Match 21178 Captain Flint vs. Blackbeard

[Boratz]

Prologue
 
Call me Ishmael. Some years ago, never mind how long precisely, having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. Little did I know that the world that I once knew would become a distant and faded memory. This life that I have now is cold. The seas and the tides are ever changing with the constant howling of the wind. I have seen the best of men and I have seen the worst. The world that is beyond is land unforgiving with crushing waves and heartless pirates. Do not get me wrong, the watery part of this world does offer a freedom that many will never quite understand, but the dangerous mysteries that lurk within the oceans are far too frightening for me to convey into words.
 
The accounting that I am writing does not reflect on what came from beneath the watery parts of this world, but what came from the heavens above. It was nightfall and a great many of us were finding ourselves a place to rest our heads. As for me, I did not have the luxury on that cold night at sea. There was much work to be done before I could rest my head for the night. This was on all accounts an uneventful night. There was not a cloud in the sky that blocked out the stars that shined in the heavens. Other than the obnoxious snoring from fellow crew members, I remember the gentle whistles from the ocean breeze. It was a rather calm and relaxing night at sea. Even the captain himself stayed down in his quarters. There was no sign of life anywhere on this still night. Unfortunately, the world of the sea has a way of changing in an instant.
 
From the best of my recollection, I remember the roaring sound that was able to awaken even the deepest of sleepers. A sound louder than any cannon or explosive that is known to this world. I heard that powerful sound before I even saw what it was. Even as I am writing this, I am still unsure what my eyes were witnessing on that still night. It was as if one of the stars in the heavens had fallen from the skies above. As it was falling from the night sky, the star had broken off into two parts. One of the pieces of this loud and bright star had crashed into the seas not far from our ship. After hitting the water, large waves crashed against our ship. The crew and I fought to keep control of the vessel as it spun around with the ripples that were created from the star’s impact. In all the madness, the captain had rushed out of his quarters to see what taken place on this calm night.
 
If only I knew. If only I knew what was to transpire then perhaps, I could have warned the captain of the dangers of the star. Foolish I was into thinking that it was a sign from high above. Foolish we were to follow the orders of the captain to see the bright fire that had fallen into the sea. Do not mistake my words regarding the captain. For the captain was not a foolish man, but he was ignorant to the powers from beyond the world that he knew. The captain’s orders were simple and clear. He wanted to see what crashed into the still waters. He wanted to see the star that had fallen from the skies above.
 
To describe the captain, it is hard for me to convey what this man was. His hair was gray and frizzled while his face was scorched from years of being at sea. The distinguishable scar on his face signified a past that would haunt the most courageous of men. He stumbled around with a peg leg made from the polished bone of a sperm whale’s jaw. A man of a few words but each one that he expressed carried a meaningful weight. He was grand, ungodly, god-like man that commanded us through the most terrifying storms imaginable. Our captain has seen the best of mankind and the worst of it. His desires and reasoning to find the star that had fallen is something that I could never comprehend. Whether the captain took it as a sign or mere human curiosity is what I have will struggle with for as long as I breath.
 
We set forth to find and locate this fire of the heavens. No longer were any of us fighting against sleep, for we all had that level of curiosity that burned within each of us. It was a foolish curiosity for a great many of us, but we all wanted to see the star for ourselves. We all wanted to be the ones that discovered the bright light that had come down from the heavens. Even though the captain gave out orders, we all knew our jobs and we knew what responsibilities that we carried on that ship. Each one of us had a role to fulfill and we went to our stations. Our muscles burned as the ship sailed across the sea. Although the wind was but a gentle breeze, we were able to get our ship to move across those calm and dark waters.
 
It seemed that the closer we got to the location of the star’s landing the harder it became to sail the ship. Waves crashed against the ship as we drew closer than ever. From the light of the pale moon, I remember seeing the face of our captain. He was determined. It was as if there was a passion burning in his very soul to find this star. It was as if his desire to seek out the burning star robbed him of all caution. If I am being honest, it robbed all his of caution.  
 
