"There she be," Sparrow motioned out at the ocean, a wide grin on his lips.

The sea was glistening with hues of burnt oranges and yellows as the sun set below the horizon. Blocking the sun's rays was the silhouette of a ship with full black sails. Hinata recognized it as the fabled Black Pearl that Sora had taken and shown off countless pictures of on his gummi phone.

Her brows furrowed as she realized something. "Why is it out on the water and not at the docks?"

Sparrow's drunk swaying paused, his voice choking as he cleared his throat. "Because…"

She looked over to him. "Because…. What?" When Sparrow only cast her a side glance before moving past her towards the dock, she let out a breath. "You were leaving me behind, weren't you?"

"Nonsense!" He exclaimed, turning on his heel to face her. "I was merely preparing her so as we could make a hasty getaway. Savvy?"

With a scoff, Hinata dropped it, following his lead as he went to the docks. He waved towards the Pearl with his hat, sending her a cheeky grin when the ship turned and sailed back to them. Hinata returned his grin with a halfhearted smile, watching the waves of the ocean crash against the side of the ship. It sailed faster than any boat she had ever seen. Something about it was almost unnatural.

"Do you have any idea where to start looking for the others?" She asked, clasping her hands in front of her as uneasiness began settling in her gut.

Sparrow mumbled under his breath, pulling out an old worn compass and unlatching it. He stared at its surface for a few silent seconds before sighing and tucking it back in the satchel at his hips.

"Jack…?" She asked again when he didn't give her reply.

"Yes, what?" He looked over his shoulder at her.

"Do you know anything about this Da-"

"Mr. Gibs!" Sparrow interrupted her with a yell up to his ship. "I thought I had told you to keep the Pearl by the docks!"

The same man that had made the recruitment message at the pub peered over the deck. His brow was furrowed, his lips tipped into a confused frown at his captain's words. Hinata looked between Mr. Gibs and Sparrow, noticing the way Sparrow was staring right back at him.

"Just admit you were trying to leave me behind." She grumbled, walking onto the wooden planked walkway connected to the ship.

"Welcome aboard the Pearl." Mr. Gibs greeted her with an uneasy smile, stepping aside as she came onto the deck. "Make yourself at home."

"Uhm, thank you," Hinata smiled back, walking towards the railing on the other end of the ship to gaze out at the sea's horizon.

Pirates scrambled over the deck, following orders and preparing the ship to set sail back out to sea. Hinata could hear Sparrow muttering to Mr. Gibs, who she assumed was his first mate in command, but she couldn't quite understand what they were saying. Within minutes, the ship was turning, the breeze in the sails pushing the ship away from the shore.

Hinata stepped back from the railing of the deck, turning to see Sparrow at the helm, directing the ship with ease. The rest of the crew seemed to have settled in, paying Hinata little mind, other than the occasional glance as they toiled away. She walked up the wooden stairs leading to the second level of the deck, each step creaking under her weight.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" She asked him with a near whisper, so the rest of the crew wouldn't hear.

"Of course I do." He dismissed her.

"So, you've heard of this Darkness before…?" She asked. "Has it been taking other people?"

Sparrow glanced around at the crew, wrinkling his nose. Stepping back from the helm, he grabbed a nearby pirate by the arm, leading them to the wheel instead.

"Won't you join me in my quarters?" He spoke up with a loud voice that filled the deck.

Hinata blinked, "U-Um, what?" Her face warmed with embarrassment at the responding whistles from a few drunken crewmates.

Sparrow didn't respond, merely motioned his head in a silent, obnoxious way to encourage her to follow him. She looked around, as if trying to make sense of his nonsense as he walked back to the main floor of the deck. With a huff of breath, she followed after him, heading down the stairs to a door under the helm. Sparrow pushed it open, leading into a regal room with glittering treasure piled in every corner.

The center of the room was covered with a thick rug with gold lining and details. On top of it was a long banquet table with bowls stuffed with various fruits. Hinata stopped a few steps inside, swallowing the lump of anxiety in her throat as Sparrow shut the door behind them.

"You really don't need to be so tense, Lass." He told her, walking further into the room as he grabbed an apple from the top of the bowl of fruit. "I bite only a little."

Hinata rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "I'm starting to wonder why Sora had such amazing things to say about you."

Taking a bite of the apple, he turned and looked out the window to see the sunset. "There are not many places a Captain can have a private conversation."

She looked to him, noticing the obvious change in his tone from the nonsensical man she had been around the last hour. Letting out a breath, she relaxed her arms as she realized. "You just asked me here to talk." Walking forward, she leaned against the main table. "What did you want to talk with me about?"

"Who's missing from your little possy?" He asked, taking a bite from the apple and turning from the window. "Donald and Goofy wouldn't happen to be part of it, would they?"

Hinata huffed with amusement, shaking her head. "Nah, they don't usually do missions with me. They've been-" her voice trailed off as she suddenly remembered the World Order. She hardly ever respected it, but this was a pirate she was dealing with, even if he was one Sora recommended. Clearing her throat, she corrected, "They've been busy with other things. I came here with Riku, and we were supposed to meet up with two others, Sam and Velcia. But… when I appeared here, Riku wasn't with me."

