Battle of Isla de Muerta

"With haste we returned to Isla de Muerta; our goal to rescue the ungrateful Will Turner from the villainous pirate Barbossa and his wretched crew."

- Jack Sparrow

The Battle of the Isla de Muerta was a thrilling confrontation between the crew of the HMS Dauntless and the cursed crew of the Black Pearl. It was through this battle that the curse of the Aztec gold was lifted.

Following their rescue from a desert island, Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann sailed with Commodore James Norrington aboard the Dauntless to Isla de Muerta. They were to rescue Will Turner from Barbossa's wretched crew before being killed to lift the Aztec curse. Barbossa was about to kill Will when Jack warned him that the Dauntless having come, and proposed to wait to lift the curse until after killing Norrington's men. While the cursed pirates attack the Dauntless, Jack made himself immortal and engaged Barbossa in an epic battle in the island's caves while Will fought Barbossa's men. Meanwhile, Elizabeth helped the surviving motley crew of the Interceptor take the Black Pearl before going to the island to save Will. By the end of the battle, Will ended the curse and Jack shoots Barbossa, dead.

Stranded and Rescued
"But why is the rum gone?" "Just wait, Captain Sparrow. You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye open and you will see white sails on that horizon."

- Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann

Following a battle against the Interceptor, Hector Barbossa and his men took its crew as captives while their ship was destroyed. Will Turner threatened to kill himself, while revealing he was the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. After giving Will his word to free Elizabeth Swann, Barbossa had the Black Pearl sit off shore of Black Sam's Spit, the small island that Jack Sparrow was previously made "governor" of. By this time, the Interceptor crew were locked in the brig, while Elizabeth was to be "freed" on the island, as Barbossa agreed to free her but not on when or where. He had the medallion and Turner blood, both of which Barbossa's crew needed to lift the Aztec curse. Bound and gagged as Barbossa's prisoner, Will helplessly watched as Elizabeth and walked to her "freedom" along with Jack Sparrow. Having been reminded by Jack, Barbossa gave Jack his pistol, which had a single shot carried for 10 years. Jack then asked for two pistols, but Barbossa left Jack with only one: to shoot Elizabeth with. Elizabeth and Jack swam to the island, where they watched as the Black Pearl faded into the horizon.

Once settled on the island, Elizabeth wanted to help Will while Jack resigned to his fate and drank rum. But as soon as Jack fell asleep, Elizabeth took matters in her own hands. She burned the island's palm trees (their source for food and shade) and the rum supply to create a signal for the Royal Navy to know her location, much to Jack's dismay who didn't come to until the following morning. Jack briefly considered using his pistol on her but ended up stalking up the sand dune, until he saw, on the horizon with white sails billowing, the HMS Dauntless. Climbing aboard the Dauntless, Elizabeth reunited with her betrothed Commodore James Norrington and her father Governor Weatherby Swann. Despite her persuasions for them to help save Will Turner both the governor and the commodore proposed against the mission, as Will engaged in piracy. It wasn't until Elizabeth promised to accept his marriage proposal that Norrington agreed to help Will and ordered Jack Sparrow to be accompanied by Mullroy and Murtogg to the helm to provide their heading.

Tale of Bootstrap Bill
"You knew William Turner." "Ol' Bootstrap Bill? We knew him. It never sat well with Bootstrap what we did to Jack Sparrow&mdash;the mutiny and all. Said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure&mdash;said we deserved to remain cursed. So what Captain Barbossa did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstrap's bootstraps and the last we saw, he was sinking to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones's Locker. It was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse."

- Will Turner and Pintel



While the HMS Dauntless changed course and began heading to Isla de Muerta, the Black Pearl was already well on her way. In the brig below-decks, the surviving members of Jack's crew from the destroyed Interceptor stood and watched as Pintel and Ragetti mopped the floors. In the crew's cell, Joshamee Gibbs interpreted the parrot squawking on Cotton's shoulder, as saying that they missed a bit. Will Turner, in a separate cell, rested his arm on the cell bars while asking Pintel if he knew William Turner, his father. Pausing mid-mop, Pintel looked up and, with slight assistance from Ragetti, relayed the tale of Bootstrap Bill. Pintel revealed Bootstrap felt guilty because of the mutiny against Jack Sparrow, believing that it wasn't right with the Code, so he sent a piece of the treasure to Will so that the crew would remain cursed. He also revealed that Barbossa, angered by Bootstrap's actions, had him tied to a cannon and thrown overboard, but with the eventual irony of needing Bootstrap's blood to lift the curse. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the brig and Barbossa appeared, flanked by several other pirates, ordering the duo to bring Will before tossing the keys to his cell. The Black Pearl had arrived at Isla de Muerta, closer to ending their curse once and for all.

Plan of attack
"The pirates come out, unprepared and unawares. We catch 'em in the crossfire, send them down to see Old Hob." "I know why we're here. I meant, why aren't we doing what Mr. Sparrow said we should do? With the cannons and all?" "Because it was Mr. Sparrow who said it."

- Mullroy, Murtogg, and James Norrington

With the use of Jack Sparrow's compass, the Dauntless arrived to Isla de Muerta. Through the lens of his spyglass, Commodore Norrington stared out at the Black Pearl, the ship's deck appearing empty. Hidden among the rocks that lined Isla de Muerta, two longboats floated gently in the water. With Norrington in the lead boat, Jack Sparrow sat behind him, while closely guarded by Murtogg and Mullroy. Norrington expressed his dislike of the situation, as the island was riddled with caves, his men would be put at a disadvantage. Moving closer to the commodore, Jack pointed out that they could do the ambush, suggesting that Jack himself go in and convince Barbossa to send his men out on their boats while Norrington's men return to the Dauntless and blast the pirates with their cannons. Norrington considered Jack's suggestion before Jack added the risk to those aboard the Dauntless, including the "future Mrs. Commdore." Moments later, Elizabeth Swann found herself being escorted unceremoniously toward the captain's cabin for her own "safety" as Lieutenant Gillette put it. Struggling against the marines, Elizabeth tried to warn that the pirates were cursed and undead, but Gillette mocked her by saying that "a little mermaid" already told him the whole story. As the door shut behind her, a frustrated Elizabeth knew this was Jack Sparrow's doing. Meanwhile, out on the water, Jack Sparrow smiled as he rowed to shore.

However, despite allowing Jack to go in after Barbossa alone, Commodore Norrington ignored Jack's plan with the cannons. Floating safely outside the cave, the majority of the crew of the Dauntless sat floating in several longboats, waiting to attack. Sitting among the men, Murtogg and Mullroy argued back and forth about their strategy to get the pirates, rather than doing what was given to them by Jack. From his spot at the front of the longboat, Norrington pointed out that it was Jack himself, an irreverent trickster, who suggested it.

Negotiating with Barbossa
"I suppose in exchange, you want me not to kill the whelp." "No, no, no. Not at all. By all means, kill the whelp. Just not yet. Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment. For instance: after you've killed Norrington's men. Every last one."

- Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow



Inside Isla de Muerta, the cave of treasure filled with light as Barbossa's crew entered with their torches. Will Turner, guarded by a band of pirates, moved along while wearing the gold medallion around his neck. In spite of Pintel showing optimism in a "prick of the finger and a few drops of blood", Twigg said they were to make no mistakes at this point and should spill all of Will's blood to lift the curse. As the cave filled with the pirates chanted, Barbossa held up a knife while standing close beside Will. Before Barbossa could perform the blood ritual, again, Jack miraculously appeared, to the initial shock of Barbossa's crew. As Jack sashayed his way to the front of the crowd, he assured to Will that Elizabeth was safe before adding that she had promised to marry Norrington and that Will had promised to die for her. When Jack finally finished his explanation, Barbossa told Jack to shut up and said he was next before holding the knife against Will's throat, preparing to cut before Jack informed him of the Dauntless waiting for them offshore.

