The crew barely minded Cabezon and his new position. Their dedication to their tasks only seemed to intensify whenever they passed his bound body.

Hongjoong overlooked them at first, to make sure that none of them would go against his order of leaving the man alone. He didn't need them to poke fun at the grumpy admiral, and neither did he need inappropriate fights to break out because of their disagreements.

He had quite a few troublemakers in his group who wouldn't hesitate to abuse the commander's predicament for petty attacks. His standing guard assured them right away that there would be no fooleries going on this time.

On the day that they reached their destined island, the commander had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep. Out of pity, Yunho had given him a barrel to sit on, so the naval captain spent his hours in a weak doze while hugging the mast. As Hongjoong divided the roles of who would go on land and who would remain to guard the ship, he made sure to leave trustful men. None of those who stuck around would make trouble for the man.

Aside from Yunho who needed to rest his shoulder, Yeosang and San would stay back. Hongjoong had received a long list of supplies that his surgeon needed, and Wooyoung got tasked with spending San's money on a fresh pair of boots. As Hongjoong left, he met the commander's eyes fleetingly. Icy contempt passed between the two of them before Hongjoong marched down his ship first. He had both hands on his belt, pushing his coat back cockily as he turned to face his men.

"Wooyoung, Mingi an' Jongho, ye be comin' with me. The rest o' ye may go an' 'ave a jolly time."

Cheerful, the other handful of men that Hongjoong called his crew sped off into the port town. Wooyoung stepped up to Hongjoong with the little hand-drawn map he had made. Even if he and the captain could read, it was always easier to just look at things than try to find their way around complicated letters that only took up time to decipher.

"The mate we be searchin' lives further out o' the village. Shall Jongho an' I take care o' the provisions while ye two go?" Wooyoung handed the map over to Hongjoong. The man checked it with his compass that hung from his belt on a golden chain at all times and turned into the direction that he had to search in.

"Aye. Mingi, with me."

They parted and Wooyoung and Jongho began the trek up into the town. At every step, Mingi's sword hit against his leg with the flat side.

"'Ow be the ship doin'?"

"She be quite jolly. The jack tar did nay 'ave much time to wreck 'er." Mingi's grin was boyish as he pushed out his chest. His skill was undoubtedly one of the best Hongjoong had ever laid his eyes on. No wonder that he had wanted the man to join him.

"E'en though I 'ave to say that I be surprised. I did nay expect ye to take prisoners. Usually, ye avoid 'avin' enemies on board."

Hongjoong grimly gritted his teeth. A bunch of wandering women with baskets on their hips gave them a wide berth as they passed them. Mingi winked at one of them and she hid her flustered blush behind her hair.

"'E an' I go way aft. I knew 'im before I knew Yunho."

Hongjoong hadn't shared this story of his past with his crew. He had never seen the need to. They all had gone through bad times, some even wandered to hell and back. In the time on the ship, they learnt about each other's irks and quirks and how to deal with them. But if there was no need to tell, they didn't. Maybe Cabezon's appearance would force Hongjoong to give up some of his mysteriousness.

"I told ye that what we be searchin' fer killed me old crew an' sent 'em all to Davy Jones' locker," Hongjoong began slowly. They were steering towards the nearby edge of the forest. A dark forest full of pine trees with their dark needles. Looming, it waited for them to enter it and possibly lose their way.

"Aye, ye did. The Enemy o' the Depths."

The name rouse a painful memory in Hongjoong. Of a sinking ship and the cries of his dying friends. Of his captain, who had been dragged into the sea he had always loved to never resurface again. Cold hatred filled Hongjoong's blood and boiled his veins from inside out. Hotter than any hatred he could ever have for Cabezon. The Enemy of the Depths was the bane of Hongjoong's existence.

"Aye, 'e be a nemesis o' mine. But I 'ave another one. An' that be Commander Park."

Mingi nodded, growing quieter to leave his captain the space to open up. Hongjoong struggled, just wanting to fall silent again, but he knew he owed his crew trust just how they trusted him.

"I been the only one to get out o' that attack. The only survivin' mate. The navy found me, and Commander Park been the one who 'unted us. When 'e discovered me, 'e tried to get an answer where to find me dead mates. I did nay blabber. In return, 'e did some nasty things to me an' ordered 'is men to 'ave me dance with Jack Ketch."

"But ye met Yunho before that could 'appen."

Hongjoong nodded darkly. Naive little Yunho had shown too much pity with him to lead him to the noose. And Hongjoong had in return taken pity with him and taken him in instead of letting him get executed for treason. Thus, they had formed their own crew. To take revenge on the monster that had killed Hongjoong's mates.

"Aye. But I ne'er forgot that snotty son o' a dog. I can make 'im suffer now, too, an' I get to avenge me mates. After that, I will sleep soundly at night."

The branches beneath their boots rustled and snapped as the two pirates struggled with their land legs on the rough terrain. Hongjoong supported his stumbling body with one hand on the bark of the trees next to them at all times. Mingi followed with no fewer struggles, having shifted to his good eye out here. One trained for the light of day, one for the darkness of the night.

"But ye do nay want to feed 'im to the fish?"

Hongjoong shook his head and brushed off a leaf that got stuck in his coat.

"No. I want 'im to suffer an' 'ate me. Or spy that 'ate in 'is eyes break."

In the distance, the outline of a hut interrupted a clearing. Lush green moss covered the roof and the ranking plants blended their walls into the surrounding forest. The wild garden surrounding it had no clear outline and carried numerous weeds and bushes that Hongjoong had never seen before in his extensive travels.

