"Welcome aboard, Captain Slate." Captain Thorne said as he looked down and stared at her with his green eyes.

Captain Jonathan lifted his head, not wanting to say anything else. For now, she hopes that her wish be granted. “Let William go.” She sternly said, her eyes firmly looking at him.

Captain Thorne was pleased to see the stubborn young man. His brows rose, “You are well aware that our occupation as pirates does not let go of people easily. It’s either you serve me or you take me to your ship and we’ll negotiate. If not, I sell you and your lad over there.” He smiled innocently, “I have heard that some parts of England are now looking for body parts.” He bent down slowly to level the young captain’s small height, “Are you interested?”

He waited for his answer but all she ever gave was a “Damn you.” And spat on his face. The crew silently gasped. Suddenly, Joana felt a dagger under her chin.

Nickolas then again sighed deeply as he wiped the spit on his face. He lowly said, “Now we know where that quartermaster over there inherited his attitude from.”

He then gestured his head up to his crew behind Joana, "Let’s be nice to our guests and take out that dagger, shall we?” The boatswain obeyed.

“Take them under." Captain Thorne commanded.

And that means?

Yes, the ship's hull where they place immigrants as hostages. In other words, mates, it's a prison cell.

The crew around them nodded and obeyed the captain’s orders.

Certainly, the two were not pleased with what is going on. They looked at each other, trying to find an escape, but to no avail. They were surrounded by the Captain’s crew and it’s too risky to go on.

"Come on now!" The boatswain that was holding Captain Jonathan kicked her in the leg, making her fall on one leg.

William was surprised, he tried to move to at least help his Captain up, but Mr. Grim didn't let him.

"Oh no, you don’t.” He held William’s shoulder, pulling him back in his place. “Don't you even dare if you want your captain alive." He smiles evilly.

Mr. Quarter looks up at him in anger. He knows he can’t do anything now, especially if his Captain’s life is on the line.

"Let's go, Captain!" The boatswain that kicked Joana chuckles as he pulled her recklessly.

Joana managed to endure her anger because she does not know what her hands might do once she's untied.

For now, she keeps herself calm to save William.

They were both dragged out of the main deck while the younger captain's eyes were pierced through the pirate king's.

Captain Nickolas Thorne looks at her and smiles widely, winking before they vanished from the reach of light.

They were pulled under and under, floors to floors down from the main deck and it was starting to smell disgusting.

Once they reached the deepest deck of the ship, a torch was lit up and rats started to spread, escaping from the light.

"There ye go!" The boatswain from earlier didn't take care and ignorantly pushed the young captain down the prison cell making her stumble a bit, but she managed.

"Captain!" William reacts, immediately going in the cell.

Taylor was amused, they all were. He stepped inside the cell before pulling the young captain's collar close to him and points a knife on her neck, their faces breaths away from each other.

Joana stayed calm, but the other didn’t.

William was more than prepared to fight. He could end the man’s life if he pulls even one strand of hair from her. "How dare you—"

But his captain stops him with just a glance of an eye.

Her quartermaster shuts up and takes a step back. He knows he can’t disobey her. Yet William still observed what he might do to her.

His lips stretched wide as he realizes how much he obeys his captain. "My apologies Captain Slate..." Taylor Grim grins as he speaks, taking her wrists that were tied up with rope. "...I could've offered you my quarters, but my captain doesn't allow."

Joana just smirked as she let out a chuckle, "Thank you for the invite, Sir, but I'd rather sleep here for a thousand years than to see your quarters for a second." She raises her chin, didn't care if a man was too close to her. She just doesn't care at all. She doesn’t care anymore. "...it is painful in my eyes to see a dog's quarters."

William laughs inside, but his smirk didn't hide the fact that he was very much amused.

Mr. Grim was indeed a joker. He didn't take the captain's joke effectively at all. Rather, he was surprisingly amused by the fact that this beautiful young man knew humor.

That is what made Joana interesting in the eyes of other men. Joana loves sarcasm. She’s too straightforward. She’d turn facts about you into exaggeration to the point that it’s painful to hear.

And they love it.

He smiles at her unconsciously and she cunningly smiles back. “You’re really something, Captain Slate.” He kept his eyes on her, taking her wrists and cutting the rope that was tied around them.

William was growing tension seeing the two, making him want to beat up the man right away, yet he knew he couldn't.

Taylor raises his eyebrows at the young captain, not letting his eyes go anywhere else even when he cut the ropes off William.

He couldn't take his eyes off the captain.

Unafraid, the captain also didn't take his sharp eyes off the quartermaster of the ship.

William, balling his fist behind him, wanted to punch the man, yet again he endures.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Captain Jonathan Slate." It was awkward to admit, but Mr. Grim looks like he’s interested in the young man.

Captain Jonathan played it cool even though he senses something unpredictable on the other man's tune, her eyes obviously unpleased to meet the latter.

Mr. Grim lifts his hat before giving a slight bow, bidding farewell, "Then, I will be seeing you soon, Captain Slate."

Joana sighs deeply as she narrows her eyes at the quartermaster, “I’d be very well pleased if you don’t come soon.” She had to say it, “heck, don’t ever come.”

Mr. Grim laughs deeply, “That makes me want to come sooner. Goodbye for now.” He steps out of the prison cell and had his man lock them up. He said no more and went up again to the main deck.

William, after double-checking that there were no more people around, he started to scold the captain. "Captain, have you lost your mind?!" His brows furrowed at the younger, his face was becoming light red due to anger.

Slate, who was trying to keep all her feelings in, went to the corner and sat on the dirty barrel, ignoring the annoying voice of his Quartermaster.

