De Groot

De Groot
Vital statistics
Title	Ship's Master
Gender	Male
Status	Deceased (killed by English soldiers or Billy Bones)
Ships	Walrus Spanish Man O' War
Relationships	James Flint (captain) John Silver (quartermaster)
Appearances	First appearance: IV. Last: XXXVII.
Portrayed by	Andre Jacobs

De Groot was a pirate and the Ship's Master aboard the Walrus under Flint's command. His jobs involved repair and maintenance of the ship, and extended into advising on matters relating to the safety of the ship and her limitations.

Biography

Season One

De Groot is the Ship's Master of the Walrus, ensuring the smooth running of the vessel. He disagreed heavily with Flint's choice regarding the ship during the chase of the Urca de Lima. When looking for a place to careen the ship, De Groot openly stated that the spot Flint chose to careen was bad, for the incline was too steep and it is a poor anchorage. De Groot believes that if they use that spot, it will result in a disaster. Flint persuades the crew that time was of the essence and they needed to risk the subpar spot, and they voted with Flint.

At first, the careening appears to be going smoothly, and De Groot remarks to Flint and Gates that Billy is keeping the crew on schedule, and he has never seen a crew work this hard. However, when the trees used to careen the Walrus snapped, De Groot's assertion was proven correct. As the ship tilts, De Groot warns that they have to cut the ropes tethering the Walrus to the trees or they will lose the masts, but Randall has become trapped under the ship after he went to rescue his cat. Flint tells De Groot to cut the ropes while he tries to rescue Randall with Morley. Flint is able to escape with Randall after amputating his leg, but Morley is crushed underneath the ship when it falls. 

When chasing the Andromache, Flint ordered that the t'gallants be raised in order to provide them with the extra speed necessary to catch their quarry. De Groot warned Flint that raising the t'gallants could cause a tremendous amount of damage to the ship. Flint again ignored his judgement and gave the order anyway. De Groot continued to voice his concerns, namely that they are already at full capacity and that the masts can't take it. He warns Flint that raising the t'gallants will cause the ship to dig in hard at the bow, enough to shake the rigging loose entirely. Flint orders the backstays to be shifted in order to accommodate this, and Billy supports this idea.

Unlike the last time he was ignored, the ship survived and then caught up with the Andromache. De Groot survives the brutal fight, and the crew begins combing through the rest of the ship to eliminate any remaining vestiges of resistance. While Billy and Flint puzzle over why Bryson only left three men to defend the quarterdeck bunker, De Groot tells them that the rudder isn't responding, and someone must have cut the mechanism belowdecks. Flint realizes that the vanguard is heading towards a trap and orders them to be called back but it is too late, three men are killed when they happen upon a bunker deep belowdecks. 

A stalemate ensues between the pirates and Bryson and his 20 remaining men, who remain in their fortified bunker, while the pirates scramble to figure out a way to breach it before daybreak, as the HMS Scarborough is waiting nearby. Eventually, they are able to successfully take the ship with the help of the slaves in the hold. As they transfer the cannons, Billy orders De Groot to stow the guns in the lower hold and to favor the starboard side. However, as they are finishing the transfer of the cannons, two men accidentally trigger a trap that Bryson had left, causing an explosion. The pirates are forced to flee from the Scarborough, and Billy falls overboard while he and Flint try and cut away a piece of wreckage slowing them down. 

Back in Nassau, De Groot informs John Silver that Randall wants a word with him. Silver asks why, and De Groot explains that he had brought up the issue of a one legged man in the galley being a fire hazard. The crew then voted to expel Randall. De Groot, Dufresne, and Dr. Howell were forced to determine the fate of John Silver after witnessing Randall accuse Silver of being a thief. Randall says that he overheard Silver say that he stole the page with the schedule, not Singleton. 

Outside the tent, Dufresne asks if Randall has told anyone else, and De Groot and Howell say that they can safely assume that only the three of them know. De Groot asks if any of this makes sense to Dufresne, and he remarks how it seems very convenient in hindsight that Flint found the page on Singleton. Howell then brings up how the issue of the gold has to be considered, and if they tell the crew they'll just hang Silver and Flint, ending the Urca hunt. De Groot angrily asks if he is suggesting that they lie to the crew just like Flint, and Dufresne calms him by saying he is merely suggesting that they not act rashly. De Groot then says that they would still have to deal with Randall, and Howell suggests killing Randall to ensure his silence.

