The calm night of Port Royal was shattered.
BOOM—!
Cannon fire thundered across the harbor as iron shot tore through the darkness, crashing into docks, rooftops, and fort walls with deafening force. CRACK! Wood splintered and stone burst apart as buildings shook violently.
People jolted awake in panic.
"What's happening?!"
"Cannons—!"
Another blast struck the waterfront—KRAAASH!—flames flaring as debris hissed and splashed into the water.
On the ramparts, soldiers rushed into position, boots pounding, voices raised over the noise.
"Pirates!"
"Pirates attacking the port!"
The warning bell began to ring—CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!—loud, frantic, and relentless, its echo carrying through every street and alley of Port Royal.
"Man the guns!" an officer shouted.
"Wake the garrison!"
Civilians spilled from their homes in nightclothes, screaming as they fled for cover. Lanterns flickered to life as the town erupted into chaos.
While all of this was happening, the Port Royal prison lay nearly empty.
With the entire garrison rushed to repel the pirate attack, no guards remained behind. Torches burned low along the stone corridors, their light flickering over iron bars and damp walls.
Daniel walked slowly between the cells, hands clasped behind his back, eyes moving from face to face.
Most prisoners shrank away the moment they saw him. Others glared, defiant but silent. None of them interested him.
He needed someone specific.
Then he stopped.
In one of the cells sat a young man—roughly the same age as Will Turner. His posture was relaxed, almost smug, as if prison were a temporary inconvenience rather than a sentence.
Daniel turned toward him.
"You," Daniel said calmly. "What did you do?"
The prisoner looked up, irritation flashing across his face. "Why do you care?" he snapped. "Mind your own business."
Daniel studied him for a moment. Then his expression cooled.
"Now," he said quietly, "tell me what you did—if you value your life."
The air around the cell dropped several degrees. The torch nearest to them flickered violently, shadows stretching along the wall. The prisoner felt it instantly—a pressure in his chest, a creeping chill that had nothing to do with the damp stone.
His confidence cracked.
"…Rape," he muttered after a pause, avoiding Daniel's eyes.
Daniel nodded once.
"Perfect."
Before the prisoner could react, Daniel reached out and tore the iron bars apart as if they were made of soft wire. Metal screamed and warped under his grip, crashing onto the stone floor.
The sound broke the prisoner's last shred of composure.
He scrambled backward, hands slipping on the stone as he tried to retreat, terror flooding his face.
"N-no—wait—!"
Daniel stepped into the cell.
"You're coming with me," he said.
The prisoner screamed as Daniel grabbed him by the collar and dragged him forward, his cries echoing uselessly through the empty prison corridors.
The streets of Port Royal erupted into chaos.
"RUN!"
Civilians fled in every direction as pirates poured in from the docks, boots pounding against the stone streets. Torches were hurled into windows, flames catching fast as smoke rolled through the air.
"Get inside—get inside now!"
A door was kicked open.
"MOVE!" a pirate shouted. "Everything you've got—NOW!"
Glass shattered. A woman screamed as someone dragged her away. Somewhere nearby, a child cried for their mother.
"Please—please don't—!"
"Too late for begging!" a pirate laughed.
Guards rushed in from a side street, muskets raised.
"Hold the line!" one of them yelled. "For Port Royal!"
A volley of gunfire rang out.
"FIRE!"
The sound was swallowed almost immediately by shouting and steel. The pirates charged without hesitation.
"Cut them down!"
"Don't stop—keep moving!"
The guards were overwhelmed within moments. Their formation broke, bodies falling as the pirates surged past them, barely slowing.
"Leave them," one pirate barked. "We're not here for soldiers."
They moved with purpose now, splitting into groups, cutting through streets they clearly already knew.
"This way!"
"Kill anyone who gets in the way!"
Another group of guards tried to block the road towards the Governor's house.
"You won't take another step!"
A pirate sneered. "Watch us."
Steel flashed. Screams followed.
Inside the Governor's house, panic spread quickly.
Servants rushed through the corridors, shouting over one another as the sounds of fighting drew closer. Somewhere below, wood splintered and glass shattered. The house shook with each distant explosion.
Elizabeth's maid shoved a heavy table toward the bedroom door, straining as she forced it into place.
"Miss, you must escape," she said urgently. "The pirates are coming this way. They may be looking for you."
Elizabeth stared at her, confused despite the fear tightening in her chest.
"Why would they want me?" she asked. "I've got nothing."
The maid's hands trembled as she pushed the table harder against the door.
"You're the Governor's daughter," she said. "That alone makes you a target."
She turned back to Elizabeth, eyes wide.
"You can't fall into their hands."
Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond—
"Well, don't worry," a calm voice said from behind them. "I'll make sure she falls into good hands."
Both of them froze.
Slowly, they turned toward the window.
Daniel sat casually on the windowsill, one leg hanging outside, the other bent comfortably beneath him. Moonlight spilled in behind him, outlining his figure as if he had always been there. There was no sign of haste or concern in his expression—only mild interest.