Chapter 10

The Caribbean

OUT ON THE OPEN SEA, A SHIP FULL OF PIRATES were singing together.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me

The Kraken leapt from the ocean brine

Look out, me hearties, yo ho

And to the Locker the Sparrow confined

Look out, me hearties, yo ho

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me

A goddess thought she’d a Sparrow save

Look out, me hearties, yo ho

And brought a blackguard back from the grave

Look out, me hearties, yo ho

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me

The Flying Dutchman is on the hunt

Look out, me hearties, yo ho

To punish a Sparrow for his affront

Look out, me hearties, yo ho

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me

Within the chest his secret sleeps

Look out, me hearties, yo ho

The heart of Davy Jones still beats

Look out, me hearties, yo ho

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me

As the sun sank into the waters of the Caribbean, the sky was as beautiful as it ever had been on the Destiny Islands. Sora hummed happily as he gazed at the waning light from aboard a ship.

“Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me…”

Eventually, the sun vanished completely, leaving the boat beneath a starry sky. As Sora continued singing next to the mast, Donald asked, “Why are you so happy?”

“’Cause we get to be pirates again!” Sora replied. He was dressed in a pirate hat, a slightly antiquated jacket over a red-brown vest and grubby shirt, trousers striped with shades of gray, and a pair of boots. His face was smudged with dirt, too, and this combined with his outfit conjured up images of a certain man they had met once before. Donald’s and Goofy’s clothes had transformed into similarly pirate-like attire as well. Goofy’s shield was now shaped like a ship’s wheel, while the tip of Donald’s staff had become an armillary sphere.

“Yep, you always did like this world,” Goofy said, an oar in his hands.

“How could anyone not? Still…it’s a real shame we don’t have a bigger ship.”

The vessel that the slightly disappointed Sora stood upon was perhaps better called a raft than a boat. Just like the one that he, Riku, and Kairi had cobbled together back on the Destiny Islands, in fact. It did have a mast in the middle, but not even that could make it a proper sailing vessel, and it would never hold up in a storm.

“Got any idea where we’re going?” asked Donald. He also had an oar, but he had no clue as to where they were headed.

“Where else? The edge of the world!” Sora cried as he thrust a finger toward the horizon. There was only one true destination for pirates, and that was as far as the ocean would take them.

Goofy got to his feet and performed a maritime salute: “Captain Sora!”

“What ails ya, Mister Goofy?”

“The edge of the world!” Goofy pointed in a different direction.

“Aye!” Sora turned to look.

“We’re runnin’ outta sea, sir!”

“Aye! We’re runnin’ outta sea,” said Sora, who puffed his chest out proudly like a captain and let loose with hearty laughter before meeting Donald’s gaze.

“Running out?!” the two of them exclaimed in unison.

The top of an enormous waterfall loomed dead ahead of their raft—they were really running out of sea. The waters almost immediately roughened, as if they were in a storm, and Sora grabbed hold of the mast.

“Hard to starboard!”

Though Donald and Goofy began paddling their oars mightily at Sora’s command, it simply wasn’t enough.

“But there’s no time, Captain!” Goofy cried as the raft tumbled over the edge of the sea.

The screams of Sora and his friends rang out over the water.

When the trio finally came to, they were on a seemingly endless stretch of white sand.

“Where’d we end up this time?” Sora looked up at the sky and groaned.

“How ’bout we start walkin’?”

“Okay…”

Taking Goofy’s suggestion, Sora got to his feet and began trudging along the desert. The sunlight beat down on them, and the sand seemed to go on forever. They had no idea at all where they might be.

“We’ve been walkin’ forever,” Goofy moaned while his two companions stumbled along dejectedly.

“I’m exhausted…,” Donald complained.

“Some pirates. We won’t get anywhere without a ship.”

Though it most likely had nothing to do with Sora’s grumblings, a small shape did come faintly into view off in the distance. And upon a closer look, it turned out to be—

“A ship…,” Sora murmured as he came to a halt. Donald and Goofy stopped, too.

“Sora… This is dry land…Wak!” Donald yelped as he spotted what Sora was looking at. A huge vessel loomed some ways away.

The trio looked at one another. “It is a ship!” they shouted in unison, breaking into a run after the boat. Despite not being in the sea, it was somehow cutting its way through the sand of the desert.

Just then, a figure came running up to them from behind. Upon passing them, the person called out a greeting: “Hail, Sora!”

“Huh? Jack Sparrow!”

The voice belonged to a lone pirate—Sora and his companions came to a halt as they realized it also belonged to an old friend.

The pirate stopped alongside them. “Captain Jack Sparrow,” he corrected, sounding somewhat aggrieved.

Donald and Goofy shared a look—they’d heard this before.

“Sure is!” said Goofy. Donald voiced his agreement with a chuckle.

“Hey, Jack. Where are we?” asked Sora, but Jack was already running again before he even finished the question.

“Belay that. Ship absconding!”

“Huh?”

“Help me catch the Pearl before she gets away!”

The Pearl—the Black Pearl, to be precise—was Jack’s ship.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Sora said with a grin before joining Jack in his pursuit. Upon closer inspection, the ship wasn’t moving on its own—it was being carried by small white things. Very quick small white things.

“Are those crabs?”

“…Crabs?”

Donald and Goofy speculated as they ran. Meanwhile, it was all Sora could do to keep up with Jack. The Black Pearl kicked up clouds of sand as it raced along.

And that was when the Heartless arrived.

“Let’s get rid of them, Sora!”

“Aye!”

Jack drew his sword from the sheath at his waist, and Sora readied his weapon as well. Just as they had before, the two of them chased after the Pearl, blades flashing. Jack and Sora cut a swath through the Heartless, and when they caught up to the ship, Jack reached up to grab a rope hanging down its side.

“Up here!” he shouted, reaching out to grab Sora, while Donald and Goofy hung from Sora’s legs. Jack clambered up the rope with all three of them in tow.

“Right, then.” Jack grinned once he finally stood panting on the deck.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy climbed on board, too, then gave one another high fives with beaming smiles all around. “We did it!”

A pirate needs his ship, after all.

The Black Pearl continued moving along the desert as before, eventually passing over a decent-sized rise in the sand. And beyond that, at long last, was the sea.

A group of familiar faces awaited the arrival of the Black Pearl along the shoreline. There was Gibbs, the Pearl’s first mate, Jack’s comrades in arms Will and Elizabeth—and then Captain Barbossa, who had once been Jack’s enemy. There was also a woman Sora had never seen before stroking the back of a white crab, as well as the rest of the Black Pearl’s crew.

Jack greeted Gibbs once he climbed down from the ship. “Mister Gibbs.”

“Aye, Cap’n.”

“I thought so. I expect you’re able to account for your actions, then.”

“Sir?” A questioning look crossed Gibbs’s face.

“There has been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline aboard my ship—why?”

“Sir, you’re… You’re in Davy Jones’s Locker, Cap’n,” the first mate whispered back in explanation.

“Davy Jones’s Locker?” Sora said from behind Jack, swiveling his head around. He’d never heard of this place.

A troubled expression appeared on Jack’s face for a moment. And then, as if irritated with himself, he said back to Gibbs, “I know that. I know where I am. And don’t think I don’t.” Sora guessed Jack was acting braver than he felt as he turned back to Sora with his typical swagger. “I’m in Davy Jones’s Locker. Assuredly.”

Sora cocked his head to one side quizzically. Who’s Davy Jones, and why does he have a beach in his locker? I’ve never heard of him before.

“Jack Sparrow.”

When Barbossa addressed the captain, Sora, Donald, and Goofy grew tense at the sight of their onetime foe.

But Jack seemed almost friendly as he approached Barbossa. “Ah, Hector! It’s been too long. Hasn’t it?”

“Aye, Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me.”

“No I didn’t.”

Barbossa’s first name was apparently “Hector.”

Will and Elizabeth walked over to Sora as he watched the two captains’ exchange curiously.

“Sora. We meet again.”

“It’s lovely to see you all.”

“Oh!” Sora cried. “Will. Elizabeth. Is…something about you different?”

The Elizabeth Sora and his friends knew had worn pretty dresses, but now she was a bona fide pirate.

“Yeah, you look all swashbuckly,” Goofy commented.

Elizabeth replied, “Well, I’ve seen some adventures. But I never thought I’d find you here.”

“Speaking of… Where exactly is ‘here’? What’s all this about a locker?”

