Norrington ran, with the governor and the other soldiers close behind.
"Governor, take shelter!" Norrington didn't turn or stop, but still commanded the governor loudly.
"No, Elizabeth is with them. I can't take shelter." But the governor didn't listen. He had higher authority than Norrington, so he didn't need to obey his command.
"Your presence will only cause trouble." Norrington, his face grim, didn't stop marching but still advised.
"The pirates can't have returned without a purpose. Last time, they came for the necklace and for William Turner. They must have another reason for coming this time. If we want to negotiate anything, I need to be there." The governor wasn't being reckless, but extremely rational—and for his daughter's sake, he wouldn't lack courage, even when facing immortal pirates.
Reaching the military fortress on top of the cliff, Norrington grabbed his spyglass and first observed the position of the enemy ship. Seeing it was still far off, he shifted his view to the port, where Lieutenant Gillette was already organizing the troops.
The two ships, Dauntless and Interceptor, were anchored at the military port undergoing repairs and couldn't set sail at the moment. The naval force available for battle consisted of only a few old ships, which weren't of much use.
That was why they couldn't even afford to chase leads about Elizabeth outside of Port Royal.
"This battle will depend entirely on the cliffside." Norrington analyzed. "Relay the orders—assign more soldiers to the cannons. Prepare for enemies coming from the sea. I don't want a single damn immortal pirate disrupting the cliffside fire like last time. I want those bastards in pieces," Norrington began shouting orders and organizing the soldiers.
"Yes, Commodore!" some soldiers shouted, then ran off to deliver the orders.
"Commodore! Quickly, look at the enemy ship! You have to see this!" a soldier responsible for scouting the field suddenly shouted, drawing Norrington's attention.
The governor also grew anxious and grabbed a spyglass from a nearby soldier.
The two immediately looked in that direction—and saw a surprising sight.
The ship was still too far away for them to see clearly... but a figure, dressed in yellow, was waving at them from the stern of the black ship.
Narrowing his eyes to try and see better, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
"T-That's Elizabeth!" the governor stammered, recognizing his daughter.
"I believe it is," Norrington replied beside him, though confused as to why she was standing there, apparently waving at them.
Slowly, the ship approached from the horizon, and then they could see the scene more clearly—which left them speechless.
On the deck were familiar pirate faces they would never forget, as they had been part of one of their worst nightmares. Now, they were unconscious and tied up, with a few hoof marks on their heads.
At the helm stood a well-known pirate.
"Jack Sparkle," Norrington muttered upon seeing his face. "Or Sparrow, as he now wants to be called," he spoke mockingly, though a visible hint of relief crossed his face.
Clearly, a lot had happened in that short period—unknown to them—but one thing was certain: the immortal pirates were defeated, and Elizabeth looked alive and well.
But he wouldn't lower his guard so easily. He knew the legend of the Trojan Horse and had no interest in starting a new one called the Port Royalian Boat.
While Norrington was planning and organizing the soldiers under the worried gaze of Governor Swann, the ship slowly headed toward the city's shore.
Not a single cannon shot was fired from the cliffside—first, because they didn't know what they were dealing with; second, because Elizabeth was still aboard; and third, because the enemy ship showed no signs of hostility.
The ship slowly approached the port, dropped anchor, and came to a gentle stop.
The gangplank lowered and hit the dock, and the first person to appear before the soldiers surrounding the area was a smiling Jack, casually resting his wrist on the hilt of his sword.
"What a grand reception. You didn't have to be so polite," Jack joked, still facing multiple drawn swords.
Then, behind him, Elizabeth appeared.
"Elizabeth!!" the governor, behind the soldiers, shouted anxiously upon seeing his daughter alive and well.
"Father!!" Elizabeth, seeing her father looking at her with such worry, felt her heart fill with joy, and she ran toward him, ignoring the soldiers.
But the soldiers didn't move aside.
"What are you doing?! Make way for my daughter!" the governor ordered angrily, seeing the soldiers blocking her path.
The soldiers looked at each other helplessly, unsure of what to do.