Now putting the last of his plan into action, Jack needed to convince Barbossa to attack. Will, from his spot listened closely, interested to see what Jack Sparrow had to say. Jack suggested that they should not kill Will yet, but wait until after killing all of Norrington's men, thereby giving Barbossa two ships in the making of his own fleet. Then Barbossa could keep the Dauntless as his flagship, introducing himself as "Commodore Barbossa" while Jack captains the Black Pearl and gives ten percent of his plunder. To make his point, Jack picked up a handful of coins from the chest, then dropping the coins one-by-one back into the chest, the clink of gold hitting gold emphasizing Jack's words. But only Will, curious after hearing the pirate use the familiar phrase, saw him slyly slip one coin up into the billowing sleeves of his shirt. Jack predicted that he may be able to divide and conquer Barbossa's forces, but also anticipating the battle to come. So to bring off this whole strategy, Jack figured as insurance he might as well make himself immortal just in case. This was also the moment when Will realized, that from the beginning, this was Jack's plan, to get Will close enough to the treasure to lift the curse but at the moment that is most profitable to Jack, which in this instance would also be most profitable to Will.

Bringing the discussion back around to the subject of profit, ultimately agreeing on Barbossa getting 25 percent of Jack's plunder as well as a big hat, Captains Barbossa and Jack had an accord and shook hands. After Jack inadvertently ordered Barbossa's crew to the boats, apologizing to Barbossa before letting him give the order "Take a walk." From his spot beside him, Jack gave a confused expression while Barbossa himself smiled. Before Pintel and Ragetti could join up, the Bo'sun handed them parasols and smiled.

The Battle
Despite having been able to divide and conquer Barbossa's forces, though also anticipating the battle to come, Jack Sparrow's initial plan had changed. Jack's plan was to keep all of the British on the Dauntless, and have all of the pirates row out on rowboats where basically the Dauntless could just keep firing cannonballs at them until the curse was lifted. However, he did not anticipate Commodore Norrington going to ambush them as they came out of the cave, nor did he anticipate Barbossa giving a different order than to use the boats.

Underwater March
"All hands to the boats! Apologies. You give the orders." "Gents. Take a walk." "...Not to the boats?"

- Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa



Outside the caves of Isla de Muerta, the clouds parted, revealing the bright face of a full moon. Only a small crew of men was left to stand guard aboard the Dauntless, silently moored off the coast. Underneath the water, shafts of moonlight pierced the murky blue, illuminating a school of fish. Suddenly, the fish scattered in all directions as out of the shadows marched Barbossa's cursed crew. In the moonlight, their flesh disappeared and only their bones could be seen through their tattered clothing. In their hands they held swords and pistols as they simply walked on the sea bed, making their way toward the unsuspecting Dauntless. When they were directly beneath her hull they began to climb up the ship's anchor. As the cursed pirates climbed aboard the Dauntless, Norrington and his men sat in the longboats, unaware of the impending danger facing their fellow crew members. All eyes were trained on the cave entrance, where a longboat rowed into view. Inside the longboat, sat Pintel and Ragetti, dressed in women's clothing. As Pintel rowed, Ragetti twirled a parasol about, smiling as he said what they were doing was "just like what the Greeks did at Troy." Rolling his eyes, Pintel continued to row.

Back aboard the Dauntless, Governor Swann made his way toward the captain's cabin to speak with Elizabeth, praising her decision to wed Norrington earlier that day. Inside the cabin, Elizabeth turned at the sound of her father's voice, but made no move to answer him or open the door. Instead, wanting to save Will Turner, she moved toward the window and climbed down a long line of knotted sheets serving as a ladder to a single longboat that floated in the water near the ship's stern. As Elizabeth rowed away, Governor Swann, find it odd that his daughter hadn't replied, entered the cabin. Glancing out the open window, he saw the sheet ladder and sighed as he looked out, wondering what her daughter had done.