 The closer we came to the site of the crashed star, the bright it became. It was not long until we reached it. It was not long until the seas changed. It was not long until the world as we all know it became a distant and faded memory…
 
 
 
Chapter I: A Pirate’s Life for Me
 
Tortuga Tavern
 
Sitting at the bar with a bottle of rum staring back at him was a pirate captain that was feared across the seven seas. Everyone in the tavern knew of the exploits of this captain and did their best to keep a good distance from him. As swished around some more of that golden rum, the grizzled dark eyes of Captain Flint moved around the filthy old room. Ignoring the mold-stained ceiling and floors, the captain knew that this tavern was a beacon of freedom for many that sailed across the seas. Even though the stench of filthy seafarer lingered throughout the tavern. Soon Flint’s eyes caught sight of his first mate. The young, Billy Bones was mumbling a song under his breath as he too was pushing back a small bottle of that dark elixir that most pirates enjoyed known as rum. Flint titled his head so that his dominant ear could hear the words that his first mate was signing.
 
“Fifteen men on the dead man's chest...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum..” 
 
Billy slurred these words with a voice that was cold and rigid. He continued with the song while continually taking sips of that dirty bottle of his rum. Flint shook his head and scoffed while looking down at his own bottle of that liquor. The widely feared pirate captain reached down into his pocket and pulled out a single gold coin. He held the coin between his thumb and index finger to scope out its markings. Engraved and marked with symbols of its nation of origin, Flint soon placed the coin down against the bar. With a slight twitch of his fingers, he spun the coin around on the bar as his mind soon drifted off in a haze of memories. 
 
As famous and as feared as Captain Flint was, the pirate knew all too well that he would not be anywhere without his dangerous crew. His own ship, the Walrus, would not strike fear into the hearts of all seafaring folks that dared set sail on the seven seas if it were not for Flint's crew of pirates. While the small gold coin continued to spin around on that filthy bar, Flint thought about the ships that his crew had plundered over the years. The treasure that they had amassed was that of legend. It was enough to fill an entire island. Flint's treasure could bring wealth to the poorest of nations. Even though he and his crew had plundered and stolen from countless ships, the feared captain felt something lingering down in the pit of his chest. An empty feeling that could only be described as being unfulfilled. Even with all the riches and treasure that he had acquired, he still longed for more. 
 
The coin soon fell over to reveal the engravings on its head. While Flint gazed over the coin, he reflected on where he obtained this particular piece of treasure. It was a coin from one of the first ships that he had ever plundered and raided. A Spanish vessel in origin with the intention of bringing currency to an island in the sea. The fear pirate captain was a part of a crew at the time that saw an opportunity to seize control of this vessel and take the loot for themselves. During that raid, Flint proved himself worthy to the rest of the crew of the raging fire that burned within him. He was a tenacious young man. Little did he or the rest of the crew know at that time what was destined for that young tenacious man.
 
Soon, a stuttering voice overcame the mumbling words that were being sung by Billy Bones. Flint's cold dark eyes shifted away from that golden coin and turned toward the source of that stuttering voice. A battered man with clothes that did not fit right was stumbling around the tavern. He made his way past Long John Silver and other men in his crew. Flint glanced back at the bar and reached for that golden coin that was laying down. After grabbing that small piece of treasure that he obtained all those years ago, he slipped it back into his raggedy pocket before turning his attention back to the stumbling man. 
 
Even from several feet away, his stench was overwhelming. Despite being an experienced pirate captain and spending most of his time amongst filthy crew members, this battered man smelled far worse than anything in recent memory. The battered man's cracked lips curled back against his brown and yellowing teeth. His face was filthy with soot and grime. It almost seemed as if he had not seen a proper bath in many years. The man reached out his arms while he approached the famous pirate captain. Long John Silver and Billy Bones both looked at their captain to see how he wanted them to response. Flint shook his hand to gesture to them that he would handle this filthy and battered man. A foul stench radiated the man's breath as he began to speak with slurred words. 
 
"Oooh capt... My cap... captainnnnnn... I hea.. hhhhhheard of you. I can be of great ssssservice to youuuuu. I jusssss need sooommmmethin' to drink and mooooney." 
 
Flint reached out his hand and placed it on the battered man's shoulder. He patted his shoulder a couple times while looking him deep in the eyes. The feared captain chuckled while looking down for a moment. With his other hand, Flint reached down toward his waste. He steadily drew his flintlock pistol and raised it up. Without a word, Flint squeezed the trigger back and shot the battered man between the eyes. A mist of red rose over the man's face before he dropped down to the floor. The feared pirate captain then turned to face the rest of the patrons in the tavern. With a fire in his voice, he shouted at everyone in the tavern. 
 
"Let this be a warnin' to the all of ya! I don't take beggars in my crew!" 
 
