Attack on the Princess

*"Everyone's thinking it, I'm saying it... Pirates!"* - Joshamee Gibbs

The Attack on the *Princess* was a pirate attack launched by Captain Hector Barbossa and his crew aboard the *Black Pearl* in which they attacked in the hopes of finding a golden coin that would allow them to end their curse. Their attack ended in them completely destroying the British merchant vessel known as the *Princess*, carrying aboard it a young William Turner who was the only survivor of the attack. He carried the golden medallion that Barbossa and the crew searched for. As he was rescued the coin was taken by Elizabeth Swann.

## Prelude

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For nearly 200 years the cursed Treasure of Cortés had been untouched on Isla de Muerta, until, Hector Barbossa and his crew pillaged the treasure, thus cursing themselves. They set about to return all stolen pieces of the Treasure to lift their curse. One such piece sat in the possession of William Turner after it was given to him by his father, "Bootstrap" Bill. This made William Turner a target for the crew of the *Black Pearl* in their search for the gold that sat upon William's neck.

## Recount

Little is known about the actual attack, other than the ship was descended upon in a thick fog by the *Black Pearl*. The crew would have stood little chance. It is likely that the powder magazine aboard the *Princess* was detonated and caused the ship to collapse from the inside out and set the wooden frames ablaze. The attack was ultimately unsuccessful however, as the crew were unable to locate Will Turner and recapture their gold.

## Aftermath

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Will had survived the attack on the ship. He landed on a wooden plank, passing out and floating away from the ship unconscious. Will was saved by the crew of the HMS *Dauntless* that was transporting Governor Weatherby Swann with his daughter, Elizabeth Swann from England all the way to the Caribbean Islands, under the lead of Lieutenant James Norrington. They found the wreckage of the *Princess* as it was still burning, the bodies of the dead still afloat in the water. Will was spotted by Elizabeth Swann, who brought it to the attention of the crew, who in turn lifted Will from the water and brought him aboard. Lieutenant Norrington guessed that the powder magazine may have imploded, however Joshamee Gibbs was the first to suspect the work of pirates. The crew took the boy away to recover and Weatherby Swann gave his daughter charge over the boy, wanting her too keep him company. Meanwhile, the *Dauntless* sent out ships to patrol the wreckage to search for survivors or sign of attack.

While Elizabeth Swann was looking over Will, he came too, grabbing Swann's hand. He revealed his name to be Will Turner, before passing out again. This was Will and Elizabeth's first meeting. While watching Will, Elizabeth found a part of the Aztec gold on a chain around Will's neck, a coin of the Treasure of Cortés. This lead Swann to believe Will was a pirate. Wanting to protect Will from a hanging, Elizabeth took the golden coin, wearing it around her neck as Will was taken below deck. As she observed the golden coin at the back of the boat, she caught a glimpse of the *Black Pearl* as it left the area.

## Appearances

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl