"Hey, boss! The island ahead seems to be the infamous Beast Island!"
Atop the mast of a pirate ship, a pirate in a sailor suit peered through a telescope. He called down excitedly to a tall, muscular man standing on the deck below.
"Beast Island? That's perfect!" the muscular man, Kaili, burst into laughter. "It's full of wild animals, right? Just what we need. We'll hunt a few down, bring them aboard as fresh meat. We can rest up while we're at it, then get back to plundering merchant ships. Hahaha!"
"Boss, your brain works so fast! You're a genius!"
"Yes, yes!"
"You really are worthy of being our leader!"
The pirates around him nodded in agreement, their eyes shining with admiration.
Kaili laughed even louder, chest puffed out. He was going to be the man who ruled the North Blue. Of course, he was both wise and strong!
"Boss! I see someone on the island!" the sailor-suited pirate shouted again from above. "Looks like a castaway—just one person! And... he's a young boy, delicate-looking!"
"Oh?" Kaili's eyes lit up with greed. He threw his head back and laughed excitedly. "Hahaha! That's even better! Listen up, men—get ready to dock. Don't let that kid run away. A pretty little guy like him could fetch us a fortune when we sell him to those noble ladies!"
"Hehe, boss, don't worry! He's not going anywhere!"
"Didn't the kid we caught last time sell for a million Berries? Hahaha! That kept us drunk for days!"
"I wonder how long we'll be drinking this time? Haha! I'm already looking forward to it!"
The crew laughed wildly, full of sinister anticipation, as the ship picked up speed toward the island.
Fifteen minutes later, the moderately-sized pirate ship anchored on the shore of Beast Island.
Mio stood on the beach, and the first thing his eyes caught was the fluttering pirate flag on the ship's mast. His expression instantly twisted with annoyance.
"Seriously? A pirate ship?" he muttered, lips twitching.
Sure, a ship was a ship—but he had been hoping for a merchant vessel. At least merchants might take him away without trouble. But pirates? They were more likely to use fists than words. And these guys... definitely didn't have good intentions.
"There's probably going to be blood," Mio muttered quietly.
Kaili stepped off the ship with swagger, flanked by his men. A pistol was strapped to his waist and a long 1.67-meter sword hung across his back. At three meters tall, the sword didn't look out of place at all.
As he approached, Kaili gave Mio a once-over, noting his clean face, red lips, and fair skin. The boy looked like he walked straight out of a noblewoman's dream. His excitement surged even further.
"Boy, are you the only one on this island?" Kaili asked with a smirk.
Mio narrowed his eyes slightly and replied calmly, "I have a companion."
"Oh?" Kaili raised his eyebrows with interest. "Someone your age?"
Mio paused, thinking it through. "Probably... younger than me."
He wasn't lying. Warwick was technically a wolf, and wolves aged differently than humans. At most, they lived up to 15 years, and reached adulthood by two or three. Compared to an average human, Warwick could be considered younger. And with his childlike mind, it only made sense.
Kaili's eyes gleamed. "Even better. Even younger, huh? Excellent, excellent..."
"And where is your friend now?" he asked.
"He went into the forest. He should be back soon," Mio replied, casually pointing to the dense trees behind him.
Kaili noticed the raft at Mio's feet. "Looks like you were planning to leave, huh?" he said with a grin. "How about we give you a ride instead? Don't look at us like we're the bad guys. We're not pirates by choice. If we didn't join up, we'd be the ones getting robbed by other pirates. We had no choice—it's a cruel world out there."
He turned and ordered two of his men, "Go fetch a few bottles of rum. Let's relax here and wait for this boy's friend. Oh, and bring one for the kid too."
The two nodded and started heading back to the ship, chatting as they went.
"Why not just tie the kid up now?"
"You dumb? We're selling him to rich ladies. If he's got bruises or scratches, his price drops. The boss won't risk damaging the goods."
"Ahh, right. Lucky kid, huh? Probably going to be pampered by those rich women."
"Pfft. Don't be stupid. Nobles are freaks. That kid's gonna suffer like hell."
"No doubt."
Soon, the pirates returned with bottles of rum. They picked a shaded spot beneath a large tree on the beach and started drinking. Mio also received a bottle. After a curious sip, his eyes lit up.
"No wonder those badass anime characters were always drinking..." he muttered. "This stuff's actually good."
Unknowingly, half an hour passed.
Kaili downed the last of his bottle and frowned at Mio. "Hey, kid, you're not lying to me, are you? Where's this 'friend' of yours? It's been too long."
"I'm not lying," Mio replied casually, scratching his head. "He might've gotten lost in the forest."
Seeing Kaili's growing impatience, Mio added, "If you really want him to come out, I have a method. Works every time."
"Oh? What method?" Kaili asked quickly. The sun was baking them all alive, and the wind offered no relief. Even the pirates were growing irritable. Their wine supply was low, and they were reluctant to waste more.
Mio looked serious. "My friend has a strong sense of smell. He's extremely sensitive to the scent of blood. If someone bleeds a little, he'll sense it and come running, thinking something happened to me."
"Really?" Kaili squinted at him, unsure if this was nonsense or not.
"I wouldn't lie. There's no benefit to me lying on an uninhabited island, is there? You'd find out pretty quick."
"Hmph... fair point." Kaili nodded, convinced by the logic. After a moment of thought, he called over one of his men. "Go on, give yourself a little cut."
The pirate didn't hesitate. He drew a dagger, sliced his index finger, and let the blood drip onto the beach.
It soaked into the sand slowly.
The trap had been set.