On the explorer, a bonfire blazed, illuminating the flushed faces of every pirate, red from excitement and alcohol.
Grease from the roasted whole lamb dripped onto the flames, making a sizzling sound.
The rich aroma of meat mixed with the mellow scent of rum permeated the entire bay.
"Come on, brothers! To our invincible the explorer! Cheers!"
Billy stood on the table, holding a wooden barrel full of rum, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"To the Captain! Cheers!"
The pirates responded in unison, raising their cups, bottles, and even barrels high, then drinking them dry.
Of course, the one with the barrel couldn't finish it.
The atmosphere was lively and wild.
Roger sat at the head of the table, watching the uninhibited group before him, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Although he couldn't taste anything due to the curse,
the feeling of watching his team grow step by step, getting stronger little by little, brought him more joy than any delicacy.
His gaze, passing over the boisterous crowd, fell on the lonely sea serpent nearby.
Barraba and his few unfortunate crew members were looking over eagerly, smelling the meat and salivating.
Roger thought for a moment, then waved to Gibbs.
"Gibbs, go and send half a lamb leg to our Deputy Commander."
"And a barrel of the best rum."
"Tell him that even though he lost the competition, as a member of the fleet, his contributions and hard work should not be forgotten."
"Ah? Captain, send them more?"
Billy, who overheard, grumbled, clearly displeased.
"They lost, so they should go hungry! That's the rule!"
"Shut up, you little pirate, what do you know!"
Roger laughed and scolded him.
"This is called worldly wisdom."
"Although Barraba is greedy, he did help me before."
"I can't repay kindness with ingratitude!"
"Besides, he still has quite a bit of money."
Roger's mental abacus clicked loudly.
He had kept track of the money he'd gotten last time.
It definitely wasn't all spent!
Barraba was his mobile wallet now; he couldn't let him starve to death when his own gold coins ran out!
Gibbs understood Roger's intention immediately.
He chuckled, then led two crew members, carrying half a roasted lamb and a barrel of rum, over to the sea serpent.
Watching Gibbs and the others depart, Roger's gaze fell on another incongruous figure in the crowd.
Elizabeth Swann.
She sat alone, isolated, by the ship's rail furthest from the bonfire.
She had already changed into a clean, albeit somewhat large, but still decent quality women's sailor uniform.
Roger had specially found it from the spare clothes.
She didn't participate in the pirates' revelry, just quietly gazed at the distant sea, lost in thought.
Before her lay a portion of roasted meat and a glass of water.
But she hadn't touched a bite.
Roger, holding his own cup, walked over.
"What's wrong, Miss Swann? Do you dislike our roast meat, finding it not to your Governor's Daughter's taste?"
Roger sat beside her, asking knowingly.
Elizabeth didn't look at him, simply saying coldly,
"I don't want to eat with you savages."
These past few days, although she had been forced to accept reality, the haughtiness in her bones had not diminished in the slightest.
"Savages?" Roger shook his head with a smile.
"Miss Swann, I advise you to face reality."
"You are now one of us savages."
"At least, until your father, or your fiancé, can catch up to us with a faster ship than mine, that is."
Roger's words once again stung Elizabeth.
She recalled the race that afternoon.
the explorer's incredible speed had completely shattered the last shred of hope she had of being rescued by the Royal Navy fleet.
She fell silent, no longer speaking.
Roger looked at her stubborn expression, and suddenly found it a little amusing.
This woman, though sometimes foolish and naive, possessed an unyielding tenacity deep down.
In this regard, she was somewhat like him.
"Miss Swann, let me ask you a question." Roger suddenly spoke.
"What do you think power is?"
Elizabeth was taken aback; she hadn't expected Roger to suddenly ask such a philosophical question.
"Power?"
"Power is my father's authority, it is Commodore Norrington's fleet, it is the Royal Navy's mighty ships and cannons!"
She answered without thinking.
This was the concept she had been instilled with since childhood.
"Is that so?" Roger shook his head.
"In my opinion, that's not power; that's authority."
"Authority is given to you by others."
"It can be given to you today and taken back tomorrow."
"True power, however, comes from within."
Roger pointed to his head.
"It's knowledge, it's skill, it's the ability to survive in any environment, and even live better than others."
"Like me."
Roger looked at her, his eyes gleaming with confidence.
"I was thrown into the sea; I survived."
"I was caught on a dilapidated ship; I brought it back to life."
"I faced enemies stronger than me; I defeated them with my mind."
"I can train a motley crew into a decent small group."
"This is power."
Roger's words greatly shook Elizabeth's heart.
She stared blankly at the man before her.
It was the first time she realized that there seemed to be a kind of power in this world that transcended authority and status.
"Do you want to learn?"
Roger looked at her stunned expression and suddenly asked.
"Learn... learn what?"
Elizabeth asked subconsciously.
"Learn this kind of power."
Roger's lips curled into a devilish smile.
"I'll teach you how to read sea charts, how to use a sextant, how to calculate a course, how to navigate a ship in a storm."
"I'll teach you how to transform a high-born, ignorant Governor's Daughter into a female captain who can freely roam the high seas."
"How about it, Miss Swann?"
"I'll teach you, will you learn?"
Roger's words completely overwhelmed Elizabeth's mind.
Teach me... to be a female pirate captain?
What exactly does this pirate want?
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