It was Will who answered Sora’s questions. “Davy Jones’s Locker. Jack neglected to repay a certain debt to Jones. So Jones sent the Kraken to devour Jack, and that’s how he ended up here.”

“Then…Davy Jones’s Locker… You’re saying that we’ve gone beyond…” Sora trailed off.

“Beyond the grave?” Goofy supplied. Donald let out a little yelp.

“And we’re here to wrest Jack from his fate.” Elizabeth looked over at Jack, who was now speaking to the unknown woman. She had long dreadlocks and an air of mystery about her.

“Tia Dalma, out and about, eh? You add an agreeable sense of the macabre to any delirium,” Jack said to her in an amiable tone.

Tia Dalma only smiled slyly back at him.

“He thinks we’re a hallucination,” Will explained, and Jack Sparrow turned mirthfully toward Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

“Heh… Complete with these three masqueraders.”

Before the “three masqueraders” could reply, Elizabeth stepped in front of them. “Jack, this is real. We’re here. We’ve come to rescue you!”

“Have you now? That’s very kind of you. But it would seem that as I possess a ship and you don’t, you’re the ones in need of rescuing. And I’m not sure as I’m in the mood.”

“Jack, Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones,” said Will. “He controls the Flying Dutchman.”

“He’s taking over the seas,” Elizabeth added.

Jack briefly faltered at that, and Tia Dalma chose that moment to break her silence.

“And him must be stopped. The Brethren Court is called.”

“Leave you people alone for just a minute and look what happens. Everything’s gone to pot!” Jack exclaimed in exasperation as he gazed out over the sea.

Sora stood beside him, confused. “I’m lost. What’s going on?”

“Well, um…sounds to me like this Beckett fella they mentioned is tryin’ to conquer the ocean.”

“Oh.” Sora nodded at Goofy’s succinct summary.

“The sea belongs to everyone!” Donald cried indignantly.

“Yeah! No conquerors,” Sora said with a clenched fist. Jack may pretend not to care, but I’m sure he’s upset. He wouldn’t just leave this be.

“Listen, Jack,” said Gibbs. “The world needs you back somethin’ fierce.”

“And you need a crew,” Will added, but Jack only shrugged.

“Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to annihilate me.”

Sora flung his hand into the air enthusiastically. “Jack, we’re on your side!”

“Aye, so you are, mates. I never could have caught the Pearl without you. Sora, Donald, Goofy, you’re hired.”

“Yes!”

With a sidelong glance at Sora’s near-excessive excitement, Jack passed in front of the remaining assembled faces.

“Now, as for the rest of you…” He paused. “Tia Dalma, you’re in.”

The woman replied with nothing but the secretive smile she’d been wearing the whole time.

Jack stopped before Gibbs next.

“Gibbs, you can come.”

The first mate grinned.

“Weigh anchor, all hands! Prepare to make sail!”

His orders issued, Jack opened his compass. But instead of leading him north, the needle spun wildly around and around.

Barbossa chuckled at the sight, holding a nautical chart in his hands as Will and Elizabeth stood behind him. “Jack… Which way you goin’, Jack?” he asked.

With some frustration, Jack Sparrow motioned for the three of them to board the Black Pearl with a jerk of his chin.

Once everyone was on board, Sora took the helm. After a few lessons from Jack, his technique was perfect. The only problem was…he didn’t know where they were headed.

And I thought that desert was huge—the sea really is endless. Well, maybe not completely, since we got here by falling off the edge.

I don’t even know if there’s a point to steering anymore.

Sora plopped down beside Donald and Goofy in the shadow of the mast and stared blankly into the distance. “So we do have a destination, right?”

“I can’t tell anymore.” Goofy sighed.

Across the deck from the three of them, Jack stood staring intently at the nautical chart.

“Jack is just making it up,” Donald whined.

Tia Dalma slowly walked up before the bored trio. “Cast your fate with Jack Sparrow, and you soon be sharing in the wrath of Davy Jones,” she said with a smirk.

“The guy who Will mentioned? Who does he think he is, anyway? And what did Jack ever do to him?”

Tia Dalma observed them with interest. “Truly? You don’t know who Davy Jones be? And you say you be men of the sea?”

She doesn’t seem worried, but…there’s something strange about her. I can’t put my finger on it.

More importantly, how do I answer her question?! “Let’s put it this way—we’re from another sea.”

“Hmm, are you now?”

It was hard to tell what Tia Dalma thought of his explanation—but she soon shifted her gaze to Jack and continued speaking at her usual languid pace.

“Jack and Davy Jones’s fate be intertwined. Jones, him raised Jack’s precious Pearl from the depths and make Jack captain for thirteen years. In exchange, Jack promise to give Jones him soul as payment. But thirteen years pass, and Jack fail to return. So Jones, him send the Kraken to devour Jack, taking him and the Pearl back to the depths. But…if Jones learn that Witty Jack cheat that fate, him wanna punish Jack even worse. And Jack’s friends, too.”

She turned back to face Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

“Are you, um, talking about us?”

“Ya mean that the Kraken’s gonna eat us?”

Donald and Goofy spluttered out fearfully.

“Aw, let the Kraken have a crack. I ain’t scared!” Sora retorted, full of courage.

Tia Dalma took a long look at his face, genuinely interested for the first time. “Hmm… Not scared at all? That be rare. Most men, them run for land at the mention of the Kraken. Not you. But Jack be scared. He want to be free of his debt to Davy Jones. That’s why him need the box.”

“Box?!”

Sora and his friends shared a look. Organization XIII was after a box, too.

“It be a chest…,” Tia Dalma continued, “where Davy Jones lock away the part of him that hurt. The pain it cause him was too much to live with…but not enough to cause him to die.”

“And…what part of him is that?” Sora asked.

“Him heart,” Tia Dalma answered with a smile.

Heartless, hearts, and a box… Organization XIII would be interested in all of that. Are they up to something here, too?

On another sea—a sea whose waters still touched the waters where Sora was—floated a large ship.

Two men stood upon its deck, both of them clad in black coats.

“Oh, how does he do it? A creature absent a heart and yet somehow able to keep existing… Not even my finest Replica can claim that achievement. The secret must be in that box. I have to know what mystery it contains,” Vexen said with fascination in his voice.

Luxord stood across the deck, listening to him. “I believe our orders were to find the box and seize it. No more. Put a leash on that runaway curiosity.”

“Always so shortsighted. Why would the Organization seek me out just as soon as I was recompleted if not to reaffirm my intellectual prowess and invest in my research? Every stride I make is a stride for all of us.”

“Oh really? And what exactly are we striding towards?”

Vexen’s eyes narrowed. “Luxord, do I detect…a hint of treachery in your words?”

“What? Don’t be absurd. But to be clear, I serve the Organization. I don’t share your need to please Xemnas. He’s good at wrapping you around his little finger—always has been.”

This was true. Luxord didn’t share any special bond with Xemnas, Xehanort, or even Ansem the Wise.

Though Vexen sneered, his explanation sounded as if he was trying to convince himself as much as Luxord. “All I desire is the freedom to continue my research. Ansem the Wise refused to nurture my talents. So I cast my lot with Xemnas—with Xehanort, rather. Simple as that.”

“I see. And you don’t care how he uses your research?”

“Not in the slightest. All that concerns me is that I complete the perfect human vessel,” Vexen declared.

Luxord closed his eyes for a moment. “That’s all well and good. But I know this world better than you. Kindly stay out of the way.”

“Oh, of course. Considering those pests have shown up, I’d hardly get anything done,” the academic replied, referring to Sora and his friends.

“I already know what to do with the ‘pests.’ Then you can resume your stuffy studies.”

“Ah, that’s my boy. I’ll be watching from the shadows, then,” Vexen said, then vanished into a shroud of darkness.

Just as the last rays of sun sank into the horizon, their final light was punctuated by a green burst, and the Black Pearl appeared in the waves—upside down. The ship was able to right itself underwater, but that still didn’t change the fact that everyone got completely soaked.

Sora couldn’t hide his displeasure. “Thanks, Jack. You could’ve warned us.”

Goofy took the opportunity to chime in. “Yeah, everything went topsy-turvy and upsy-downsy!”

“Well, at least we’re back in the land of the living,” said Sora.

“Thank goodness!” sighed Donald as Jack deflated somewhat.

Either way, they had escaped Davy Jones’s Locker and emerged into the Caribbean.

