chaos. The twelve remaining captains had all gone ashore to discuss plans and strategies. Not that much could be done, however. The closest they got to was the plan that five ships were to attack the ghost ship, while the other seven remained in the dock. Then came the voting on who should stay. Alonzo didn't raise his hand, nor did Captain Elliot of the Gemini, a close friend of Alonzo.

Leaving the chamber, the designated crews set off to their ships, and not wasting any time, they all set off. The Black Bounty was the last to leave, as its red sails had gotten caught in the rigging. So once that situation was dealt with, the other ships were already twenty-seven minutes ahead of them. Not that the distance mattered much, since the Bounty was the fastest pirate ship in existence.

"Alright! You lot, listen up!" Gabriella ordered the crew, who all paid attention. "We be huntin' the ship that has been attackin' our own for six years. This means some of us will most likely die!" Gabriella said, her voice loud over the wind and the waves. Some of the 385 crew members shifted where they stood, visibly nervous. But nobody made an attempt to run. Not yet, at least.

"You heard the lady! We will be fighting to our last man! It matters not whether we lose may of our crew, it only matters if we win!" Phantom said, appearing beside her, and for the first time in years, he wasn't wearing his purple and black coat. The sun beamed on his blonde hair, his scars casting shadows over his cheeks. The helmsman turned the ships wheel, as the Bounty sped off to catch up with the rest of the fleet.

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Once the ships had left, a storm rolled in. The dark, thundering clouds blocked out the sun. Isla Marabico was plunged into darkness, making the illusion of midnight. Then, in the bay, something large and menacing was slowly sailing into the harbour. The ship had tattered sails, and one mast had fallen into the water. The stern was burnt and twisted, most likely caused by an explosion. The fort looked into the harbour, and saw a flash of light, followed by an explosion in the town.

Immediately, the soldiers got to work loading the fort cannons, and fired at the flashes. The rain started to pour, and the sound of cannons mixed with thunder. A child, separated from his parents saw something dash past the harbour, and dark figures ran over the dock, cutting down anyone who got in their way. The young boy instantly knew to run, but it was too late. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, before he fell over, bleeding out.

Pirates grabbed their swords, and tried to hold off the intruders, but to no avail. The brave soldiers were slowly killed off, one by one. Only one man remained, and he ran to cover as a blast from the ship hit the ground near him. That one pirate hid in the ruins of a building, and pretended to play dead. The invaders looked towards him, and moved on. The pirate closed his eyes, and suddenly was asleep from exhaustion.

The sun peaked through a crack in the clouds, and the invaders were cast into light, only briefly. Their bodies were twisted and warped, having large holes where their organs should be. And they were led by one man, a man who died in the battle of the Sea of Death. A man who had been killed with the destruction of his ship, a man who would be forever cursed.

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The five ships were sailing in formation, clearly to avoid from being attacked. The men aboard were wary, but they kept at their duties. Nobody would slack off. Aboard the Gemini, Captain Elliot looked at his charts. He was originally a navigator aboard the Silencer, before he jumped ship. By some strange and slim chance, he had gained the small galleon in a game of Poker.

Checking his compass and his tools, Lucifer Elliot charted a course for his helmsman to follow, when someone knocked on his cabin door. "Enter." He said, his voice loud, yet calm. The door opened, and his first mate, his son, peaked his head through. "Pa, the helmsman wants ya." The boy said, and closed the door. Elliot sighed, and got to the helm.

"Sir, rough seas ahead. Do we turn away from the fleet?" The helmsman asked, and Elliot shook his head. "No, stay with the fleet." He said, and walked to the railing in-front of the wheel. Little did he know that the rough sea would be the last place he would ever see.

The Black Bounty took the lead, and the storm rolled in. Many men looked up, before resuming their jobs. Alonzo stood on deck, next to his helmsman, Tobias. "Toby, were we not just having fine weather?" Alonzo asked, looking at him. Tobias nodded. "Must've rolled in from the east, sir." Tobias replied, and Alonzo thought he saw something on the horizon. Waking to the side of the ship, he pulled out his spyglass and looked through it.

"Captain! Ship on the horizon!" Called the lookout, and Alonzo averted his gaze to the dark ship moving towards them. There was a broken mast, the hull damaged, and the stern seemed to tilt. Dropping the spyglass from his eyes, Alonzo waved his arms, getting the attention of the rest of the small fleet. He then pointed in the approaching ship's direction.

"Stay cautious. There appears to be a ship sailing towards us from that direction." A captain told his helmsman, before something hit the side of the Vindicator. Men looked over the edge, and spotted a figure in blackened clothes. The person then proceeded to climb the ladder, and hopped over the railing. The crew of the Vindicator looked the new arrival up and down, before there was a flash of light and the ship rocked.

Then came the attack. The Vindicator's crew didn't stand a chance, as rounds proceeded to fire upon the man-o-war, until the ship began to flood in the lowest deck. Tilting towards starboard, the captain of the Vindicator thought about jumping ship, when he was bucked off the edge of the ship, falling into the water below. The rest of the fleet watched in horror as the Vindicator made a loud creaking noise, and broke in two, the stern rising and sinking below the waves.

The dark figure jumped off the wreckage, and started to dash across the waves. Survivors from the Vindicator bobbed on the surface of the sea, the waves threatening to suck them down into the crushing darkness. But one by one, they were pulled under, and the sea turned red. Alonso watched in horror, and grabbed the wheel. Nothing usually scared him, but if a heavily damaged vessel could sink a man-o-war, then it was time to flee. "Full sail! Put every man to work!" He shouted, as the rain started to pour down.