Courageous Journey for Fortune and Glory

Jake was only ten when he first decided to become a pirate. His parents had let him watch "The Curse of the Black Pearl" and he fell in love with the character of Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp. Jake thought he looked cool, with his hat and dreadlocks and silly walk. He was funny and dashing and daring. And even though Jack Sparrow died at the end, it didn't really matter to Jake. Because Jack Sparrow was a pirate! Pirates were always dying in movies! So that's what Jake wanted to be when he grew up: a pirate.

He asked his parents if they could move to an island so he could live like a real pirate, but they couldn't afford to move back home to Jamaica. So Jake had to settle for watching pirate movies like "Pirates of the Carribean" and "Swashbuckler" and "Treasure Island". He saved up all his money buying toys so that he could have a real Black Pearl ship. When people asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said: "A pirate!". But most people just laughed at him, because kids are dumb sometimes, and nobody ever believed him for real.

Until one day, on his way home from school. A man suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of him. He was wearing a black hooded cloak that covered his face and head, but you could see his eyes shining through the holes in the hood. The man grabbed him by the shoulder, making him scream loudly in surprise. The man dragged him into an alleyway between two buildings where nobody could see them, then took off his hood revealing himself as a tall slender white man with pale skin and long blond hair that reached down to his chin. He had a scar over one eye that made it look like it was closed shut while the other eye glared at Jake menacingly through his own eyeliner and makeup that made it appear bigger than it actually was.

"Are you kidding me?" The stranger demanded angrily in an accent Jake didn't recognize. "You're 10 years old and you're telling ME you want to be a pirate? I haven't heard somebody say that... since... well... since I became one!" He finished triumphantly.

Jake stared at the stranger nervously, not knowing what to say or do next. Then he realized something: this person must be a pirate! Pirates had long black curly hair because they didn't want anybody seeing their faces when they attacked ships or towns! This man must have been hiding under that hood because he was still attacking towns! And obviously this man hadn't shaved in years because pirates never shaved! They were so desperate for treasure that they would rather risk getting caught by their enemies than shave off their dreadlocks!

The man smiled at seeing how excited Jake seemed at being around someone who looked like an actual pirate! "What's your name kid?" He asked kindly, more gently now that it seemed as if Jake might be worth something after all.

"I'm Jake! What's yours?" Jake asked eagerly.

"I am... Captain El Cid." El Cid said proudly, puffing out his chest with pride at finally introducing himself properly to someone who might actually be impressed by his name...