When Ethan saw an elderly rower among the prisoners taken to Blackbeard's ship, the man's worn-out state deeply affected him. His sunken face, hollow cheeks, and tired eyes spoke of the hardships and pain he had endured. Ethan saw not only desperation in his eyes but also a deep story. A strong feeling grew inside him—a sense that he had to save this man.
During dinner, while Blackbeard and his crew celebrated with the joy of victory, Ethan's mind stayed on the elderly man. When Blackbeard retreated to his cabin, the ship fell silent. The rest of the crew gradually retreated to their quarters. This was the moment Ethan had been waiting for.
Ethan quietly left his room. He took careful steps to silence his footsteps and made his way toward the prisoners' hold. The corridors were dark and cold, but his determination guided him. When he reached the prisoners' section, he quietly opened the door and entered.
In the dim light, the chained prisoners caught Ethan's attention. The elderly man sat a bit apart from the others, quietly in the corner. Ethan approached him silently and spoke in a low voice. "What is your name?" he asked, looking at the man's face.
The elderly man lifted his head and smiled weakly at Ethan. "My name is Aiden," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "What are you doing here, young man?"
As Ethan examined Aiden's chains, he took a deep breath. "I want to get you out of here," he said with determination. "I don't want you to stay on this ship."
Aiden looked at Ethan in surprise. "But why? You're risking your own life to save me," he said, his eyes filled with both astonishment and gratitude.
Ethan glanced around carefully. "It just feels like the right thing to do," he replied. "I don't want you here, so I'm going to set you free."
Ethan took out a small lockpick tool from his pocket. He quietly unlocked Aiden's chains. The faint sound of the metal echoed in the darkness, but no one awoke. When the chains fell from Aiden's wrists, Ethan helped him stand. The man's eyes sparkled as he saw the first light of freedom.
Ethan carefully directed Aiden toward the deck. The other prisoners quietly watched, not making a sound, perhaps seeing a glimmer of hope. Once they reached the deck, the sea was calm and silent under the night sky. Ethan pointed to a rope ladder and whispered, "Use this ladder to climb down into the water. Swim silently, and you should be able to escape without anyone noticing."
Aiden approached the ladder and looked back at Ethan one last time. "Thank you, young man. I will never forget your kindness," he said, his voice filled with gratitude. Then, carefully, he used the ladder to descend into the water, disappearing silently into the darkness.
Ethan waited on the deck until he was sure Aiden had safely distanced himself. Once Aiden reached the shore of a nearby island kingdom, Ethan took a deep breath and returned to his cabin.
The next morning, the ship was buzzing with the usual activity. However, it wasn't long before the absence of one of the prisoners was noticed, and a tense atmosphere spread through the crew. Blackbeard and his crew arrived at the prisoners' hold and began inspecting carefully. One of the chains was empty, and only a piece of rope lay on the ground.
Blackbeard's face darkened, and his voice echoed with fury: "Whoever is responsible for this, come forward immediately!"
Among the prisoners, a female pirate stepped forward. She was an older, tough-looking woman with eyes full of resistance and wisdom. She met Blackbeard's gaze and broke the silence.
"Someone came last night and freed that man," she said, her voice steady and firm. Blackbeard furrowed his brow, waiting for more details as the woman continued. "They unlocked his chains, took him to the deck, and helped him escape."
Blackbeard's brows knitted together, and anger flared in his eyes. "Who did this?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief and rage.
The female pirate silently scanned the crew and then pointed toward Ethan, who stood at the edge of the ship. "That boy," she said, her face growing serious. "He came in the night, silently freed the man, and helped him escape."
Blackbeard's face turned red with fury. "This is treason," he said, his voice cold and sharp. "It cannot go unpunished."
The atmosphere on the ship shifted instantly. Whispers circulated among the crew, and everyone was looking at Ethan. Blackbeard turned to the crew and issued a stern command: "Bring Ethan here. We need to talk."
The tension on the ship grew as they waited for the moment that would determine Ethan's fate. Everyone was wondering about the consequences of his brave but dangerous action. The conversation in Blackbeard's cabin would decide the outcome.
