NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: chapter 13
Chapter 13: The Black Pearl revealed
The clash of steel echoed through the chamber as Jack Sparrow battled the towering gold statues. Their massive axes cleaved through the air with devastating force, but Jack's agility and Observation Haki kept him a step ahead of their deadly swings.
"Elena! Orion! Figure out this puzzle before I lose my head!" Jack shouted as he dodged another sweeping blow, barely escaping with his hat still on.
Meanwhile, Elena frantically scanned the ancient inscriptions on the walls, her brow furrowed in concentration. Orion stayed back, his eyes darting between the statues and the puzzle they needed to solve. Despite the chaos, his focus was razor-sharp.
"I think I've got it!" Elena cried, her voice trembling with urgency. "The right button is on the ceiling!"
Jack dodged yet another swing, his patience wearing thin. "On the ceiling? You're kidding!"
Elena shook her head. "That's what the text says! We have to press it, but the statues won't let us get close!"
Jack tried to leap toward the ceiling, but the statues immediately blocked his path, their giant axes slamming into the ground where he had just been standing.
"I can't reach it!" Jack shouted in frustration, landing back on his feet. "Elena, use your Devil Fruit powers!"
"I can't! My control over the wind isn't strong enough yet!" Elena admitted, her face pale with worry.
Jack gritted his teeth. "Great. Just perfect."
As the statues closed in, their golden eyes gleaming with menace, Orion finally made his move. He pulled out his Epée, its blade shimmering with Armament Haki. In a swift motion, he intercepted one of the statues' attacks, the force of the collision sending a shockwave through the room.
"Jack, now!" Orion shouted, holding the statue's attack at bay with surprising strength.
Jack gave him a quick nod and, seizing the opportunity, leaped into the air. With one powerful jump, he soared toward the ceiling, his fingers outstretched. The button was just within reach.
"Got it!" Jack pressed the button, and the statues froze in place, their axes raised in mid-swing. But before they could catch their breath, the ground beneath them began to shake violently.
"Did we press the wrong button?" Jack asked, now crouched on the floor, as cracks spider-webbed across the stone beneath his feet.
"No!" Elena shouted over the noise, clutching onto the wall to keep her balance. "That's what the instructions said!"
Orion's expression turned grim as the floor beneath them started to lift, taking them higher and higher. The ceiling above parted slowly, revealing a hidden chamber above them. The platform finally stopped, and they found themselves in a massive room filled with towering mountains of gold and riches. The glint of treasure reflected off the walls, illuminating the chamber in a warm golden glow.
Jack's eyes sparkled with unrestrained joy. "Oh, yeah, baby! That's what I've been waiting for!" he exclaimed, practically dancing toward the nearest pile of gold coins, his arms outstretched.
Elena, still catching her breath, stared around the room in awe. "This... this is unbelievable," she whispered, her eyes wide with wonder.
But while Jack was lost in his gleeful looting, Orion was silent—too silent. He slowly approached a large lever near the back of the chamber, his face twisted in a smirk. Before anyone could react, his hand reached for it.
"Orion, stop! What are you doing?!" Elena shouted, snapping out of her trance.
Orion gave her a wicked smile as he yanked the lever down. The ground rumbled once again, and the wall behind them slid away, revealing something that took Elena's breath away.
Floating on a body of water, shrouded in mist and mystery, was the legendary Black Pearl. Its black sails were tattered but regal, and its massive hull loomed over the chamber like a sleeping giant. Three rivers flowed from the chamber, creating paths that led directly to the open sea.
"This, my dear," Orion said, his voice dark and filled with malice, "is the Black Pearl. The greatest weapon of the sea."
Elena stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. She had spent years searching for any clues about this mythical ship, and now here it was, right before her eyes. But something about Orion's tone sent a chill down her spine.
Jack, on the other hand, was unimpressed. "Black Pearl, Black Shmurl," he muttered as he tossed a gold necklace into a bag already bursting with treasure. "I'm here for the gold, not some ghost ship."
Orion's smirk widened. "That's where you're wrong, Captain Sparrow. This ship is more than just a legend—it holds the power to change the tides of the world. And now it's mine."
Jack paused, his eyes narrowing. "Yours, huh?" He stood up, gold coins spilling from his bag. "I don't know about that, mate. Seems to me that ship would look a lot better under my command."
Orion's expression darkened. "This isn't about treasure, Jack. This is about something much bigger. And I'm not letting you or anyone else stand in my way."
Elena watched the two men, fear gnawing at her insides. She knew the Black Pearl held incredible power, but she also knew that if it fell into the wrong hands, it could spell disaster for the entire world. Orion's true intentions were becoming clearer by the second, and the stakes had just skyrocketed.
"Jack, be careful," she whispered, edging closer to him. "Orion's not who we thought he was."
Jack's hand hovered over the hilt of his sword, his easygoing grin replaced by a serious glare. "Yeah, I'm starting to get that."
Orion stepped forward, his Epée gleaming in the dim light of the chamber. "It's time to make a choice, Jack. Join me, and we can rule the seas together, with the Black Pearl as our flagship. Or…" He pointed his sword directly at Jack. "You can die here and be forgotten."
Jack tilted his head, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile. "I'll take my chances, thanks."
Tension crackled in the air as the two men stared each other down, the fate of the Black Pearl—and perhaps the entire world—hanging in the balance.
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To be continued…