Sven and I glared at each other. If staring was enough to kill, we'd have died at that very instant. I felt a massive amount of sweat running down my entire body. I know that wasn't the most important thing to worry about at that moment, but I didn't want my dark purple coat to be torn again... Don't judge me, it was my favorite one! Anyway, our confrontation was imminent. At that instant, I couldn't pay attention to anything else. I forgot the environment around me. Even Dirk vanished from my mind. The snake in front of me was all I could think about. The man who'd saved me from drowning, made me laugh and pretended to be my friend. I wasn't sure if Maartje, Laurens, and uncle Ruben were watching Sven, but they'd be definitely disappointed if they were. Maybe they'd feel multiple emotions like I did. When I looked at Sven, I felt angry, sad, frustrated, and disgusted at the same time. God, I really wanted to throw that idiot into the ocean... There was no way I'd look at Sven the same way again. I wanted to punch that bastard every time I remembered him saying he intended to humiliate Laurens and me.

"After I'm done with you, I'll kill your stupid friends slowly," Sven's lips curled into an evil grin. "I'm finally going to be above all of you!"

I ground my teeth, "Just shut up!"

Angrier than ever and breathing fast, I attacked Sven. He dodged and tried to hurt me as well. Our swords collided as we kept fighting. Unfortunately, the traitor had told me the truth. He'd indeed improved his fighting skills.

Why won't Sven stop this nonsense and become my friend again?

I started fighting quicker, but not enough to exhaust me. After three attempts, I left an injury on the back of Sven's neck. He flinched and cleaned the blood. Although Francis tried to bite his ankle, the moron kicked him. The idiot tried to slice my waist and left thigh. I blocked him, went for his chest and he dodged.

The traitor laughed and attempted to punch me in the face, "Trying to stab me in the chest? Aren't you feisty?"

Taking a deep breath, I ignored him. I bit my lower lip, imagining how much easier that naval battle would've been if Sven hadn't snitched on me... His information probably helped those damn British officers immensely! They would've never found my crew and me that efficiently without assistance.

"Campbell is dead," I struck my blade against Sven's waist. "Your chances of joining the Navy are over."

He growled and tried to punch me in the stomach, but I blocked him. I gulped since he got pretty close to stabbing me. For a brief moment, I thought my head would burn because I was outraged. Each time our swords clashed, I wanted to cry. Before Sven, I never thought someone could change like that. We stopped fighting for a moment to catch our breaths. All that rage probably consumed a lot of our energies.

Sven narrowed his eyes, "I can't wait to kill you..."

I laughed, "The feeling is mutual."

My enemy kept staring as if he imagined ways to murder me. I took a deep breath to make my nausea go away. He disgusted me so much that I wanted to puke. I didn't know if he was indeed causing my sickness, but he definitely made it worse. I reached for my cutlass, ready to fight again, and Sven did the same.

"Captain de Vries would be proud of me if he saw me now," Sven smiled cruelly while getting a little closer. "I outsmarted his favorite niece, after all."

Uncle Ruben approached us, "There's nothing to be proud of. In fact, you're an utter disappointment, Sven."

The traitor gawked as he laid eyes on my uncle. I didn't know what to do, so I just kept watching their awkward situation. Uncle Ruben narrowed his eyes at Sven and shook his head in denial. Although I wasn't a mind reader, I knew my uncle felt the same as I did in Port Royal. A horrible mix of heartbreak, rage, and frustration.

My uncle sighed, "I treated you like a son, gave you love, taught you everything you needed to know, and that is who you became?"

Sven gulped and downturned his head. If my enemy still had a hint of feelings left, he probably felt ashamed. My uncle had always been like a father to Sven, so there was no way the latter felt nothing after hearing that.

Uncle Ruben pressed his lips together, "Being tortured would've hurt less than seeing the backstabber you really are..."

The traitor downturned his lip corners and stared at his toes. I covered my mouth to hide my laugh since Sven seemed like an upset child. I hoped my uncle could convince him that betraying us was wrong. He was the only person who had any chances of making Sven our ally again.

