The Pirate

Are you wolves or dogs?

Something doesn't add up. Better investigate before making a decision.

"White, tell me what's going on. Why do you want me as your leader?" I asked, noticing some of the wolves in the pack lowering their heads.

"I'm sorry, but without a strong enough leader, we can't survive. The tiger clan has already started invading our territory." White lowered his ears, looking worried.

"And that's why you're fine with having a cat as your leader?" I smirked.

Then an idea struck me. If I wanted to leave this island, I would need help. Controlling the passage of ships along the coast and waiting for one to dock could be my chance to sneak aboard and escape.

I didn't want to live in the forest forever.

"White, tell me more about the other clans and their locations," I said after a brief pause.

"So, you agree to be our leader?" he asked, wagging his tail again.

"For now… Now tell me what I want to know," I replied, lying down on a rock.

"Yes, Chief! Well, besides the tiger clan, there's also the giant bear clan, the eagle clan, the..."

After a few minutes, I had a clear picture of the factions that ruled the forest. To complete my plan and leave this island, I would have to conquer them all.

Heh… Looks like it's time to get to work.

As I quietly planned my escape, the wolves around me shivered at the sight of my sadistic grin. They wondered whether they had made the right choice in appointing me their leader—or if they had sealed their own fate.

"Well, White. Take me to the eagle clan's territory."

"Yes, Boss!"

...

A month later, off the island's coast, a merchant ship approached the shore, trying to dock.

"Captain, we managed to escape from those pirates!" one man exclaimed with relief, looking at his captain as if he were a hero.

The captain gave him a tired look. "You're wrong. They didn't want to sink the ship… They lured us here on purpose." He pointed toward the shadow of another ship approaching, flying a black flag with a skull and crossbones.

"Cap… Captain, what do we do?" the man asked, fear creeping into his voice.

"We just have to go ashore and hope they only want the ship. Warn the others, quickly."

Fifteen minutes later, the entire crew stood on the beach, watching helplessly as the pirates looted their ship—but without damaging it too much.

"Captain, you were right. They just wanted to steal our ship," one of the merchants said.

"Yeah… I just hope they don't come this way," the captain muttered, trying to keep his voice low.

But after securing the ship, the pirates turned toward the beach, laughing maniacally at the misfortune of others.

They had been attacked by one of the bloodiest pirate crews in the East Sea, led by Jack Blackbeard, a pirate with a bounty of 10,000 Berry. It was said that no witnesses were left alive where his crew passed, and that he had a habit of changing ships every time he found one he liked.

Captain Mark, commander of the merchant ship, had been in the trade for over ten years and had encountered pirates before. Until now, he had always managed to escape by complying with their demands. But this time, he felt there was no hope.

And he didn't have the heart to tell his crew.

Meanwhile, the pirates disembarked and approached the merchants with sinister grins. Leading the group was a man with long black hair and a dark beard that, strangely, tilted to the right instead of hanging down.

"Did you really think you could escape? Ahahaha! You have nowhere to run. You'll all die! Kill them!" Jack ordered.

"Wait! We'll give you everything you want! If you let us go, we can pay you more—back home, we have—" Mark pleaded in desperation, trying to buy their lives.

"You want to pay us? Nah… I prefer looting! Hahahah! Kill them all!" Jack laughed maniacally, raising his sword.

But before the pirates could move toward the crew, shadows darted toward them at incredible speed, surrounding them on all sides.

Both the pirates and the merchant crew were stunned to see that the shadows were… animals. Wolves, giant tigers, and brown bears.

Jack Blackbeard stared in astonishment, but in the next moment, fury overtook him. He began shooting at the wolves. "Kill these damn beasts!"

Some animals were struck, but the rest charged aggressively at the pirates.

The wolf pack clashed with Jack's crew, while the captain found himself surrounded by a bear and a giant tiger.

The battle lasted less than five minutes.

Before the shocked and frozen eyes of Mark's crew, the infamous pirate captain Jack—whose very name struck fear into the hearts of East Sea citizens—lay dead at the hands of a bear and a tiger, while his crew was slaughtered by wolves.

After the gruesome sight, Mark signaled his crew to retreat, but they couldn't. The animals that had already finished their work had turned toward them.

A white wolf emerged from the group, nodded—almost humanly—at Mark, and started walking toward the forest.

"Cap… Captain, what do we do?"

"I don't know… But it looks like they want us to follow them," Mark said, staring in the wolf's direction.

"But Captain, if we go, we'll be torn apart!"

"We have no choice. If we stay here, they'll tear us apart anyway." With that, he followed the wolf into the forest.

After about five hundred meters, Mark saw something unbelievable: a clearing filled with animals of all kinds, from mice to elephants, all kneeling toward a single figure at the center.

As he stepped closer, he could finally see the one to whom all the other animals showed such reverence.

"It's not possible…"

"Am I seeing things?"

"Captain, do you see it too?" one crew member whispered, pointing at the figure looking down at them.

A cat!?