Werther had no choice but to stop the ship there. He used the other ships as stepping stones, slowly making his way toward the Island.
Just as Werther reached for Tuski, intending to carry him as he jumped toward the Island, Tuski pushed his hand away and gave him a look of utter disdain.
Then, under Werther's envious gaze, Tuski wove a pair of wings from his fur and hardened them.
After a few practice flaps, the rabbit took flight. His movements were remarkably smooth; apparently, he had developed this ability some time ago.
Tuski looked down at him with contempt, and Werther ground his teeth.
All Werther could do was shout sourly at the sky, "So what if you can fly? I'll learn Geppo sooner or later. Then I'll be able to fly too!"
With that, Werther resumed his slow progress toward the Island, hopping from ship to ship like a grasshopper.
Tuski flashed his two big front teeth in a grin and flew leisurely toward the Island.
Only Tuski dared tease Werther like that. If anyone else had tried it, the weak could look to Crocodile for an example of what would happen, while Werther would fight the strong to the death.
By the time Werther reached the Island, his earlier questions remained unanswered, and an even stranger sight awaited him.
Several groups on the Island faced off as if a fight might break out at any moment. Plenty of people like Werther stood nearby watching.
Two groups were the largest, with several smaller groups clustered around each of them.
One side was easy to identify. Their uniforms were neat, their ranks orderly: Marines.
The other side, judging by their swagger and mismatched clothes, were probably pirates.
Then an officer-looking man on the Marine side spoke.
"Charlotte Launi,