In the blacksmith's shop in Port Royal, the furnace fire burned brightly.
A young blacksmith, shirtless, wielded a heavy hammer, striking the red-hot iron block again and again.
"Clang! Dong! Clang! Dong!"
The rhythmic sound of hammering echoed in the stuffy blacksmith's shop.
His name was Will Turner.
A taciturn but skilled young man.
He was the best blacksmith in all of Port Royal.
Whether it was sharp swords or intricate locks, there was nothing he couldn't make.
But at this moment, his heart was not as steady as the hammer in his hand.
His mind was filled with Elizabeth's image.
Today was Commodore Norrington's promotion ceremony, and also the ball the Governor was holding for him.
Will knew Elizabeth would also be at the ball.
As soon as he thought of this, Will's heart ached painfully.
He liked Elizabeth.
From the day he was a child, rescued from the sea by Governor Swann, he had liked that beautiful and kind girl, like a little princess.
But the difference in their status was like an insurmountable chasm.
She was the Governor's daughter, the future Commodore's wife.
And he was just a humble blacksmith.
He could only silently hide this love in his heart.
Every day, he crafted the most exquisite ornaments for her, watching her become more beautiful and charming day by day.
Suddenly, a rush of footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
The blacksmith's apprentice, a chubby half-grown boy, ran in, panting.
"Master Turner! It's bad! Something big has happened!"
"What is it? Speak slowly."
Will put down his hammer and picked up a nearby towel to wipe his sweat.
"The Governor's Mansion... the Governor's Mansion was attacked by pirates!"
The apprentice shouted, out of breath.
"What?!"
Will's face instantly changed.
"Miss Elizabeth... Miss Elizabeth, she... she was captured by pirates!"
The apprentice's words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Will's head hard.
His brain buzzed, a blank.
Elizabeth... captured by pirates?
No... impossible!
This is Port Royal!
It's a Royal Navy fortress!
How could pirates dare to run wild here?
"You're talking nonsense! This is impossible!"
Will grabbed the apprentice's shoulder, his strength so great from agitation that the apprentice's face distorted.
"It's true! Master Turner!"
The apprentice was almost crying.
"The entire Governor's Mansion is in chaos!"
"I saw it with my own eyes! A pirate carried Miss Elizabeth on his shoulder and ran out from the back garden!"
Will's body trembled violently.
He released the apprentice, staggered back a few steps, and leaned against the cold anvil.
An unspeakable fear and anger instantly swept over him.
No, no matter what they were after.
They took Elizabeth!
They took the most important person in his life!
A furious rage surged from the depths of Will's heart, burning away all his reason and fear.
He suddenly looked up, and his eyes, which usually carried a hint of melancholy, were now burning with fierce flames.
He rushed to the wall, and from the various weapons hanging there, he pulled out a longsword he had just finished forging.
He had put half a month of effort into this sword.
The blade was slender, with smooth lines, and in the firelight, it gleamed with a cold, sharp light.
"What are you going to do, Master Turner?!"
The apprentice was scared by his appearance.
"Go save her."
He ignored the apprentice's shouts, gripped the longsword, and like a mad bull, rushed out of the blacksmith's shop.
The street was already in chaos.
There were panicked crowds everywhere, and Guards running back and forth.
Will ignored it all.
He ran wildly towards the dock, guided by an instinct.
When he reached the dock, he saw a black sloop raising its main sail, slowly leaving the port.
A flag he had never seen before hung from the ship's mast.
A spread-winged albatross, clutching a compass in its talons.
It was them!
Will's eyes instantly turned red.
Without thinking, he jumped into the cold sea towards the ship.
He swam forward desperately, shouting frantically.
"Stop! Give her back to me!"
However, his voice was soon drowned out by the waves and the wind.
the explorer's speed increased, and it quickly became a tiny black dot in his vision.
Will swam until he was exhausted in the cold sea.
Just as he was about to give up, a huge warship slowly stopped beside him.
It was the Royal Navy's the dauntless.
One of the most powerful warships in the entire Caribbean Sea.
Commodore Norrington stood at the bow.
He looked grimly at the fleeing pirate ship in the distance.
"Pull him up," Norrington ordered coldly.
Will was pulled out of the water by several sailors, all hands on deck.
As soon as he was on deck, he knelt before Norrington.
"Commodore! Please! Please go save Elizabeth!"
Will's voice was already tearful.
"I know it's your duty!"
Norrington looked at his disheveled appearance, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
Of course, he wanted to save Elizabeth, the woman he liked.
However, as a Commodore, he needed to remain rational.
"Mr. Turner, they only have one sloop, and we have the entire Royal Navy fleet here."
Norrington's voice was so calm it was almost inhumane.
"They won't get far."
"But..."
"No buts!" Norrington interrupted him.
"Now, please return to your blacksmith's shop."
"No!" Will suddenly looked up, staring directly into Norrington's eyes.
"I can't go back! I want to go with you!"
"This is a naval military operation, you are a civilian..."
"I am not a civilian!" Will's voice suddenly became incredibly firm.
"I am the one who can give everything to save Elizabeth!"
He stood up, gripping the longsword in his hand.
"And I know where that ship is going."
Norrington was stunned for a moment.
"You know?"
"I know! They must be going to a place all pirates yearn for."
Will said, word for word.
"Tortuga!"
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