"I still can't believe they want to parley." Yunho whispers to you in shock, standing next to you on the main deck as you watch the little rowboat grow closer and closer to you, bobbing on the surface of the deep blue sea. There's a growing sense of trepidation in you as you watch it draw nearer, Mingi ordering a group of men to lower ropes into the water to pull the rowboat up.
From the bulwarks, you can see six people on the rowboat, a sign of neutrality and peace, Yunho had told you. Worried by how Yeosang might react to seeing his father, Hongjoong had sent the navigator to the galley and told him to stay there until someone called him up. Wooyoung had... well, gone with him. Your captain didn't tell you why, but curious as you were, you had sort of resigned yourself to the fact that you would never know.
"You have to eat Wooyoung's shoe now, you know?" You mumble out of the corner of your mouth, trying to distract yourself from the terror you feel. Yunho swallows nervously, eyes fixed on the rowboat as it stops next to the Treasure.
"Don't tell him I said that."
"...You also have to eat your own shoe."
"I don't recall any of that."
"And you have to admit the mizzenmast is better." You end off, fingers wrapping around his wrist. You're shaking from nerves, but you don't have to say it, Yunho can feel it in the way your hand is as clammy a dead fish around his.
You know Seonghwa is somewhere in the rigging with a loaded musket, ready to blow a hole in the head of any troublemaker, that the crew of the Treasure outnumber the people on the boat by several times, but part of you is still worried, a sinking feeling in your chest that borders on sheer paranoia.
"We should just kill them as soon as they step onto the ship." Mingi mutters as he strides over to all of you, Hongjoong's expression carefully smoothed into a neutral mask in preparation to meet the man in charge. From what Yunho has told you, the enemy captain is likely to be Commander Kang Yongsun, a prominent captain of the Royal Navy's pirate hunter force, someone who specialises in hunting down pirates in exchange for monetary rewards offered by the Crown.
He's also Yeosang's biological father.
Your captain sighs, gripping his cutlass tight. "They did put up a parley flag, though."
Snorting, the quartermaster jabs a thumb at the Black Crow floating just far off enough to not be considered a threat, its jet black shape looming against the bright blue sky like a blot of ink on paper. "Has the Royal Navy ever not want to kill us?"
"That was what I thought." Yunho mumbles uneasily, his spear in hand as he fidgets with the shaft. Your own hand rests on the hilt of your cutlass, adrenaline already buzzing in your veins as you anticipate the fight that might probably come.
"They're likely to be plotting something. And whatever it is, it's not going to turn out well for us. It could be a trap. We should just blow them out of the water now. I'm sure Wooyoung could do it easily." Mingi continues to reason insistently with his captain, probably feeling the same sinking sense of foreboding as you are. But your captain doesn't respond to his quartermaster's warnings, instead simply gazing at the rowboat silently with his single green eye.
When he speaks, his voice is solemn.
"I'm aware it could be a trap, Mingi. I'm not a fool. But I doubt the Commander would be foolish enough to come to us without an irrefusable bargain." Hongjoong says as he looks straight ahead, not looking at any of you. "Besides, they did put up a parley flag, and I'm not going to be the one to break the vow."
"We did it all the time in the past though." Mingi reminds his captain softly, his voice reminiscing of those days of long ago that they had been a merciless pirate crew, from the stories he had told you about the last time. Your eyes widen. They had ignored the white flag? Preyed on ships that had been on the verge of surrender? Destroyed vessels that had put up the universal symbol of parley, massacring entire crews without mercy?
Yunho stiffens next to you, obviously remembering their sordid past as nothing more than despicable law breakers, and you feel your heart sinking. Exactly what kind of people had the crew of the Treasure been before you had come to the ship?
You glance at your captain for a moment, wondering how he would look like with a sadistic smirk in place of his usual, soft smile, whether his viridescent eye would gleam poisonously with corrosive venom instead of burning with the eager desire to live out his life like a blazing inferno that you know.
The thought scares you more than you dare to admit.
