Seeing Bianca looking so completely dumbfounded was hilarious.
"Pfft." Dexter couldn't keep a straight face for more than a few seconds before cracking up. "Haha, I'm just messing with you."
"!!!!" Bianca instantly got riled up, glaring at him. "You think that's funny?"
Dexter nodded repeatedly. "Oh, absolutely. You looked way too cute just now with that deer-in-the-headlights look."
"Hmph!" Bianca puffed out her cheeks. "Answer my question. Where are we?"
"I have no clue. It's a dream, how would I know? But don't worry, I'll go ask someone in a sec," Dexter lied without skipping a beat.
"That's better," Bianca said, feeling a little more reassured.
The moment the words left her mouth, Dexter caught a glimpse of Jack Sparrow out of the corner of his eye. He immediately turned his head, grinning.
Bianca and Carl noticed his reaction and, a beat later, looked in the same direction.
Jack Sparrow was standing atop the mast of a small boat, striking a cool pose, slowly drifting toward the dock with the help of an old sail and the wind...
Meanwhile, the boat was sinking little by little. In fact, it was mostly submerged already, but Jack Sparrow just stared ahead with confident swagger, acting like he didn't have a care in the world.
Iconic scene!
Now that is how you make an entrance.
Dexter genuinely liked this man who walked with that signature staggering gait. He took a drag of his pipe, laughing. "That pirate looks like a reasonable guy. Once he gets over here, I'll ask him."
Hearing this, Bianca—who still hadn't fully adjusted to this "dream"—got worried. "He's a pirate. Won't that be dangerous?"
On the other hand, Carl was decisively, overwhelmingly hyped. Schwing! With clumsy movements, he drew the rapier from his waist and declared boldly, "Bianca, don't be scared! I'll protect you!"
Dexter heard this and thought, Hey, buddy, that's supposed to be my line.
Amused, Dexter reached out and ruffled Carl's hair. "Put the sword away. Don't start trouble."
Just then.
Jack Sparrow reached the edge of the dock. He lifted a foot and stepped onto the wooden planks, officially making landfall.
At that exact moment, the boat disappeared completely, leaving only the very top of the mast visible above water.
Real men never look back.
Jack Sparrow didn't even glance behind him. He just sashayed forward with big strides.
He'd only taken about ten steps when the old man managing the dock stopped him.
About four or five minutes later.
Jack Sparrow swayed his way off the wooden pier and onto land, ending up not far from Dexter and the others.
"You guys wait here." Dexter didn't waste time. He walked straight up to Sparrow, blocking his path, and greeted him with a smile. "Sir, can I ask you something?"
"No," Jack Sparrow refused instantly and dryly. He swayed to the side, trying to bypass Dexter and keep walking.
Dexter didn't mind in the slightest.
Jack Sparrow wouldn't be fun if he were easy.
"Jack, hold on," Dexter whispered with a smile. "I can help you get the Black Pearl back."
Thump.
Sparrow stopped his swaying. He froze, then turned to look at Dexter seriously. "You know where the Pearl is?"
"Of course," Dexter nodded, smiling.
"I don't believe you." Sparrow fell silent for two seconds, shook his head, and moved to leave again.
"Barbossa will be here soon," Dexter didn't block him this time, just dropped the comment casually.
Sparrow, foot already raised to step away, immediately planted it back down. "Barbossa?"
Dexter nodded. "Barbossa."
"You've seen that traitor?" Sparrow asked, visibly annoyed.
"I've seen him from afar. Barbossa is looking for something. And that something is right here," Dexter said.
"What sort of something?" Sparrow was intrigued.
Dexter glanced back at Bianca and Carl. He figured he'd done enough acting for now, so he smiled decisively, said nothing, and turned to walk away.
"????" Sparrow hadn't expected that. He stunned for two seconds before quickly chasing after Dexter. "What something?"
"I'll tell you next time we meet," Dexter threw back over his shoulder with a laugh.
Sparrow tilted his head slightly. "You could tell me now."
"Nope. Not the right time. Stop following me," Dexter kept walking.
Jack Sparrow hesitated, then stopped. He didn't chase any further, but called out, "Sir, what do I call you?"
"Dexter. Captain Dexter," Dexter said without looking back.
Conversation over.
Dexter returned to Bianca and Carl. "I figured it out. Let's go. I'll explain as we walk."
Bianca looked confusedly at Jack Sparrow, who was still standing nearby watching them, then nodded at Dexter. "Okay."
Carl was staring much harder, trying to memorize Jack Sparrow's look. He kept looking back every other step, reluctantly tearing his eyes away only after a while. Finally, he asked, "Dexter, that pirate is so cool. Can I be like that?"
"Sure. We'll take it slow," Dexter agreed readily.
"Awesome!" Carl was thrilled.
"Carl, remember this: Don't tell anyone here you're a pirate. Pirates aren't welcome. If the Navy finds out, they'll arrest you and hang you," Dexter felt it was necessary to give a warning.
"Huh?" Carl didn't want to die. He gasped, "Okay, I won't say a word."
Bianca was a little spooked too and hurriedly asked, "What did you find out? Tell us."
Dexter didn't keep them in suspense. "Okay, so this is a city called Port Royal in the Caribbean. There's a Governor here, and the Royal Navy..."
Based on his knowledge of the movie, Dexter gave them the rundown.
After listening.
Bianca was even more shocked and confused. She instinctively looked around at their surroundings. "This dream is way too weird. Why would I dream about the 17th-century Caribbean?"
Dexter chuckled and said nothing.
Carl, however, chimed in excitedly, "It is weird, but it's super fun! Bianca, don't you think?"
Bianca hadn't adjusted yet. At best, her feelings toward all this were stuck at 'curiosity.' She didn't know what to say.
Dexter understood how she felt. After a thought, he grinned mischievously and nudged her. "Ms. Greene, it's a dream anyway. Why overthink it? Just enjoy this strange dream and do whatever you want."
Bianca nodded with a complicated expression but didn't say anything.
He had a point.
But people don't change that easily. Bianca had lived a very restrained life for years; she couldn't just snap her fingers and release her inner wild side instantly.
Dexter wasn't in a rush. He didn't push her, letting her digest it at her own pace.
After all, this was a journey—a long one. They had plenty of time.
So, what to do next?
Walk around, see the sights, soak in the Caribbean vibes. Treat it like a vacation.
They'd head to Tortuga a bit later.
Oh, right. He also needed to find an inn to have some "fun" with Bianca.
As for Elizabeth and that Aztec gold coin... he could ignore them for now. In fact, he had to ignore them.
Once that coin touched the seawater, Barbossa and his crew would sense it and come hunting...
Dexter only had three people, a dog, and a crow. He wasn't equipped to fight a crew of undead pirates who couldn't die.