Meanwhile, Pintel and Ragetti, still dressed as ladies, were rowing ever closer to the Dauntless. For a few confused moments, all eyes on the Dauntless were focused on Pintel and Ragetti's longboat, allowing Barbossa's crew to board the ship and assassinate several Royal Marines. It wasn't until Pintel and Ragetti got in a little squabble, revealing their cursed forms, did the Dauntless crew realize something was wrong. Realizing they were discovered, Pintel pulled out his pistol and fired at Gillette, knocking his hat off, while the rest of the crew of skeletons climbed up the steps and revealed themselves. At the helm, the marines rushed forward, their guns blasting and swords drawn to the pirates' surprise attack. Below the helm, Governor Swann heard the commotion and went over to the captain's cabin door, only to see a skeleton stab a marine through the chest. Slamming the door shut, he locked himself in the cabin to avoid the cursed pirates and sunk to the floor, terrified.

Turning point
"I must admit, Jack, I thought I had you figured. But it turns out you're a hard man to predict." "Me? I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly...stupid."

- Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow



As the battle raged on outside, Captain Jack Sparrow busied himself looking through the massive amounts of treasure that littered the caves of Isla de Muerta. Off to one side, Will Turner stood, guarded by pirates Jacoby and Clubba, glaring at Jack. Unconcerned by Will's stares, Jack lifted a gold statue, and held it up in the light. While sitting, Barbossa thoughtfully said to Jack that he was a hard man to predict. Turning to face Barbossa, the gold statue still in his hands, Jack responds by saying he's a dishonest man before tossing the statue away. As Jack explained himself, he moved closer toward Monk, another of the few pirates who had not gone out to the Dauntless, adding how one should actually watch out for the honest ones, who were mostly unpredictable.

Suddenly, Jack reached down and grabbed a sword out of Monk's belt and, with a kick, sent him flying into a puddle of seawater. He threw the extra sword to Will, as the other pirates stared in shock. TuFrning quickly, Will freed himself from the ropes that bound his wrists, before turning to face his attackers. Startled, Barbossa drew his rapier as Jack pulled his own sword from its scabbard and rushed to fight Barbossa. The sound of clashing iron filled the cave as Barbossa's crew fought Will, ducking in and out of the moonlight. Seeing a skeleton where he expected a man, Will paused, but then quickly recovered and whipped his sword through the air. Meanwhile, Jack and Barbossa parried across the cave, their swords flying furiously as each man tried to outdo the other. As their blades locked, Barbossa pulled Jack closer. "You're off the edge of the map, mate. Here there be monsters." He pushed off, and the two men continued fighting.

Dauntless Derring-Do
"Make for the ship! Move!"

- James Norrington



Aboard the Dauntless, the fighting continued. Men and skeletons slashed at one another with swords, filling the air with the sounds of groans. Climbing aboard the Dauntless, Pintel and Ragetti took control of the ship's cannons. Before a wounded British sailor was killed, he managed to ring the ship's bell to call Norrington's soldiers back. Out in the water, still waiting to ambush the pirates, Commodore Norrington turned as the bell tolled. Hearing the sound of battle, he realized the Dauntless was under attack and ordered his men back to the ship. As Norrington's men rowed towards the Dauntless, Pintel and Ragetti loaded the cannons and fired at the boats.

Governor Swann, meanwhile, was still hiding in the captain's cabin as the fighting outside raged. Suddenly, one of the skeleton pirates peered through the glass and caught sight of the cowering governor. Sticking his hand through the glass, he began to search for something to grab. Finally, his hand landed on the governor's wig, pulling it off. With a cry, the governor grabbed a large candlestick and brought it down on the pirate's arm. Looking down, he gasped. He was now holding the severed arm of a skeleton pirate, a severed arm that was still moving. Dropping it to the ground, the governor found himself fighting against the disembodied hand. Finally, he leaned down, and grabbing the arm, shoved it into a drawer. Shaking, Governor Swann leaned against the drawer, overwhelmed.

Rescue aboard the Black Pearl
"Is it supposed to be doing that?" "They're stealing our ship." "Bloody pirates!"

