Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!
Will Turner had never been treated like this in his entire life. He was furious, struggling desperately and making muffled noises through the gag.
Just then.
Carl, who had long since fired off the four rounds from his two flintlocks and was currently flailing his sword around nearby, rushed over to Dexter like a bolt of lightning. His face was eager as he asked, "Dexter, you want me to stick him a few times?"
This kid really was a joy to be around.
Dexter reached out and ruffled Carl's hair. "He's still useful to us, so he can't die. But you can punch him or kick him a few times."
"Awesome!" Carl was thrilled. Without a second of hesitation, he lifted his foot and stomped right into Will Turner's stomach.
Carl might have been small, but he had strength, and that kick was no joke.
Will Turner let out a muffled groan of pain.
Carl felt a rush of satisfaction. He immediately kicked Will again, then squatted down and started throwing haymakers, landing a left and a right hook squarely on Will's face.
"This feels great!" Carl was beside himself with joy.
Dexter chuckled. "Alright, go back to practicing your sword work. We're going to go rob some people soon, and you need to be ready."
"Holy sht! Robbery!!" Carl's entire face lit up. "I'll be ready!"
"Good." Leaving it at that, Dexter strode back to Bianca.
Bianca had seen and heard everything—what Dexter said and what Carl did. She looked a bit confused. "Is that guy a bad person?"
Dexter shook his head with a smile. "No idea. But we're pirates. Isn't this just standard operating procedure?"
Bianca paused, stunned. Then she looked down at herself, processed it, and smiled. It made sense. "True."
"Haha, Bianca, I'm realizing you've got a bit of a dark side," Dexter teased, seeing her reaction.
Bianca panicked slightly. "You're the one who said pirates are supposed to act like this! Why are you calling me bad?"
Dexter smiled but didn't answer.
Bianca gave him a resentful glare.
Time flew.
Finally, the trio arrived at Tortuga.
Dexter took the helm personally to dock the ship, then called Bianca and Carl over to help drop the anchor.
Everything was set.
"Daijiu, watch this guy. If he tries to run, bite him. Just don't kill him!" Dexter ordered the dog, who was napping on the deck.
Daijiu looked at Dexter and let out a lazy bark.
"Alright, let's go." Dexter didn't waste words. Pipe in mouth, he waved his hand, signaling them to disembark.
Tortuga was a city for pirates—or rather, a gathering place for the dregs of society.
There were no rules here. Only endless noise, roaring crowds, booze, hookers, and most importantly, freedom and joy.
This city was happy. The people here, for the most part, were having a blast.
Bianca and Carl had never seen a scene like this and were completely shocked.
Dexter, puffing on his pipe, looked around as he walked. Honestly? He really liked this place.
In a way, the people here were all "Shameless" too.
But these scoundrels were far superior to the ones on the South Side of Chicago in every way. These were top-tier degenerates.
Case in point.
They had only been walking for a short while when several prostitutes swarmed Dexter with beaming smiles.
"What a handsome man. Let big sister take care of you."
"Me too! Since you're so good-looking, I won't even charge you."
"Hey handsome, let me serve you!"
See? What a wonderful place.
Dexter grinned.
Carl was insanely jealous. His eyes were practically popping out of his skull, filled with shock and envy. He wished he could swap places with Dexter right then and there.
Bianca, naturally, was completely bewildered. She hadn't expected this to happen at all.
After two seconds of shock, Bianca snapped out of it. She got frantic, immediately grabbing Dexter's arm and yanking him behind her. She blocked his path, shielding him from the women, and shouted angrily, "He's my man! Fxxk off!"
The three prostitutes were veterans of the trade; they weren't going to be scared off that easily. Not only did they not move, but they also started openly sizing Bianca up.
"Little sister, the face isn't bad. Shame the pantry is so empty."
"Does she even have tits? Where are they? I don't see them."
"Hahahaha, good one!"
The three women threw insults one after another.
Bianca was genuinely furious.
The next second.
Schwing!
Bianca whipped the flintlock from her waist and aimed it right at one of the hooker's heads. "I dare you. Say one more word!"
The gun changed everything.
The three prostitutes shrank back, then giggled and scurried away.
Were they scared? Not really.
But since the other party pulled a gun, it wasn't worth the trouble unless you really wanted to kill someone.
After all, this was Tortuga.
Seeing the women leave, Bianca huffed and shoved the gun back into her waistband. She whipped her head around and glared at Dexter, annoyed. "What kind of hellhole did you bring me to?"
Dexter thought Bianca looked incredibly cool just now. He flashed a brilliant smile. "This is Tortuga. It's a favorite hang-out spot for pirates."
"What are we doing here?" Bianca asked again.
"Looking for a man named Gibbs," Dexter answered truthfully with a smile.
"Then find him fast, so we can get the hell out of here!" Bianca said decisively.
"Haha, deal," Dexter agreed.
The three of them started moving again.
---
Joshamee Gibbs had been making a living on the sea since he was young. Year after year, he had lived freely on the ocean, so finding him wasn't difficult.
It took about half an hour and a few shillings in bribes to ask around.
Dexter found Gibbs in the corner of a rowdy tavern where a massive brawl was currently taking place.
Gibbs was chugging booze.
Dexter sat directly across from him and greeted him politely with a smile. "Mr. Gibbs."
Hearing his name, Gibbs lowered his tankard and looked at Dexter. "That's me. And you are?"
"Name's Dexter. I'm a Captain. I need a First Mate. Jack Sparrow recommended you to me, said you were an excellent First Mate," Dexter said in one breath. "Interested in making a fortune together?"
Gibbs perked up immediately. "Captain Dexter, you've seen Jack? Is he alright?"
"Same as always. Running around, causing trouble, getting chased by everyone. He's doing great," Dexter replied with a laugh.
Gibbs imagined the scene Dexter described and chuckled. "Jack is a very interesting man."
After saying that, Gibbs looked at Dexter. "You're a pirate?"
"Yes," Dexter smiled.
"Do you have a target for this fortune?" Gibbs asked.
"I do. I just need a First Mate and a crew, and we can set sail," Dexter said. He silently accessed the System, withdrew fifty silver coins into his pocket, then pulled out ten and tossed them casually onto the table in front of Gibbs. "This is your signing bonus."
Gibbs's eyes lit up instantly. He happily swept up the silver coins.
"Aye, Captain."
"First Mate Gibbs, at your service!"