Race to the Black Rock Island

"*Time to race the dead.*"

The **Race to the Black rock island** was an attempt of three different parties to reach the Black rock island and find the Trident of Poseidon. The British Navy had set out in search of the Trident of Poseidon after learning that a group of pirates had also set out. Lieutenant John Scarfield lead the Navy aboard the HMS *Essex* to capture the power of the sea for the British Empire. The pirates that the Navy was following was lead by Hector Barbossa aboard the *Black Pearl,* who had usurped Jack Sparrow's ship to use to reach the Map No Man Can Read, to find the Trident, and use it to kill the undead pirate Armando Salazar, who had recently risen from his grave and taken Barbossa's control of the sea. Salazar chased down Barbossa and Jack Sparrow as part of his campaign to purify the oceans of pirate kind.

## Prelude

##### Previous: Trials on Saint Martin

After Jack had betrayed his compass, the compass used it's power to unleash his fear and unbound Salazar from the Devil's Triangle, allowing him to continue his hunt across the seas for Jack Sparrow. Jack had set out on a quest to find the Trident of Poseidon that had the power to break every curse at sea, in an attempt to rescue himself from a grizzly fate at the hands of the vengeful Spanish captain, traveling with Carina Smyth and Henry Turner who also sought the Trident for their own reasons. Henry wanted to save his father while Carina wished to prove her worth to hers. Meanwhile, instead of running away from Salazar, Barbossa headed straight for him, offering Salazar deliverance of Jack Sparrow in return for his own life. Salazar agreed, and together they set out in search of Jack. Another party was also interested in finding the Trident, a search lead by Lieutenant Scarfield of the British Navy, who wanted to use the Trident to claim the sea for the British Empire. All except Salazar chased down the Trident, but before they could find the Trident, they needed to follow the Map No Man Can Read. Only Carina had realized that this map was in the stars, leading to Black Rock Island. Jack and his crew set out aboard the *Dying Gull* to find Black Rock Island pursued by Salazar and Barbossa, who were now close enough to see them.

As the crew of the *Dying Gull* discussed how they would find the location of the island, Joshamee Gibbs spotted a ship on their tail. Henry identified the ship as the *Silent Mary.* The crew hadn't been informed that the dead were chasing them down. In their anger they turned to hold Jack at gunpoint, who tried defending himself by saying if they killed him, the dead pirates would be even angrier that their revenge had been stolen from them. Jack suggested that they commit a mutiny, knowing that it would force him to take himself to the nearest island, where Salazar could not reach him on dry land. The crew did so, taking control of the ship and leaving Jack, Carina and Henry to row to a small nearby island on a rowboat, while the *Silent Mary* approached from behind. Salazar gave the order for his men to drop their rotting shark bodies that they held on board, that would come alive with hunger as they hit the water. The sharks were deployed into the ocean, and they immediately set out to feast on Jack. They reached Jack and Henry on the boat sometime after Carina had abandoned the men, deciding to swim to shore herself. Jack and Henry dodged the sharks as they leapt from the water to take meaty bites out of the pair. Henry was pulled into the water, but was quickly yoinked back into the boat by Jack. Salazar and his men disembarked their ship, leaping onto the water and running across the surface to where Jack sat stranded, Henry leaping from the boat to also swim to shore, distracting the sharks with Carina's dress. Jack tried to follow but his foot slipped through a broken board, keeping him on the boat. He used a grapple to hook onto one of the sharks, who swam away, pulling Jack out of reach of Salazar just as he and his men caught up to Jack.

##### Misadventures on an island

All three, Carina, Henry and Jack made it to the beach alive, the rowboat crashing onto the shore. They watched as Salazar and his men approached, stopping just on the shoreline. Carina saw the ghosts, her scientific lens through which she saw the world came crashing down for a moment. She ran away down the beach screaming, Henry in pursuit to calm her down. All the while Salazar spoke to Jack, promising revenge. Jack fled into the island after Carina and Henry, where all three of them accidentally stumbled into traps laid by the locals of Hangman Bay. Salazar returned to his ship, where he rage-fully sentenced all of Barbossa's crew to death. He strung them up, stabbing each one individually. Barbossa began yet another bargain, telling Salazar that he could venture onto the island and capture Jack, bringing him to Salazar, once again in return for his own life. Barbossa in actuality however planned to betray Salazar and find the Trident for himself, using it to get revenge on Salazar for taking his command of the sea.