- Ragetti and Pintel



Back out on the water, under the light of the full moon, Elizabeth rowed her boat up beside the Black Pearl. Climbing up the ship, she saw two cursed pirates, Mallot and Grapple, sitting below decks with a table covered in food. Looking from one treat to another, they tried to figure out what they would eat first when the curse was lifted. Pulling herself onto the empty deck, she took a step forward and gasped as Barbossa's skeleton monkey dropped down in front of her. A moment later, there was a clunk as the monkey fell overboard, landing on a cannon before it splashed into the water below. Hearing a splash, Mallot and Grapple looked out a cannon hole to the water below and then up to the deck where Elizabeth was. The pirates ducked back inside and ran to the deck. As the pirates headed up the stairs, Elizabeth hurried down the stairs to the brig. There, still locked in a cell, was Jack's crew from the destroyed Interceptor. Quickly, she raced over and let them out. If she was going to save Will, she would need all the help she could get.

Full-on battle
"So what now, Jack Sparrow? Are we to be two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and trumpets sound? Hmm?" "Or you could surrender."

- Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow



In the cave, Barbossa faced off against Jack, driving him back until he dropped his own sword, saying "You can't beat me, Jack." Taking advantage of the cursed captain's unguarded moment, Jack drove his sword through Barbossa's chest. Looking down at the hilt sticking out from his rib cage, Barbossa simply sighed. With both hands, Barbossa pulled Jack's sword free and drove it into Jack's chest. There was silence as Jack stared down at the sword jutting from his chest, while Barbossa smiled devilishly. Jack Sparrow stumbled backwards into a shaft of moonlight, where his body of flesh was revealed to be a skeleton, to Barbossa's astonishment. Across the cave, Will paused midfight and looked over to see Jack's skeletal appearance. Pulling out the single coin he had taken from the chest, Jack said, "I couldn't resist, mate," as he let the coin clink over his skeletal fingers. Angered with rage, Barbossa picked up his sword and charged as skeleton Jack pulled the sword from his chest. Both Jack and Barbossa fought in and out of the moonlight now, two skeletons in pitched battle.

Back aboard the Black Pearl, Jack's crew used a suspended longboat of the Black Pearl to knock Grapple and Mallot off the ship. Elizabeth Swann then tried to convince the ship's crew to join her in rescuing Will, but her plea fell on deaf ears. Jack Sparrow owed his crew a ship, and with the Pearl, they now had one. Plus, as Gibbs pointed out, there was the Code. Upon hearing this, Elizabeth told them they were pirates and that they should "hang the Code and hang the rules," saying they were more like "guidelines," which she took from something Barbossa told her days prior. Moments later, Elizabeth rowed toward Isla de Muerta alone. "Bloody pirates," Elizabeth fumed as the Black Pearl began to pull away.

Back inside the cave, Jack and Barbossa battled, ducking in and out of the moonlight. A moment later, Jack pushing Barbossa against a pile of treasure. Smiling, Jack pointed his sword directly at the other captain, who turned skeletal as the light from the moon fell on him. Leaning on the pile, the skeletal Barbossa sneered while asking Jack if they were to be two immortals locked in battle until Judgment Day and the trumpets sound. Jack only answered by suggesting, "Or you could surrender." The two resumed their duel as Jack leaped on top of the pile, his body also turning skeletal in the moonlight. As the captains clashed blades, there would be no surrender yet.

While Elizabeth rowed toward the cave to save Will, Pintel and Ragetti climb on the main deck of the Dauntless and began fighting the British. Upon seeing the Black Pearl sailing away, the two realized their ship was being stolen, in which Ragetti said, "Bloody pirates!" Simultaneously, having survived the cannonfire, Commodore Norrington and his men finally reached the Dauntless. Swords and pistols drawn, they leaped onto the deck and engaged the enemy. Norrington fought Koehler, while Gillette faced Bo'sun. As swords clashed, it was a full on battle, Royal Navy against skeleton pirates. After being hit, Ragetti's wooden eye popped out of his head in the middle of the fight. Realizing his eye was gone, Ragetti instantly panicked and started chasing after it amidst the battle. Climbing aboard the Dauntless, Mullroy and Murtogg saw the horrifying spectacle of living skeletons. Despite this, they shared a brotherly handshake before charging into battle.

