The world had stopped making sense.
Splintered planks, blood, smoke, bodies—everything blurred together under the weight of chaos. The sea slapped against the hulls as if impatient, and the two bear brothers stood opposite Jack Sparrow like twin mountains of fury and pain.
Legis P Bear clutched the bleeding stump where his arm had been, breath ragged, eyes wild. Legis G Bear stood between his brother and Jack, shoulders heaving, claws digging into the deck hard enough to crack wood.
Jack rolled his shoulders once.
"Well," he said lightly, sword hanging loose in his hand, "this has certainly escalated."
G Bear roared and charged.
P Bear followed, rage overpowering pain as he lunged with his remaining arm, teeth bared, fur bristling.
Two Zoan users.
Jack alone.
From the surrounding decks—both ships, even the Black Pearl—everyone stopped. Pirates froze mid-swing.
"Captain—!" Gibbs started.
Jack didn't look back.
The brothers attacked together.
Raw strength. Power and hatred.
Jack moved.
Sideways.
He slid between them, boots skimming the deck, blade flashing once to redirect a claw, once more to tap steel against bone. He ducked beneath a sweeping arm, rolled across the deck, came up behind them as they collided into each other with a thunderous crash.
"Still predictable," Jack said.
G Bear spun, swinging blindly. Jack leaned back just enough for the claws to miss his face by a hair's breadth. He felt the wind of it on his cheek.
Jack laughed.
A soft, delighted laugh.
"Oh," he said, eyes sharpening, "you're angry-angry."
P Bear charged again, roaring through blood and pain.
Jack stopped retreating.
He planted his foot.
The deck creaked beneath him.
Wado Ichimonji came up—blade angled just enough to catch the light. Jack's stance shifted, weight settling into his legs, shoulders loose, breathing slow.
Gibbs felt it.
Ragetti felt it.
Even the surrendered pirates felt it—something tightening in the air, something wrong.
Jack took one step forward.
Then another.
The brothers lunged.
Jack moved like the tide.
"Wayward Tide Cut."
The name was barely more than a breath.
Jack's blade moved once.
Just once.
No wide arc. A single step. A single cut.
The air split.
The sound came late—a sharp shing followed by a wet, horrible silence.
Legis G Bear froze mid-stride. Legis P Bear staggered, eyes wide.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then blood poured.
Deep, precise lines carved across their chests and shoulders, angled perfectly to disrupt muscle and balance. The cuts weren't wild—they were surgical, placed where strength meant nothing.
G Bear dropped to one knee, claws scraping uselessly against the deck.
P Bear collapsed beside him, face-first, unconscious before he hit the planks.
Both captains were down.
Silence crashed harder than any cannon.
No one moved.
Jack exhaled slowly and lowered his sword.
"That," he said conversationally, "didn't work on teacher but it sure does on weaklings."
A pirate near the railing dropped his weapon with shaking hands.
Another followed.
Then another.
Steel clattered to the deck.
"We—" someone croaked. "We surrender."
Jack turned his head, blinking as if surprised to find them there. "Oh. Good."
Pintel chose that moment to come up.
He pumped his fist into the air. "WE WON OUR FIRST PIRATE FIGHT!"
He immediately slipped on a fallen body and vanished over the railing with a splash.
Ragetti stared at the empty space.
"…Again."
Jack peered over the edge. "You alright down there?"
Pintel's voice floated up. "I think the ship hates me! And the sea loves him!"
Jack nodded. "Fair."
He turned back to the surrendered pirates, who flinched as his gaze passed over them.
"Right," Jack said. "You."
They all stiffened.
"Congratulations," Jack continued. "You survived."
Several pirates looked like they were about to cry.
"Now," Jack went on, sheathing Wado Ichimonji, "you're going to help my crew."
Ragetti perked up. "With what?"
Jack gestured grandly at the two ships. "Everything valuable. Food. Weapons. Money. Especially—"
"Gunpowder," Gibbs said loudly from the Pearl.
Jack snapped his fingers. "Especially gunpowder."
The pirates hesitated.
Jack tilted his head. "I can also reconsider."
They scrambled instantly.
Ragetti watched them run and blinked. "I was going to ask if I had to do this alone."
Jack patted his shoulder. "Teamwork builds character."
Hours later, the Black Pearl sat heavier in the water, her decks stacked with crates, barrels, and sacks. Gunpowder was secured. Weapons sorted. Berries counted.
Jack emerged from one of the bear captains' quarters, placing a battered triangular hat on his head.
He adjusted it.
Smiled.
"Oh yes," he murmured. "That feels right."
The surrendered pirates were lined up on their decks, eyes tracking Jack nervously as he approached the railing.
"Good news," Jack called out. "You're free to go."
They blinked.
"You can cash in the bounties on your former captains," Jack continued cheerfully. "Ten million each, if memory serves. Split it. Start over. Try not to fight your siblings next time."
They stared at him in disbelief.
Jack tipped his hat. "I'm feeling generous."
He turned and stepped back onto the Pearl.
As the Black Pearl pulled away, Jack stood at the railing, hat tilted low over his eyes.
"So long," he called. "Farewell."
The pirates watched the black ship glide away, fear settling deep in their bones.
"And remember the name," Jack added lightly.
The Pearl turned just enough for the jolly roger to catch the light.
"Jack Sparrow," he said. "Of the Caribbean Pirates."