Eventually, the three agree to give Silver a test. He is given five minutes to memorize a page from one of Howell's manuals. If he can reproduce it to their satisfaction, De Groot will not call council with the crew and have Randall share his story. De Groot is the most distrustful of Silver, and insists on the test, despite it being a flawed one. Silver fails, but is able to convince Randall to withdraw his accusation. When De Groot arrives to apprehend him, the two draw their knives on each other, but Randall pretends to have faked the whole episode, thus leaving De Groot without a witness for his accusations. Nevertheless, he remained distrustful of Flint, and became part of a conspiracy to arrest and kill him after finding the Urca. Gates informed them of Flint's crimes, including Billy lying about the page, framing Singleton and Silver's role in the matter. De Groot and Howell remained suspicious of Gates, worried that he won't be able to go through with the mutiny.

The next day, the Walrus and the Ranger set sail for Florida. On the way, they are forced to sail through a hurricane. During the storm, Silver passes the final coordinates for the Urca's location to Flint, who finds that it leads to Division Bay, and orders that Silver pass it on to De Groot. Silver finds him with Dufresne and Howell in sickbay belowdecks. De Groot is still suspicious about the validity of the coordinates, but Silver promises that they are and De Groot leaves rather angrily to pass on the new course to the helm. Silver then remarks that he has an odd way of handling the prospect of imminent wealth beyond measure.

As they sail towards the bay, Flint gives an encouraging speech to his men and orders that they ready a full complement of guns and for De Groot to signal the Ranger. However, they see that the Urca is nowhere to be found. Flint orders De Groot check their position, and when he says it is the right place, Flint orders he check again and De Groot insists it is the requested location. The crew agrees to give Flint two days to send out scouts to find the treasure ship. However, De Groot wants to try Flint as soon as they make landfall, bitter over not having been listened to regarding Silver. Gates warns Dufresne against this, believing it will lead to civil war amongst the crew. Dufresne answers that De Groot predicted Gates would say that, and he and Howell believe that Gates is just trying to protect Flint. Gates promises that they will try Flint back in Nassau like civilized men, and gives Dufresne a letter detailing Flint's crimes to assure him.

Just then, sails are spotted to the south, and Logan reveals that it is a Spanish Man O' War. Flint quickly comes up with a plan to have the Walrus pose as a beleaguered Spanish merchant vessel and have the Ranger sail away flying the Black pretending to have attacked them in order to lure the Man O' War between them. The pirates will then rake her from both bow and stern before she can turn her broadsides on the pirates. A shocked De Groot is then ordered to drop anchor and prepare for the fight. Flint and Gates retreat to the great cabin to discuss further.

A while later, Flint exits and says that Gates died of a heart attack. Dufresne agrees to help Flint, and warns him not to say that they are a tobacco ship, for the Spanish heavily regulate the trade. However, Flint does exactly this when hailed by the warship in order to prove that the warship is not merely a Guardacosta patrol but an escort for the Urca. De Groot and Dufresne realize what Flint is doing De Groot worries that this will bring the men firmly onto Flint's side. He further remarks that Flint constantly gambles with their lives when he's not taking them in cold blood. Dufresne then launches his mutiny after the warship passes them. De Groot confronts Silver with a pistol belowdecks. After a scuffle, De Groot was about to shoot Silver when he was knocked out by Randall with his own prosthetic leg. Despite being unconscious, he survives the following battle and makes it to shore.

Season Two

De Groot rallies behind Dufrense in deposing Flint as captain. When Flint proposes a plan to capture the Spanish Man O’ War, he angrily shouts at Flint and has to be calmed by Dufresne, and he reluctantly agrees to the plan. Flint and Silver are able to swim out to the ship and hoist their signal, but they are captured. They are saved when the rest of the Walrus Crew arrives. De Groot orders men into the rigging to unfurl the sails so they can leave. The pirates successfully abscond with the ship. The crew then commutes Flint and Silver's death sentences in a 17-15 vote.

As they sail back to Nassau, Dufresne approaches De Groot and asks how they're doing. He answers that they've encountered an ugly stretch and the wind won't cooperate. Dufresne then asks if they should hug the coast to navigate around the weather. De Groot replies that either Dufresne has been holding out on him or a very skilled sailor gave him the suggestion. Dufresne admits that Flint told him to resist that idea to avoid the temptation of capturing a prize. De Groot says that Flint is clearly terrified of the idea of Dufresne successfully winning a prize, for this would doom any chance of him regaining the captaincy. They agree that he is likely planning something, but wonder how he plans on accomplishing this when no one on the crew will even speak to him. They then agree to follow that course.

