"Port Royal? Elizabeth Swann?"
Barraba's mind was clearly struggling to keep up with Roger's pace.
He repeated the two phrases blankly, his expression a mix of confusion and urgency.
"What kind of hellhole is that? British territory? What are we going there for?"
His mind was currently filled with Isla de Muerta and the undead monsters.
Any deviation from the main objective, in his eyes, was a waste of his precious, uncursed time.
"I told you, there's still one gold coin out there, in Miss Swann's hands."
Roger explained patiently.
"According to the rules of the witchcraft, we must gather all the gold coins to perform the ritual and lift the curse."
"Not one less."
To someone whose mind has been clouded by fear and paranoia, the more complex and ritualistic you make the rules sound, the more likely he is to believe them.
"Then... what are we waiting for!"
"Let's go to Port Royal now and snatch that gold coin from the girl!"
Barraba immediately roared excitedly, as if he was about to rush out and set sail the next second.
"Captain, calm down first."
Roger held him back.
"Port Royal is the Royal Navy's largest military fortress in the Caribbean Sea. Are you planning to sail your ship, flying a skull flag, straight into it to surrender?"
Barraba was doused with a bucket of cold water and immediately calmed down a lot.
Only then did he remember that he was a rich man now, but essentially still a wanted pirate.
Going to Port Royal would be like walking into a trap, wouldn't it?
"Then what do we do? We can't just wait here!"
Barraba paced anxiously in the Captain's Cabin, his hand unconsciously reaching for his chest to touch the gold coin that he both loved and hated.
"So, we can't use your ship."
Roger finally stated his true purpose.
He pointed out the window, towards the direction of the dock.
"We have to use my ship."
Barraba looked in the direction he pointed.
He remembered the "pile of scrap wood" he had bought for fifty gold coins.
A look of disgust immediately appeared on his face.
"Your ship? That pile of firewood?"
"Roger, this is no time for jokes! I admit your ship is well-repaired, but it's not finished yet!"
"That broken ship can barely even get into the water, let alone break into Port Royal!"
"It's not called firewood now; it's called 'the explorer'."
Roger corrected him.
"And it won't look like what you see now very soon."
He looked at Barraba, a strong sense of confidence on his face.
"Give me some time, and give me some more money, and I can turn it into the fastest and strongest sloop in the entire Caribbean Sea."
"By then, even the Royal Navy's warships won't be able to catch us."
"Money? More money?"
Barraba immediately became wary when he heard that word.
He clutched his money pouch tightly.
"Captain, you need to understand."
Roger's tone carried a hint of threat.
"Right now, you need me; I don't need you."
"Your life is now held in the hand of this gold coin."
"And only I can save you."
"You either choose to trust me and do as I say, and we'll work together to lift the curse."
"Or, you can cling to your mountain of gold, waiting to be tormented into a complete madman by the whispers of the gold coin every night, eventually abandoned by your crew and thrown into the deep sea to feed the sharks."
Roger's words deeply pierced Barraba's fragile heart.
He recalled the days he had endured recently.
The torment of seeing delicious food but tasting nothing, of drinking rum but feeling not a hint of intoxication.
And the eerie voice that constantly echoed in his ears, urging him to go to Isla de Muerta.
He was truly on the verge of madness.
"Alright... alright! I'll give you the money!"
Barraba finally broke down.
He slumped onto the chair like a deflated balloon, gasping for breath.
"How much do you need? I'll give it all to you!"
"I need money to buy the best cannons, the best canvas, the best ropes."
Roger began to list items.
"I also need to recruit more sailors; I don't have enough crew on my ship."
"No problem! I'll give it all to you!"
Barraba had now completely given up thinking; whatever Roger said, went.
As long as the curse could be lifted, let alone money, he would even give him his little brother!
"Very good."
Roger nodded with satisfaction.
He knew that from this moment on, Barraba was completely under his thumb.
He stood up and said to Billy and Gibbs:
"Let's go, back to the dock."
"Our new ship is about to be armed."
"Yes, Mr. Roger!" Gibbs and Billy responded excitedly.
They followed Roger out of the oppressive Captain's Cabin.
As soon as they stepped onto the deck and breathed the fresh air, Gibbs finally let out a sigh of relief.
"My goodness, Brother Roger, I was so scared just now."
Gibbs wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"The Captain... he's really gone mad."
"Not just mad, I think he's not far from death either."
Billy said with lingering fear.
"What the hell is that gold coin? I just glanced at it and felt cold all over."
"Don't ask about things you shouldn't know," Roger said indifferently.
He looked at the explorer, which was being repaired bit by bit in the distance, and began to calculate in his mind.
Barraba's money was now his money.
He would use this money to turn the explorer into a true beast of the sea.
He also wanted to recruit more crew members and build a core team that would only obey him.
This cursed gold coin, which was hell for Barraba, was the key to heaven for Roger.
It not only activated the advancement era mission but also brought him an inexhaustible ATM.
Roger felt an unprecedented sense of ease.
He could already see an invincible warship, flying his own flag, beckoning to him in the near future.
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