“Never fear. All according to plan.” As always, Jack refused to take anything seriously.

“But that be no reason to rest easy,” Barbossa commented. The old captain was watching something off in the distance.

“A ship!” Will cried, pointing at the enormous vessel.

“I’ve never seen one like that,” Elizabeth murmured.

No sooner had she spoken than a swarm of small Heartless came flying from the ship. In their wake came another monster with great dragon-like wings—the Raging Vulture. The giant Heartless attacked with bolts of light that slammed into the water just short of the Pearl, creating waves that tossed the ship.

“Heartless!” Sora summoned his Keyblade.

“Barbossa, have you allied with those fiends again?”

“Don’t impugn me honor. Why would I conspire with them?”

“But you did conspire with them.”

“Could you discuss it later?” Elizabeth cut in before the two captains could waste more time bickering.

Suddenly Tia Dalma whispered something in Sora’s ear:

“Use that key to free me, Sora, and you have my most certain promise—all the power on the sea you ever wish for be yours.”

“Huh?”

“Get ready!” Will shouted in warning to the startled Sora.

The fact that their foes were airborne made it impossible for them to fight back.

“Hmm… I sure do wish we could get a little closer,” Goofy said.

“What? Walk on air? We can’t do that!” Donald retorted—but that gave Sora an idea.

“We can!”

Sora broke into a sprint and jumped off the Black Pearl, landing on one of the smaller Vaporfly Heartless. The creature had wings, and an anchor was attached to its posterior.

“Sora!”

“Donald and Goofy, protect the ship! I’ll handle the Heartless.”

Sora rode the Vaporfly up into the sky, then leaped across the backs of its fellows as they swooped in to attack him. He was getting closer to the Raging Vulture, but the Black Pearl was taking damage from its glowing orbs.

“I’ve gotta hurry!” Sora finally drew near enough to jump over and hit the Raging Vulture with a downward strike of his Keyblade. “Taaaake…THIS!”

One blow wasn’t going to do the job, of course. Just as he was about to plummet into the sea, Sora found another Vaporfly to hop aboard and ride back to the Raging Vulture. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the others aboard the Pearl fighting their own battle, and his own determination was renewed.

With one final strike, his foe vanished in a flash of light.

“All right!”

Unfortunately, the defeat of the Raging Vulture also signaled the disappearance of the Vaporflies.

“Wha—? Wait!” And then Sora was hurtling headfirst toward the water. “Oh noooooo!”

“Sora?”

“Sora!”

As Sora slowly drifted back to consciousness, he realized the voices calling his name belonged to Donald and Goofy. They peered into his face.

“Where are the others?” Sora asked as he sat up. They seemed to be on a beach somewhere.

“After you fell, we came looking for ya. I guess they musta kept goin’.”

“That’s desertion,” Donald quipped.

“Oh… And I was so happy that we got to see them again,” Sora said sadly—but the trio wasn’t alone.

“That eager to sail under Captain Jack Sparrow?”

Apparently, they hadn’t been completely deserted after all.

“Jack!”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy turned to see their friend standing before them.

A white crab dropped from the cuff of Jack’s trousers and scuttled off along the beach.

Meanwhile…

The Endeavour was a ship belonging to the East India Trading Company, currently scouring the seas of all pirates so that it might rule the waters unchallenged. The ship was under the command of Lord Cutler Beckett, a nobleman dispatched by the East India Trading Company and known for his ruthless treatment of marauders.

Belowdecks, Lord Beckett currently stood facing none other than Captain Jack Sparrow.

“Perhaps you’ll consider an arrangement. One which requires nothing from you but information,” said Beckett as he poured something to drink into a glass.

Jack accepted the glass from Beckett and drained it as he presented his demands. “Regarding the Brethren Court, no doubt. In exchange for fair compensation… Square my debt with Jones… Guarantee my freedom…”

“Of course. It’s just good business.”

“Were I in a divulgatory mood, what then might I divulge?”

“Everything. Where are they meeting? What are their plans?”

The Brethren Court was the meeting of every pirate captain in the world, and Barbossa was attempting to convene it. Their plan was to free the sea goddess and win her help against Beckett and his forces. This was what Beckett wanted to know.

On the other hand, Jack was hoping to strike a deal with the ruthless nobleman to protect himself from Davy Jones.

“Shall we?” asked Jack, taking the lead.

“Shall we what?” Sora asked from behind.

“Some pirate! Won’t get anywhere without a ship. So let’s go get one.”

“Yes!” Elated, Sora pumped his fist in the air as he ran after Jack.

Goofy and Donald chuckled as they followed.

“Sora and Jack sure are cut from the same cloth.”

“They even talk alike!”

Sora came to a sudden halt, though, as he recalled what Tia Dalma had said to him on the deck of the Black Pearl—

“Use that key to free me, Sora, and you have my most certain promise—all the power on the sea you ever wish for be yours.”

What had she meant by that? Free her how?

“Sora?”

“What’s wrong?”

Donald and Goofy watched Sora’s face anxiously.

“Oh, nothing really. I’m good,” he said with a reassuring smile, then hurried to catch up with Jack.

They hadn’t gone far before they reached a dead end. All that lay ahead was a cove; the island where they’d washed up was quite small.

“Gawrsh, is there nowhere else to go?” said Goofy. “Guess we really do need a ship.”

“You think we could swim through here to one?” Donald asked worriedly.

On the other hand, Sora didn’t seem concerned in the slightest.

“No sweat! Islander, remember? I’m a better swimmer than you’d think!”

“So am I!”

Sora and Donald charged straight for the water, only to stop as Jack called out to them. “Alas, I am not gifted with the use of magic like you three. Forgive me if I leave the undersea exploration to you.”

Goofy turned back toward Jack before he could wade in after Sora and Donald.

“You can’t swim, Jack?”

“I’m a pirate, aren’t I? Of course I can swim—just not for very long.”

“Well, okay, then just leave findin’ the ship to us!”

With that, Sora, Donald, and Goofy dived into the cove.

What greeted them below the sea was a marvelous coral reef as beautiful as any they had seen in Ariel’s home. There was also tons of treasure to be found in the sunken wrecks scattered about.

“Oh yeah, we’ll definitely find a ship here.”

Their magic allowed them to speak underwater. The three friends swam even deeper.

“Look! Something’s glowin’,” Goofy called.

A closer look revealed what appeared to be two shimmering antennae wavering above the sand. There was a treasure chest sitting right between them.

“That seems suspiciously convenient,” said Goofy.

“I’ll check it out.” Sora swam toward the glow.

“Sora, this could be dangerous.”

“But, Donald! No pirate worth his salt ignores treasure.”

A sigh of bubbles left Donald’s beak.

Just as Sora began to inspect the chest, the antennae twitched and a humongous Heartless shaped like a fish from the deep sea—the Lightning Angler—burst forth from the sand, its maw open wide.

“I knew it!” Donald shouted as he readied his staff.

“I figured this would happen,” Sora said, summoning his Keyblade. The trio squared off with the Lightning Angler, but they were quickly knocked aside as the aquatic Heartless barreled into them at incredible speed. The creature then swiftly spun about and charged again, but Sora managed to swim out of the way in the nick of time. Its target lost, the Lightning Angler began swimming wildly around, which gave Sora the opportunity to strike its tail with his Keyblade.

Donald faced the fishy fiend head-on with magic while Goofy rammed it using his shield. Their combined efforts managed to stun the Heartless.

Sora delivered a final Keyblade blow, sending the Lightning Angler crashing into a rock wall.

“We did it!”

The Heartless vanished, leaving behind a large opening. The caverns continued beyond the hole.

“Let’s go take a look!” said Sora as he swam into the passage. The waters gradually grew shallower as they proceeded, and before long, they had reached a sandy shore within a cave—and a large ship at anchor.

“Wak…”

“Whoa…”

“Oh, cool.”

They softly whispered to themselves as they gazed up at the boat.

“Whoo-hoo! It’s our very own ship!” Sora and his friends shouted with glee as they ran up to their prize, only to see that someone stood upon its deck, looking down at them.

“Are you certain about that?”

“Jack?”

Jack Sparrow was already on board the ship. “Finders keepers.”

“How’d he get here so fast?” Goofy wondered.

Jack couldn’t hold his breath for long, and they hadn’t sensed anyone following them—so just how did he get here?

“Mine. Savvy?”

