Jack Sparrow tilted his head, looking at Roger.
His eyes, seemingly lined with kohl, were full of provocation and probing.
Gibbs, standing behind him, instantly changed his expression.
"Jack! Don't talk nonsense!"
Gibbs quickly stepped forward, trying to pull Jack away.
He knew Jack's personality too well.
As soon as that guy saw a good ship, he was like a shark smelling blood.
He would never give up until he got his hands on it.
But the explorer belonged to Roger!
Who was Roger?
He was a divine being who could command storms, see through the seabed, and turn a wreck into a warship!
And he was, nominally, Roger's man.
On the other side was his good friend.
He was truly in a difficult position.
"Am I talking nonsense, my dear Gibbs?"
Jack, however, pushed Gibbs away and walked around Roger.
"I'm just stating a fact."
"Every respectable ship should be commanded by an equally respectable captain."
He reached out and gently stroked the railing of the explorer, a look of intoxication on his face.
"And this ship, oh, she is truly a beautiful lady."
"A sturdy hull, sleek lines, and that deadly firepower..."
"She shouldn't be commanded by a... hmm... a little guy who doesn't even seem to have a full beard yet."
Jack's words instantly dropped the atmosphere on the deck to freezing point.
Billy and Hanson, all gripped their weapons tightly, staring at Jack with unfriendly expressions.
In their hearts, Roger was a god.
This crazy guy, who appeared out of nowhere, dared to say he wanted to control this ship right in front of them?
He was practically asking for death!
"What the hell did you say?!"
Billy was the first to lose his temper, slamming his axe onto the deck with a loud 'thump'.
"Dare to say that again? Believe it or not, I'll split you in half and throw you to the fish!"
"Oh, don't be so agitated, my big friend."
Jack, facing Billy's threat, showed no fear at all.
He even grinned and leaned closer, poking Billy's arm, which was thicker than his own thigh, with his finger.
"Nice muscles, but your brain doesn't seem to work very well."
"I'm just feeling sorry for this fine ship."
"You!"
Billy's face turned purple with rage, and he raised his axe, ready to strike.
"Stop it!"
Roger finally spoke.
Billy, who was about to act, and Jack, who was ready to watch the show, both instinctively stopped their movements and looked at him.
Roger looked at Jack, without the slightest anger on his face, but rather with a slight smile.
"Captain Sparrow, is it?"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Roger."
"I've heard of your legend, King of the Seven Seas, captain of the black pearl."
Roger's words brought a hint of smugness to Jack's face.
It seemed his reputation was still quite effective.
"However," Roger's tone shifted.
"Legends are just legends after all."
"As far as I know, the black pearl is not in your hands right now."
"And, that... hmm... extraordinarily magnificent ride you just took seems to have already sunk to the bottom of the sea."
Roger's words instantly froze the smug expression on Jack's face.
His most prized black pearl had been stolen by that traitor Barraba.
The dinghy he had just used to show off had sunk right before everyone's eyes.
He was now a penniless vagabond.
Could a captain without a ship still be called a captain?
On the deck, there was a suppressed tittering sound.
Billy and Hanson, seeing Jack's discomfited look, felt incredibly pleased.
That's what you get for showing off!
Stunned now, aren't you?
Our Big Brother Roger is not so easily bullied!
"So, Captain Sparrow."
Roger looked at Jack, whose face was alternating between green and white, and continued to speak slowly.
"A captain without a ship, coming onto a ship with an owner, and saying he wants to be the captain here."
"Don't you think that sounds even funnier than the joke you just told?"
Roger's counterattack made even Gibbs, who had been worried about Jack, unable to help but want to laugh.
Jack, oh Jack, you've really hit a wall this time.
Jack Sparrow looked at Roger, a serious expression appearing in his eyes, which always flickered with cunning light.
He realized that this young man in front of him was much more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.
He not only knew his past but also had clear thinking and meticulous logic, completely unaffected by his usual tricks of sophistry.
It seemed impossible to get his hands on this ship just by relying on his reputation and eloquent tongue.
However, Jack Sparrow was Jack Sparrow precisely because he never played by the rules.
His eyes darted, and the discomfited expression on his face instantly vanished.
It was replaced by an even brighter, and even more shameless, smile.
"Oh, my dear Captain Roger, you've misunderstood!"
Jack slapped his thigh, saying in a tone of sudden realization.
"I was just joking with you!"
"I was just testing you, to see if you were worthy of this beautiful lady!"
"And your performance, oh, it's simply perfect!"
"These are precisely the qualities an excellent captain needs to possess!"
His words left everyone present dumbfounded.
Was this guy's face made of the ship's bottom plating?
It was simply too thick!
Roger was also amused by his shameless demeanor.
Dealing with Jack Sparrow was indeed a test of psychological fortitude.
"So, you now admit that I am the captain of this ship?" Roger asked.
"Of course! Without a doubt!"
Jack thumped his chest loudly.
"Then,"
Roger looked at him, asking slowly.
"Since I am the captain, and you are just an unfortunate shipwrecked person we kindly rescued,"
"Shouldn't you show due respect to me, your captain?"
"For example, help me scrub the deck?"
"Or, go get me a glass of rum?"
Jack's smile froze on his face once again.
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