But now, there's a contrite, almost sorrowful expression on his face, his green eye unfocused and lost in the past for a moment, and deep inside you, you feel your heart twist in sympathy for the man who has too many regrets to count.
"We've changed our ways." Hongjoong finally answers honestly, watching as his crew work to haul the rowboat up the side of the ship. Yunho and Mingi remain silent in their guilt, but you can see their captain's words lifting a burden they never knew they had off their chests. "We're different now."
The rowboat reaches the bulwarks on the port side and six people step out of the small watercraft.
With those final words, your captain steps forward to meet the infamous Commander Kang.
Your first impression of the commander is one of intimidation.
Kang Yongsun is not at all a tall man, in fact, he's dwarfed in size by some of your taller crew mates on the Treasure. He's lithe, slimly built with nothing too daunting about his stature, but the first time he looks upon you, even if it is merely a sweeping glance over the ship, sends a chill running down your spine.
You can, without a doubt, see Yeosang in him physically. They have the same razor sharp jawline and facial structure, similar noses, identical soft lips, but that's where the resemblance ends. For all the similar features they share, their eyes are completely different. Not so much in the physical appearance of it, the deep brown hue of their gazes are nearly identical, but Yeosang's eyes are infinitely kinder, softer, something that you can't help feel grateful for.
Kang Yongsun's eyes are as piercing as those of a bird of prey, staring down his next victim with a silent, lethal confidence that you have no wish to fall prey to. Even though he's surrounded by hostile crew mates, all brandishing all manner of weapons at him, he doesn't seem to be the least bothered by it, and perhaps that's what scares you the most of all.
His escorts surround him immediately as soon as they step on board, cutlasses in hand and at the ready in case of any threat. One of them though, doesn't seem to be wearing the same uniform as the rest of them do, a hood pulled low over his eyes, hiding his face in shadow. Instead of the customary cutlass that most seafaring men carry, there's a massive longsword in his hands that looks like it could do some serious damage.
Your captain steps forward to meet him, Mingi and Jongho flanking him. The younger battlemaster is hefting a heavy iron bar mace over his shoulder, while Mingi holds onto his double sided battle axe, the edge glinting cruelly in the sunlight. Your captain hasn't drawn any weapons, but his hand rests on the handle of his musket, ready to fire at the first sign of any danger.
"Kang Yongsun, captain of the Black Crow and vice-commander of the Royal Navy's Red Rose pirate hunter fleet in service of her Majesty the Queen and the Crown. State your name, pirate." One of his guards spits haughtily, as if he can't believe that he's actually speaking to what society considers the vermin of the seas. Mingi scowls, grip tightening on his weapon, but Jongho lays a hand on the quartermaster's shoulder, a silent request for him to keep his cool.
Your captain merely sighs in exasperation, completely unruffled by the man's imperious tone. "Kim Hongjoong, captain of the Treasure. What is your business with us?"
The guard who had addressed your captain earlier scowls furiously, beginning to brandish his cutlass at your captain. "You impertinent scum, speak with respect when addressing the vice-commander-"
But before he can get any further, there's a razor sharp blade resting against his neck.
"Don't test my patience." Mingi growls, his deep voice a rumble in his chest that sends a frightened shiver down your spine. You've never seen a bear before except in books that San has showed you, but if you had to imagine one's snarl, it would be something akin to Mingi's voice now. He holds the weighty axe with so much ease it almost deceives you into thinking it weighs nothing more than a toothpick, but from experience you know that you can barely lift it with both hands, let alone hold it steady like Mingi is now.
The man squeaks in fear, pupils dilated as he eyes the blade so dangerously close to his neck. One second of tense silence passes, then another, then-
"Rumil, stand down." The commander says smoothly, and the guard, though quivering in both terror and rage, sheathes his weapon. Hongjoong then turns around to speak quietly to Mingi, and with great reluctance, the quartermaster lowers his axe as well, although his eyes never leave the vice-commander. The man turns to look at your captain with cold, carefully neutral eyes.
