Blackbeard, the Pirate

Lieutenant Maynard boards Bellamy's ship posing as a surgeon to gather evidence against Morgan and uncover any pirate alliance. Briggs accompanies him as a fellow spy. The undercover mission sets the stage for the confrontation between Morgan, Blackbeard, and Edwina.

Blackbeard murders Captain Bellamy and seizes control of the ship. Maynard and Briggs realize the full extent of Blackbeard's takeover and the danger on board. The crew falls under the pirate's ruthless rule.

Edwina Mansfield, Bellamy's intended fiancée, is introduced as a pawn in the pirates' power game. Blackbeard knows Morgan desires her and uses this to manipulate both sides. Maynard begins to understand the moral stakes surrounding the treasure and loyalties.

Maynard slips into Blackbeard's quarters and discovers Bellamy's logbook, hoping it contains evidence that Bellamy passed stolen goods to Morgan. The find raises the possibility of exposing Morgan's double-dealing. The logbook becomes a potential leverage against the conspirators.

Maynard saves Edwina from a lecherous pirate, killing him with his dagger. She reveals she agreed to marry Bellamy to escape Morgan, and that treasure lies hidden in a clothes chest. Their confrontation deepens their uneasy alliance.

Blackbeard breaks open Edwina's clothes chest, finding only letters implicating Morgan as Bellamy's ally. Maynard tries to steal the letter, but Blackbeard stops him, noting that arresting Morgan would deprive the King of the loot. The letters raise the political stakes for both sides.

Blackbeard identifies the treasure chest and claims it, while Maynard sabotages the ship's water supply, flooding the hold. The crew is forced to beach the vessel for repairs, and Blackbeard sees a chance to bury the treasure rather than hoist it aboard.

On the island they find a derelict who bears a strong resemblance to Blackbeard. The pirate orders the man protected, sensing he may be useful later in the game. This doppelganger will complicate Morgan's actions.

Henry Morgan and his men sneak ashore at night and slaughter twenty members of Blackbeard's crew, crippling Blackbeard's forces. The take includes strategic advantage for Morgan's side. The raid destabilizes Blackbeard's command structure.

Blackbeard switches clothes with the derelict, leaving the real Blackbeard to be killed by Morgan. The switch creates confusion and delays, complicating Maynard and Edwina's plans. The impersonation foreshadows the looming confrontation.

Edwina and Maynard arrive in port and learn that the man who sent Maynard on his mission is jailed while Morgan has become the Governor. Morgan offers a tainted peace by placing a price on Maynard's head. The political maze tightens around them.

The lovers attempt to steal Blackbeard's captured ship to escape, but the real Blackbeard arrives and raids the jail for new crew. They end up as prisoners again, trapped by the same pirates they sought to escape.

Morgan quickly gets a captured Spanish galleon seaworthy, hoping Blackbeard can't resist the attack. A fierce sea battle erupts as loyalties and treasure drive both sides toward disaster.

After heavy casualties, Worley pushes to dig up the treasure. Blackbeard agrees, but when the chest is found, Worley is killed and the crew is locked below. Gilly discovers secret passages that Blackbeard does not know, providing a possible escape route.

Blackbeard is captured and buried up to his neck on the beach to drown, while Maynard and Edwina steal a dinghy and make their own escape. They decide that anywhere is better than their former imprisonment and danger.