Snatching up his jacket, the feared captain stormed out of the tavern along with the rest of his crew. As he made his way back to his ship, one of his crew members slowly approaches him. After watching the violent outburst from his captain, Ben Gunn was hesitant at first to bring news to the captain of the Walrus. 
 
"Captain, I have news for you."
 
"What news do you have, Ben?" Flint grumbled while turning his dark eyes toward his young crew member.
 
"In the tavern, I caught word from a pair of scallywags that a whaling ship northeast of here had discovered a falling star."
 
"Why would this be of any importance to me?" The pirate captain growled.
 
"They said that this star was more than a star. It had somethin' of real power. Somethin' that could change the course of the world." 
 
"What?" Flint asked while growing slightly more interested.
 
"Dunno." Ben replied while biting his lip. "They just heard about it as all from some whaler that escaped from the whaling ship. The ship was making its way toward one of those uninhabited islands northeast of Dead Man's Cove." 
 
"Might as well go check it out." Flint muttered while pondering over what it could be. 
 
"The pair also mentioned that the whaler caught the attention of some pirates under the command of...." Ben replied before pausing.
 
"Under the command of who?" Flint asked before shooting his young crew member a piercing gaze. 
 
"Blackbeard, sir." 
 
"Get to the ship. All of you get to the ship! Prepare the cannons, prepare your weapons, and prepare the ship! Blackbeard dies today!" Flint ordered his crew with a fierce intensity buried deep in his dark eyes.
 
*****
 
Within the captain's cabin of the Queen Anne's Revenge, the treacherous pirate captain circled around a bloodied man in a tattered uniform. Bound to chains and shackles, the bloodied man's swollen eyes followed the dreaded pirate's movements. Each step that was taken was precise and swift movement. His swollen eyes began to wander around the cabin to see what all this nefarious pirate had in possession. Littered on different tables and hanging off the ceiling were maps of many kinds. They were various maps of the known world. Some were torn while others were weathered from age and others had stains from splatters of blood. There were a multitude of weapons sitting around the room. If it were not for the constraints this beaten man would have tried to reach for one of these weapons. His swollen eyes slowly shifted back to that treacherous pirate captain that was known throughout the seven seas. This pirate captain had made a name for himself not only amongst his fellow pirates but through the different navies of the world. His very name struck fear into the hearts of many seafaring individuals. His name was Blackbeard. 
 
As Blackbeard continued to circle around his prey, he leaned in close with a handkerchief in his hand. The dangerous pirate wiped away some blood from the beaten man's mouth. A devilish grin formed under dark and thick beard as he took a step back. Edward Teach sauntered toward a board that was hanging alongside one of the walls in his cabin. His piercing dark eyes glared over a map of the Americas. From the Carolinas down to New Orleans, he studied the areas that were in between. Blackbeard then let out a sigh before turning those piercing dark eye back toward the beaten man. With a deep and gruff voice, he spoke to the beaten man.
 
"Contrary to what you may believe, Commodore, I am not a monster. I am merely an opportunist."
 
"Do not lie to yourself, pirate! You are nothing more than a filthy animal!" The Commodore snapped in defiance. 
 
"Some animals are chain and bound." Blackbeard replied with that same devilish grin that he had before. "Ask yourself, Commodore, who is the one in chains?"
 
"The East India Trading Company will see to it that you hang for your treachery!"
 
"Speaking of the East India Trading Company, I will ask you again. Where are the blockade routes?"
 
"As I have told you before, you greedy pirate, I do not know!"
 
"You call me greedy... Huh... Perhaps I am... It is no longer wealth that I seek. It is no longer riches that I am after. I am after something more. While many are bound by laws and codes, I seek to be over that. I am not bound by your laws or by some pirate code. I will have power over these seas. I will have immortality. Now, I will ask one last time. Where are the blockade routes?"
 
"Even if I knew, I would take that information to my grave!" 
 
Blackbeard rubbed his hand over his face before walking behind the Commodore. 
 
"Perhaps I have cursed as a fool, but I believe you." Blackbeard said softly before grabbing the Commodore's face. He covered the beaten man's mouth with his hand. "Unfortunately, it will not save you." The pirate captain whispered in his ear.
 
With his other hand, Blackbeard pulled a dagger from his waist band. Slowly, he plunged the blade into the heart of the struggling Commodore. The beaten man with a tattered uniform tried to scream, but the sounds were muted out by the hand of the dreadful pirate captain. Teach stepped back to analyze the dead Commodore. He then stared down at his dagger that was covered in blood. There was an eerie silence in the room while he gazed over the Commodore's blood.
 