Eventually, they encounter an English Merchant Ship. De Groot asks Dufresne how he imagines they will react when hailed by a Spanish warship, and Dufresne says there is only one way to find out and asks the crew if they're up for some hunting, much to their delight. The crew then sails after her, and Dufresne raises the Black and the merchants surrender. However, when Dufresne and the vanguard go aboard, the Merchant Captain realizes that Dufresne is not Flint and orders his men to attack. The vanguard is forced to retreat and once aboard Dufresne tries to rally the men but De Groot says they have lost the day, while Logan asks why they're listening to Dufresne. Flint then steps up and says that they have to sink the merchant ship or no one will ever surrender to their flag again. The crew falls in under his command and sinks the vessel, and later reelects him as captain.

De Groot continues to act as the Sailing Master under Flint, seemingly with little resentment. They return to Nassau, and the crew waits on the ship while Silver and Flint go ashore to procure supplies and request help from Hornigold. However, they find out that Vane has taken over the fort. Flint and Hornigold combine their crews to retake the fort, and Flint gives a speech that night about how they cannot allow Vane to remain in the fort, or else he will extort them for the gold if they ever manage to capture it. They then anchor their ship outside the range of the fort's guns, and give Vane until sunrise the next day to surrender.

A standoff ensues between Flint and Charles Vane over the fortress. Flint and Hornigold hold a meeting with their senior officers, De Groot included, in the great cabin. Hornigold goes over their assault plan, which is to hammer at the walls until they have no guns and a sizable breach is made, allowing for a ground force to finish Vane's crew off. Flint asks how long it would take to rebuild, and Hornigold answers 10 weeks to replace the batteries, and twice as long to resecure the interior, but he thinks this is a relatively short window. Flint reminds him that this short window coincides with his having stolen a Spanish warship in full view of a beach filled with Spanish soldiers, and a British warship at anchor 40 miles form them. Hornigold questions Flint's commitment to their pact, and Flint retorts that he is committed to expelling Vane from the fort, but reminds Hornigold that it would be foolish to ignore the risks of the road they are taking. As the meeting continues, Eleanor Guthrie arrives, and Flint orders that everyone leave. When the meeting resumes, they discuss the sudden influx of new recruits to Vane's side as a result of his proclamation against Flint. Hornigold agrees to appeal directly to the crews on the beach in order to stem the tide, along with Silver. The next morning, Flint orders the crew to open fire on the fort.

The combined crew fires on the fort until a large breach is made. Flint then orders that they move ashore to make their final assault. However, Miranda Barlow greets him in Nassau, and Flint has the crew wait on the beach while he deals with her. The crew grows bored, and most try and pass the time by making sure their weapons are ready. De Groot sharpens his boarding axe with a stone when Billy Bones arrives at the camp. De Groot and the rest of the crew rush to greet him enthusiastically, having thought he died during the battle with the Andromache. Once Flint returns he calls off the assault to allow Vane to retain the fort in exchange for Abigail Ashe. Captain Hornigold challenges Flint for the captaincy, angered by this betrayal.

That night, the 107 man crew gathers in the Guthrie Warehouse. Hornigold gives a speech first about how Flint will betray all of them if it suits his nefarious goals, and cannot be trusted. Before Flint can speak, the lookouts sent to watch the Urca gold return with the news that the gold is gone, carted away by the Guardacosta piece by piece. Silver then gives a speech on Flint's behalf, and tells them that Flint is the only one offering them a path towards survival, by returning Abigail Ashe to her father in order to gain him as an advocate for reconciliation. The crew overwhelmingly votes for Flint, with 70+ men staying with him.

The crew then sails to Charles Town. En route, a fight breaks out on deck that De Groot breaks up. One night, after receiving more favorable winds than expected, Billy informs Flint that De Groot is suggesting that they tack earlier, and thinks the men are up to doing this in the dark. Billy then relays this to De Groot. He warns Tyson, Howard and Nicholas that they will be going through a tricky spot and to watch themselves before sending them to the fore, mizzen and mainmasts. However, the foot rope on the mainmast snaps, sending Nicholas plummeting to the deck, killing him. De Groot attends his funeral the next morning, and watches as his body is given a burial at sea. Shortly thereafter, the crew arrives in Charles Town. Flint and Miranda take Abigail ashore to reunite with her father while the rest of the crew remains on the ship.

