The Mermaids

Santa de' Maria started sailing from the Royal Caribbean in Santiago de Cuba to Dublin under the leadership of Commodore Alex Norringham. They set out to negotiate with the British over trade and the sharing of territory. 

When they arrived in the waters off Polta de Ganda, a pirate ship approached. Commodore Norringham quickly ordered Mr. Goblin at the helm to move away from the ship. Unfortunately, their ship's speed was no match for the pirate ship. 

Feeling unreliable, Commodore Norringham pushed Mr. Goblin away and took over the helm. He ordered Mr. Dorothy to unfurl the sails. Wasting no time, Mr. Dorothy shouted the Commodore's orders. 

The thick clouds were getting darker. Slowly the rain came down in torrents. Blackbeard Smith, the one-eyed pirate leader, smiled creepily. He showed his rows of black teeth. It was an advantage for the pirates when the storm came. He had expected this to happen. 

Blackbeard pushed Mr. Calico, who was driving, to the ground. He arrogantly took over, controlling the ship to pursue the Santa de Maria. 

“Prepare the cannons!” shouted Blackbeard.

“Commodore, they're taking out the cannons!” shouted Mr. Dorothy. 

The rain was falling heavily, and the wind began to pick up, blurring their vision. However, the Commodore could still see that the pirate ship was preparing to raise the battle flag. 

Sure enough, the pirate ship was flying a black flag with a skull emblem with two cross-shaped bones underneath. That was The Black Jack. The pirate was notorious and infamous across the oceans. The entire Caribbean had heard all sorts of terrible rumors about him. 

“Prepare the cannons!” shouted the Commodore. 

“Do you hear? Prepare the cannons!” repeated Mr. Dorothy. 

They had seen the storm in the middle of the ocean raging. It made the Commodore have to think hard about how to avoid the two dangers that threatened the safety of his ship. 

In front of them were pirates. At the same time, behind them, a hurricane was approaching. It was impossible to fight the storm. If he could, then Santa de' Maria's head would most likely sink. If you decided to fight the pirates, it would be tantamount to suicide. There were not enough weapons on the ship to increase the chances of winning. 

As a leader, he had to take quick steps in an unfavorable situation. Choose or be chosen by fate. Commodore Norringham quickly made up his mind, turning the ship over ninety degrees. 

Seeing that the ship had begun to move backwards, Mr. Dorothy, who was on deck, climbed the ladder. 

“Sir, what are you doing!” 

“We have no choice but to turn the ship toward the reef!” 

“Are you out of your mind, sir?” 

“We're going to die!” 

Commodore Norringham ignored Mr. Dorothy's warning. Feeling useless, the red-bearded man went on deck. Helping the rest of the crew to hoist the sails. Away from the pirates who were trying to chase them. 

The Santa de' Maria was getting further and further away from The Black Jack. But how long would it take for the pirates to stop chasing? Not to be outdone before trying, the Commodore shouted for more speed. 

The Santa de' Maria's position was not favorable at all. When faced with two dangers, it was now three. A towering rock stood in front of them. 

The Black Jack was still behind. He was chasing the Santa de' Maria while racing against the storm. Now they were caught in the middle of death. 

Jason held the cross in his hands as he knelt. He offered memorable prayers to God with tears in his eyes. Either Goddess Fortuna was on his side, or Mr. Jason was. When The Black Jack was only a few tens of meters behind, the storm seemed to split the ocean and create a distance between them. The pirate ship seemed to be bobbing in the distance. A challenging ship like The Black Jack could not defeat the forces of nature. 

The storm had almost passed when The Black Jack's ship pulled away. The crew cheered. Commodore Henry smiled with satisfaction.

“Long live, Commodore!” 

“Long live, Commodore!” 

They shouted with joy and happiness. 

 “Look out!!!” 

One of the crew members shouted. Their ship was heading towards a rock mountain. 

The Commodore quickly made a one hundred and eighty degree U-turn. It caused the ship to sway instantly, forcing the crew to fall to the floor of the ship. But it was only for a moment. When the ship hadn't rotated completely, the ship's rudder suddenly snapped. This caused the ship to stop rotating. Meanwhile, a stronger wind was blowing from the west, where the rocky mountain was located. 

“Roll up the sails!” The Commodore ordered.

“Hoist the sails!” repeated Mr. Goblin. 

The wind was getting stronger. There was no time to repair the rudder. The sails were already furled and torn in places that were difficult to unfurl. But that didn't change the situation, the Santa de' Maria was sailing faster. Everyone stared at the mountain of rock approaching in front of them. 

“Braakkk!” 

A collision was inevitable. It made the ship turn thirty degrees before tilting to the left and capsizing. The entire crew drowned and no one survived. 

The Commodore tried to swim up, but the rope wrapped around his legs made it difficult for him to move. His breathing was getting labored. He could not hold on any longer. In resignation, he saw a figure swimming closer. A shadow of water obscured his vision. The creature was getting closer. Before finally closing his eyes, the Commodore could see what it was. 

A woman.