England, Royal Naval Academy.
Historically this academy wouldn't be founded for several more decades, but in the World of pirates of the caribbean ships like Dauntless and Effort appeared decades early as well, so there's no need to overthink it.
"William, what are you looking at?"
A blonde girl tapped the man standing by the window.
"A letter from home—about my father."
Will Turner, now grown into an Elven Prince, replied.
"Your father? There's finally news?" The girl was clearly surprised; she knew the situation in Will's family.
"Yes. The elder who sponsored my schooling wrote that my father is still alive!"
"The letter took months to arrive because of the distance." Will's voice trembled with excitement.
"That's wonderful!" The girl shared his joy.
It was obvious the two were very close.
"Mary, I've decided," Will said suddenly, resolute. "I'm not going to the Caribbean—I'm heading for Naval Headquarters!"
Will Turner thought of the letter Fang Yuan had sent him.
It told of the Black Pearl and the aztec gold coins, and that Fang Yuan had learned Bill Turner was trapped aboard The Flying Dutchman; to free him the curse had to be broken.
Fang Yuan already knew how to break The Flying Dutchman's hold on his father: the legendary trident of poseidon.
If Fang Yuan obtained the Trident, every curse of the sea would be lifted and Bill Turner could be rescued.
But Fang Yuan was being hunted by both the Royal Navy and The Flying Dutchman; if he went after the relic himself it would draw too much attention and risk a chain reaction.
So if Will could rise to high rank in the Navy, he could use the cover of official duty to seek the Trident without anyone noticing.
In this era naval officers scoured the globe for treasure; hunting for the trident of poseidon was no stranger than searching the seas for God Himself.
Will Turner found Fang Yuan's reasoning sound.
Fang Yuan had long been his greatest benefactor, someone he trusted implicitly; now that the man had located his father, Will wouldn't dream of refusing the favor.
Will cared nothing for the Trident—he only wanted his father back.
All three leads of pirates of the caribbean were always searching for something.
Jack forever hunted the black pearl.
Elizabeth searched for true love.
Will Turner was simply looking for his dad.
In the original plot young Turner would quest for the Trident two decades later, but Fang Yuan figured sending Will now worked just as well—still a mission to save Dad.
"All right, I'll tell Father at once!" The woman named Mary beamed, thumping her chest in eagerness to help.
If Will joined Naval Headquarters, he could stay in London.
"I'll also ask Uncle Lowry to pull some strings," Will added with a nod.
Mary was the daughter of nobility, but Will was hardly friendless in London.
The "Uncle Lowry" he spoke of was, of course, the merchant Lowry who had thrown in with Fang Yuan.
With Governor Swann already in Fang Yuan's camp, Lowry no longer needed to play spy.
So a year earlier Lowry had returned to London.
During his years in Port Royal he had amassed a fortune from Fang Yuan's dividends; when Fang Yuan told him to come home, Lowry galloped back without delay.
After all, what's the point of wealth if you can't flaunt it in your hometown?
Outwardly, he claimed he'd struck it rich trading in the Caribbean all these years.
Of course, back in London Lowry remained under Fang Yuan's thumb; he'd merely shifted his base from Governor Swann's mansion in Port Royal to Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace was then the residence of England's king.
Originally it wouldn't become a royal palace for another thirty-plus years, but armed with Fang Yuan's funds Lowry bought the place outright, lavished it with grand renovations, and then—magnanimously—presented it to the king.
George II was over the moon; the new palace far outshone Kensington, and he happily moved in at once.
For this grand gesture Lowry was elevated to Viscount and became George II's personal friend.
That was why Fang Yuan was certain Will Turner could rise to high rank while stationed at Naval Headquarters.
Simple: he had friends in high places.
Were it not for the obvious traces of sorcery, Fang Yuan might have fashioned a voodoo doll for George II.
But having Lowry whisper in the king's ear worked just as well; backed by Fang Yuan's bottomless purse, Lowry would never fall from favor.
While Will was striving to save his father, Jack in the Caribbean was getting vexed.
"Will Turner? He's still alive?"
Captain Jack kept swigging Rum straight from the bottle.
"How can that be?"