At night, De Groot relaxes on deck with the crew, but Billy warns them that they are under attack. Charles Vane and his men crawl over the sides of the ship and attack the crew. De Groot tries to rally the men and fight back, killing one assailant by smashing his head in with a metal tankard. However, they are overwhelmed and roughly 50 of them are captured. Vane prepares to sail away but the forestay is cut belowdecks by Silver, who evaded capture at first but is then apprehended by Vane. However, they are then told that Flint has been arrested and the pirates have until the trial concludes to leave, or they will be attacked. Vane then announces his intention to rescue Flint, to prevent Governor Ashe from making a statement out of him and diminishing Nassau's power.

Vane takes half his crew on the rescue mission, leaving the half that think it's a bad idea on board with the imprisoned Walrus crew under the command of Jenks. While they wait, Yardley tries to remove Silver from the rest of the men, they all stand up and begin a scuffle with Vane's men, but they relent when threatened at gunpoint. During the scuffle, the Bayman Lieutenant's keys were stolen and the crew frees themselves and rises up while Vane's men ashore turn the city's cannons on itself and the Charles Town Fleet. After killing or capturing Vane's mutineers, De Groot orders his men to unfurl the canvas quickly so they can avoid being flanked by the patrol ships, which are fleeing. Billy then has the gun crews sink all three ships. Flint and Vane eventually return with Vane's men, and Vane agrees to keep watch over his men while the rest fire indiscriminately on Charles Town until the city is completely razed. The crew then sails back to Nassau, and they elect John Silver as quartermaster after losing his leg to Jenks' brutal interrogation.

Season Three

After the events of Charles Town, Flint proclaims that any magistrate that hangs men for piracy will be visited by him. After sacking a number of places where this has occurred, the crew attacks Bath at night and burns the town before leaving. When the vanguard returns, Silver orders De Groot to get them underway once the plunder is stored. As they return to Nassau from the Carolina coast, De Groot spots the Straight Arrow anchored nearby, sails furled and flying the Black. Silver decides that they should investigate, despite Flint advocating that they focus on returning to Nassau to refit. However, the Walrus is approached by a warship flying British colors. Silver spots Hornigold, and he and De Groot lead the crew in trying to escape. However, Hornigold has the advantage in the wind and between the landmass to the west and storm to the south, they have no way of outrunning them. Flint asks for a chart which De Groot has someone get for him.

Eventually, the British ship catches up, and it is revealed that it is captained by Benjamin Hornigold. He offers all of them pardons in exchange for their surrender. Their vessel will be commandeered and they will have the choice of joining Hornigold's crew or they will be let off at the nearest port. Flint then addresses assembled crew. He gives the crew an impassioned speech about how England fears them, and asks if any of them want to surrender to a thing that fears them. De Groot then asks which way they are going if they cannot fight, and Flint points in the direction of a massive tempest. De Groot quietly warns Flint that the storm is a "ship killer," to which Flint replies that Hornigold will be mad to follow them into it then. When Hornigold tries to fire at them, Flint has them turn hard to port and sail for the storm, although they take a few hits in the process.

As they sail towards the storm, De Groot leads the crew in preparing for the weather, ordering that the hatches be fully battened and to secure all the lashings. De Groot also asks Flint if they could take in the t'gallants now, as it will likely be impossible to take in all the sails during the storm. Flint refuses, saying that it will encourage Hornigold to press on and try and finish them off. However, he does allow that they send men in the tops to stow the sails as soon as Hornigold turns away. As they get deeper into the storm, De Groot tells Flint that they need to take down the sails before they lose the masts. When Hornigold finally turns away, Flint orders them to take down the course and t'gallants, but the rope to do so is stuck. The riggers try to climb up and cut the sails away, but the ship is then hit by a massive wave, made worse by the wind pushing the sails, nearly capsizing the ship. De Groot insists that the top-gallants must be cut away, lest the ship be sunk. Flint himself grabs an axe and personally cuts them away, leading to the death of several crewmen. Flint then sends most of the men below while he ties himself to the helm and continues to try and steer them to safety. While he succeeds, the ship is then becalmed in the Sargasso Sea with little food or water.