William then followed behind her and stood up tall before slouching down to continue with his scarce voice, "How could you order Mr. Gunner to leave you behind?!"

It is very obvious that Mr. Quarter is a very caring man for Joana. She forced herself to ignore yet he continued, "Why haven't you tell us that you were planning on a sudden move like this?! Look what has happened!"

The captain, however, was trying to keep things inside her, do not quarrel at a time like this. Doing her best not to think of too much, she plans on how to escape the damned ship.

Whilst concentrating on how possibly they could, Mr. Quarter here still spilled oil on fire.

"How could a young man like you slit the throat of the pirate king alone? YOU ARE NOT PREPARED—"

William’s words were cut by the sound of the barrel being smashed by the young captain that echoed through the hull of the Maiden.

Yes, she has broken the barrel into pieces with just one hard punch.

"ON WHAT GROUNDS COULD A QUARTERMASTER LIKE YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO?" She burst into an explosion, startling the latter with her sudden tone of voice.

It doesn't mean that she didn't care about what his righthand man did. But rather, the point he has told her that she wasn't prepared enough to kill the pirate king himself, had made her furious.

It was her reason to be a pirate… the reason why she became one.

And it boils her blood just hearing her quartermaster doubt her about it.

William had his eyes widen, surprised with what has suddenly happened. She looked at her balled fist, seeing that it changed colors to red and purple.

She was hurt.

"Not prepared?" She whispers in a doubtful tone. Her brows tightly knitted together.

William just looked at her pitifully, yet he decides to shut his mouth. He realized he has done enough.

"NOT PREPARED?!" She shouted.

Mr. Quarter looked down on the ground, not guilty, yet felt bad for what he has done.

Angered and blood boiling, Joana took Will's collar and pulled him to her close enough that their faces were to touch in another second. She spoke through her gritted teeth, "Tell me... Mr. William Quarter." She was so angry that her face was blowing up light red. "Do I waste every second on land, especially on water, just to hear from you that I'm not prepared enough to face that damned of a Pirate Captain myself?!"

Her eyes were as sharp as he has ever seen. Her brows that were once soft before and lady-like became one of those ungroomed men's. The soft lips she has had now become rough and colorless, different from a woman. Her pale skin before had now become way more sun-kissed and it didn't look feminine at all.

Right now, William could tell she looks nothing like Joana. But, he still believes it is still her... Some part of her...

His eyes softened, seeing what made the effect of his father's death on this beautiful daughter.

"Do I waste every damn hard sparring sessions with you, with Mr. Gunner, with Mr. Feather, and with the others just to get you worried about me being myself in front of the so-called Pirate king?!" Her words were as harsh as the sharpest swords and it pierced through William.

The older had nothing more to do but only look at her beloved girl.

She squinted her eyes, tears piling up and sitting at the bottom of her lashes.

He was surprised; it has been a while since he has seen her cry.

She shook him hard. "Do you truly think all of my hard work would go to waste such as this?!" She sniffs, trying to pull her tears and to hide her true feelings. "DO YOU THINK ALL OF MY PLANS WOULD FAIL IF YOU DIDNT HAVE TO BOTHER COMING HERE TO CHECK UP ON ME?!— DAMN YOU!" she pushes him hard as the bitter words came out her petite mouth, causing the latter to hit his back on the wall behind him.

His back hit the wall as so his thoughts were awakened.

She was right.

Nothing would've gone wrong if he just trusted her more.

The plan would’ve been a success if he just didn't mess up what the captain has ordered.

He should've obeyed and trusted her more.

But he knew he couldn't. Because he loved her, and will still love her dearly. And because of that feeling, it has made him trust her less. He loves her more than anyone, and he has nothing to do but always have her and her safety— her life—in mind.

He looks down at the wooden floor, realizing that he has violated her dignity.

The young captain looks away to the other side and lets her tears flow as much as she could without letting him know that she's crying. But he already knew.

She crumples her hands before she rubs it on her face with such a heavy heart, "How could you do that?" She weakly asked her former lover. Her heart was too wrecked, not because the plan failed, but because he trusted her less.

Does it mean she still loves him?

She also doesn't know the answer.

William swallowed a lump on his throat, a lot of thoughts in his mind.

"Because I love you so much that I worry a lot about you. I can't breathe a second when I can’t see you. Much more if you have fought Captain Nickolas Thorne alone... I can't imagine you being killed by him in one slit because that would also be the end of me. Understand me, please... It is because I love you so dearly that I always imagine you every night." He thinks to himself. But of course, he had no will to even say it.

Instead, he replied to his captain's question. "I disobeyed your command because I know I won't regret coming here, even if this has happened. I don't regret it." He simply answered in a stabled voice.

This has made her more upset with him. She was still feeling furious at him, "It is better to regret than to leave your ship when the captain has told you to do stay." She turns around and looks at him, unembarrassed even if she looked like a crying mess.

William then looked at her objectively, "Jo... I—"

"Captain Slate, captain slate..." He stopped when they heard footsteps coming down from the deck along with a voice that echoed.

Their ears perked and they looked over to whom it belongs.

Captain slate narrows her eyes, "Oh, if it isn't the dog from earlier."

Mr. Grim Taylor chuckled as he made his steps down the stairs. "What very poor sarcasm this young captain has. I love it. And yes, it is true. So I'm warning you..." He looks at her wildly, "...I bite whoever I want to." He winks at her out of the blue.

All the young captain could say was, "Filthy."

William pulled his Captain behind his back and looked at the person in front of him. "What are you here for?" He asks, protecting his captain.

"Oh, nothing much… just my captain wanting to be with your captain..." He smirked as he looked at the amusing beautiful captain behind the hunk body of her quartermaster. "...alone."