Captain Woodes Rogers travels to the Bahamas to accept his new position as Governor. With him he brings a King's pardon to all who will give up piracy. Blackbeard is not convinced and suspects a trap. There is dissension among the pirates between who wants the pardon and who does not. In the confusion Blackbeard makes his escape.

The island of New Providence is in danger from pirate raiders led by Charles Vane. Governor Rogers must decide on whether to go after Vane, thus leaving the island unprotected, or repairing the damaged fort and waiting for Vane to return and strike again.

Gov. Woodes Rogers has left the Island of New Providence and left Lt. Beamish in command as Acting Governor. Meanwhile a Spanish Galleon has sailed into the harbor presumably with peaceful intentions. While Beamish believes their message of peace the one group that does not is languishing in jail.

A raiding party of pirates led by Blackbeard is looting the storehouse of New Providence. They leave behind one teenage lad to cover their retreat. Tempest is frustrated that raids like this can happen and wants Beamish to supply him with weapons to arm his sloop so he can go to sea and take the fight to them.

A crew are at sea in search of Ambergris, better known as whale gold. A substance worth 5 times its weight in gold. When a number of the crew find a deposit on an island things get difficult when they try to hide their find from the rest of the crew.