The crew spends the next 21 days stuck in the Doldrums, barely surviving on minimum rations and what little they can bring in from the eel nets. During this time, Palmer and Oates each accuse the other of stealing a full day's rations. Silver tries to convince them to confess but neither budges. Flint then executes them both. A dead whale is spotted floating nearby. De Groot warns that it's useless to try and use it for food, as whales only float when and after they rot. Silver insists that he and Flint try. While De Groot is correct, the two are able to harpoon a number of sharks, and use them to feed the crew. Shortly afterwards, the wind returns, and the crew makes landfall on an uncharted island.

Shortly after the crew makes landfall, they are captured by a large group of Maroons and led to their camp upriver. As they are marched through the jungle, a Twitchy Pirate tries to escape when the guards are distracted by Silver falling, but he is killed by a pit trap. At the camp, Flint and Silver are interrogated as to how they arrived at the island by the Maroon Queen. She then orders that the crew be imprisoned and chooses one of them to be tortured. Inside the cages, Ben Gunn, the lone inhabitant, introduces himself. He explains that the Queen will torture several more of them to verify their story, and the rest of them will be subjected to hard labor, the kind that the Maroons knew when they were slaves. Ben also explains that the Queen is the ultimate authority in the Camp, and that her daughter Madi appears to be next in line. There is also an "Away King" who uses his position n Nassau to send supplies to the camp.

The next day, escaped slaves arrive with Mr. Scott, the king, wounded from a gunshot to the stomach. Flint meets with Scott, and he proposes that Flint and the Maroons join forces, as the Maroons will no longer be able to use Nassau as a supply line, but the pirates can hunt for them. Flint then relays all this to the crew in the cage, and reveals that if he fails, he will take the Queen hostage with a small knife he secretly took and will threaten to kill her unless the crew is given safe passage back to the ship. That night, Flint goes to meet with the Queen, leaving the knife behind, much to the shock and concern of the crew. He is able to negotiate a partnership where the pirates and Maroons will work together to retake Nassau, and then lead a rebellion of pirates and slaves against the British Empire. The crew is released the next morning.

The Walrus crew journeys to Ocracoke Island to bring the Pirate Fleet onto their side in the war against England. They take on a number of Maroons onto the crew, and work to repair the damaged masts as they sail. During the journey, Dobbs gets angry at a Maroon whose lashing came undone, but Flint breaks up the fight. At Ocracoke, De Groot goes ashore with Flint, who tries to reason with Teach and Vane about retaking Nassau. They refuse, and Teach and Flint duel over control of the fleet, with their crews watching. After neither is able to kill the other with pistols, the two duel with swords, and Teach is able to overwhelm Flint and is about to kill him when Vane intervenes and drives Teach back. Teach then orders Flint to take Vane and leave.

After returning to the Maroon Island, the pirates and Maroons then plan on going to Nassau to rescue Jack Rackham and his cache of gems in order to bait Rogers into committing all his forces into a battle at the island. Silver is sent ashore to proclaim Flint's return and to try and gather new recruits, Madi to retrieve a stockpile of weapons from Scott's agents, and Vane to gather information on Madi's whereabouts. Madi and Vane are successful, and the next day the crew goes to the eastern shore, expecting to find recruits. Instead, they find Rogers sitting under a flag of truce. After Flint refuses to surrender, Rogers revokes the pardon.

The crew pretends to sail away, however they actually sail to a position determined by De Groot where their hull sits below the horizon while their masts will be invisible if the sails are furled, allowing them to survey the shore. While Flint, Vane and Billy lead a shore party to attack the Governor's caravan and rescue Jack and the cache, the rest of the crew waits on the ship. Madi asks Silver how they found this position where they can see the shore but the shore can't see them. Silver explains that he just listens to De Groot and then repeats what he says. While they wait, Hornigold spots them and sails towards them. Silver then orders that they sail to retrieve the shore party, despite the fact that there has been no signal from them, which De Groot points out. They are able to pick up Flint, Jack and the cache, but Billy, Wayne and Ben stay behind to try and rescue Vane, who had been captured.

Hornigold follows them all the way back to the Maroon Island. Silver decides to execute a risky maneuver, of which De Groot is wary. They sail the Walrus into shallow water, and then drop the anchors to quickly turn their broadsides on Hornigold. As the Leadsman announces the depths, De Groot warns that if they miss their mark by even a boats length, it could be disastrous. However, they are successful, and Hornigold is forced to retreat. At the Camp, Scott is dying, and the pirates wait for the news with the rest of the community. Scott's death is announced by the blowing of a horn. Later that night, a funeral is held, and De Groot and the rest of the crew attend. During the ceremony, Jack tells Flint that he knows that De Groot is to command the Walrus during the upcoming battle, and that Vane was supposed to be the one to command her. Jack offers himself as a replacement for Vane, and Flint agrees.