The Last Shot
"Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot." "He didn't waste it."

- Hector Barbossa and Will Turner



Meanwhile, across the cave, Will Turner continued to fight Barbossa's cursed pirates. As his sword slashed through the air, he found himself face-to-face with Jacoby. Suddenly, Will fell to the ground while evading one of Jacoby's grenades. Advancing upon him, sword drawn, Jacoby sneered as he told Will Turner he'd teach him the meaning of pain. Behind him, Elizabeth Swann asked the pirate if he liked pain before swing a long golden pole across his face, knocking him to the ground. With a sneer, she added, "Try wearing a corset." Elizabeth then turned to Will and hauled him to his feet. For a moment, the two looked into each other's eyes until Elizabeth's attention was quickly drawn to the fight at hand. Looking over, she watched as Barbossa and Jack slashed at each other, nothing more than skeletons in the moonlight. "Whose side is Jack on?" Elizabeth asked, not at all surprised to see that Jack had taken on his old crew's curse. "At the moment..." Will replied before Elizabeth, leaving Jack to fight his own battle while she and Will fought the other cursed pirates.

As the pirates recovered, Elizabeth swung the golden pole, hitting Monk square across the face before Jacoby and Clubba. Working as a team, Elizabeth and Will continued to fight, keeping the three clustered together. Suddenly, seeing a chance to get the upper hand, they grabbed ahold of one end of the gaff and charged, lancing all three skeleton pirates together. Stepping back, they watched as the three looked down at the bar running through their chests. Then, smiling, Will picked up a lit grenade Jacoby had dropped and shoved it inside the man's chest and with a nod to Elizabeth, they pushed the three men out of the moonlight and into a shadow. Clutching at his chest, Jacoby looked up and said "No fair," before the grenade exploded, blowing the undead pirates to smithereens. Simultaneously, both Jack and Barbossa, now flesh and blood again, were briefly distracted by the explosion. Looking over, Jack watched as Will headed towards the chest of Aztec gold. Jack quickly cut his hand before lashing out with his sword, catching Barbossa unaware. As the other captain struggled to stay upright, Jack threw his piece of the gold to Will, who caught it in his hand. Barbossa then turned and pulled out his pistol. Cocking it, he held out his arm and aimed straight at Elizabeth. Seeing the gun pointed in her direction, she ground to a halt, almost losing her footing on the slippery rock beneath her feet. Across the cave, their eyes met as a shot rang out.

A shot rang out, but it was not Barbossa's pistol that had been fired. Perplexed, Barbossa turned and looked at Jack Sparrow, who stood holding his smoking pistol pointed directly at Barbossa's heart. With a smile on his cracked lips, Barbossa boasted that Jack wasted the one shot he carried for the past ten years. "He didn't waste it," said Will. Barbossa looked over to where Will stood, his left hand held in a fist hovering above the Aztec chest. In his right hand Will held a knife, a strip of blood gleaming bright red in the moonlight. Barbossa watched in horror as Will opened his left hand, revealing the cut in his palm. Two pieces of Aztec gold&mdash;one the medallion that Elizabeth had carried for so long and the other, Jack's piece&mdash;fell with a clink into the filled chest. From where she stood, Elizabeth smiled before watching Barbossa turn back to Jack, a look of anguish on his face. Barbossa then looked down, pulling aside his jacket and reveal his white shirt. Suddenly, a spot of red appeared and began to grow larger. Jack, pistol still in hand, waited and watched as Barbossa began to grow pale, his face registering pain for the first time in years. "I feel...cold," Barbossa said softly, before falling heavily to the ground and, finally, died.

The Curse Lifted
"The ship is ours, gentlemen."