That moment of eerie silence was cut short by a pounding sound on the other side of the captain's door. Teach shook his head and scoffed taking out that same handkerchief that he used earlier. While wiping the Commodore's blood from his blade, he yelled out to acknowledgement the person pounding on his door.
 
"What is it?! Who dares disturb the captain?!"
 
The quivering voice of his first mate spoke out from behind that door.
 
"I have someone that you may wish to meet, captain."
 
Blackbeard stormed toward the door and opened it wide. Nearly ripping the door from the hinges, the captain glared at the men standing on the other side of the door. His first mate stood with his hand gripped tightly against the arm of a young whimpering man. Blackbeard's dark piercing eyes stared down the young man before speaking to his first mate.
 
"What would this boy have to offer me?"
 
"I overheard him speaking wildly in the tavern. He was with a whaling crew not far from here. He said that they discovered a falling star that contained unimaginable power."
 
"Interesting. Is this true?"
 
The young man reluctantly nodded before his eyes turned toward the area beyond the captain's shoulder. He looked over the captain's cabin before his eyes rested on the remains of the recently deceased Commodore. Blackbeard noticed the young man's wandering eyes and smiled. He gestured for the young man to join him in his cabin. The first mate pushed the young man past the door and watched as he stumbled inside. Blackbeard glanced back at first mate and quietly gave him orders.
 
"Leave us..." Blackbeard said softly. "Gather the rest of the crew and prepare the ship. We set sail immediately." 
 
"Aye, captain."
 
Before the door closed, Blackbeard turned his attention back toward the young man.
 
"Tell me, what is your name?"
 
"They call me Ishmael..."
 
The first mate of the Queen Anne’s Revenge heard these words before the door was slammed shut by Blackbeard himself. Rather than stay behind and risk getting accused of eavesdropping, the first mate immediately made his way up to the deck to provide orders to the rest of the crew. 
 
******

Out at Sea
 
With the sunrise came a glimpse of majestic and natural beauty over the watery world that covered the Earth. For many, this enchanting view would be one that would capture the wonderment and imagination of those that were fortunate enough to be able to witness the sunrise over the deep blue sea. For the pirate captains of the Walrus and the Queen Anne’s Revenge, they had seen the sunrise over the ocean more times than they could remember. For these captains, they had become numb to the beauty that was the ocean. It was no longer a world that could be explored but one that they desired to conquer.
 
As the Walrus sailed across the seas, one of the crew members caught sight of the Queen Anne’s Revenge with his monocular. He yelled out at the captain regarding his findings. Once Captain Flint had heard these words, he screamed out his orders to the crew.
 
“Alright you scallywags! Prepare yourselves for the battle of your lives!”
 
After the Walrus set its course for the Queen Anne’s Revenge, one of the crew members had caught sight of the ship in the distance. He screamed out to alert the rest of the crew. Blackbeard’s first mate snatched up a monocular and rushed toward the edge of the ship. Once he caught a glimpse of the Walrus, he knew that they would be in for one hell of a battle. He raced to Blackbeard’s cabin to warn the captain of the impending threat. Once Teach had heard that the Walrus was heading toward them, a frightening grin formed under his beard. He looked down at his weapons for a moment.
 
“Captain Flint has come to die.” He hissed under his breath. Blackbeard turned his attention back to his first mate. “Prepare the crew! Ready the cannons! Take no prisoners!”
 
Blackbeard said while reaching for his assortment of weapons.
 
**********************
 
Both Captain Flint and Blackbeard are armed with their respective crews. They have a variety of weapons in their ships that include cannons, flintlock rifles, pistols, daggers, and swords.
 
In this battle of swashbuckling pirates, who will prove superior?
 

[Callisto]

Learn More About
Captain Flint
Read more about Captain Flint at Wikipedia
Official Site: Public Domain Links: Wikipedia

Blackbeard
Read more about Blackbeard at Wikipedia
Official Site: Public Domain Links: Wikipedia Nationa Geographic.com yourdictionary.com

[Boratz]

Hope you all enjoy

[JohnnyChany]

The beginning of a pirate epic, I am all the way in. What role will Ishmael play in it all, I wonder. I am going with Blackbeard. Perhaps John Silver betrays Flint at a crucial moment so that he can pursue a certain treasure. Who knows, but I want to find out.

[Mercenaryblade]

I'm going with Flint. Great setup and matchup.