Donald and Sora didn’t agree.

“No savvy!”

“Jack, you already have the Black Pearl.”

“Aye, to which this ship holds no candle. But take what you can, mate,” Jack said, completely unfazed. He made a show of turning back to work on the ship but, after a dramatic pause, added, “Now then, my ship has a captain, but it does appear I’m in need of a crew. Suppose you’ll have to do. Don’t dawdle. Climb aboard!”

He grinned down at his dumbfounded audience.

They couldn’t exactly refuse to board the ship, so they went ahead and joined Jack as his crew. Sora was again assigned to the ship’s wheel.

“Ready now, helmsman?”

“Ready enough, Cap’n, but…aren’t we kinda…trapped?” Sora replied, looking pointedly up at the ceiling of the cavern. How would they get out?

“Now, Sora, I know you’ve made passage through straits far more dire than this. Just follow your heart’s command.”

Sora nodded at Jack’s advice, then closed his eyes. He opened them again, his gaze straight forward.

“Make way!”

As soon as the words left Sora’s mouth, the cave wall directly ahead collapsed, opening the way to the expansive waters of the sea beyond. Sora guided the ship forward.

Their new ship was sailing along at a decent clip for a while—until an eerie fog began to rise around them.

A lone vessel emerged from the murk into view. It was identical to the strange ship that had waylaid the Black Pearl.

“It’s the Heartless!”

Sora and his friends steeled themselves for a fight until Goofy said, “But look. This time there’s somebody aboard.”

The man on the deck was wearing a black coat—a member of Organization XIII.

“Not the merry company I’d hoped for.” Jack groaned wearily, apparently recalling his past run-in with the Organization.

The man on the ship removed his hood, uncovering his short blond hair and mustache. They had crossed swords with him in this world before—it was Luxord, formerly number 10 in the Organization. “Parley!” he shouted.

The right of parley was a part of the Pirate’s Code. A captain could invoke parley to begin negotiations with another captain, and nobody from either crew was allowed to interfere. This wasn’t the first time Luxord had used parley to strike a bargain with Jack.

“Of course…” Jack sighed. Then, with a shrug, he raised his hand.

A few minutes later, Luxord stood aboard their ship.

“You back in the Organization?” Sora asked tersely from behind Jack.

“Yes. Surprising, isn’t it, that they’d do me the honor? Never count your cards until they’ve all been dealt,” Luxord replied.

“Jack,” Sora called, “don’t you give this creep the time of day.”

“Yeah!” Donald agreed.

While they had reached an agreement with Luxord in the past, the gambler was slippery enough that doing so had proven quite challenging.

“Come now, are you really so unsophisticated that you’d decline a gentlemanly conversation?”

“What’d you say?!”

Sora bristled at Luxord’s mocking tone. Don’t treat me like a kid.

But Jack lifted a hand to calm Sora, then took a step toward Luxord.

“Sora. Stand down. It’s the Code. Mustn’t strike a pirate aboard ship…when said pirate offers to confabulate.”

Luxord seemed pleased by Jack’s gentle admonishment. “Ah yes. And how could I love games and contests without honoring the rules? Because only by winning fairly does victory have any savor at all.”

“But…of course the Code is actually more guidelines than rules. Speak your piece,” Jack replied, as confident as could be.

“I am looking…for a box. A chest, perhaps.” Luxord appeared to be gauging their reaction, and Jack provided him with one, albeit small.

A box—was that the box Tia Dalma had spoken of? The one that contained a heart?

“You know the one?” Luxord asked, pressing for more. Now aware of the cracks showing in his armor, Jack began trying to dodge the question.

“Yes. M-maybe. No! I know of a box. But said box is not a box you want to trifle with, mate. Trust me.”

“Really? A wager, then.”

“And of what nature would this wager be?” Jack shrugged at Luxord’s invitation.

“What say we have a little race to that charming port town you hold so dear?”

“Port Royal?”

That was where Sora had first met Jack and the others.

“Yes. Whoever reaches it first is the victor. And the stakes: You tell me all about that chest.”

“Against what?”

“I will get you whatever it is you want.”

Jack mulled over the bet for moment, then broke into a grin. “Done!”

“Jack!” Sora couldn’t stop himself from protesting. Any offer from Luxord had to be a trap!

But Luxord didn’t even acknowledge Sora’s presence. “Then we have an accord.”

Darkness roiled up around the gambler—and then he was back on the deck of his own ship. “Now, let us begin!” he shouted.

“All hands!” Jack called. “Prepare to make sail!”

Sora was still not having it. “But, Jack—!”

“Drop canvas!”

Jack marched across the deck, giving out orders left and right, while Sora followed him unhappily every step of the way.

“Hey…Jack!”

The captain was still giving the commands needed to get the ship moving, and Sora was still trying to get his attention.

“With a will, lads!”

“Jack, listen!”

With a loud “What?!” Jack finally turned to face Sora.

“You can’t let him get his hands on that box. Do you really know whatever it is that he’s looking for?”

“Let’s just say…there’s a potential possibility he wants the chest containing Davy Jones’s heart. But I haven’t the foggiest notion why he’d covet the blighted thing.”

“Is it a black box?”

“It is more black than blue… So yes!”

The box the Organization wanted was definitely black. Sora thought things over for a moment, then conferred with Goofy and Donald.

“Hmm… Do you think it’s the one?”

“Could be.”

“And winnin’ the race would keep it out of Organization XIII’s hands,” Goofy mused.

“Hey… You’re right!”

“What are you three muttering on about?”

Jack may have been irrepressibly irritated with his trio of slacking crewmen, but Sora was beginning to feel that things were looking up. “Basically, we need to win this race.”

“Precisely. No purchase, no pay. You might have the makings of a pirate after all.”

“Yeah!” Sora cheered happily in response to Jack’s little lesson on protocol. He rushed over and took the helm. Steering a pirate ship was a piece of cake!

“Let us be off!” Jack ordered, and Sora heeded the call with a spin of the wheel.

The wind blew strong, and their ship couldn’t have been in better condition.

Luxord’s ship was racing along beside them, but it was no match for their own as it slid skillfully through the waves.

“Lookouts, report!” Jack barked.

“Starboard side all clear!”

“Port, too!”

Donald and Goofy called from their posts on either side of the ship. They had left Luxord’s ship far behind, and there were no signs of any other hostiles in the water.

“We got this one in the bag,” Sora crowed.

His confidence didn’t last long, though, as a fog rose up around them, and then a group of ships led by Luxord’s own emerged hot on their heels.

“The game isn’t over until it’s over. Fire!” The cannon mouths lit up with flames, and cannonballs came crashing down around Sora’s ship, rocking it violently.

“They’re closing in!” Jack shouted. “Come about! Make ready to return fire!”

“Aye, aye!”

Sora promptly followed the order, turning the ship so the cannons faced the enemy fleet.

“Fire!”

Donald and Goofy fired the cannons at Jack’s command, and the barrage managed to sink one of the five attacking ships.

“Isn’t there any way we can get ’em all at once?” Goofy wondered.

A devilish grin appeared on Jack’s face. “As luck would have it, this ship is rather remarkable. Hold on tight, lads!” he said, glancing back at his perplexed crew, then yanked a rope hanging down from the main mast. “Anchors aweigh!”

The ship suddenly leaped into the sky.

“Whoa!”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy clung to the rudder, mast, and whatever was at hand as the ship flew through the air and dropped down among the enemy ships. When it hit the water, the massive wave it caused slammed into their foes.

“Whoo-hoo!” Donald exclaimed as the hostile boats floundered. All that remained was the ship carrying Luxord.

“And now for the coup de grâce!”

Sora and friends boarded the enemy vessel, but she had seen better days. Several Heartless appeared on deck and moved to engage them.

“Once we finish off these guys, it’ll be all over!”

The four leaped into battle on the narrow deck and finally defeated the last of the Heartless. Once the creatures were gone, Luxord emerged from the darkness, offering a round of applause for their victory. “Magnificent! I salute you all, gentlemen.”

“You’re up to something,” Sora said, still prepared to fight.

“Admit it!” Donald added with an angry glare.

“Perish the thought. I know when I’ve been outdone,” Luxord stated matter-of-factly as if the loss meant nothing to him.

“You were outdone before you even started, mate. But I admire your conciliatory way of conceding defeat.” Jack seemed quite pleased with his victory.

