The group advanced silently through the dark streets of the port, weaving past debris and the remnants of a recent battle. From time to time, a stray pirate or looter would appear—only to end up unconscious before they could react, courtesy of Endeavour or a swift blow from Jack, who whistled as if this were nothing more than a leisurely stroll.
The silence broke when Endeavour growled, losing patience:
—This is getting us nowhere.
Jack, with his usual calm and mocking smile, lifted the compass in his hand.
—Ah, but that's where you're wrong, my friend. This little beauty always points me in the right direction.
—You actually trust that thing? —Endeavour sneered.
The Doctor intervened, taking the compass and turning it over in his hands.
—It's not "that thing," Endeavour. This is a very particular magical object. It doesn't point north… it points to what its bearer desires most at this very moment.
Endeavour raised an eyebrow.
—And right now it's pointing to what, exactly?
Jack grinned with a look of triumph.
—To the solution to all this mess.
The Doctor nodded, never taking his eyes off the artifact.
—Well, if that's truly what he wants, it'll lead us straight to the anomaly we're after.
—Anomaly? —Endeavour repeated, more irritated than ever.
But there was no time for further questions. The compass guided them to a wide plaza, half-destroyed, littered with shattered wood and broken weapons. And there, two figures were locked in a ferocious battle amid a circle of corpses and unconscious pirates.
The first one stood out immediately: a blond man in flashy, colorful clothing—far too bright for any ordinary pirate—who moved with absurd agility. His body seemed to stretch and coil like a living spring. Each blow shook the ground.
The Doctor frowned, his eyes gleaming with interest.
—Bellamy… —he muttered under his breath—. A Devil Fruit user.
Jack blinked, utterly lost.
—A Devil what?
—Devil Fruit —the Doctor repeated, eyes fixed on the fight—. Mystical items from another world. Whoever eats one gains extraordinary powers… but loses the ability to swim.
—And how in the hell do you know that? —Jack muttered, more surprised than ever.
The Doctor smirked slightly.
—Let's just say I've traveled farther than you can imagine.
The second fighter was less flashy but infinitely more intimidating: Hector Barbossa. His face was hardened by years at sea, and with a broken sword embedded in his chest, he fought with relentless fury. His eyes burned with an ancient rage.
Bellamy let out a mocking laugh, dodging a lethal slash.
—Old fool! What kind of cheap trick keeps you standing with a blade stuck in your chest? Magic? Witchcraft?
Barbossa grinned wickedly.
—Call it what you will, boy. But today, none of your damn springs will save your worthless hide.
The two exchanged blows and venomous remarks, one mocking "cheap parlor tricks," the other accusing him of black magic.
The group stayed hidden, watching the brutal clash. Jack's confusion grew with every passing second.
—What in the blazes is going on? Magic? Cursed fruit? Now we've got human springs?
The Doctor spoke gravely:
—None of this is ordinary magic… and he's definitely not from this universe.
Then, the sky began to change. The clouds that had smothered the night slowly parted, letting the full moon spill its silver light across the plaza.
And in that instant, the truth was revealed.
Jack froze.
—By all the tides…
The moonlight fell upon Barbossa, and his flesh began to wither away, revealing a cursed skeleton, draped in shredded rags and hanging scraps of yellowed skin. His hollow eyes burned like smoldering coals.
Bellamy stopped for a moment, stunned.
—What the hell…?
Jack staggered back, his face pale as parchment.
—The rumors were true! He's cursed!
Endeavour ignited his flames with a roar.
—Enough watching. I'm ending this—both of them—right now.
The Doctor raised his hand sharply, stopping him.
—No! If you interfere now, everything will spiral out of control.
Endeavour shot him a deadly glare.
—More out of control than this?!
The Doctor didn't blink.
—Believe me, Endeavour… this is only the beginning.