As an overwhelming English fleet attacks the Maroon Island, the Walrus crew waits behind a promontory preparing to make their assault under Rackham’s command. However, a second seemingly English fleet appears to the east. De Groot insists that it is reinforcements and demands to retreat. Jack and De Groot then argue about whether or not to retreat, as it would destroy their entire plan. However, Rackham recognises it as Blackbeard’s fleet, and orders that they sail to the fleet. He persuades Teach join the fight. The fleet then sails into battle flying the Black. While the two fleets engage cannon fire, Bonny leads a boarding party swimming unnoticed to capture one of the English ships. They open fire on the rest of the fleet, forcing them to retreat. After the battle concludes, the leaders of the Pirate-Maroon alliance gather in the meeting hall with various Maroons and pirates, De Groot included, to discuss their plans to retake Nassau.

Season Four

Mr. De Groot is on the Walrus during the disastrous failed invasion of Nassau. As they approach, he raises the concern to Flint and Silver that there's no sign of any alarm being raised in Nassau, moments before the ship runs grounded on the sunken wrecks that Rogers set to blockade the harbour. The Pirate Fleet is then battered by Fort Nassau's guns, and Flint is forced to give the order to abandon ship. Although De Groot abandons ship with the rest of the crew, he gets captured along with Colin and Dr. Howell by the Governor's redcoats led by Lieutenant Kendrick. He's questioned with the other prisoners by Rogers and Captain Berringer. Rogers offers him clemency in exchange for information after learning that he is Flint's ship's master. When he refuses to divulge any information, Berringer proceeds to cut one of De Groot's ears off, as revenge for all his men who were killed and mutilated postmortem at the Maroon Island.

De Groot and the other captured pirates are imprisoned in Fort Nassau, to await their trials. However before his execution, John Silver returns Nassau, and inspires the townsfolk to rise-up in revolt against the Governor. De Groot is among the twenty pirates released by Eleanor in exchange for Max. Later, Woodes Rogers returns aboard Teach's ship, having defeated him in battle. De Groot prepares with the rest of the pirates, handing out muskets to his brothers in arms. However, Eleanor makes a deal with Flint to exchange the cache of gems for her surrender and permanent departure of hers and her husband's allies from the island, and convinces Rogers to depart through a combination of a message relayed by Mrs. Hudson and warning shots from the fort's cannons.

However, Rogers returns with Havana's Fleet, having convinced Governor Vicente de Raja to help him in destroying the pirate threat. Featherstone and Idelle lead a number of pirates aboard the Walrus in escaping the harbor before the fleet arrives, De Groot among them. They later rendezvous with Jack Rackham aboard the Lion on the southern coast. De Groot, Jack, Featherstone and Idelle discuss whether they should flee to avoid being spotted, or stay behind and wait for survivors. They decide to wait for survivors, and De Groot waits aboard the Walrus. Eventually, Flint, Silver and Julius lead all their remaining forces to the ships, having fended off multiple Spanish attacks at devastating cost. They sail back to the Maroon Island, but en route Rackham seemingly abandons them. They are surprised to find the Maroon Camp filled with pirates and Maroons from across the New World, eager to join the fight.

Madi is revealed to be alive, and in Governor Rogers' captivity. He demands that he be granted the cache for her release. The Walrus then sails back to Nassau immediately with the intent to rescue Madi from Rogers's clutches.

They arrive under the cover of night, and Kofi and several men are sent ashore during the night to find out where Madi is being held so they can plan their rescue. However, the next morning, they wake to find a ship waiting for them, having slipped past them during the night. They sail towards the ship, and Dooley shouts to look at her rails. De Groot, Flint, Silver and Ben Gunn use spyglasses and see Kofi, his men and Madi lined up on the rail. Rogers then shoots Kofi, and begins executing them one by one. Flint orders that they try and bring their guns to bear on Rogers in order to dissuade him from killing Madi, but Silver says to belay that order and has Adams and Joji retrieve the cache from the hold and bring it onto the main deck. He then orders De Groot to signal Rogers, and he has the bell rung. Once Rogers sees that they brought the cache, he sails away, with the Walrus in pursuit.