"What did you expect to happen? You never truly valued me!" Sven pursed his lips. "Eva and Maartje were the only ones you really cared about."

I chuckled and raised my brows, "Seriously? You're blaming uncle Ruben for your rotten soul?"

The snake glared at me as if he was ready to attack. He breathed heavily while glancing at uncle Ruben. The only reason I hadn't punched him was that I still hoped he would become my friend again. If Sven wasn't as evil as he seemed, there was a chance he could stop that madness.

He approached the traitor, "Listen, Sven, it's not too late to make the right decision. We're family, so let's fight together."

Sven walked towards my uncle while holding out his right hand. My heartbeat suddenly accelerated. That was the moment I'd find out if the Sven I knew still existed. Uncle Ruben had given the traitor a chance to be our ally again, so I hoped the latter would make the right choice.

Come on, Sven. Come back...

When I thought Sven wanted to make amends, my eyes bulged. The traitor reached for his cutlass with the left hand while still fixing his eyes on my uncle. I ran, blocked the bastard's blow, and made him fall by punching him in the face. Sven winced as his bones collided with the wooden floor. Uncle Ruben flinched.

I ground my teeth, "There's no salvation for you, Sven. You're indeed a bad person."

My uncle gawked when he saw the idiot holding the cutlass. God, I was lucky to remember Sven could wield swords with both hands... He would've killed my uncle if I'd forgotten! The traitor gulped when he got up. I shook my head in denial, still horrified by my enemy's attitude.

Uncle Ruben scowled as he looked at Sven, "You'd kill me?"

The bastard looked away. Uncle Ruben pressed his lips together and sighed, apparently holding tears. Luckily, my friends and most of my crew were still standing. Although Miguel was injured, he kept fighting fiercely. He said a few things in Spanish, apparently bad words, to his opponents that I couldn't understand. Maartje and Laurens were wounded as well, but they wouldn't stop fighting. I felt a terrible headache as I watched them.

This has to end! My friends aren't going to take this for long.

I narrowed my eyes at the traitor, "Now you'll have to face my rage!"

Sven and I ran, ready to slit each other's throats. Our swords clashed so loudly that my ears burned. The idiot attempted to stab me in the stomach again. His blade hit my waist as I dodged. Yelling in pain, I cleaned some of the blood. He laughed and went for my left hip, but I blocked his attempt. Francis bit Sven's left shin, making him wince. Taking advantage of the idiot's slowness, I injured his right shoulder.

I dilated my nostrils, "This one was for Dirk and Miguel!"

We continued fighting. The traitor had so much hatred in his eyes that I thought they'd burn and fall off his face. He clearly hated me. Sven's envy took control of him in a way that made him forget everything we'd gone through together. I hadn't seen someone look at me like he did since Hendrika. Not even Captain Monster and Quartermaster Devil were that scary.

Sven is the literal worst! He must've had some lessons with my evil stepmother.

My enemy clenched his fist, ready to punch me in the face again. I dodged and my blade sliced the other side of his neck, making him scream in pain. My dog bit the idiot's left ankle firmly. The idiot yelled again. Unfortunately, Francis' bites weren't enough to stop a stubborn backstabber like Sven.

The bastard suddenly started fighting much faster. He wielded his sword very quickly and managed to slice my right hip. I flinched and tried to be quicker, aiming to hurt him everywhere I could. The more we fought, the larger that hole in my soul became. I gulped as Sven pushed me against the mainmast. His blade was so close to my neck that it left a minor injury there. Losing hope, I grimaced. That was exactly what had happened in my duel against Fletcher.

"You stole Captain Monster's strategy?" I laughed nervously. "I thought you were better than that, snake!"

I escaped the trap and punched him in the face. Sven kept moving his cutlass quickly and hurt my left arm. Our blades clashed four times and I stabbed his right thigh, making him wince. When I thought he'd fall and give up, the idiot made me fall on the ground. Sven bared his teeth as he squeezed my neck. The air escaped my throat while I struggled to escape his grip.