"Make way," Norrington, who had also just arrived, ordered with authority, freeing the soldiers from their indecision.
At his command, the soldiers immediately stopped hesitating and opened a path.
Elizabeth didn't hesitate and immediately ran into her father's arms, hugging him tightly. He held her close, full of concern.
"My poor daughter!" The governor embraced her with trembling arms, his heart aching for what she must have endured.
"I'm fine, father. Puss saved us before anything bad could happen," Elizabeth explained, still in her father's embrace.
The governor, who had been hugging his daughter with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them upon hearing this, doubt filling his eyes. He pulled back slightly from the hug to look her in the eyes, confused.
"The frighteningly strong cat? He was there?" the governor asked, doubtful.
"Indeed, I saw him sneaking aboard when the pirates left that day." Norrington, who had also heard the conversation, shared his point of view.
The governor gave Norrington a slightly irritated look for not having revealed that earlier, but in the end, he sighed. His daughter was safe, and that was what mattered.
"Elizabeth, what happened to the cursed pirates?" Norrington asked, shifting the topic to what concerned him most after her safety.
"Those who are still alive were tied up and brought on the ship to face judgment. The others, including the captain, were all killed. Not one escaped," she explained.
"How? There were so many—and their immortality?" Norrington asked, stunned by the shocking news.
Not even all the soldiers on the island, with all their firepower, were a match for that loathsome yet formidable pirate crew. Which is why he couldn't fathom how they managed to deal with it.
The governor also looked at his daughter in confusion.
"They wanted that Aztec gold coin to break the curse, which gave them immortality but also torment, so... they themselves lifted the curse. As for the fight, Puss handled nearly all of the pirates by himself, while the rest of us gave a little help with a few. He's truly an incredible swordsman, and a great hero," Elizabeth explained, her voice full of admiration for Puss. She didn't go into too much detail, but she also didn't forget to give him the credit he deserved.
She had no intention of revealing that the cursed gold was in Puss's possession—or that it still worked.
"He's really that strong?" Norrington couldn't help but be surprised.
He had already heard reports of how amazing the cat had been in the previous battle, but it was still astonishing to hear again about such disproportionate power for such a small body.
"You doubt my strength?" A voice came from beside them, catching them off guard.
They quickly looked down toward the voice and saw a cat casually standing between them, drinking from a mug filled with a white liquid that looked like milk.
On Jack's ship, there was a goat he had bought in Tortuga, and Puss had made do with her milk—it was exactly that milk he was drinking now.
"How did you…" Norrington looked confused at how the cat had suddenly appeared there without anyone noticing.
"Just walked over. You were all too distracted to notice." Puss shrugged and downed the rest of the milk, then casually tossed the mug aside and licked the milk from his whiskers.
Resting his now-free hand on the hilt of his sword, Puss stared at Norrington, who returned the gaze with a slight frown.
"Señor Commodore, correct? Here's how it's going to be. We've got the pirates tied up. You take your men, arrest them, and make them pay for their sins. But don't mess with the crew or with Jack, and don't chase them. They're under my provisional protection for, let's say… two months. Besides, they're not the kind of pirates who kill or plunder cities or villages, so don't worry too much about them." Puss spoke directly, staring without blinking, his eyes slightly narrowed to make his point.
But Norrington didn't like the tone he used.
"And why should I listen to you?" Norrington asked with a grim expression.
"First, because I rescued Elizabeth and brought in the pirates that neither you nor your soldiers could stop—so it would be irrational of you not to grant me this small request. And second and more importantly, I rescued Elizabeth and brought in the pirates that neither you nor your soldiers could stop—so I don't think it'd be worth becoming my enemy over something so minor," Puss said indifferently, with a small confident smile.
The governor beside them, upon hearing that, thought it made sense and was about to agree on the commodore's behalf, but Norrington was a proud man—and Puss's direct words hit a nerve.
"Is that a threat?" Norrington looked at him with narrowed eyes, clenching his teeth slightly.
"It's a fact." Puss stared back calmly, but with equal intensity.
Norrington placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and the two faced off in cold silence.