He sails with Flint and Silver to Skeleton Island, and is one of the few crewmen to have heard of the uncharted island. While they sail through a small storm, Ben asks De Groot if the small island they are approaching is Skeleton Island. De Groot explains that it's a way-point, two features on the island, such as two mountain peaks or points on the coast are markers. Rogers is going to draw a line through them, and that will be the course to reach their final destination. Ben asks why he can't just plot a course on the chart. De Groot then explains that Skeleton Island isn't on any civilized chart. The island is remote and well outside any established trade route. Some use the island for transactions that neither party wished to be known. The two stop talking when they overhear Flint and Silver yelling in the cabin. As they enter the inlet at Skeleton Island, De Groot and the rest of the crew stand in awe of the ancient wreck in the inlet. Flint and Dooley take the opportunity to abscond with the cache. Silver then sends Israel Hands, Joji, Adams, Colin and two pirates to kill Flint and retrieve the cache. Rogers gives them till sunrise the next day to retrieve the cache. Ben remains on the Walrus with De Groot in command while Silver leads the search party.

While aboard the Walrus, Ben tells De Groot he heard what sounded like a woman wailing beyond the trees. De Groot replies that Mr. Wallis said he saw a mermaid swimming in the water, and Jones said he heard the voice of his mother, accusing him of infidelity to her memory. Ben admits that the mind is prone to mischief, and De Groot says especially so in a place such as Skeleton Island, which is remote and full of stories. De Groot tells him that there are no monsters in the dark, but there are dangers, and they should take care to lay their attention on the latter. A short while later, Ben and De Groot are alerted that the hold is on fire, and there are launches approaching from the Eurydice. De Groot and Ben try to lead the crew in flooding the hold to put out the fire, but De Groot declares that it is too far gone and to abandon ship.  Ben jumps overboard and swims near De Groot, who orders everyone to make for the shore before he is shot in the head by Billy.

Personality

De Groot is one of the most knowledgeable pirates aboard the Walrus, an expert in sailing, navigation and of the ship itself. He is a trusted advisor to the officers of the crew. He is very levelheaded, but he is very risk averse, and his advice is often ignored in favor of bold actions. There are instances where the ignoring of his advice has worked very well and when it has had disastrous results. De Groot cares about the crew, and this causes him to distrust Flint and his perilous plans. This leads him to participate in the mutiny against Flint. However, he submits to his authority after he is reelected and remains by his side because he realizes following Flint's plans is the best chance of survival. 

Memorable Quotes

"Time and again he gambles with our lives...that is, when he's not taking them in cold blood."

―DeGroot about Flint

"There are no monsters in the dark, though there are dangers. Let's take care to tell the difference. Lay our attention on the latter."

―De Groot to Ben Gunn in XXXVII.

Trivia

• De Groot has a tattoo of a sea turtle on the left side of his neck, a Rod of Asclepius on his inner left forearm, and a key on his right forearm. In the first three seasons, he had tattoos of a small skull and cross bones and a ship on his inner right forearm, but in season four he is seen with another Rod of Asclepius. On the back of each hand he has a swallow, a white one on his right hand and black on his left.
  • The turtle, ship and swallow tattoos are all traditional sailor tattoos, each with different meanings. Currently, the shellback turtle represents crossing the equator, the full-rigged ship the traversal of Cape Horn and the swallow is obtained when first setting out to sea, with another added for every 5000 miles travelled.
• De Groot is probably of Dutch origin, since his name is middle Dutch for "the big" or "the tall".
• It is possible that De Groot's name is a reference to Hugo Grotius, author of De Jure Belli Ac Pais. An alternative spelling of Grotius' surname was De Groot.
• For some reason, Andre Jacobs is uncredited for his appearance as De Groot in XVII.

Image Gallery

Appearances

Season One

I.	II.	III.	IV.
V.	VI.	VII.	VIII.

Season Two

IX.	X.	XI.	XII.	XIII.
XIV.	XV.	XVI.	XVII.*	XVIII.

*Uncredited

Season Three

XIX.	XX.	XXI.	XXII.	XXIII.
XXIV.	XXV.	XXVI.	XXVII.	XXVIII.

Season Four

XXIX.	XXX.	XXXI.	XXXII.	XXXIII.
XXXIV.	XXXV.	XXXVI.	XXXVII.	XXXVIII.