Mockingbird

Fred was the captain of the Mockingbird.

He had the rugged features typical of an Ingsman man, wine-red hair, and one right hand that he'd lost completely in a raid. In its place was a fearsome iron hook.

In terms of strength, the crew he led was utterly second-rate. They couldn't hold a candle to the likes of the Octopus Pirate Group, a pirate crew that had already made a name for itself.

Fred's lifelong dream was, first, to rob a merchant ship loaded with gold and retire in style.

If that dream proved out of reach, he'd settle for turning the Mockingbird pirates into a gang with a reputation as great as the Octopus Pirate Group's.

For now, though, both dreams seemed a long way off.

"Bad luck lately. Can't find a decent fat sheep to fleece..."

Fred gazed at the distant sky and grumbled.

He didn't dare venture onto the bustling Gold Route or into other waters. He could only cruise along the coast, like a vulture searching for carrion.

And robbery depended a great deal on luck.

The truth was, pirates who were down on their luck were everywhere.

"Hey... you lot, perk up and sing!"

A moment later, noticing his men's flagging spirits, Fred shouted at them.

At once, a few pirates scrubbing the deck struck up a song. Ragged and raucous, it rang across the ship, brimming with freedom and wild abandon:

"...We are pirates, fierce pirates, a bottle in the left hand, treasure in the right.

"We are pirates, free and easy pirates, beneath the Skull Flag, we toil to survive.

"We are pirates, pirates with no tomorrow, with no end in sight, adrift upon the ocean..."

Bang!

Fred was wondering whether to catch a few fish to improve their supper when, amid the