(Harper's pov)

As Krogan led us to where Darius was residing, I couldn't help but silently agree with the Thorston twins, I was getting an uneasy feeling creeping in my gut. Many of the men and women apart of Darius's forces are strong, hard and ferocious people; they aren't weak, too scared to pick fights and they certainly aren't cowards.

Just the type of people we need if we are to fight England.

But first we have to convince Darius to join our fight, and who knows how that will go.

I could see Darius's men engaged in a ferocious fight, while handfuls of men circled around the two men that were quite literally bashing each others faces in, the sight of such raw brutality caused Timothy and Rachel to smirk at each other and lick their lips in approval and glee. Sean was definitely masking his uneasiness and fear with strength, the same could be said about Flint, Eli too looked uneasy, but he stood firm and focused on the task at hand.

Looking behind us, I could see Madison and her own vanguard catching up to us and a massive crowd of Darius's men following us to where their captain resided. Once Madison and her vanguard walked along side ours, she turned to me and murmured out. "We're particularly popular." I snickered lightly and nodded in agreement, looking into her beautiful green eyes, I murmur back. "Lets hope Haiti isn't the last place we see." Madison hummed in agreement and then turned her eyes forward, as did I.

Krogan then led us up towards a large tent that was pitched up right at the entrance of where Darius's men and the Haitian people have built a massive city together. Turning around to face myself, Madison and our combined vanguard's, Krogan gave us a stern look and spoke firmly. "Wait here." The light skinned man entered the tent and all we could do at the moment was hold our breath and pray that Darius would grant us an audience.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I cast my eyes down at the sand beneath my right foot and left prosthetic foot and run a hand through my hair, sometimes a habit of mine turning times of stress or anxiousness. I then felt someone interlace their fingers with mine, I turned to my right to see Madison giving me a reassuring smile and murmuring into my ear. "Don't worry. He'll grant you an audience." I snort lightly at her words and shrug. "How can I know for sure?" Before she could could answer, the tent opened and Krogan stepped out, the light skinned man opened the flap of his captains tent and nodded at me. "He'll grant you an audience." I release a breath I didn't know I was holding and make my way inside the tent.

Once inside, I laid eyes on Darius Bludvist himself, his back was all I could see at the moment, he was wearing dark blue leather armor, his messy dreadlocks were tied behind his head in a ponytail and judging by the way he was hunched over the table? He was going over maps and coordinates. Clearing my throat, I then speak firmly. "Captain Bludvist. Thank you for granting me an audience, shall we discuss the reason for my visit?"

"I know why you're here Haddock." Darius said, he stood up straight and turned around to face me, he was a giant, but his intimidating height, physic and reputation didn't frighten me. "You came here because you want the aid of myself, my warlords and our combined crews and people to aid you in the war against England."

Nodding in confirmation, I gesture outside the tent and speak clearly and firmly. "You've made Haiti strong. I saw four forts on the walk to your tent, and by the look of them? They're armed with well over a hundred guns or more. If anyone dared challenge your claim to this island? Whether it be England or Spain? They'd be in for a most unwelcome surprise." Taking a step forward, I form my left hand into a fist and pounded my chest and continued. "That is what I want to make Dragon's Edge. The whole Bahamas!!" A smile graced my face and I raised my eyebrows at Darius. "Think about it. If we were to control all of the West Indies? Find partners that can sell the goods we've claimed from the prizes we took? Trained new men and women who seek sanctuary here to join this pirate republic? We'd be unstoppable!"

Darius's eyes narrowed and I could tell he was taking my words into consideration, I then continued trying to persuade him to join this fight. "You stand as one of the most legendary pirates in the world! Even more notorious and infamous than Black Beard! You rule this entire island with an iron fist, and that fist could certainly land a crippling blow to the English forces sent to kill us all!" I then approach Darius's table and point to the chains of islands and lands that neighbor Haiti— Jamaica, Nassau, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and many others, I point to them all and continue. "Imagine all of these lands being ruled by our brothers who sail beneath the black! How the British or Spaniards would find themselves in a world of hurt if they dared to challenge us. Country's ruled by thieves."

Clicking his tongue, Darius made his way towards his seat, pulled out a bottle of rum, took a huge swig and sighed heavily, he then looked right into my eyes and rose an eyebrow. "Very persuasive Harper Haddock, but tell me..." Darius's right hand then made his way towards a flintlock pistol resting on his table and I had to swallow down my fear and racing nerves. "...if by some miracle we do manage to defeat the forces King George II has sent to destroy us, what do you imagine happens next? Do you think they'll stop? No." Grasping his flintlock, Darius rests the pistol in his lap and narrows his eyes right into mine and leans forward. "They will never stop hunting us. They just send more, more, more and more until the West Indies is cleansed of high seas piracy and men the likes of you and I."

I gave the legendary pirate a disbelieving look and cock my head slightly. "So what? You're just going to stay here and rot on this island for the rest of your days? Our fallen brothers and sisters who were hung in England for those peoples... amusement demand that their deaths were not in vain!" I barked out, placing my hands on his desk, I lean forward and bare my teeth at Bludvist. "Instead of going to war and seeing our fallen avenged, you'd rather drink rum until your liver bursts, screw whores raw and rot on this place? I expected more from Darius Bludvist." Snarling, Darius too leans forward and then seethed out. "Careful boy, or I'll hack that tongue of yours out of your mouth."

"Under the circumstances? I'll take my chances." I seethed back, backing away from Darius and releasing a heavy sigh, I shake my head slightly. "This is about freedom. True freedom." Looking back to Darius, I continue. "We have an opportunity to destroy two empires that are hellbent on snuffing us out of existence. And if by some miracle we can succeed in completing this impossible task? Then our names will be immortalized in history."

