Caught unaware by the torpedoes snaking under the surface of the ocean, the boat he was on broke apart from the middle like a repeat telecast of ‘Titanic’, and he was flung into the air by the force of the explosion underneath the deck.

Blackbeard found himself flying through the air, like a kite with a broken string. He didn’t come back to himself until he was hit in the face with a torrent of water with enough force to knock out a bull. It jolted all his senses awake like an irritating and loud bell close to the ears.

Even though he was aware of all that transpired after he tried to escape the island, his mind was unable to come out of shock. His feet kept trying to find solid wood underneath them but found only formless liquid propelling him away from the site of the explosion like driftwood with no destination in sight.

The ship he had been looking for was already in tatters, and he was being kept afloat by his survival instinct and the years of experience that he spent sailing as a pirate.

While Blackbeard was pondering on the choices available to him, two small boats appeared out of nowhere and surrounded him. They kept rowing the boats around him in a circle as if to keep him from trying to pull a stunt.

He wanted to dive underneath the ocean in order to escape. As a qualified water mage, he could have easily escaped in his home terrain, but the shock of the explosion didn’t allow him to think that far. As he tried to mobilize the mana in his body, it rejected him as if to show him how much of a failure he was.

The dauntless and frightening looking soldiers on board the two boats threw in a net and captured him like cheap fish in the seas. They reeled in the net and brought him under control just as easily.

Blackbeard had no other choice but to submit to his captors in such a situation where his already injured body had been injured even further. His broken arm was dangling once more. The sling had come off his neck the moment he fell into the ocean. The pain came in inconsistent throbs but each one caused his body to shrink in on itself as he tried to keep his arm from moving.

The shipwreck had dealt him a brutal hand, leaving him with more than just the mental scars of the explosion. As he took stock of his physical state, it became painfully evident that the ordeal had exacted a toll on his body.

A dull ache throbbed through his chest, a telltale sign of the broken ribs that he now endured, each breath a reminder of the fragility of his mortal frame. But that pain seemed to have a way of compounding itself.

An excruciating soreness gripped his back, as if every muscle protested against the forces that had thrown him into this tumultuous situation. It was as if the shipwreck had conspired to leave him battered and worn, adding another layer of agony to the already intense discomfort he was grappling with.

But the God of Seas wasn’t done playing with him just yet.

A jolt of realization coursed through him as he discovered the trails of blood on the side of his face. The source of this startling sight became painfully clear when he looked back on the incident he had just been through. A jagged piece of debris, a rogue fragment propelled by the force of the explosion seemed to have somehow found his head amidst all that chaos.

The impact had left a sharp sting, the taste of saltwater mingling with the metallic tang of his own blood. His hand instinctively reached up, fingers brushing against the tender spot where the debris had struck and found a large cut bleeding profusely like a fountain overflowing in rainy season.

The wound was deep enough to be fatal if not stopped immediately. The soldiers couldn’t care less if he died along the way. After all, the bastard had dared to kidnap their commander from right in front of them. The only reason he was still alive was because Zach had ordered them to bring him in alive.

Blackbeard was in no position to resist any of their actions and was hauled away in a near death state like a bag of sand by the joint effort of two or three soldiers.

“Sir, reporting the completion of the task. The boat was completely destroyed, and the pirate was wounded in the aftermath, but he is still breathing. Please give us further orders.”

One of the soldiers communicated the result of the operation to their commander Zach.

Zach was delighted with their precise and calculated actions. He smiled excitedly and brought his radio transmitter to his mouth before saying, “Good work, all of you. Bring him to the shore as soon as you can. We are waiting for you here.”

Bruce was listening in on their conversation from the side and he was delighted to hear the good news. The excitement was visible in his eyes even more than Zach. After all, the pirate probably had news of his sister’s whereabouts.

When the boat carrying the pirate captain reached the shore, the soldiers didn’t dare to drag him to their commander for fear that the prisoner might depart for the underworld.

They carried him using his still intact limbs and brought him to kneel before Zach, and Bruce who was fuming with anger while laughing hysterically.

Zach didn’t pay any attention to Blackbeard for the moment as he was busy looking at the screen in front of him that was displaying the location beacon of Diana’s headset once again.

But what he couldn’t understand was why it was right in front of him while Diana was nowhere to be seen.

Based on the facts, Zach found that the location marker was showing Diana to be right in front of him instead of someplace else like he had expected. To be exact, the location marker was in the same coordinates as that of Blackbeard’s current location which couldn’t be a coincidence.

Before Zach could ask Blackbeard anything to clarify the whole situation, Bruce’s patience ran out and he grabbed Blackbeard’s collar as he dragged him on the ground like a worn-out rag not caring about the precarious condition of the pirate.

“WHERE IS SHE…WHERE DID YOU HIDE MY SISTER?” Bruce’s voice resounded along the shore, a fierce gust of anger and desperation carried by the sea breeze. He gripped Blackbeard’s collar like a relentless wave, shaking it for the truth as if it were a buried treasure waiting to be unearthed, much like a determined beachcomber sifting through the sand for precious gems.

Although Blackbeard momentarily lost his sense of direction, and his mind became a jumbled mess, he didn’t miss the chance to sneer at Bruce.

With a grin that oozed wicked satisfaction, he mocked Bruce’s turmoil, knowing full well the agony he felt, like a cat playing with a trapped mouse.

Bruce was on the edge, consumed by the search for his sister, and Blackbeard reveled in the power he held over the former, like a mischief-maker enjoying the chaos he’d created. 𝙚𝙤𝙫𝙚𝒍.𝒐𝙧𝙜

Blackbeard had already come to a sobering realization that he would not live to see another day in his current battered state. The prospect of survival seemed remote, and even if he managed to pull off a miracle, the odds of Zach and Bruce showing mercy and letting him live, at the end of their purpose on the pirate island, were very slim.

It was as if the shadows of fate loomed over him, casting a dark cloud that hung heavy with the knowledge that his days were numbered, a feeling akin to a prisoner in a cell awaiting the inevitable judgment.

Realizing that this would mark his last performance in this world, he was resolute in his desire for it to conclude with a resounding victory. He was determined to seize this moment, like a sprinter giving it their all in the final stretch of a race, fueled by the knowledge that this was his chance to leave a lasting mark on the final stage of his life.

Blackbeard cackled, though his smile was marred by the bruises and pain.