- James Norrington to his crew



Back aboard the Dauntless, at the very same moment that Barbossa drew his last breath, Commodore Norrington and his men continued to fight. With a cry of rage, Norrington lunged, running his sword through Koehler. Shocked, Koehler looked down, as he felt the wound. As he fell down, dead, the other pirates looked down at their own bodies. In the bright light of the moon, their flesh was visible and they were no longer skeletons. At that moment, the pirates realized the curse had been lifted, which meant they no longer had the upper hand. One by one, the pirates began to drop their weapons in surrender until they stood, unarmed, in front of the marines. Mullroy and Murtogg aimed their rifles at Pintel and Ragetti; Ragetti recovered his wooden eye, while Pintel simply said "parley?" As his men overwhelmed the pirates, Norrington announced that the ship was theirs. With the assistance of Governor Swann, who came out of the captain's cabin, the marines thrust their swords into the air and cheered.

Back inside Isla de Muerta, Elizabeth stood near a pile of gold, her eyes filled with sorrow. Despite having defeated Barbossa and helped save Will, the price had been high. When she left this cave she would return to the Dauntless and become Norrington's fiancée. Feeling as though her heart were breaking, Elizabeth forced back tears, even after finding herself looking into the eyes of the man she truly loved and now could never have&mdash;Will Turner. Looking over, both Elizabeth and Will watched as Captain Jack Sparrow sifted through various pieces of treasure, randomly throwing them over his shoulder. Elizabeth then told Will they should return to the Dauntless, in which Will replied her fiancé would want to know she's safe. Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears as she nodded, then headed out of the cave. Walking up behind Will, a gold crown on his head and his arms piled high with jewels, Jack watched Elizabeth leave. "If you were waiting for the opportune moment," he said, raising a finger in the air thoughtfully, "that was it." Then, as he continued past the heartbroken Will, Jack asked if the two would drop him off at the Black Pearl. Moments later, Jack sat at the prow of a longboat, looking out at the empty spot of sea where his ship was supposed to be. On his head he still wore the crown, and around his neck was a string of pearls. Elizabeth told Jack she was sorry, but Jack said the crew did "what was right by them," and kept to the Code. And so Jack ended up sharing a ride to the Dauntless, which made sail for Port Royal.

The Hanging of Jack Sparrow


Upon their return to Port Royal, Barbossa's crew were locked in prison, and despite his engaging in piracy, Will Turner was granted clemency. However, for his many crimes, Jack Sparrow was sentenced to be hanged at Fort Charles. The notorious pirate was about to be executed in front of the town people, presided by Commodore James Norrington and Governor Weatherby Swann. While Elizabeth Swann expressed her feelings on this harsh sentencing, Governor Swann said they were all bound by the law. Before the hangman's noose was put on Jack, Will Turner approached Elizabeth, confessing his love for her before disappearing into the crowd. Will suddenly threw a sword at the gallows for Jack to stand on, so he wouldn't be choked to death. Will then fought against the executioner. Untying himself, Jack fought with Will against Norrington's men, until they were surrounded.

When Norrington confronted the two, Elizabeth stood with Will in front of Jack. Just then, as he bade his friends farewell, Jack fell into the harbor, where the Black Pearl was waiting for him. Noticing Elizabeth loved Will, Norrington wished them a happy life, and allowed Jack to have a one day head start before pursuing him. Weatherby then questions Elizabeth's decision, as Will was a blacksmith. Knowing she made the right decision, as Will was also a pirate, Elizabeth and Will shared their first kiss. Meanwhile, Jack swam close enough to the Black Pearl where he got onboard, where his crew greeted him. When Jack asked Joshamee Gibbs about not keeping to the Code, Gibbs said the crew figured they were more "guidelines" before helping Jack to his feet. After Jack received his hat, Anamaria then stepped aside from the helm and gave "Captain Sparrow" command of the Black Pearl. Taking the helm, Jack ordered his crew to prepare to make sail. Jack then began singing the pirate song Elizabeth taught him before, while pulled out his compass, preparing to sail for new adventures on the high seas.

Behind the scenes

 * Several aspects surrounding the event was considerably different than in the first draft of the The Curse of the Black Pearl's screenplay. For instance, Weatherby Swann was never onboard the Dauntless, as well as Elizabeth and Jack's crew using the Black Pearl to help the Dauntless crew.