Jack awoke tied up inside the carcass of a whale, faced with an old ally, Pig Kelly, who told Jack that it was his wedding day. To settle an old debt between them both, Kelly had set up Jack to marry his widowed sister, Beatrice. Carina and Henry were tied as prisoners in the audience. Jack tried to disinterest Beatrice, announcing that he had scabies and was a bed-wetter. Pig Kelly raised a gun to Jack's head, telling him to say "I do", or he would put a bullet in his brain. Just as Beatrice was about to approach Jack, Barbossa interfered, his men having surrounded the ceremony, holding all of them at gunpoint. Barbossa made a grand entrance, firing a shot right down the isle. Jack was overjoyed to see Hector. Hector strode down the isle, shooting Pig Kelly in the stomach, killing him. The audience fled in terror. Barbossa walked to Jack, revealing his plot to find the Trident and use it to kill Salazar.

Jack put a hole in Barbossa's plan, stating that the *Silent Mary* was the fastest vessel on the water. Barbossa replied that it was not faster than the *Black Pearl.* Barbossa unsheathed the Sword of Triton, and made a pronouncement to return the *Pearl* to it's former glory, stabbing through the glass that held the ship in the bottle. Jack took the bottle out of his shirt, released from the noose that held him in the wedding. He ran to the beach, calling out to be ready for the return of his ship. The glass bottle broke and the *Pearl* began to grow... but stopped before it reached full size. Barbossa took the boat from Jack, tossing it into the sea, where it could grow to it's full size. After a quiet moment, the full *Black Pearl* burst from the water, returned to it's former glory. As soon as this happened, Barbossa aimed his gun for Jack's head, stating that there was only enough room for one captain. Barbossa took control of the ship, giving the order to tie Jack to the mast as a prisoner, while Barbossa raced the dead to Black Rock Island, using headings provided by Carina Smyth.

Meanwhile, the *Dying Gull* was spotted by the HMS *Essex,* captained by Lieutenant Scarfield. He captured the crew of the ship, who had made Scrum captain, despite the crew voting for Joshamee Gibbs, but Gibbs handed the title over to Scrum after seeing the *Essex* in pursuit of them. Scarfield proceeded to beat Scrum for answers as to where Jack and the others had gone to.

## Recount

Jack was tied to the ship while he cried out in anxiety about returning to the ocean while that remained an unsafe place to be with Salazar in the area. Carina and Henry were also tied up at the helm. Carina spoke with Barbossa about the map in the stars. Barbossa struggled to understand at first but was told that his understanding was not what was important, but his faith in what Carina said was. Not far away, the HMS *Essex* grew closer. Jack's motley crew sat in the brig, trying to find a means of escape. Gibbs felt confident that he could pick the lock if only he had something sharp. The crew turned their attention to Scrum's long toenail. They pinned him down as Gibbs fought to tear the nail straight off Scrum's toe. The planned worked, Scrum's toenail able to break them free. They sat in a very awkward silence as they escaped aboard a rowboat, rowing to the *Black Pearl*. On the *Pearl* Barbossa submitted to trusting Carina, giving her command of the ship to lead the way. The *Essex* spotted the *Pearl* in the distance. Scarfield called to prepare the guns, planning to shoot the pirates out of the water.

In a moment of downtime during their venture, Barbossa questioned Carina about the origins of her diary, only to learn from the facts she provided that she was his own daughter, that he had abandoned at an orphanage many years ago. He kept the secret to himself, almost in grief that his daughter's path had lead her back to him. Jack had overheard the conversation, revealing to Barbossa that he had also figured out the secret. Barbossa threatened Jack, wanting to take the secret to his grave. Jack used the information as leverage, trying to buy back his compass, rum and Jack the Monkey as a meal. Barbossa refused, thinking that even if Jack told Carina, she would never believe him.

