Marlos

Isle

Mal's words hung in the stale, fish-scented air of Ursula's Fish and Chips, cutting through the usual din like a sharp blade. The revelation of Carlos's earlier intervention, the existence of a thriving sanctuary, and the direct challenge to Uma's rule had clearly landed.

Uma's eyes, previously wide with surprise, now narrowed into angry slits. Her tentacles of hair seemed to writhe with her rising fury. "A sanctuary?" she hissed, her voice low and dangerous, a tremor running through her makeshift throne. "You think you can just waltz onto my Isle, create your little fairytale garden, and undermine my authority?"

Harry Hook, ever loyal and eager to please, stepped forward, his hook glinting menacingly. "She's lying, Uma! They're trying to trick you!"

Gil, looking genuinely confused, scratched his head. "But... food and water? That sounds... nice." Harry elbowed him sharply, and Gil yelped, quickly shutting up.

"Silence!" Uma roared, her gaze fixed on Mal, but her anger was clearly directed at Carlos. "You, pretty boy! You think your little magic tricks can change anything here? You think you can buy their loyalty with a few magically grown turnips?"

Carlos met her gaze, his expression calm and unwavering. "It's not a trick, Uma. It's a choice. A choice you've never given them. They're not loyal to me because of 'magic tricks.' They're grateful because they're no longer starving. They're hopeful because they finally have a chance to live, not just survive."

"Hope is a weakness on the Isle!" Uma spat, rising from her throne, her height imposing even over Mal. "It makes them soft, makes them vulnerable!"

"No," Evie countered, stepping slightly forward. "Hope makes them strong. It gives them something to fight for, something to believe in. Something you've taken away from them."

Uma's eyes darted to Evie, then to Jay, who stood ready, his hand near his sword. She saw the united front, the unwavering conviction in their eyes. This wasn't just Mal. This was all four of them, standing together, radiating a quiet power she hadn't anticipated.

"You think you're so noble, don't you?" Uma sneered, her voice laced with venom. "Coming back here, playing savior. But you abandoned them! You left them to rot while you lived your cushy lives in Auradon!"

"We came back," Mal stated, her voice firm. "And we're not leaving. Not until this Isle is truly free. Not until every person here has a chance at a real life, not just a miserable existence under your thumb."

Uma let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. "Free? You think you can free them? You think you can change centuries of darkness? This is the Isle, Mal! It's in our blood! We're villains! We're meant to suffer!"

"No," Carlos said, his voice cutting through her tirade, imbued with a quiet authority that made even Harry flinch. "We're not meant to suffer. We were made to suffer. There's a difference. And my powers... they're changing that. I buried Jafar's staff, Uma. Its darkness is gone, sealed away. And I can bring life, not just destruction."

The mention of Jafar's staff, and Carlos's claim of having buried it, sent a ripple of murmurs through Uma's crew. Harry's predatory smirk faltered, replaced by genuine shock. The staff was a legend, a symbol of dark power. If Carlos had truly neutralized it...

Uma's eyes widened again, but this time, it wasn't just surprise. It was a flicker of genuine doubt, a hint of fear. She knew the legends of Jafar's staff, its immense, corrupting power. If Carlos had managed to bind it, what else could he do?

She looked at her crew, their faces now a mixture of fear and uncertainty. The unwavering loyalty she usually commanded seemed to waver, just for a moment. They had seen Carlos's power on the news, but hearing of it, and the staff's fate, from his own lips, was different.