In response, Luxord said, “Yes… Now, I believe I owe you your prize. But I neglected to ask you what it is that you want. Perhaps…you’ll enlighten me?”

“Aye, that’s easy. I want the chest that’s aboard the Dutchman.”

“No, Jack, don’t tell him!” Goofy cried out in panic, the only one of the group to notice that Jack had just revealed the location of the box.

“Really?” Luxord’s eyes narrowed.

Realizing his mistake, Jack turned to Sora. “Not good?”

“Oh, Jaaack…,” Sora groaned, summoning his Keyblade alongside his friends.

“Well…I didn’t tell him which Dutchman.” Reluctantly, Jack drew his sword.

“You tricked him!” Donald snapped.

Luxord smirked. “Actually, I outwitted him.”

“You knew he’d tell you where it was!” Sora protested while Luxord was oozing smug triumph.

“I’ve always been far more interested in the long game. Now, let’s see where it takes us. That is, if you stay apace,” he said by way of farewell, then performed his dark disappearing act once more.

In the same instant, a group of flying Heartless swooped down and scattered Sora and the others.

“Agh!”

The four came crashing down onto the deck of their own ship. Though they quickly jumped up to see what Luxord would do next, he and his boat were nowhere to be found.

“After him!”

Sadly, their ship was too damaged from the battle earlier to be of much use, so they made for Port Royal instead.

“Nay. There’s no point. The ship’s listing near to scuppers from that cannon fire. She’ll be needing repairs. Look for crabs. They’ll set her right.”

“Crabs? Why crabs?” Sora asked, completely confused.

As they talked, the ship had managed to reach a pier.

“Never mind the particulars, mate. The white crabs. Savvy?”

“Aye, aye.”

Despite the strangeness of Jack’s request, Sora, Donald, and Goofy disembarked in Port Royal and began the hunt for white crabs.

They found their quarry hiding beside barrels, alongside roads, and scattered almost everywhere throughout town. What was with all these crabs?

Once they had a good haul of little white crustaceans, the three friends returned to the pier and found Jack waiting for them.

“There, mates. Fit to sail any sea.” Jack gave Sora a long look. “Now, Sora, one final inquiry: Is there any particular reason you wanted this ship?” he asked, apparently greatly interested in how Sora would answer.

Final? What does he mean by that? Sora thought it over for a moment. “Yeah, to explore the seas, free as the wind.”

“Good answer! You are a pirate…Captain Sora!” exclaimed Jack, pointing at his young friend.

“But, Jack…why do you keep saying ‘final,’ like you’re leaving?”

“Ah… It’s because this me has run his course, mate,” he said as white crabs began to fall from his body.

“‘This’ you?”

“Aye, the surrogate me that the goddess of the sea sent here to help you lot. Of course, any me is still me. I may be duplicatable, but I’m always incomparable. The sea, she smiles upon us, Sora—and let’s leave it at that, shall we? For now, the real me has a crucial engagement…at Shipwreck Cove, where the Pirate Brethren will meet Beckett and his lot in battle to win back our freedom.”

“Then let us help.”

However, Jack’s form was already beginning to glow and fade away. “No, it’s for pirates to resolve. But not you, Sora. You’re as free as the winds now, and far you’ll go.”

Those were Jack’s final words before he vanished into one final blinding burst of light. All that was left was an enormous collection of white crabs, which scurried at once from the planks of the pier back into the sea.

“So Jack was showin’ us the way.”

“Even if he did get tricked,” Donald and Goofy said, sad to see their friend go.

Jack might be gone, but I won’t forget what he said.

Sora’s mind was already made up. “Jack… He said it was the pirates’ battle to fight. But a fight for pirates…”

He looked between Donald and Goofy, waiting for them to finish the sentence, and they nodded back at him. Unified in purpose, the three friends put their fists into the air and cried out together.

“…is a fight for us!”

“C’mon! Let’s find the real Jack!”

There’s no time to lose. We have to set sail and go after Davy Jones!

Meanwhile, on a sandbank in the Caribbean, Davy Jones stood face-to-face with Jack Sparrow. Beside Jones were Beckett and Will, while Jack was accompanied by Elizabeth and Barbossa.

They were in the midst of a true parley.

From the neck down, Davy Jones resembled a monster of the seas and even had an octopus’s tentacles where one would normally have hair and a beard. His missing right leg had transformed into that of a crab, and his skin and clothes were covered in barnacles. For some reason, he was standing in a tub of seawater.

Will had taken Jack’s place as Beckett’s hostage.

“You made a deal with me, Jack, to deliver the pirates,” said Beckett. “And here they are. Don’t be bashful. Step up. Claim your reward.”

Elizabeth and Barbossa stared at Jack with stern disbelief. Jack started to mouth an apology to the two, but it was Davy Jones’s turn to place his demands.

“Sparrow. Your debt to me is still to be satisfied. One hundred years in servitude aboard the Dutchman. As a start.”

“That debt was paid, mate.”

“You escaped,” Jones retorted angrily.

Elizabeth interrupted with an idea of her own. “I propose an exchange. Will leaves with us…and you can take Jack.”

“Done,” Will replied.

But Jack, of course, was not having any of it: “Undone.”

Nonetheless, Beckett approved of the deal. “Done.”

Barbossa was on the side of the opposition. “Jack’s one of the nine Pirate Lords. You have no right.”

Elizabeth looked over at the older pirate. “King,” she smoothly reminded him. She had been appointed the ultimate title some time before.

Jack doffed his hat and bowed to her, saying, “As you wish, your nibs.”

“Scurvy blackguard!”

Enraged, Barbossa drew his sword and slashed at Jack, who stepped neatly out of the way at the last moment. The only casualty was one of the trinkets tied into Jack’s hair. At the end of the severed lock now lying in the sand was a silver coin, one of the pieces of eight.

“Easy there, mate. You wouldn’t want to damage the leverage, now, would you?” Jack shrugged at Barbossa, who plucked the fallen trinket up from the sand and flashed a grin in return.

“Now…”

Jack and Will both walked forward, switching places. Davy Jones regarded his new crew member with a satisfied expression, while Jack himself seemed thoroughly uncomfortable.

“Advise your Brethren,” said Beckett. “You can fight, and all of you will die. Or you cannot fight, in which case only most of you will die.”

“We will fight. And you will die,” Elizabeth boldly replied before taking her leave.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy were sailing at top speed to find Jack when Luxord’s ship emerged again from a wall of fog.

“Luxord!”

His ship had been fully repaired after their battle; not a scratch remained.

“Ahh, you do know how to make good time. Yes, one must simply marvel at your celerity. But such compulsive behavior is eventually going to bring you nothing but sorrow,” Luxord said softly to himself. With a snap of his fingers, his ship vanished into the fog once more.

“Lost him again. He’s plotting to swipe the chest in the heat of battle,” Sora said with chagrin. Even when they knew exactly what Luxord was planning, they just couldn’t seem to get the upper hand.

“To Shipwreck Cove!”

“Fast!”

Goofy and Donald were eager to be done with these sea skirmishes, too. Nevertheless, they all pressed on toward the final conflict.

Sora urged the ship onward, his grip tight on the ship’s wheel.

At long last they arrived at Shipwreck Cove. All the ships anchored there looked to belong to pirates, but the trio were able to pick out the Black Pearl among them. Will and Elizabeth were standing in a daze on the deck of the Pearl, and Sora also spotted a bunch of white crabs falling into the sea from the ship’s port side.

Had something happened here as well?

Sora brought his ship alongside the Black Pearl and called out to Elizabeth. “Guys! Are you okay?”

“Sora… You’re a welcome sight!” Will shouted back. Sora, Donald, and Goofy hurried over to the Pearl.

“We’ve all been quite worried about you,” said Elizabeth once they were all together. She sounded disheartened.

White crabs scuttled between her and Sora.

Seriously, what is up with the crabs?

“Where’s Jack? And Tia Dalma?”

“I’m afraid you’ve missed a few things while you’ve been gone,” answered Elizabeth.

Will answered the question, although it seemed difficult for him. “Jack… He’s…he’s been taken by Cutler Beckett.”

“Yes, and Beckett commands Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman.”

“Barbossa thought we could defeat them if we released Calypso, the goddess of the sea, who was really Tia Dalma bound in human form. But it didn’t work.”

Their explanation still didn’t explain very much.