Sweat ran down Sven's forehead, "You'll always be a loser! I'm better than you and now everyone will see it!"

When I started losing my senses, I grabbed my blunderbuss and pulled the trigger. Sven gawked and fell on my right. He trembled so much that I felt sorry for the bastard for a second. I stood up slowly and put a hand on my neck as I started breathing normally again. The traitor wouldn't stop looking at the three bullet wounds on his abdomen. At that exact instant, my friends and crew finished defeating the remaining Navy men. Sven was the only invader left. Wondering what the traitor was thinking, I walked around him. Francis did the same while growling in anger. Maartje, Laurens, and my uncle approached the idiot.

I gazed at my family, "Any last words for the traitor?"

"Yes!" Laurens punched Sven in the face. "When you arrive in hell, I hope you suffer as much as we did with your betrayal!"

Maartje's eyes were wet, "I never thought I'd say that, but I hate you, Sven! I'll never forgive you for what you did. By betraying my trust, you destroyed not only our friendship but also my heart and soul."

Gazing at my uncle, I nodded. He knelt down by Sven's side and caressed the latter's face for a second. I could feel uncle Ruben's pain as he cried. Sven was so evil that he spit on my uncle's face. My cousin and I gawked.

"Family is everything, but you clearly never believed in that," uncle Ruben stepped back and bit his lower lip. "One day, you'll realize what you lost."

My cousin grabbed her cutlass and pointed it at Sven. She then gazed at Laurens and me. I raised a brow, wondering what was in her mind.

Maartje took a deep breath and wiped away her tears, "Let's finish this together?"

The thunderstorm slowly stopped. I glanced at Sven, then back at her. Laurens and I grabbed our cutlasses. Even though my uncle looked away, he didn't try to stop us. Although killing the traitor would break me inside, I couldn't take his evilness anymore. Sven had become a different person... or had he shown who he really was? Either way, he couldn't be saved.

My cousin chewed on her lip, "One, two..."

"Three!" Laurens, Maartje, and I said in unison.

We plunged our cutlasses into Sven's chest at the same time. I forced my eyes shut while feeling the tears running down my cheeks. Laurens and Maartje sobbed as well. We quickly removed our swords from our deceased enemy. The three of us hugged each other desperately. Gálvez walked closer to us and widened his eyes as he gazed at Sven's body.

"Caramba..." Miguel raised his brows. "You three clearly didn't like this guy."

"He pretended to be our friend and betrayed us," Maartje scowled as she observed the defeated snake. "If it weren't for his stupid greed, none of this would've happened."

"That's really horrible! I hate traitors," Gálvez sighed and glowered at Sven. "I would've helped you finish him off if I knew."

"I like this guy already," Laurens held out his hand to the Spaniard. "I'm Laurens Dixon, the quartermaster of this ship."

"Mucho gusto. I'm Miguel Gálvez Navarro, also known as El Dorado," Gálvez shook my oldest friend's hand and smiled. "It's great to finally meet Captain Storm's quartermaster."

"El Dorado? Really? You're a legend!" my oldest friend raised his brows and grinned. "Your dark green coat is even cooler than I'd imagined."

"I appreciate the compliment," Miguel chuckled and handed his coat to Laurens. "Go ahead. Try it on."

When my oldest friend put on Gálvez's coat, I thought the latter would never stop smiling. Maartje and I could no longer hold our laughs as we looked at each other. That was the first time we'd seen Laurens acting like that.

My quartermaster laughed, "This is incredible!"

"Honestly, it looks better on you," Miguel raised his brows. "You can keep it."

"Thank you, but I can't," Laurens returned the dark green beauty to the Spaniard. "You seem friendly. I have a feeling we'll get along pretty well."

Gálvez put his coat back on, "Gracias. I'm sure we will."

I smiled, "I think you just found your new best friend, Miguel."

Maartje laughed hysterically. Laurens and Miguel were silent for a moment, but they ended up laughing as well. My friends were adorable, weren't they? I couldn't help but grin.

Uncle Ruben pressed his lips together while looking at Sven. God, I'd almost forgotten about my deceased enemy... My heart still hurt when I gazed at him. I took one last look at the traitor and walked to the center of the main deck. My crew looked at me expectantly. Every single Navy man was dead on the floor. Although my heart was broken because Sven had to die, I smiled because we'd won. Swallowing my tears, I clenched my fist and raised my broadsword to the sky. The people did the same and cheered. Some shouted "Storm!" while others "Captain!".

My eyes gleamed as I gazed at my crew, "Against all odds, we defeated the Royal Navy! Without each and every one of you, this wouldn't have been possible."

Everyone cheered and many hugged each other in celebration. Uncle Ruben, Maartje, Miguel, and Laurens smiled. They appeared to be proud of me, which improved my confidence. Francis barked, seemingly happy as well. I couldn't believe I'd won a naval battle against the most powerful navy that existed!

I grinned widely, "Congratulations, my wonderful crew. This triumph belongs to all of us!"

The people kept saying my name, apparently even more content than before. I couldn't believe what I'd accomplished... That was crazy! My lips curled into a smile that reached my eyes. Miguel winked at me and grinned, seemingly happy. I chuckled and sighed.

I'll miss Miguel if he chooses not to join my crew...

I took a deep breath, "Now let's throw our enemies at sea! They aren't welcome here!"

My crew cheered again and quickly grabbed the corpses. They sent every single British guy to the ocean while celebrating. I froze when I bumped into a familiar deceased boy. My chin started trembling and I put both hands on my face.

I can't believe Johannes is gone...

I knelt down and observed him, unable to hold my tears. There was a massive stab wound on his stomach. Despite Johannes' actions, he would always be my brother, so I couldn't help but sob. What if I'd found Johannes that day before it was too late? Could I have convinced him to become my ally? I cried more as I thought of the possibility.

I sighed, "I'm sorry, brother. I wish things had ended differently between us."

I stepped back as two of my crewmembers disposed of Johannes' body. Wiping away my tears, I observed my brother falling into the sea. That was one of the most terrifying events I had to witness. I felt so nauseous that I could barely think.

"I shouldn't have eaten so much yesterday!" I bit my lower lip. "Damn it..."

After making sure no one was nearby, I puked. I felt bad for the poor marine animals... Being hit by vomit definitely wasn't fun! That probably happened because of the insane challenges I'd faced or maybe it was that stupid fish... God, I shouldn't have had so much food! Don't follow my example. Eat with moderation.

I've been feeling so sick lately! Am I dying?

Miguel caressed my shoulder slowly, "Is everything alright, Eva?"

I pressed my lips together. Had the Spaniard seen me puking? I hoped not because that wasn't a nice view for anyone... Anyway, although I hate to admit it, I felt calmer after Gálvez showed up. There was something about him that always made me feel more at ease... weird, right? Perhaps we'd become good friends if he decided to join my crew.

"This battle was a lot to me, but I'll be fine," I let out a pronounced sigh. "Thank you for asking."

Gálvez nodded and kept gazing at me for a moment. Although I didn't want to believe it, the Spaniard seemed genuinely worried. Miguel had shown more than once that he truly cared for me. Besides, he kept demonstrating his concern. Sooner or later, I'd probably have to tell El Dorado that I loved Bosch. At the same time, I didn't want Gálvez to disappear from my life... God, I hated breaking hearts! Miguel was caring and I needed a friend like him.

"You should ask someone to take care of your injuries," Gálvez knit his brows while looking at my bruises. "It's never good to have open wounds."

"Don't worry, I'll go to Kenneth soon. You should do the same," I glanced at the Spaniard's injured waist again. "We just need to choose our next destination first."

I smiled at Miguel and he returned the gesture. After going to the main deck, I called my crew for a vote. I bit my lower lip sharply, hoping that Gálvez would recover from his massive wound. My headache returned as I remembered Dirk's complicated situation. I stared at my toes for a brief moment, wondering if my man was alive. Besides, Sven and Johannes wouldn't leave my mind. Despite winning the battle, my heart was still filled with agony.

****

I dedicate this chapter to my dear friend