Darius barked out a laugh and shook his head. "You want to destroy both England and Spain?" He asked, when I nodded my head firmly, Darius continued laughing and I could feel nothing but anger and frustration swelling inside of me, he's speaking to me as if I'm a pouting child. About three minutes later and his laughter finally died down, Darius took deep breathes and let out a few more snickers before his amused demeanor all but vanished entirely and was once more replaced with his stern and cold one. "You're asking me to join you and the soft crews of Dragon's Edge to enter a war that is suicidal. Not only are you asking me to join this insanity, but you're also purposing we strike down England and Spain itself! What you ask and wish for is beyond crazy and impossible." Rising out of his chair, Darius slams his flintlock pistol back on his table and growls out. "I wish to preserve my fleet, my mens lives and their fortunes. Rather than just wasting all those lives and resources on a war that sooner or later will end in defeat for us." Turning my back to Darius, I let out a frustrated growl and place my hands on my waist and gaze down at the sand beneath my footing.

"I respect your determination, your spirit and fire Haddock." Darius said in a admiring tone, he then dropped that admiration and spoke grimly. "But sometimes, we seek to push ourselves to impossible limits. And what you're suggesting? Its impossible." I remain quite, when I really want to scream at Darius for his lack of vision, I wanted to counter argue his words, but I remain quite. "What we have? Our ships, wealth, reputation, infamy, lives and freedom? Its all temporary. Sooner or later, England and Spain will once more enslave us all and strip us of everything we've fought tooth and nail to gain."

"And all you want to do is piss away your days here." I murmur, looking to Darius, I give him a stern glare and counter argue his words. "There's no limits to what a man is capable of accomplishing if his mind, heart and soul are focussed to seeing what it is he desires to completion! As we speak, Captain Sinbad of the Chimera and his wife Marina are en route to China to enlist the aid of Ching Shih. With her forces, combined with every pirate in the West Indies? We would have enough man and fire power to sack an American colony, or better yet, Spain." Shaking his head at my so called "insanity" Darius was about to end this discussion but I continued. "Think of the thousands of slaves who're forced to bow and scrape to Philip V? What if we could set them free, enlist them to join us and soon enough? We'd have Havana and Cuba!" I pound my fist into the table and continue. "The more land we take? We can build fortifications that can obliterate English or Spanish fleets! The captains of the El Dorado and very good friends of mine possess enough gold to see this done!" Panting heavily, I raise my eyebrows at Darius and muster what patience and strength I have left and plead to my brother beneath the black. "This is an opportunity I refuse to let slip away, we have the chance to change the course of history! I only ask you this... do you have the balls to join this fight? Or would you rather stay here and rot away your days?"

Taking another huge swig of rum, Darius smacks his lips and looks right into my eyes and gestures to the flaps leading out of his tent. "Leave while you're still alive Harper Haddock." That being said, Darius then turned his back to me and once more began going over maps and charts like he was earlier, as if our conversation never took place. Nodding to myself, I exit his tent to see Madison, hers and my own vanguard standing outside with handfuls of Darius's men and Krogan alongside them.

Approaching me, Madison grasped my hands and cocked her head slightly. "Well? What did he say?" Pursing my lips in anger, I then let out a bitter chuckle and look into her eyes. "He politely declined." Was my response, I could see my vanguard with disbelieving looks and some cursing under their breaths, Krogan then entered Darius's tent and I then murmur to Madison. "He had absolutely no appetite in fighting England what so ever! He's speaking as if its too late to fight or resist!" Frowning at the information, Madison shakes her head lightly and gently caresses my cheek. "What're you going to do?" Licking my lips in thought, an idea springs to mind, but not only is it completely insane, but its a plan that will almost certainly lead to my demise.

But the way I see it? I don't have another option.

Krogan then exited Darius's tent and approached myself and Madison and spoke firmly. "Out of respect towards you Harper Haddock, Darius is offering you, your vanguard and allies to return to your ships unmolested and sail back to Dragon's Edge. You would be wise not to—"

"DARIUS!! COME OUT!!" I roar out, everyone present gave me disbelieving looks, some murmuring amongst themselves, claiming that I have a death wish. Madison firmly grasped my right arm and growled out. "What do you think you're doing?!!" I turn to her and shrug. "Something stupid." Was my answer, looking back to the tent, Darius exited and gave me a questioning look, but before he could speak, I beat him to it. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I will have your men and resources at my disposal. Even if I have to fight you for it." A chorus of laughter reached my ears, every pirate who sails with Darius or is a part of his fleet then began throwing taunts my way.

"Oooh, the captain ought to be very afraid."

"And I thought Harper Haddock was a smart one. Guess not."

"Darius'll flay the skin off your bones and nail it to a wall!!"

As more and more taunts came my way, Darius held his hand out and all his men stopped talking, the hulking man towered over me, he scoffed lightly and raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you so eager to throw away your life, just to see this war come to pass?" I inhale sharply and look right into Darius's eyes and answer firmly. "I am." Nodding, Darius gestures to his men, resources and fleet. "So, you wish to claim everything I own, the men I command and the ships I sail to fight England and also Spain." Everyone murmured amongst themselves at this information, but Darius then continued. "If you wish to claim what I own? There is only one way I know of to resolve that." Clicking his tongue, the hulking pirate reveals how we'll resolve this challenge. "Pistols. Then swords. Agreed?" He extended his right hand out, waiting for me to shake it.

So much lies in the balance here, my only regret is that Darius wishes to waste away such a force here, when he should be leading a charge against our enemies. But if he won't do it? I'll gladly do it for him and prove him wrong. I then take his hand and shake it.

"Agreed."