"First Mate Gibbs, does our Captain have a grudge against this William Turner?" a pirate asked.
Gibbs shook his head. "Jack's got no quarrel with Will Turner—he's just scared of the man behind him."
"Who?"
"Davy Jones!"
Jack rolled up and staggered to Gibbs after overhearing them. "Afraid of Davy Jones? You must be joking."
He spread his arms. "I'm with the Black Emperor Pirates now—Davy Jones himself couldn't scare me!"
"Well..." Jack picked his nose. "I've got to report in on Black Emperor Island. Keep an eye on the black pearl; don't let that bastard Barbossa sail off with her."
Gibbs was puzzled. "Didn't you just file a report?"
"Stop asking questions!" Jack wasn't about to admit he'd chickened out.
Safer to stick close to Fang Yuan.
Gibbs shrugged and agreed.
He was one of the new hands Jack had signed on. After Fang Yuan gave Jack the Black Pearl, her old crew split—half went with Barbossa, half stayed.
But all of them had a history of betrayal, so Jack recruited a fresh crew on Tortuga; Gibbs was among them.
Like Norrington, he'd once been a navy man. Gibbs took every pirate bribe going and turned a blind eye, but after Norrington's promotion his dealings were exposed, so he simply turned pirate.
Gibbs knew not only Jack but Jack's father; Fang Yuan strongly suspected he'd even met Jack's long-desiccated mother. That made Gibbs a reliable choice for first mate.
Yet before Jack could set foot on Black Emperor Island, Rum sent him into a deep sleep. When he woke, the rest of the crew had turned in, but someone new stood on the Black Pearl's deck.
"Will?" Jack quickly rubbed his eyes.
"Am I dreaming?"
Covered in barnacles, only half his face still human, Bill Turner shook his head. "No."
"Thought so; if this were a dream there'd be Rum." Jack shrugged.
Old Turner produced a bottle. "Knew you'd say that."
Jack's face lit up—if every chance meeting came with free drink, he was all for it.
It took some Effort to pry the bottle from Old Turner's grip.
"Barnacles," Old Turner explained, shaking his hand. "Nasty little things—sticky as hell."
"Then get some sailors to scrub them off for you," Jack babbled, suddenly uneasy. A few years on The Flying Dutchman and he'd look just as ghastly.
"You lot?" Old Turner's eyes sharpened. "You know where I'm from, don't you?"
"Er..." Jack stayed silent and drank.
Old Turner's stare never left him, so Jack confessed. "Yes, I know you're on The Flying Dutchman."
"Seems you're doing well for yourself." Old Turner ran a hand along the hull, nostalgic. "Got the Pearl back, and your information's solid."
"Not me—the one above." Jack pointed skyward.
"Black Emperor?" Old Turner caught on. "Heard of him, fearsome pirate."
"But there's something you haven't heard." Jack leaned in conspiratorially. "Black Emperor once saved a boy named Will Turner!"
"Will?" Old Turner snapped to attention.
If anything still tied him to the World, it was his son.
Old Turner sighed. "So he became a pirate after all."
Jack shook his head. "Black Emperor didn't make young Will a pirate—sent him to school in England. Where exactly, you'd have to ask Fang Yuan."
Old Turner's eyes narrowed. "You want me to betray Davy Jones?"
Jack nodded bluntly. "When were you ever loyal to him?"
Old Turner could only have left The Flying Dutchman on Jones's orders; Jack figured he might as well try to turn him.
And as Jack said, Old Turner was no devoted hound of Jones. Jack alone couldn't persuade him, but add his son to the bargain and Old Turner would risk anything.
"Where's Black Emperor?" Old Turner demanded.
"Talking through me works just fine—I'd be happy to pass messages." Jack smiled, fluttering his fingers.
Old Turner didn't trust him. "I must speak to Black Emperor face to face."
He'd once served on the Pearl; he knew how unreliable Jack could be, especially when lives were at stake.
Jack shelved his schemes—dealing with Davy Jones came first.
Luckily they weren't far from Black Emperor Island, and soon the Black Pearl reached her destination.
At the sight of the giant vessel outside the island, Old Turner was stunned.
"That's... The Jackdaw?"
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