"By appeared you mean- the bright light, disappearing act thing," Sparrow asked, imitating with broad hand gestures.

"Yes," she chuckled, "Something like that. They were just… gone… And then I just happened to be in the same town you were?"

"Calypso…" Sparrow muttered under his breath, his brows furrowed.

"Um… what?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Sparrow darted his attention up to her, waving her off as he turned to look back out the window. "That is all I need to know." Waving his hand towards the door, he told her, "Go back out to swab the deck or something."

"What? But- what about-"

"Best not to discuss evry detail, Love." He interjected, barely glancing over his shoulder. "Never know who might be listening."

Hinata sighed, looking around the room glittering with gold. With a short nod, she resigned, "Alright, I'll trust you know what you're doing." Giving him one last look, she turned and headed out of his quarters, closing the door behind her.

...2 Days Later...

She stood at the edge of the ship, the salty sea air blowing through her hair. Waves struck the side of the Black Pearl, gently rocking it back and forth as the crew worked aboard the deck. The surface of the sea shimmered and glistened, leading out into the horizon where the sun met with the water.

It was a perfect day.

Except that something was off. Something was itching in the pit of her stomach. They weren't alone on the water. Somewhere there was someone watching them, even though she couldn't see who it could have been. It was just a feeling, the type in her gut that she knew was true.

"You sense it, too, Lass?" Sparrow's voice only tensed her further as he came up beside her. Despite Sora's assurances that he was a grand Captain, he unsettled her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, not looking away from the horizon.

"There's somethin' out there. Somethin watching our every move." He told her, seemingly noticing as Hinata's arms tightened around the railing of the ship. "Had a feelin you felt it, too."

"I'm probably overthinking." She surmised, wincing when he clicked his tongue in response.

"After all my years on the sea, you can trust one thing, Love-" he leaned back against the railing so she could see his drunken eyes, "If you sense it, something's happening."

Hinata took in a deep breath, instantly regretting it as she caught a strong whiff of the stale alcohol emanating off the drunken pirate. "Alright then, Captain. What are we supposed to do about it?"

He pointed up a finger, motioning towards her in a slow, sluggish fashion. "Ignoring the obvious disrespect in your tone, I suggest we do… nothing."

She blinked, before scoffing, "Nothing?"

"Nothing," he put out his hands. "Wait for them to come to us, Lass."

"It's a wonder you're still alive." She sent him a strained smile, pushing off the railing and turning around to walk away, before Sparrow's hand gripped her wrist.

"Wait, wait, you're misunterstand-er-ing-"

She ripped her arm from his grasp. "Maybe I'd be more inclined to listen if you weren't completely drunk every time we spoke." Looking over her shoulder at him, she explained. "The only reason I'm even here is because of Sora's glowing review of you. But so far, I haven't seen a single thing that's even remotely come close to what he's said about you." Her hands clenched at her sides. "I had thought that the grand ole Captain Jack Sparrow could help me save my friends, but instead I found a clumsy drunk that-"

"Now that's just the slightest bit uncalled for," Sparrow interrupted, making Hinata nearly snort.

"Really?" She turned towards him, her arms crossed. "We've barely left port and you've already consumed all the rum on the ship. We've been going in circles and haven't set a single course or plan or anything remotely promising." Putting her arms out at her side, she bit, "So please, by all means, Captain, why don't you tell me how the hell you're planning on helping? Because right now, I'm about this close to demanding you take me back to port so I can find my own damn ship and find my friends myself!"

Jack's eyes had widened as her voice rose in volume, his gaze darting around at the crew that had stopped to overhear the commotion. Clearing his throat when he realized she was finished ranting, he stepped forward, putting his fingers to his lips.

"You really, really shouldn't be so loud." He whispered, getting far too close to her for comfort.

She stepped back from him, about to snip a reply before she realized just how silent it had gotten around them. The sound of the gulls, the crew, even the waves had fallen silent. Taking in a breath, she looked back to Sparrow, who still had his fingers to his lips.

With a subtle nod, she muttered, "Alright, you win. We do nothing."

"Splendid!" He exclaimed, his hands going back out to his sides with a smile, before he yelled. "Mr. Gibs!"

Hinata jumped from the sudden rise of his voice, looking over her shoulder as Mr. Gibs came rushing over. "Yes, Cap'n? What'd you need?"

"Why don't you escort the lovely, Lady Hinata below deck?" Sparrow ordered, his smile faltering as he looked to Hinata. "She is being far too loud for the sea."

Her eyes narrowed, the urge to fight his orders simmering in her gut. Instead, she merely looked away, pulling her arm from Gibs' grasp when he tried to grab arm. "I'll be in my cot." She told them, turning away and going below deck on her own, without escort.

With each step she took, sound began springing back to life. The sea gulls, the lap of the waves against the side of the boat, the creak of the wood, all of it trickled back to reality. Hinata glanced back at Sparrow, who kept his eyes on her as she left. Perhaps there was more to him that she was giving him credit for.