“Aye, a fickle goddess, Calypso be,” Barbossa spat, leaning over the starboard railing to watch the sea. He had been listening the whole time.

“So what now?” Goofy asked.

Barbossa had already given up. “Nothin’. Our final hope has failed us.”

Really, what is going on here? Calypso was trapped in the form of Tia Dalma, and then when they couldn’t free her, crabs took over the ship…or something…?

“Use that key to free me, Sora, and you have my most certain promise—all the power on the sea you ever wish for be yours.”

What Tia Dalma had said to Sora rose up in his mind. The fake Jack, and the ship they had just happened to find right when they needed it… Tia Dalma—Calypso—had been helping them all along. If she had done so much for them already, maybe she could be convinced to help a bit more.

“You can’t give up now. We can all fight—together. The sea belongs to everyone!” Sora declared fiercely, trying to rouse the spirits of Will and Elizabeth.

“I said that! Don’t copy my expressions!” Donald protested.

“Huh? You did?”

“Sometimes it just goes in one ear and right out the other,” Goofy said.

“Wait…really?”

“Yes!”

Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile at the three of them. Suddenly, the low rumble of thunder filled the air, accompanied by ominous clouds swirling overhead. The powerful ocean wind whipped her hair around her face.

“It’s not over. There’s still hope for us,” she said in a soft voice.

She then lifted her head and sprang into action: “You will listen to me. Listen!” There was no longer any trace of despair in her voice as she climbed atop the gunwale and gripped the rope, surveying the crew. “The Brethren will still be looking here to us, to the Black Pearl, to lead. And they will see free men and freedom! Our enemy will see the flash of our cannons and hear the ring of our swords, and they will see the courage of our hearts as we succeed and they fail. Gentlemen… Hoist the colors!”

“Hoist the colors!”

“Hoist the colors!”

Will joined Elizabeth’s call, followed by Sora. Soon Donald, Goofy, and all the men aboard the Pearl joined in the defiant cheer.

A storm was brewing, and rain was beginning to come down in sheets.

Across the water, Davy Jones’s ship—the Flying Dutchman—arrived with a fleet in tow.

The sea began to swirl with a mighty whirlpool that brought the Dutchman and Pearl hurtling toward each other. A fierce cannon battle commenced.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy moved to join the Pearl, but just as they reached the edge—Luxord appeared on deck.

“I knew it was you!”

Amid the heavy rain hammering the boat, Luxord had eyes only for the Dutchman; he had no interest in Sora.

“So that’s the Flying Dutchman,” he murmured.

“The chest Jack told you about has the heart of Davy Jones in it. There’s no way it’s the chest that you’re looking for!” Sora said, but Luxord wasn’t going to be dissuaded.

“No one knows what’s in the chest we’re looking for. If it’s a black box, then we are to collect it, simple as that.”

Wait, no one knows…?

“You don’t know what’s in it? Then why do you need it? How will you know when you’ve found it?”

“Got me. Regrettably, the higher-ups haven’t deigned to tell us. But they did say the box contains ‘hope.’”

Organization XIII is looking for hope…?

Big droplets of rain continued to spatter down on the deck. Meanwhile, the exchange of cannon fire only grew more intense.

Luxord finally turned to Sora. “That’s all you’ll get from me,” he said. “Hmm, it’s far too chaotic to find the box like this. Perhaps I’ll remove that ship from the picture.”

At a snap of Luxord’s fingers, large squid-like tentacles emerged from the sea around the Pearl, seizing the ship and hoisting it aloft while the Flying Dutchman continued its assault from a short distance away.

“Now, this should afford me time to look,” the Organization member said before vanishing in a burst of darkness.

“Hey!”

“Will and the others need us!”

“Yeah, I know!” said Sora, snapping back into the moment. We have to do something about that monster—and the Dutchman!

He decided to start with Davy Jones’s ship. “Fire!” he shouted.

Meanwhile, the deck of the Flying Dutchman was rocking violently thanks to the unrelenting downpour, the barrage from Sora’s cannons, and the churning waters of the sea. Jack did his best to quietly make his way along the deck, casting furtive glances around him as he went. He carried with him the Dead Man’s Chest.

“So you got what you want. Perhaps you’re the better player among us. However, I must demand you give that to me.” Luxord stood barring Jack’s path.

“Pardon? You must be mistaken, mate. I’ll not be giving you anything.”

“Then I invoke the right of parle—”

“Uhp, no! No parley,” Jack snapped, rushing forward and leaning in threateningly close. “Look around. We’re a little busy. And besides, I’ve already got all that I want, mate.”

Jack opened his mouth and blew right into Luxord’s face. Luxord flinched and staggered back from the stench—and then he lost his footing, tumbling from the Flying Dutchman headfirst into the sea.

Once he was sure Luxord was gone, Jack put a hand to his mouth and breathed into it to check the smell. He immediately wrenched his head away and gagged.

“Yup. Still works,” he bragged, then resumed his progress down the deck—only to run into Davy Jones himself.

“Jack Sparrow… Are you lost? Prisoners don’t belong on deck. Your station is in the brig!”

Jack was no match for Jones on his own, so he spun on his heel and made a run for it.

“We’re here!” It was at that moment Sora made his entrance, Keyblade in hand—with Donald and Goofy by his side, of course.

After putting a stop to the tentacles with their cannons, Sora and his friends had spotted Jack and boarded the Dutchman.

Jack turned back around with a cheeky grin. “Tables have turned, mate.” He placed himself beside Sora and drew his sword.

“Hardly. Just a few more maggots to join my crew!” Jones freed his own steel from its scabbard.

Sora charged and sprang from the soaked wood of the deck for an overhead strike. But just before the blow could land, Davy Jones knocked him aside with a spin kick. Jack used the opening to lunge forward with his blade, and part of Jones’s tentacle beard fell to the ground.

“Urgh!” Jones leaped away from his foes.

But then—the colossal tentacles struck at them from the sea. Seems they wouldn’t be so easily defeated.

Donald switched over to defense, fighting back the tendrils with magic. Several of the appendages flinched and retreated into the water, but those that remained launched a winding counterattack at Donald. Goofy stepped in to deflect it with his shield. Sora tried to hurry over to help, but Davy Jones intercepted him with a blow from his sword.

“I’m the one ye should be worried about, boy.”

Jones’s bladework was like a dance, forcing Sora and Jack to fight both offensively and defensively by turns. Finally, Jack pulled a small bomb from his pocket and threw it at Jones. The attack was successful, leaving the monstrous pirate stunned, and Jack delivered a forceful slash with his sword.

Meanwhile, the Flying Dutchman and Black Pearl were both nearing the center of the maelstrom.

“Ready to give up?”

Jones could barely stay on his feet, yet he still lashed out with one final, defiant flurry. Jack skillfully fended off each strike.

“The chest. Hand it over!”

“Jack!” Sora cried, rushing to help.

“Stay out of this, boy!” Jones roared. Tentacles rose from the sea to block any interference.

Davy Jones leaped to the top of the mast, and Jack followed. The air was filled with sparks as their swords clashed again and again.

They were practically in the middle of the vortex now, and the Black Pearl drew up alongside the battle raging on the Flying Dutchman. The two ships shuddered as they clashed together, and the Dead Man’s Chest fell from Jack’s hand to the deck.

Will swiftly swung over on a rope and snatched the box up, but a tentacle swung toward him and knocked it loose from his grip. Davy Jones dropped down from the mast, eager to recover the precious box. Jack moved to stop him.

A third contest of blades began between the two pirates, but this time, Jones’s obsession gave him new strength, and Jack was quickly sent sprawling. Now Jones would finally claim his prize—if Elizabeth hadn’t been standing in the way.

“Harridan! You’ll see no mercy from me.”

“That’s why I brought this!” she cried, pulling free her own blade. But despite her skill, she was no match for him, and she was soon sent to the deck herself.

Davy Jones stepped toward her, but he was stopped short by Will’s sword running him through from behind.

Jones let loose a shout of anguish, and it seemed he would finally fall—until he spoke a moment later as if nothing at all had happened. “Mister. Did you forget? I’m a heartless wretch!”

He turned and kicked Will across the ship.

Will crashed to the deck but quickly managed to sit up.

“Ah…love. A dreadful bond,” said Jones, approaching Will. “And yet, so easily severed.”

“That’s not true!”

Now, Davy Jones was confronted by Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who had finally dispatched the tenacious tentacles attacking them.

