Bones in the Ocean by bunflower

Chapter 1

There's a prisoner in the brig of Captain Blade's ship.

This is not an unusual occurrence by any means, but the nature of the manner in which he's found himself responsible for said prisoner is. After all, it's not every day that you find a renowned pirate captain shackled to the wall in the port you're meant to be replenishing supplies in, but he won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Even if said horse bites. Hard.

Technoblade's hand still aches from getting a little too close during the arrest.

Now, thanks to the acquisition of said prisoner, he's been forced to reroute. The Navy has a price on the head of every pirate who sails these waters, and the man currently glaring daggers at him is no exception. A dozen Navy ships have sunk to his name, and many more men, countless riches plundered from passing traders and merchants who happened to fall in his path. Pirate Captain Philza, the Angel of Death, has made himself into a living legend-or rather, a curse.

He's long overdue back in the mainland for his hanging.

Technoblade takes no pride in escorting men to their deaths. There is no glory in trampling upon someone who's already been defeated, but he is well aware of the devastation that's been wrought in the name of piracy. If the rumors he'd caught as a child from the passing merchants at the docks weren't enough to instill a fear of the skull and crossbones, then his time in the Navy certainly was. He's seen more men fall to the likes of piracy than any other danger out on these waters, and he's certainly not about to feel pity for one of the most formidable pirate captains on the seas.

No matter how hard it is to reconcile the Angel of Death with the man he sees before him.

The man in his cell is small and skinny and not at all what Technoblade had pictured. His skin is mottled with bruises from his struggle against the crew of the Anemoi, his hair wild and tangled. He looks more animal than man, and sounds the part, too, having hissed and howled insults as he was dragged through the town's square and to the docks. It's almost sad, in a way, to see a man reduced to such a state. He'd expected the man to match the legend-though perhaps in hindsight, that isn't quite fair of him. Still, for a man with such a foreboding reputation, he can't help but be a little disappointed by how easily Philza surrendered-though his predicament hadn't exactly made it easy for him.

"Marooned, huh?"

"Fuck off." His prisoner's voice is sharp. Scathing. He's purposely avoiding the naval captain's gaze, looking almost bored of his confines despite his company standing outside the cell. It's enough of a show of disrespect to spark fury in Technoblade's gut, but what else could he expect from a pirate?

"What'd you manage to do to piss of yer' crew that much?"

Philza grins, all sharp teeth and glaring daggers.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

And Technoblade laughs.

It's been a while since he's met anyone brave enough to speak up to him like this. He shouldn't have expected anything less from a silver-tongued pirate.

"Keep your secrets, then," he says, with a wave of his hand. "You'll have plenty of time to think about it down here. 'Fraid you're on your own, though. This isn't actually a prison vessel-just the one cell."

"Aww, mate, you're not gonna pay me a visit?" There's a smirk on Philza's lips, eerily predatory and yet the sparkle in his eyes is something inquisitive, and he can see the way his gaze seems to linger hopefully. Solitude is bad for any man, even a pirate. And the cabin boy shouldn't have to be subject to the pirate's taunts any longer than he must. And Technoblade is curious about the man, no matter how hard he tries to hide it. And so he takes a deep breath and sighs and watches Philza's grin widen with delight.