His next words shock you out of your mind.
"Captain Kim, I have come to offer you a deal."
You have to give it to your captain for not reacting in the least, because Yunho's jaw practically smashes into the deck next to you. There's the moment of stunned shock, the crew barely able to believe what has just left the commander's mouth.
A deal? The Royal Navy wants to make a deal with pirates?
Maybe you haven't heard them correctly, because you can't have heard them correctly.
Your captain holds up a single hand in the air and the entire deck falls silent in response, waiting for their leader to speak. Hongjoong meets the commander's steely gaze with a skeptical one of his own.
"Why would the Royal Navy want to make a deal with us?" It's small, almost completely undetectable, but you can hear the tiny note of genuine curiosity in his voice.
"We need several things that are currently in your possession." The commander states simply, as if the two of them are not mortal enemies who've been at loggerheads with each other since the very beginning. You can see Hongjoong stiffen slightly and you flinch, from Yeosang's memories, he must be talking about the navigational charts that Hongjoong took from him.
But your captain keeps his cool, folding his arms as he looks at the commander seriously. "And what would you offer us, commander, in exchange for what you want? Our freedom?"
At his jibing words, the deck erupts into nervous, derisive laughter. You almost want to follow, but you're too tense to do so. Even then, you recognise the absurdity of your captain's words, there's simply no way the Royal Navy would offer the most wanted pirate crew a pardon from all the crimes that they've already committed. You may not know the full extent of what they've done in the past, but your captain is the Pirate King of the Caribbean for a reason.
"That's ridiculous." You hear Yunho mutter under his breath and you can't help but nod in response. "As if the Royal Navy would ever-"
"Exactly." Commander Kang answers calmly.
For the second time that day, you feel like you've gotten slapped in the face with a dead pollack.
What.
The entire crew hushes in a split second, clearly as shocked as you are. The silence rushes through everyone on board, plunging the deck into eerie silence as that one, single word sinks into all of their minds.
Freedom?
Briefly, you imagine a peaceful life for them. Yeosang as a bookkeeper in an archive, being able to read all the books he desires to, gaining the knowledge he's so hungry for, Yunho finally being able to put down his spear, never having to fight another day in his life ever again. Your master opening a small apothecary, venturing into the forest every morning with Shiber at his heels to search for rare herbs and plants, bringing back the occasional spice for Seonghwa, who's opened his very own eatery and comes up with creative new dishes for Hwaseong to try every week.
You dream of Jongho being the fisherman he's always wanted to be, taking after his father's footsteps and sailing the sea in a tiny boat, humming to himself as he casts his nets. Hongjoong sitting on a beach, overlooking the sea as he writes tales of his times as the legendary Pirate King, Mingi pointing out his spelling errors and inaccuracies as Wooyoung comes up to the two of them with cups of hot tea in his hands and a bright grin on his face, his wrists finally free of the shackles that have bound him for so long.
For a moment, that yearning is so powerful, so strong, that you would give almost anything to let them have that life. One of happiness, joy and peace, free from bloodshed and battles and running from the Navy. If anyone deserves it, you think, it's them.
Next to you, you can hear Yunho's sudden intake of breath. He must be as shocked as you are, because his spear nearly falls from his grasp as he stares at the commander. Even your captain's facade seems to have cracked a little down the middle, his one green eye wide with surprise.
But then Hongjoong fights to keep his voice steady, fingers flexing on the handle of his cutlass as he eyes the commander with a dubious gaze. "And you would offer us what sort of freedom, exactly?"
"All previous charges held against you and your crew by the Crown will be completely cleared." Kang Yongsun speaks without a trace of falsehood in his voice, as if what he's saying is the complete and utter truth. It's so silent you could hear a feather fall to the ground, the crew hanging on to his every word even if some part of them doesn't dare to believe such good news. "As long as all of you do not commit any crimes against the Crown after receiving the pardon, you will be free men even in the territories of her Majesty the Queen."
If it is possible, Yunho's jaw crashes even more to the ground. At this point, it could probably break a hole in the deck.
Commander Kang turns to face your captain, whose mouth is hanging slightly agape in shock. "As the captain, her Majesty would like your service as one of her battle strategists against dealing with other piracy problems in the Caribbean waters. You will be paid in full for your work, with the prestige that comes with being a senior officer in the Queen's own service."
You almost can't believe your ears. These words are too good to be true! This deal is almost irrefusable, and even your captain looks like he's about to be swayed for a moment before he catches himself, rational mind whirring furiously.
"Freedom..." You hear Yunho whisper under his breath and you glance at him, only to see him with the broadest grin ever on his face, his eyes uncontrollably bright. "We're going to be free people, Chin Hae!"
You can barely find the right frame of mind to answer him, the word freedom echoing over and over in your mind. All of you can be free! Make an honest living with your own hands and establish your own lives, normal lives, as free people, not as fugitives running from the law. But your captain's word interrupts your train of thought.
"Wait."
Glancing up, you see your captain's face suddenly set in suspicion. He must feel like there's something off, because there's no way the Commander would offer them such a fair trade if he isn't about to get something of bigger worth in return. Hongjoong's jaw clenches as he looks at Commander Kang with slitted eyes.
"What exactly do you want from us, commander?"
Commander Kang shakes his head. "It's very simple, Captain Kim. All I ask from you are four things; the maps you stole, which in the end you would have to return anyway as it is considered property of the Crown. Another thing I need is the knot around your neck with which contains the sorcery required to cause a hurricane."
You gasp in shock. How would the commander know about this?
Your captain obviously feels the same way, because his fingers immediately tighten protectively around the short length of rope there. "How did you know of it?"
"Back in Nassau, the Head of Port Investigation, Leon Bastiville reported that his attempt of arresting one Kim Hongjoong and his crew was thwarted when you, the captain, undid a knot that caused a strong wind to blow your ship away from the harbour."
A shiver goes down your spine at the mention of that man. You remember the heat of his breath as it ghosted over your ear, the coldness of the gun pressed to your temple, the cries of your captain as he had been flogged before your eyes. From the tightening of your captain's mouth, he obviously remembers it too, one hand reaching up to touch his shoulder unconsciously.
San may have healed the wounds well, but his body recalls the agony of the whipping.
"I didn't take the Royal Navy for one to believe in superstitions and sorcery." Mingi hisses, clearly still quite unconvinced that the Royal Navy is here for an honest exchange and the mention of Leon doesn't make him any friendlier. But Commander Kang turns to him, eyes narrowing.
"My superior commander has studied several ancient literary sources. They all state that the rope in your captain's possession is a Legendary Treasure of the Sea, spoken about in many historical texts and containing enough power to rival that of a divine being." Kang Yongsun then turns to look very deliberately at your captain, who is staring down at his rope necklace in shock, as if he can't quite believe that this simple knot in his possession is capable of such damage. "However, if you do accept this pardon, there would be no need for you to have such a dangerous artefact, so you might as well give it up to me."
You see your captain swallow. This knot is precious to him, you can tell. It's his last link to the person who'd saved him so long ago on that deserted island when he'd been abandoned and shot in the eye by his father. But what is he to do? Exchanging it for the freedom of all his crew mates... is it worth it?
"You mentioned another two things." Hongjoong fights to keep his voice steady, staring down the commander. "What else do you want from me?"
At that, something prickles at the back of your neck, a chill sweeping over you as the hairs on your arms raise uncomfortably. You don't know how to describe this feeling, but the next best thing you can say is that you feel like someone has just walked right across your grave.
You soon find out why, because the Commander turns slowly, before raising a finger at the thing he needs from Hongjoong. Simultaneously, everyone's mouth drops in sheer shock at the absurdity of his request, or they flare up in rage from the outrageous nature of his demand.
"He's crazy." Yunho whispers in a daze from next to you, his wide eyes meeting your own terrified ones.
"I want the woman you have on board."
He's pointing straight at you.