Will and Elizabeth loved each other, and they had promised to marry.

Sora had more to say. “I may still have a lot to learn about love, but I know what it means to share my heart with others. And it will take more than you to break a bond like that.”

Jones merely scoffed. “What does a whelp like you know about the heart?”

“The whelp has seen far more of the world than you know,” Jack interjected, gesturing at his young friend. Donald, Goofy, Will, and Elizabeth all agreed.

“Ha! What of it? Tell me, William Turner: Do you fear death?” Jones turned his blade on Will.

“Do you?”

Davy Jones turned back around at the question to find Jack holding the Dead Man’s Chest. Its lid was open, and he had a dagger pressed to its contents.

“How disappointing,” remarked the man watching the scene from atop the mast. “So this is all they meant when they said ‘heart.’ We’ve been chasing the wrong box this whole time.” Intriguingly, the observer was not Luxord, but Vexen.

Now that he had seen what the chest held, he vanished in a dark flash.

“Heady tonic, holding life and death in the palm of one’s hand,” Jack mused, his blade a thrust away from ending a life.

“You’re a cruel man, Jack Sparrow.”

“Cruel is a matter of perspective.”

“Is it?” Davy Jones spat angrily, then turned back around and plunged his sword down and through Will’s chest.

With scream of anguish, Sora jumped onto Jones’s back, and Donald and Goofy weren’t far behind. He beat at the monstrous pirate with his fists, forgetting to summon his Keyblade in his rage while Donald and Goofy clung to Jones to pin him down.

“Will? Will? Look at me. Look at me!”

Elizabeth dashed over to Will, cupping his face in her hands as she made her frantic entreaty, but the life was already gone from his eyes.

Davy Jones managed to free himself from his three attackers. “You will not forestall my judgment!” He moved to finish off Sora, Donald, and Goofy with his sword.

And then—he froze. Only his head could move, and his eyes slowly fell on the source. The treasure of the Dead Man’s Chest—Jones’s own heart—had been pierced by the dagger.

The one who had stabbed it was Will. Beside him knelt Jack, who had placed the dagger in Will’s hand and guided his arm.

And thus ended the tale of the infamous Davy Jones.

Even Elizabeth, still cradling her dead lover’s face in her hands, turned to witness the legendary rogue’s final moments.

Davy Jones toppled into the sea with a last howl of agony, and it was over at last—or at least, the threat he provided.

While they were locked in combat, the Flying Dutchman and Black Pearl had brought themselves to the very cusp of the maelstrom’s center.

“She’s taking us down! Make quick, or it’s the Locker for us all!” Barbossa shouted from the helm of the Pearl as it drew alongside the Dutchman. Only the Pearl was trying to escape the clutches of the eddy.

But Elizabeth would not move from Will’s side. She needed to make her escape with the rest of them, but all Sora could do was watch as she grieved, holding Will’s body and sobbing.

“Jack, can’t we save him?” he asked.

Jack walked over to Elizabeth and confronted her with the cruel truth. “Part of the ship, part of the crew. The Dutchman must have a captain. Elizabeth, say good-bye.”

In piercing the heart of Davy Jones, Will had made himself the new captain of the Flying Dutchman. His fate was sealed, and his destiny was here forever.

“No! I won’t leave you!”

With Elizabeth unable to accept reality, Jack had no choice but to wrench her away from her fallen lover by force and get her to safety. Sora, Donald, and Goofy leaped from the Dutchman, leaving Will behind.

Then, the Flying Dutchman and its new captain were swallowed up by the maelstrom.

At last, the rain stopped, and the seas were calm. But Elizabeth still couldn’t stand on her own.

“Thank goodness, Jack,” said Gibbs as Jack came running over. “The armada’s still out there. The Endeavour’s coming up hard to starboard, and I think it’s time we embrace that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions.”

The Endeavour was under Beckett’s command, and he had assembled an armada that was positioned to destroy the Black Pearl.

“Never actually been one for tradition,” Jack quipped back. He turned to Barbossa at the helm and the rest of the crew with a singular forceful command. “In we go!”

The Black Pearl turned her prow toward the Endeavour, which also turned to meet the charge. It sailed full speed at the Pearl, an overwhelming squadron of warships in its wake.

“It’s nothing personal, Jack. It’s just good business,” Beckett said slyly with a chuckle—until his smile froze on his face.

The Flying Dutchman suddenly rose from the depths right beside the Black Pearl, as ferocious and indomitable as ever.

Standing at its helm was Will, who had assumed the mantle of its legendary captain. “Ready the guns!” he shouted.

The light returned to Elizabeth’s eyes.

“Full canvas!” Jack cried, and Barbossa quickly relayed the order to the rest of the crew.

“Aye! Full canvas!”

Will and Barbossa spun the wheels of their respective ships, and the wind carried the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman to the Endeavour in mere moments.

“Fire!” yelled Jack, followed by Gibbs, Will, Barbossa, and Elizabeth, loud enough to leave their voices hoarse.

A storm of cannonballs hit the Endeavour from both sides at once, smashing the ship to splinters and sending it into the depths of the sea.

The defeat of the Endeavour was so devastating that the rest of the armada swiftly turned tail and fled.

Everyone else was tossing their hats in the air and celebrating their victory, but Elizabeth stood off to one side, her eyes glued to the Flying Dutchman.

Sora grew concerned when he noticed her.

“The Flying Dutchman must have a captain. Just wed, and now she and Cap’n Turner must live in different worlds,” Gibbs explained to Sora.

The Dutchman was a ghost ship, and Will had died once and come back, this time to live forever. Sora looked out at the Flying Dutchman.

Will looked back at Elizabeth from the deck of his ship.

“One day ashore, ten years at sea. It’s a steep price,” Gibbs continued. Will would be allowed on land to meet Elizabeth but once every ten years.

“Will…”

Sora couldn’t help but say the name of this friend who had met such a tragic fate.

Gibbs went over to Elizabeth and said, “Your chariot awaits, Your Highness,” indicating a dinghy hoisted up in the air. Elizabeth began to make her way toward it.

“Mrs. Turner,” Barbossa addressed Elizabeth. The rest of the crew lined up to see her off.

“Elizabeth…”

“Take care.”

Donald and Goofy both had concerned words of farewell to add.

After stopping before each of her friends for a moment, Elizabeth walked over to Jack and smiled.

“Jack… Thank you.”

And with that…Elizabeth boarded her chariot.

“One day isn’t enough time,” Sora said sadly.

“Oh, there’s always enough time for hearts to say what’s true,” Jack reminded him. “Sora, you know better than anyone. It only takes a moment to connect with your mates… With your hearties.”

Sora joined Jack in taking a look around themselves. They were surrounded by mates—and time didn’t matter when it came to making friends. What mattered was how much they cared for each other, the feelings they shared. That’s what Sora realized now.

“There’s always enough time.”

Jack grinned.

That’s right, time doesn’t matter—and if that’s how it is, then I’m sure our connection still holds strong.

Sora looked into the sky, his heart reaching out to his friends.

“And I’m going to find them.”

The waters of the sea were stunningly beautiful. Sora, Goofy, and Donald spotted the ship that had been of such aid to them in this adventure bobbing in the waves a short distance away from where the Pearl and Dutchman huddled close.

After a time—perhaps having finished its role—the ship transformed back into thousands of white crabs that vanished back into the sea.

INTERMISSION

Twilight

KAIRI OBSERVED HERSELF IN THE MIRROR.

On her bed sat a suitcase from Yen Sid, delivered to her by Merlin. The case was open and empty, and next to it was the dress she always used to wear.

Kairi did a little twirl in front of the mirror. Her new outfit was the same color as her old dress, but this one had a belt and a hood. On the left side of her skirt was a frilled section with a checkered pattern, while on the right were solid black pleats. There were also two big pockets.

She surveyed her new outfit, then took another look at herself in the mirror and grabbed a little bit of her hair.

Riku cut his hair recently, didn’t he?

Her own hair had grown some in the time she’d spent training with Axel.

Which way would Sora prefer it? Short or long?

Kairi took a pair of scissors from a desk in the corner of the room and studied them, opening and closing the blades experimentally. She then went back over to the mirror and took hold of the ends of her hair.

Hmm, maybe shoulder length. Let’s just hope I can cut it right!

I got some new clothes from Master Yen Sid. Guess you did, too.

