We didn't have enough people in our crew, and Jack was desperate to procure those willing to sail in his crew; so that meant we had to sail to Tortuga.
As loud and disorderly as Tortuga was, it held a special place in my heart, because Jack and I had met there. Gibbs set up a table and an enlistment form, men began to line up to make their mark. Jack and I sat to the side, observing. He was trying to get his compass to work, but it wasn't pointing anywhere.
"I know what I want," he closed the compass and then he opened it again, but it still wouldn't point anywhere. "I'm sure it will work soon," I assured him. "Your faith is inspiring, love." he smiled. I snuggled up to Jack and he put his arms around me in his warm embrace. "This is our place Jack, where we first met." I recalled the memory of him coming into my life. "What a wonderful memory it is," he kissed me on the cheek. "When I first saw you, I thought I was in the presence of an angel, and you made my world a whole lot brighter."
Jack's words made me blush, and I smiled warmly, "You made my world brighter too, Jack. I love you." "I love you too, Rosella, my angel," he stroked my face. I touched his face and initiated the kiss.
"What makes you worthy to sail the Black Pearl?" Gibbs asked an old man with a walking stick. "Truth be told, I never sailed a day in my life, and I wanted to see the world while I was still young." the old man replied. "You'll do, make your mark. Next." "Ever since I was a little lad, I have always wanted to sail the seas... forever." "Sooner than you think, sign the roster." "Thanks very much."
Jack and I were still in our own world while Gibbs was enlisting crewmen.
"How are we going?" Jack asked while fiddling with the compass. "Including those four; four," he answered.
"That's ninety-six," I told the men with attempted humor. "It's some progress," Jack commended.
A mysterious man in a filthy Royal Navy uniform stalked up to the table, and his hat was bent down to hide his face.
"And what's your story?" Gibbs asked the man. "My story...is exactly the same as yours only one chapter behind. I chased a man across the Seven Seas. The chase cost me my crew, my commission, and my life," he gruffly replied.
The man took a long drink of rum, and it was revealed that it was James Norrington!
"Commodore?" Gibbs asked surprised. "Not anymore!" the former commodore snapped. "Weren't you listening?" he scowled dangerously. "I would have had you all if it weren't for the hurricane."
"You tried to sail through it?" "So do I make your crew or not?" Norrington sneered. Jack and I quickly started to make a getaway by hiding behind a palm tree leaf. "You haven't said where you're going. Somewhere nice?!" Norrington got angry and knocked the table over taking Gibbs with it.
"So am I worthy to sail under Captain Jack Sparrow?" he asked the crowd of people as if he was trying to rile them up.
He suddenly pointed his pistol in our direction, and Jack put me behind him so I wouldn't get hurt. "Or should I just kill you now?" he kept the weapon pointed at Jack.
"You're hired," Jack put down the palm leaf. "Sorry, old habits and all that," Norrington shrugged and was getting ready to pull the trigger.
"That's our captain you're threatening!" two sailors ran to our aid and raised the weapon to the ceiling causing the bullet to shoot into someone's drink. Chaos ensued!
Brawls like this were common in Tortuga so none of us were surprised. "Time to go," Jack told me and Gibbs. "Aye," we replied.
The men and I made our way through the brawling crowd to get back to the Black Pearl.