##### The Skirmish

The *Essex* was spotted by Henry, who announced the ship to the crew, bringing them to battle stations. Barbossa called commands to prepare for a fight, unwilling to lose the *Black Pearl* again. Scarfield stood on deck completely unaware that the *Silent Mary* also approached behind him, raising up to prepare to crash back down onto the *Essex* in a move that would destroy it. Scarfield turned to look as the *Silent Mary* raised above him, able to see it for only a moment before it crashed down onto the *Essex,* causing it to erupt into flames. Scarfield was killed and the *Essex* was destroyed. Salazar spared no thought for the crew of the ship, fixed on chasing down the *Black Pearl.* Barbossa called for his men to maintain their course.

Salazar brought the *Silent Mary* right up next to the *Black Pearl.* Both him and his men leapt from one deck to the other. He called out for Jack as his men spread out to kill the pirates. Barbossa called for his men to defend themselves and a fight broke out on deck. Salazar calmly walked through the chaos in search of Jack. Henry came to Jack's rescue, cutting him free. Just as Salazar reached Jack, Jack was freed, jumping across to the *Silent Mary* and landing very ungracefully on a cannon. Salazar chased him, also landing on the cannons, striking at Jack. Jack began a chase up and down the length of both ships, leaping from cannon to cannon. Salazar chased him everywhere he went. As the battle ensued, the motley crew boarded and joined the fright, choosing to be brave for the *Pearl.* Jack found what he believed to be a safe spot from Salazar, only for him to proven wrong as the human sculpture at the front of the *Silent Mary* came alive, attacking Jack and pushing him back towards Salazar. The waves caused the ships to crash together, one such crash causing Jack to be sent hurtling through a wall and into the lower levels of the *Silent Mary.*

Once in the lower levels, Jack that he was safe but only for a moment before Salazar came bursting through once more, leaping out at Jack and starting a sword fight. Carina was able to locate the Black Rock Island, approaching it quickly to end the fight. The crew also spotted the island ahead, calling for a return of all crew back to the *Mary.* Jack was disarmed by Salazar and just as Salazar raised his cutlass to end Jack, Jack was able to distract the Spaniard by pointing out the approaching island. He used the time the distraction bought him to leap back to the *Pearl.* Unwilling to let Jack go, Salazar leapt to the *Pearl* after him. As the *Silent Mary* pulled away from the island, Salazar grabbed Henry and jumped back to his own ship, with Henry as his prisoner. The *Pearl* hit the island and their enemy pulled away. The skirmish ended.

## Aftermath

##### Searching Black Rock Island

Carina immediately began to set to work in finding the Trident on the island. She began scouring her diary as the pirates watched the island, looking as the sun rose and the glistening gems across the island reflected their light, turning the entire island into a spectacle of light. Carina also saw the island, noticing that it was a perfect reflection of the stars. She also noticed that one of the red stars was missing. She quickly set out to return her ruby jewel from the diary to it's location. Carina was followed by Jack and Barbossa. Carina found the missing star and Barbossa gave her the last portion of the jewel, finishing the device. She did it in the name of her father, not aware that her father stood right behind her. As she placed the red jewel into it's final spot, the stars aligned and activated the Trident. The Trident of Poseidon created a gap in the ocean, revealing the tomb. As the ocean opened, Jack and Carina fell into a rocky crevice, causing them to fall straight down to the Tomb of Poseidon.

## List of Combatants

(Those who lost their lives in combat are noted with a star)

#### Crew of the *Black Pearl*

1. Captain Hector Barbossa
2. Jack Sparrow
3. Joshamee Gibbs
4. Scrum
5. Marty
6. Bollard
7. Pike
8. Cremble
9. Henry Turner
10. Carina Smyth

#### Crew of the HMS *Essex*

1. Lieutenant John Scarfield\*
2. British Officer\*
3. Young Sailor\*

#### Crew of the *Silent Mary*

1. Armando Salazar
2. Lesaro
3. Santos
4. Magda
5. Moss

## Appearances

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales