Wanting to go to sea was never a simple matter.
At least, not in Jack Sparrow's eyes.
First, they needed a ship.
And that alone was a headache.
Sometimes, even if you had money, you still couldn't buy a decent ship.
Let alone a proper military-grade one.
In the Caribbean, ships were strategic resources.
The region was never peaceful.
Large vessels were tightly controlled.
Getting one through normal channels was genuinely difficult.
And without a large ship, there was no catching the Black Pearl.
Even if you somehow got one, there was another problem.
Crew.
Ships in the age of sail required manpower.
Men to manage the sails.
Men to fire the cannons.
Men to maintain the ship daily.
If seawater wasn't cleared from the deck regularly, corrosion would set in.
Within weeks, the hull would rot, leak, and sink.
All of this was common sense.
Yet this self-proclaimed wizard seemed to understand none of it.
Or rather-
He simply didn't care.
That gave Jack Sparrow a splitting headache.
This guy was a complete amateur.
And yet he wanted to set sail.
Jack was almost certain they'd crash into the harbor the moment they left.
Unfortunately, Jack had no say in the matter.
He was bound.
Immobilized.
Escape wasn't even an option.
"We're really letting him be our captain?"
Hermione looked at Jack, who was sprawled on the ground, and asked curiously.
"Is he even capable?"
"At least he knows this place very well," Noah said, spreading his hands.
"And I have a feeling this will be a very interesting journey."
Interesting.
Jack nearly rolled his eyes.
From his perspective, these two young nobles clearly thought a few flashy tricks made them invincible.
They had no idea what the sea actually was.
People like this usually died first.
If Jack had a choice, he wouldn't sail with them for anything.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice.
From the looks of it, he could only obediently follow their orders.
At least he wasn't dead.
That was something.
Living was always better.
Jack understood that better than anyone.
Worst case, once they were out at sea, he could always find a way to toss these two overboard and let the sharks sort it out.
While Jack plotted quietly, Noah turned to Hermione.
"Hermione, stay here and watch him. I'm going to see Governor Swann."
"Maybe I can get a ship."
"Alright," Hermione nodded. "How long will that take?"
"If it drags on too long," she added calmly, "I think we can just throw him in there."
"Hm. Depends," Noah replied. "If it really takes too long, go ahead and throw him in."
"Oh, and give him a Silencing Charm if needed. He looks like he talks a lot of nonsense."
"Hey-wait!"
Jack's eyes widened immediately.
"What is this 'there' you're talking about?"
"And I'm very honest! There's no need for Silencing Charms!"
They ignored him.
A faint golden glow flickered around Noah.
Then he vanished.
Jack stared at the empty spot.
His mouth hung open.
For a long time, he couldn't say a word.
Illusion?
Magic?
Or was this young man genuinely terrifying?
For the first time, Jack felt a chill run down his spine.
Noah's plan was simple.
Find Governor Swann.
Tell him he wanted to deal with the Black Pearl.
Hope for support.
Preferably a warship.
To be honest, Noah didn't think it was very reliable.
He was a complete stranger in Port Royal.
Governor Swann wasn't stupid.
There was no reason to help him unconditionally.
Yet to Noah's surprise, after hearing him out, Governor Swann immediately summoned Commodore Norrington.
They discussed the matter together.
Norrington didn't know Noah.
But after speaking with the Governor, he treated Noah seriously.
No condescension.
No dismissive attitude.
He maintained a calm, composed demeanor while analyzing the feasibility of the plan.
That alone surprised Noah.
He hadn't expected this to work without using magic.
So he didn't hesitate.
He sold Jack Sparrow out.
Thoroughly.
He explained the captain's misfortune.
His betrayal.
And even some of Jack's private thoughts.
"You've captured Jack Sparrow?"
Norrington looked at Noah in surprise.
"The captain betrayed by his first mate?"
"Yes," Noah nodded.
"So he can provide accurate intelligence?"
"Correct."
"And all you want is one ship and willing sailors?"
"No cover?"
"Not necessary."
Noah paused briefly.
"Of course, if you want to contribute, I won't object."
"But Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl are mine."
"You can have everything else."
The terms were generous.
Almost absurdly so.
Governor Swann and Norrington were both taken aback.
After a short discussion, they agreed.
Even Noah was surprised at how smoothly it went.
In hindsight, it made sense.
Suppressing pirates was the Royal Navy's duty.
With Jack Sparrow as an informant, the operation became far more feasible.
And Noah's offer was tempting.
Low cost.
High potential reward.
From the Governor's perspective, Noah appeared to be a noble descendant eloping with a brilliant young lady.
A man like that would want achievements.
Merit.
A future.
Not suicide.
Perhaps other Royal Navy forces were already involved.
Or perhaps not.
Either way, caution demanded that they not let him go alone.
As for Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl-
Tempting.
But they belonged to Noah by agreement.
Any remaining pirates captured or executed would still be immense merit.
Governor Swann wasn't greedy.
If anything, he felt they were getting the better deal.
Norrington certainly didn't object.
He was ambitious.
Eager.
Striking pirates was exactly the kind of opportunity he wanted.
After analyzing the intelligence, he judged the plan feasible.
If a fleet couldn't handle a single pirate ship, they deserved to sink.
The decision took only a few hours.
Mobilization began immediately.
Speed mattered.
Jack Sparrow's presence in Port Royal might already be known.
Delays invited accidents.
Naturally, they paid Jack Sparrow a visit.
Then they threw him into the brig.
And gave him a very "proper" reception.
They wanted more information.
Jack suffered greatly.
But Norrington understood his value.
He wasn't beaten too badly.
By the next day, when Noah and Hermione saw him again, Jack was mostly intact.
"See?" Noah said cheerfully, sitting on the deck beside Jack's sour face.
"Aren't we weighing anchor now?"
"I originally planned to let you steer."
"But after thinking about it, the Royal Navy feels more reliable."
"You could've warned me," Jack sighed.
"Do you have any idea what this makes me?"
"A traitor among pirates."
"Aren't pirates full of traitors already?" Noah looked at him strangely.
"Let me think."
"Weren't you betrayed by your own first mate and reduced to this?"
"Fine, fine," Jack muttered after failing to form a rebuttal.
"Pirates are all traitors. Whatever. You win."
He shut up.
Noah didn't push further.
He walked to the helm and looked over the busy deck.
Then he took Hermione's hand.
They were finally setting sail.
It had been over a week since they arrived in this universe.
Only now were they leaving port.
It felt long.
But the time had been pleasant.
What came next would be even better.
And along the way, certain pirates were about to have very bad luck.
"Come on," Noah said with a grin.
"Let's weigh anchor."
"And set sail."