I know I said before that time doesn’t really matter here, but that doesn’t stop my hair from growing. Or my stomach from growling!

Lea (Axel) is doing well, and so am I. We’re pretty close now, actually, although I still catch him staring at my face every so often. I wonder what he’s remembering when he looks at me…

Anyway, I’m thinking about cutting my hair. I think it’s a good way to start the new journey waiting for us. Or who knows—maybe it’s already begun.

Where are you all now? What are you up to?

You guys saved me before, so I hope I can go out and save you.

I wonder if I can be friends with all your friends—the ones you’ve met before, and the ones you haven’t yet. The people who need your help.

I’m doing well here; please stay safe until we see each other again.

Axel always watched the sun set behind the mountains once their training ended for the day, and today was no different.

Kairi called out to him from behind. “Hey, Axel!”

He turned to look, squinting a bit. “Hey. Liking the look. Cut your hair, too,” he said somewhat distantly. This was his first time seeing Kairi’s new haircut, but he didn’t comment on it one way or the other. She didn’t think Sora or Riku would’ve said what they thought, either.

“Mm-hmm. So you gonna try yours on?” Kairi asked.

Axel seemed at a loss for a moment, then shook his head. “Uh…I dunno. Maybe later.”

“But you always wear the same thing.”

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This is how you pick me out of a crowd. I make myself easy to remember.”

He seemed to have a certain someone in mind—but who? Thinking about it caused a little pang in Kairi’s chest.

“How thoughtful,” she said.

Axel laughed off the comment, slightly embarrassed. “Nah, not really…”

Kairi sat down next to him and watched the sun make its descent. “Our training’s almost finished.”

“Yeah…” Axel blinked and turned back to the sunset.

“Somewhere inside me is Naminé. If we can free Roxas, we can free her, too.”

“I guess so.”

“Naminé was made when Sora freed me from his heart. So now that she’s a part of me again, I figured I was all right. But she can’t look at this forest, feel the wind on her face, none of it. And if she could, it would be different for her.”

Kairi’s shoulder-length hair stirred in the breeze, while Axel listened quietly.

“Her time was short, but she lived it, and that makes it hers. What right did I have to take those feelings and experiences back? They don’t belong to me. Nothing’s as it should be. Not for her or Roxas.”

“I know.” Axel nodded in agreement. The sun was almost completely set.

But Kairi understood now. She knew the sky glowed faintly red for a while even after the sun was gone, creating a moment between light and darkness—when the sky was most beautiful.

Axel gradually began to speak. “Way back when I was a kid, I met this other weird kid. Somehow we became fast friends. Never saw him again—nearly forgot about him, too. Then I met Roxas. Couldn’t believe it. The two of ’em were identical. Oh, I didn’t tell Roxas. Didn’t want him to go vanishing on me, too.”

That had to be a secret Axel held dearly. He hadn’t even told Roxas, after all.

“The kid’s name was Ventus. He’s one of the lost Keyblade wielders we’re looking for. Think he’s still got me memorized?”

Ah, I see. Axel met Ventus a long time ago. They were connected this whole time—all of us were.

Kairi put a finger to her head and smiled: “Oh yeah. Very memorized.”

“Now that we’re going back, I’m worried about everything.”

Axel heaved a breath that wasn’t quite a sigh. His eyes looked moist—maybe he’d been looking at the light for too long.

“Well, you don’t have to worry alone anymore, Axel,” Kairi reassured him.

Axel had nothing to say in response and simply watched the sun fall the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, in Twilight Town, a dark portal opened near the old mansion in the forest outside of town. The first person to step out was a stately middle-aged man with a beard, and the other a younger man with long gray hair—Ansem the Wise and Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. Both wore black coats.

“It’s about time!” Pence exclaimed, and Hayner hurriedly clapped a hand over his friend’s mouth.

“Heeey, shut it!”

The two men passed through the gate of the mansion.

Ansem the Wise looked up to the second floor at the window of what had once been Naminé’s room. She had spent all her time drawing in there.

“What now?” pressed the younger man.

“Please. I have created enough victims,” the elder Ansem replied.

“Yes, you have. All the children sacrificed in the name of your research… So make things right.”

Ansem the Wise regretted his shameful past, but ultimately, it was irreversible. He shook his head quietly. “I told you I did not take her. Her disappearance was why I put a stop to the research.”

But the false Ansem had no sympathy for the pain of his former mentor. “And that makes you honorable? You used Roxas and Naminé and threw them away. I doubt there’s a merciful bone in your body. You took the girl and hid her. Now, show me the data you are hiding here.”

“Roxas and Naminé… If there is any reason that I still draw breath, it is to atone for what I did to them.”

Pence, Hayner, and Olette had been listening in on the exchange from their hiding place behind the gate.

“He said ‘Roxas,’” Pence whispered to his friends.

“Yeah,” Hayner replied with a nod.

“That man needs us,” said Olette, and with that the three friends went into action.

Meanwhile, the conversation continued. “If you do find the girl, what is it that you expect will happen?” Ansem the Wise asked the Heartless who had taken his name.

“The child’s memory holds a mystery to unravel—one concerning the battle we seek between light and darkness. You know something, and that…is why you stopped the experiments.”

Ansem the Wise shook his head at the accusation. “You are completely deluded, Xehanort.”

“We shall soon see.”

Xehanort-Ansem seized Ansem the Wise by the shoulder and began to force him toward the mansion.

“Yoo-hoo! ’Scuse meee!” Pence jumped out and yelled.

“Who are you?” asked Xehanort-Ansem, turning back angrily.

Trying to buy time, Pence said, “Oh, well, I’m looking for a friend who used to live here.”

“No one lives here. Begone,” the Heartless snapped.

“But, sir…”

“No, no, no! Not one more step. Get out!”

When Xehanort-Ansem took a few steps toward Pence, Olette used the opening to hurry over to Ansem the Wise and take his hand. “This way!” She took off running around the side of the mansion with him in tow.

Xehanort-Ansem spun around as he noticed the deception.

Now it was Hayner’s turn to jump in—with a flying kick. “Hey, loser!”

But just before the attack connected, a strange dark figure appeared from the evil Ansem’s back and caught the boy by the foot.

“…or not!”

“Hayner!” Pence called out to his friend, who now dangled helplessly in the air.

The creature hurled Hayner toward the perimeter wall, but at the last moment, he was saved by…

“The squiggly things?”

Properly speaking, they were Dusks, low-ranking Nobodies. They lowered Hayner to the ground, then positioned themselves around Xehanort-Ansem and his guardian.

“They…protected me.”

“Hayner! Get a move on!”

“Oh… Okay!”

Pence and Hayner made a quick escape through the gate.

“I serve the Organization. This is treason,” Xehanort-Ansem said softly, his mouth twisting into a smirk. “I see what is happening. Have it your way, then.”

And with that, the Nobodies threw themselves at the Seeker of Darkness and his guardian.

The kids’ ploy for time worked perfectly.

Olette came running with Ansem the Wise into an underground passage. Hayner and Pence joined them shortly after.

“Are you guys okay?” Olette asked with concern.

Gasping for breath, the two boys flashed her relieved smiles

“Yeah, I think.”

“Nobody knows the twists and turns of Twilight Town better than us.”

“You are Roxas’s friends,” a surprised Ansem the Wise said.

“That’s right,” Hayner replied. “So you know him, too?”

“Oh yes. Quite well,” Ansem affirmed.

“Pay dirt. Guess it was worth staking out the old mansion after all, because this guy here is what I call a lead.” Pence pulled a photo of Roxas and the three of them out of a pocket.

“That’s the only proof we have that Roxas was our friend.” Olette smiled as she looked at the photo.

“Tell us about him. We wanna know him better,” Hayner said eagerly.

Just then, someone approached from behind. “My dear master. You are safe.”

“Who’s there?”

All four of them spun around to face yet another man in a black coat—a man who had once gone by the name Vexen as a member of Organization XIII.

“Even, is that you? So…those Nobodies were your doing.”

Hayner and his friends drew together fearfully as the Nobodies in question appeared behind Even. However, they showed no signs of aggression.

Even gave a low bow. “I have been waiting for this. Gave up a normal life in order to plant myself in the Organization. And when I heard Xehanort had gone looking for you, I realized it was my chance to find you as well.”

The academic straightened up again and looked his mentor in the eye.

“For you see, I, too, wish to atone.”

Intrigued by this request, Ansem waited to hear more.