"I assume the dwellin' one be yer priority, though?"

"Aye." Hongjoong stepped out into the clearing and brushed some more stubborn plants off his coat. "Commander Park be secondary. View 'im as a tool to channel me anger until we finally find the one we been searchin' fer."

Mingi nodded. His hand had settled on his sword as they gradually neared the hut. An air of mysteriousness and secrecy surrounded it as if it obscured more than it appeared to. Yet, Hongjoong didn't pull his weapons as a signal of his diplomacy. Mingi stuck to his back as they slowly approached the inconspicuous wooden cottage.

Nothing sprung at them as they crossed the gardens. A path of flat stones skipped to the front door. Hongjoong paid great attention to them and avoided stepping in any plants as he crossed over. Once Mingi was positioned and ready to plunge right behind him, the pirate rose a hand to knock on that door.

Three raps, quick and firm. A second of silence swallowed them. In the distance, a crow gave a mocking call.

"I don't do business today!"

The voice from inside was grumpy. It carried the question for them to leave and never come back but Hongjoong remained stubborn. He leaned up against the door and spoke with his voice near the wood.

"We need yer 'elp nay as a merchant but as a cartographer."

Inside, a long-suffering sigh of one who had had his fair share of life and grown tired of its trials a long time ago sounded. Then, a bottle clinked against the rim of a glass.

"Come in and have a drink with me then."

At his permission, Hongjoong slowly pushed the door open. A room full of plants and books greeted them. There was barely enough space to walk, it was that loaded. The man sitting at the table seemed unbothered by all that. He regarded the pirates quietly as he recognised their occupation.

Hongjoong gave him the time to reconsider. When no further reply came, he entered cautiously. As he and Mingi made their way through the room that held more knowledge and poison than Hongjoong could fathom, the man at the table pulled a crate near to create a third opportunity to sit on.

Hongjoong left the chair for Mingi and sat down on the crate between the two of them. His coat hung to the ground and brushed against a few curious plants that stretched their leaves over it. The urge to shove them off tickled in the captain's muscles, but he refrained from doing so.

Their host moved one of the three glasses on the table over to Mingi. The other one to Hongjoong. As the captain accepted the ornate glass chalice, he didn't question how the man had known there were two of them. He had probably seen them approach through the windows.

"So, who do I have the honour with, gentlemen?"

Hongjoong tasted the fruity wine with his tongue. It was weak alcohol compared to what he was used to, but the taste was exquisite. He savoured every nip.

"I be Captain Kim Hongjoong, this be me boatswain Mingi."

The man nodded at them, long curls falling into his eyes. His hair was black as a raven's feathers.

"I'm Yongguk."

Hongjoong nodded carefully. It was never wise to anger those one needed a favour of. With this particular man and his bottomless eyes, Hongjoong felt even less compelled to get on his nerves.

"I come meanin' to ask ye to join me crew. I need yer skills with maps." Blunt, Hongjoong cut right to the chase. A crooked smirk played around the full lips of the merchant. His face showed age and youth both at the same time.

"Don't you have a navigator on board?"

"We do, but we be experiencin' troubles with findin' our treasure since it ain't stationary. It be movin' a lot an' we do nay know enough of its route to guess where it might be. But we 'eard that ye be quite knowledgeable in those ways."

Yongguk hummed. The wine left red stains on his lips that looked like blood to Hongjoong.

"What is it you are searching for? A whale?"

Hongjoong firmly shook his head. He had no name of the monster; he had seen nothing comparable to it before. The horrors it brought were ingrained in his mind as if they were as fresh as the prior day even if it had been years.

"It be a creature o' the depths, no doubt crawlin' up from 'ell itself. It be summoned by a sacrifice to the sea. Tentacled arms, longer than a ship, will appear an' rip any vessel apart, no matter 'ow mighty." Hongjoong shuddered at the memory. At the despair. The absolute betrayal of the sea as it swallowed them with no place to go.

"I think I have heard of such a creature. What do you call it?"

Yongguk reached for a bunch of papers nearby and produced a jar of ink as well. His hand travelled over the paper as he drew a compass in the top left corner.

"The monster. Or the Enemy o' the Depths."

Mingi tensely sipped his wine. Its fragrance clouded their minds, but it wasn't able to pull the terror from it. Hongjoong felt pale from the memories that freshly slashed away at his sanity and emotions.

Yongguk drew and drew. A picture, or a map of sorts, that included high reefs, nearby islands and the area of open water. In the middle of it all, he put a single tentacle that stuck out from the water to curl deviously. As if asking them to come closer.

"This is where I think you have to go. This creature lives deep, deep down, you won't find it anywhere near a coast. To lure it, you'll indeed need to catch its attention." With nimble fingers, Yongguk pushed the map over to Hongjoong. His hair hung into his eyes and clouded them from view.

"I can't join your crew, but I can give you this. May the sea have mercy on you."

Hongjoong rolled up the map and put it into the inner pocket of his coat. Its importance weighed far more than the parchment actually did.

"Do ye know anythin' about the sacrifice? Be there a tale to tell what be needed?"

Hongjoong would hate to have a woman on board, but if he were required to bring a virgin one to rouse the monster, then he would.

"I know nothing of sorts. Keep your eyes and ears open in the surrounding area and you might find an answer."

With a grim nod, Hongjoong stood to return to his ship. They had another lead, and this time, it would be the voyage that would bring them success. That much he promised himself.