A/N: Hey, I would just like to say that I really appreciate the reviews you guys write! Every time I read a new one it totally makes my day.

Another note: It's hard to get the timeline to make sense with these things (like in canon apparently the crew of the Pearl made not one but several transatlantic trips during the time between CotBP and DMC? what?) but anyway the point is this part of the story begins about a month after the previous part ended.

OH ONE MORE THING im sorry
apparently lian has actual speaking parts outside of the film itself (in the video game and one of the novels) but i haven't been able to play/read either of these things so i apologize for any mischaracterization! i am basically taking what's in the movie and flying by the seat of my pants here

There was the crashing sound of something big and heavy falling over and breaking. "What was that?"

"I don't know," Will called back. "A stone tablet."

Barbossa had instructed Will to break into Sao Feng's uncle's tomb to retrieve the navigational charts stored there. Apparently Sao Feng was kind of a scary and easily offended guy, and Barbossa didn't trust me to behave myself, so I was forced to tag along with Will. I didn't mind, because I didn't trust Will not to fuck everything up. And I was right.

"Will!" I smacked my forehead. "That was probably, like, a tombstone or something!"

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" said Will.

"I didn't expect you to go stumble around like a bull in a china shop! Golly. We may be robbing the guy's tomb, but we don't have to desecrate it."

Will came out holding the charts just as a bunch of Sao Feng's men surrounded us. Will put the charts down, and we raised our hands in surrender.

"I can explain," I said. "He did it." I pointed at Will.

"It's almost like Jack never died," said Will sourly as the men seized us. "You're starting to act just like him."

"Aw, that warms my cockles."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"I know, I was just about to remark on your increasing resemblance to a huge, man-shaped turd!"

"Silence!" one of Sao Feng's men grunted.

They brought us to Sao Feng's bathhouse and tied each of us up with our arms flung across a long, thick log-but not before searching us thoroughly and confiscating our weapons, my pants, and my violin. Having to take off my pants was annoying and really, really creepy and uncomfortable, but the violin...it was all I had left of Jack, and they just. Took it. I did manage to kick the guy who took it from me right in the face, though. He responded by slapping me, which left a stinging splotch on my cheek, but he had a bloody nose, so I think I won.

They hoisted us out of the water. Choking and spitting out water, I gasped for breath, as did Will.

"These are the thieves," Sao Feng declared. "Are their faces familiar to you?"

Elizabeth and Barbossa shook their heads.

"Then I guess," said Sao Feng, "they have no further need for them." He pulled out some sort of weapon. I'm not sure what it was, exactly, but it was pointy and sure didn't look like something I didn't want anywhere near my face, and it didn't look like Will wanted it near his, either. Sao Feng moved as if to shove the thing into Will's face, and Elizabeth squeaked with fright and covered her mouth.

"You come into my city and you betray my hospitality..." said Sao Feng, not sounding pleased.

Meanwhile, Barbossa was still trying to salvage the situation. "Sao Feng, I assure you, I had no idea-"

"THAT HE WOULD GET CAUGHT?" Sao Feng yelled right in Barbossa's face. "You intend to attempt a voyage to Davy Jones Locker, but I cannot help but wonder. Why?"

Barbossa threw a coin at Sao Feng. "The song has been sung," Barbossa said. "The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren court. As one of the nine pirate lords, you must honour the call."

Sao Feng turned to one of his handmaidens. "More steam." The woman pulled the lever. Nothing happened. "More steam!" She flapped her arms a little helplessly and tried to pull it again.

"There is a price on all our heads. It is true. It seems the only way a pirate can turn profit anymore is by betraying other pirates," said Sao Feng.

"The first Brethren court gave us rule of the seas. Now that rule is being challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett."

"Against the East India Trading Company, what value is the Brethren court? What can any of us do?"

Elizabeth leapt forward angrily. "You can fight!" One of Sao Feng's men tried to grab her but she shrugged him off. "Get off me! You are Sao Feng, the pirate lord of Singapore. Would you have that era come to an end on your watch? The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy," she seethed, "and yet you sit here cowering in your bath water!"

Sao Feng regarded Liz with interest. A little too much interest, if you ask me. "Elizabeth Swann," he said softly. "There is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there? And the eye...does not go wanting." Will was struggling in his restraints, clearly not liking the way Sao Feng was looking at her either. "But I cannot help but notice...you have failed to answer my question. What is it you seek in Davy Jones Locker?"

"Jack Sparrow," said Will. The handmaids giggled. Christ, is there anywhere in the world you can go without running into one of Jack's conquests? "He's one of the pirate lords."

Sao Feng's voice started out in a normal tone and quickly climbed to a furious yell. "The only reason I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the land of the dead...is so I could send him back myself!" He kicked something over in his frustration.

"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight," Barbossa reminded Sao Feng. "He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died! So we must go and get him back."

He wasn't really paying attention to Barbossa, instead staring at something. I followed his gaze and saw that one of the bathhouse men's tattoos had started to run, dripping down his back. "So, you admit...you have deceived me. Weapons!"

"Sao Feng, I assure you," Barbossa said greasily, "our intentions are strictly honorable!"

At that moment, four swords slid through the floorboards, flying into Barbossa and Elizabeth's hands. Sao Feng grabbed the man with the fake tattoo, putting a sword to his throat.

"Drop your weapons or I kill the man!"

Barbossa wasn't fussed. "Kill him, he's not our man."

"If he's not with you, and he's not with us..." Will said slowly. "Who's he with?"

Soldiers from the East India Trading Company burst through the wall, firing guns. It was less and less appealing to remain with my wrists tied to a log. I couldn't find anything to cut the rope, but my hands were pretty small and the rope was thick, too thick to be tied very tightly, and I managed to wrench my hands out through the gaps. Then I ran. I wasn't sure exactly where I should be going, but getting away from the EITC was job one.

As I ran, I saw one of the soldiers had a woman cornered behind one of the market stalls. It was only after I punched the guy that I realized it was Beckett's guy, Mercer, and the woman was one of Sao Feng's handmaids.

As my punch sent Mercer staggering, the woman sprang up and dropkicked Mercer in the face. He crumpled like a piece of tin foil and it looked like he was out cold. Yanking out the steel chopstick embedded in Mercer's flesh, she made to stab him again.

"We should probably get out of here," I said.

"I need to kill him first," she said, as casually as another person might say "I need to put my socks on."

"Can you at least direct me to the nearest ship?"

The woman slashed Mercer across the throat with her razor-sharp chopstick. He gurgled and twitched as blood ran from the wound, and then he was still. "Follow me." She walked very fast. I practically had to skip to keep up.

"My name's Bailey, by the way."

"Lian," she responded curtly, not looking at me.

We made it to the same ship as Will, Liz, Barbossa, and the others. I wasn't sure how they managed to squeeze a ship and a crew out of Sao Feng, but I was glad they did. I had been so sure that this little adventure would end up with all of us dying horribly.