The underbelly of the ship was dark, the candles and oil lamps hardly managing to illuminate the cabin. Hinata ran her hand along the railing, taking a moment to adjust to the dim surroundings, compared to the blaring sun on deck. The ship rocked from side to side, tables and chairs scraped across the wooden floor. Apples tumbled to the ground, along with the occasional goblet that splashed out droplets of stale rum as they clanged on the floor.

Hinata caught a table from falling over completely, looking around the cabin. She could hear the squeak of doors opening and closing from the movement of the ship. As a door opened, she saw the cots inside. The cloth hampers swung wildly, knocking slumbering pirates to the floor to be followed by slurred curses from the rude awakenings.

"Something's wrong…" She spoke under her breath, gasping as the ship jerked to the side from a strong force hitting the side.

She stumbled into the wall, the table she had been holding tumbling to the ground. Holding onto the railing for support, she scrambled up the stairs.

"Jack, I-" her voice cut off as she stepped on deck.

The sun was shrouded with dark clouds, the water itself appearing an inky black as the waves harshly crashed against the side of the ship. She swallowed hard, seeing each of the pirates eyeing her suspiciously as they went to their posts. Sparrow was at the helm, his eyes focused towards the sky. Clearing her throat, she walked over, stopping beside him.

"Seems like your little outburst was just what we needed." He told her.

"It wasn't an outburst." She objected with a mumble, giving Sparrow a look when he held out a little black box for her. It was scuffed and scratched, worn from years of use. "What's this?" She asked him, taking the box and opening it to find the face of a compass inside of it. "A compass…?"

"Where does it lead?" He asked her, eyes still focused on the swirling sky.

"How should I know?" She asked, staring at it as the needle in the middle spun wildly before it settled on a direction. "Um… shouldn't it point north…?"

Sparrow glanced over her shoulder, a smirk curving his lips. "It points to what your heart desires most."

Hinata looked up at the sea's horizon where the compass pointed, her heart jumping. "Riku," she whispered.

"Aye," Sparrow nodded, spinning around. "Mr. Gibs! Unfurl the sails!"

"The sails, Captain?" Gibs repeated, the uncertainty in his tone. "Are you certain that's wise with the oncoming-" his voice trailed off as he cleared his throat. Hinata glanced over to see the look Sparrow was sending him. "Aye, Captain." Turning towards the crew, Gibs cupped his hands over his mouth. "You heard him! Unfurl the sails!"

The crew grumbled, but complied within seconds. Black sails grew above the ship, filled with the wind that swirled around them with growing intensity. Jack turned the wheel, keeping a careful watch on the direction of the compass.

"Why didn't you do this right when we left port?" She asked, jumping from the thick roll of thunder through the sky.

"I did," he told her. "You aren't the only one that desires to find it, Lass."

She looked up at him behind the wheel, "And it didn't work?"

He shook his head. "Somethin is hiding it."

"So… by doing nothing, we lured them out of hiding?" She surmised.

"Now you're gettin it," he smirked.

Her eyes narrowed, "You could have just-"

A sudden crack of lightning struck the water just in front of them. Hinata shrieked, covering her eyes with her arm as Sparrow turned the ship in a rush. Rain poured, pounding against the deck as screams and yells surrounded the ship from the crew.

Hinata put out her hands, her tattoo glowing as the drops of rain froze in midair. Sucking in a breath, she put up her arms, the rain falling against an invisible barrier she held around the ship.

"Save your energy!" Sparrow yelled, "A little rain is the least of our troubles!"

"What do you expect me to do then?!" She called back, still holding up the rain.

"Follow the compass!" He ordered, "That's the only way!"

"Alright, fine!" She put her hands out at her side, the rain pouring down on top of them.

With every raindrop, she felt her energy returning. It was as if she were surrounded by a life force that she only needed to focus to control. Sucking in a sharp breath through her nose, she narrowed her eyes on the horizon, pushing her arms forward along with the force of the ocean. The ship burst forward, the crew yelling and stumbling forward as a massive wave formed from behind.

Hinata's tattoo glowed brilliantly, its light illuminating the raindrops as they fell around her. Sparrow kept a steady eye on the compass, carefully turning the ship to stay on its course, despite the storm only worsening every passing second. Lightning struck the water and the wave still pushing them forward against the swirling wind.

"Capn!" One of the pirates yelled over the storm. "Something's coming!"

Sparrow looked on ahead, tilting his head to the side at the sight. It was as if there was a wall of broken glass in front of them. The rain itself seemed to bounce off its surface, and waves crashed against it.

"Should we turn?!" Hinata asked, her voice cracking and breath heavy from keeping up the wave pushing the ship.

Sparrow smirked, taking one last look at his compass before stuffing it back in his satchel. Gripping both of his hands on the wheel, he kept the course perfectly straight as he sang under his breath, "Drink up me hearties, yo ho."

**Author's Note: It's alright if you're confused. The next part is nearly finished and will hopefully be out next week. Since these are short bits and parts, I know it's sort of all over the place. I tried something new with writing scenes out of order and then filling in the blanks. Probably isn't going to be something I attempt for Hinata's main story. But this whole collection is a fun way for me to experiment.

Thank you everyone for reading! Have a lovely week!**