Ethan walked slowly toward Blackbeard's cabin. When the door shut behind him, they were alone, and the noise of the ship was muffled outside. Blackbeard's stern expression made the room's atmosphere even heavier. Standing behind the desk, Blackbeard turned to Ethan, narrowed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
"I've done everything I could for you! But look at what you've done!" Blackbeard's voice was low, full of frustration and anger. He paused for a moment, then softened his tone slightly. "Listen, Ethan. I have to throw you off this ship. You'll take a small boat and leave. That's the last thing I can do for you."
When Ethan heard Blackbeard's words, he felt a hollow emptiness inside. The pride he had felt from saving the man was now replaced by anxiety and uncertainty. However, Blackbeard's serious and determined gaze made it clear that the end of this conversation wouldn't change.
Blackbeard looked out the window. "What you did disrupted the order on this ship," he added. "Even though I trusted you, I cannot allow something like this to happen again. I'm sending you off this ship. This is the best I can do to protect you."
Ethan silently nodded. He knew Blackbeard was trying to protect him, but that didn't change the fact that he was leaving the ship.
Blackbeard turned to him and added, "Pack your things. I'll explain the situation to the crew. I'll wait for you on the deck."
Ethan left the room, and Blackbeard let out a deep sigh before walking toward the deck. When the crew heard that Ethan was being sent away, they were left in shock and mixed emotions. Ethan's act of freeing the elderly prisoner had affected the crew; One-Eyed Willy and Long John Silver were saddened, quietly admiring Ethan's bravery. The others, however, saw it as an act of treason.
On the deck, Blackbeard stood in front of the crew and spoke in a loud, decisive voice. "Ethan freed a prisoner. I spoke to him and decided he must leave the ship. We will send him off in a small boat. We must maintain order on this ship."
As Blackbeard spoke, the female pirate, Raidne, caught the attention of the crew. Raidne had earned her place among Blackbeard's crew. Her courage and skills had earned Blackbeard's respect. The crew silently accepted this, knowing that they had gained a new member, and Ethan's decision marked the beginning of a new era on the ship.
As Ethan left the ship under Blackbeard's command, he thought about the life he was leaving behind and the memories he had made. Despite the pain of leaving, he carried the peace of having saved a life. This was a sign of a new beginning for him; he would have to find his own way in the open sea.
Ethan walked toward the small boat given to him to leave Blackbeard's ship.
The boat rocked gently on the dark sea, swaying uneasily in the night. Only a few oars were inside. There was no food.
As Ethan transferred from the ship to the boat, he felt the weight of the life and memories he was leaving behind on his shoulders. He settled inside the boat and, for a long time, drifted away over the dark blue waters. His eyes no longer saw any land or light in the dark horizon. Stars shone silently in the sky, creating flickering lights on the water.
As the hours passed, the boat seemed like a small dot lost in the distance. Ethan sat quietly in the boat, carefully observing his surroundings. Yet, beyond the deep blue waters, he saw nothing. In the monotony of the sea, the feeling of loneliness grew stronger. His eyes became heavy with exhaustion and hunger, his head spinning.
As the sun set, the sky turned dark blue, and as night fell, the darkness engulfed the sea. Ethan sat in the boat, feeling small and helpless in the middle of the dark sea. He had been alone for so long that the monotonous sound of the waves now felt more like an empty silence than a soothing rhythm.
After a while, hunger and exhaustion began to weigh heavily on Ethan's body. There was no sign of hope ahead—no land, no approaching ship. The calmness of the sea made his situation even slower and more unbearable. The only sounds in the boat were his own breath and the soft whispers of the waves.
Fatigue made Ethan's eyelids grow heavy. He lay down on the bottom of the boat, his eyes closing against the dark sky. He took a deep breath, his body aching for rest. The swaying of the boat and the soothing rhythm of the sea slowly pulled him into sleep.
With the sky filled with stars, Ethan sank into a deep sleep. The silence of the boat and the coolness of the sea made his transition into sleep easier. For a brief moment, all the weight he carried left him in the darkness of slumber.