I climbed on board after Barbossa and I told Will, "we'll need to use the Black Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack," as we approached where Barbossa was standing.

"Oh, are we now?" Barbossa asked sarcastically.

"All right, Mrs. Fish, come on," I heard. I turned toward the middle of the deck where Tia Dalma was completely tied up in rope, carefully led out of the brig. It had become public knowledge that Tia was the true Calypso.

"What are you doing with her?" I asked. I had no idea that she had been down in the brig this entire time. That probably did not put her in our favor.

"We shall release the goddess herself, and she will be in our debt," Barbossa stated.

"Barbossa, you can't release her," Will said. Suddenly, he was grabbed and many guns were on him and I. I froze and glared down at the weapons.

"We need to give Jack a chance to stab the heart," I said.

"Apologies, your Majesty. I'm not putting all my trust into that man. Too long my fate has not been in me own hands. No longer." Barbossa grabbed my inherited piece of eight and snapped the necklace off my neck. They held the bowl full of all the nine pieces of eight in front of Tia, who was still tied up. They had collected them at the meeting.

"Be there some manner of rite or incantation?" Gibbs asked.

"Aye," Barbossa nodded, "the items brought together, done. Items to be burned... and someone must speak the words: Calypso, I release you from your human bonds."

"Is that it?" Pintel asked.

"'Tis said it must be spoken as if to a lover," Barbossa added. He lifted a sacred torch without a flame up and yelled, "Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!" He placed the end of the torch into the bowl, and nothing happened.

"Is that it?" Pintel asked again.

"No, no, no. He didn't say it right," Ragetti said, "you have to say it right."

"Let's get the Frenchie to say it," Gibbs suggested.

"No, no. Let's not get the Frenchie to say it," I said, struggling under the grasp of whoever had my arms pinned behind my back.

"I've got it," Ragetti said. He turned to Calypso, "Calypso," he said softly and leaned into her ear. He spoke too softly for me to hear, but when he stood back, Tia's face was to the sky and she let out a soft moan as the bowl caught ablaze.

We backed away slightly but leaned forward to see the nine pieces of junk burn. The flame turned purple, and Calypso breathed it in.

Will tried to break free and he said, "Tia Dalma." When she didn't respond, he said aggressively, "Calypso."

Her head snapped to Will with a sharp exhale, and the bowl dropped to the floor.

"When the Brethren Court imprisoned you, who was it that told them how?" Will asked.

Her head began shaking as she stared at Will.

"Who was it that betrayed you?" Will asked.

"Name him," she said, still shaking.

"Davy Jones," Will hissed.

Her lips trembled and her eyes got wide with the memory. She began gasping and arching her back, causing us to step away. She grew in her ropes as her sobs stifled through the air. The men tried to tighten the ropes, but she was too strong. The ropes were chafing their palms as the men tried desperately to hang on.

The ropes were slipping through their fingers, burning their skin. She grew, and got taller than the sails. The wood on the deck began to splinter and break at her weight. One by one, the ropes began snapping. All of us backed up and looked at her in both amazement, and fear.

Barbossa walked up to her in front of everyone, "Calypso!" And he knelt into his knees. Everyone immediately dropped to follow his lead, "I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow and now ask your favor."

She looked down at Barbossa, her facial expression could not tell me what she was thinking.

"Spare meself, me ship, and me crew... but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters... or mine."

Calypso smiled, before her expression turned to anger and she began yelling indistinct incantation. Her words flooded in my brain but I managed to realize that she cried out, "a travers toutes les mers, trouve le chemin vers celui qui m'a injustement enseveli," which is French for, "across all the seas, finds the path to he who wrongfully entombed me!" I think it was safe to say that she spoke of Davy Jones.

We all stood up in fear and stumbled backward. She began thrashing her head around, until her body exploded into millions of crabs that began burying the ship, dropping over us like a wave. Everyone began screaming, disappearing under the sea of white crabs. The crabs swarmed under my feet, and the wave came crashing down on me and those around me.

My arms were finally released and I quickly brought them up to protect my head from the painful shells. I closed my eyes as I felt their hard shells landing on me and their little legs scurrying around on my clothes. The ship creaked and swayed, causing the crabs to spill into the ocean.

We all slowly got up, most the crabs suddenly gone as they disappeared into the sea. We ran to the side of the ship, looking over to see if that was it.

We looked to Barbossa and asked, "what now?"

"Nothing," he answered defeatedly, "our final hope has failed us."

The wind picked up, tunneling in my ears. We looked up at our tied up sails, wondering what to do next. A maelstrom was brewing.

"It's not over," Elizabeth said.

"There's still a fight to be had," Will said.

"We have to start preparing," I said.

"We've an armada against us, and with the Dutchman, there's no chance," Gibbs said defeatedly.

I turned to face the crew, seeing all their defeated expressions. With no motivation in their hearts, the Company would be unmatched to their half-arsed efforts. We had no choice but to fight. As Pirate King, I had to inspire them to not die. I felt the entire weight of everyone's lives on my shoulders. They needed a leader, and that was me. I needed to stand up and take my people with me to our home of free seas and true independence. I gathered my courage, and I began making my way through the crowd while I shouted, "look here! Look to me!"

I stood up on the taffrail of the Pearl and grabbed at the rigging to make sure that I didn't slip. "The whole Brethren Court is counting on us, the Black Pearl, to lead the battle. We may perish if we fight, but every pirate will certainly die if we don't. By the powers, the sea will be ours once again. Make Beckett, Jones, and the Company see the flash from our cannons. May the salts of the ocean wash their skeletons clean! They have the Devil to pay." I scanned the crowd and watched their moods shift into a powerful drive to take the Company down. It gave me chills despite the humid air. Gibbs looked up to me like a leader, I could see it in his eyes, and the eyes of everyone else on the ship. Will puffed up his chest and nodded at me in agreement.

I looked to Barbossa and quoted him, "by the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs... and the courage of our hearts, this is our war to win. For every man, woman, and child who's soul was damned by the Company. They may fight me, or drown me, or cut me, but I will die as Annette Levasseur, your king. Do you hear that? The bell has been raised from its watery grave. Do you hear it's sepulchral tone? Listen."

The fallen hush remained among the pirates. All together, we could hear this signal, calling to every thief and beggar. It's a song that has connected us and has lived in our hearts from the moment we took our first breath, to when we take our last.

"Freedom is calling. I can feel it in my bones. We have all been called to pay heed the squall. We shall turn our sails toward home. Never shall we die. As your King, I vow to lead us to victory. I cannot do this without your help. Put forth your trust in me and make them wish they never started this war. So now, I say... Messieurs... hoist the colors."

Will nodded up at me, "hoist the colors."

"Hoist the colors!" Elizabeth yelled.

"Hoist the colors!" A few more pirates shouted. The urgency in my voice galvanized them into action.

"The wind's on our side, boys. That's all we need!" Gibbs said.

"All hands!" I shouted. "Haul together!"

Even when there isn't much hope left, it's hard to kill but easy to ignite. Miracles can really happen when they believe in themselves. In a world of magic, there isn't much that is impossible. We truly call to all. I know that we may lose blood on our way to salvation, but I shall fight with the strength that I've got until I die. Standing on the taffrail before them all, my heart became so full and their reaction inspired me to finish the battle that Beckett foolishly started. As sure as the clouds roll back and the stars fill the night sky, I will do what I can for every man, woman, and child who calls me their king.

We all shouted, raising our weapons into the air. The Lords from the ships around us joined as I shouted at them to hoist the colors high. Soon, every ship was wearing their flags, prepared to fight.