Hungry Wolf Pirates

Charlos found a roadside inn and checked in. He lay down on the bed, just about to close his eyes and rest.

Just then, there was a light knock on the door.

Amina stood outside.

"Amina? What is it?"

Amina spoke softly. "Charlos, aren't you going to let me come in and sit down?"

"Oh, come in. Come in."

Amina entered the room and sat beside Charlos's bed, her cheeks tinged with shyness.

"What is it? If you have something to say, say it."

Just then, the door was pushed open again, and Amira walked in as well.

"Lord Charlos."

Charlos froze for a moment. "Why are you doing this too?"

Amira chuckled. "Hehe, the last time Amina called you that, you were really surprised."

"I was indeed surprised."

Amira put away her teasing expression and spoke seriously. "All right, no more joking. We seem to have discovered something."

"What is it?"

The two sisters exchanged glances and replied in low voices.

"We... got that."

Charlos looked utterly confused. "Huh? But I'm a man. I don't know anything about that either. I'll call and ask what we should do."

Amira and Amina hurriedly shook their heads.

"No, no, no. We mean that we've grown up."

Charlos froze for a second, blinked, and instantly understood. The tips of his ears flushed slightly.

"Oh... you two, get out."

The sisters stood outside the room after being kicked out, exchanged a glance, and whispered to each other.

"Honestly, he has no sense of romance at all."

Behind the tightly shut door, Charlos let out a long breath and took deep breaths to calm himself.

"That was close, that was close... No matter what, I have to wait until they're eighteen. Not now. Absolutely not."

Night fell, and the three of them sat quietly at a tavern table, eating their dinner.

At the next table sat a burly man. He tipped back a large gulp of strong liquor, then slammed his cup heavily onto the table with a piercing crash.

"I'm telling you, our pirate crew just raided three villages!"

The people around his table immediately exclaimed, "Wow, that makes you amazing!"

Someone asked doubtfully, "Wait, if you were out raiding, why are you in this tavern?"

The burly man sneered, looking utterly carefree. "We came ashore for supplies. The captain specifically gave us time off to rest."

As soon as he finished speaking, Amira and Amina, seated at the same table, suddenly tightened their fingers and crushed the chopsticks in their hands.

Charlos glanced at them indifferently, then snapped his fingers to summon a waiter.

He casually took out a gold ingot and handed it over, speaking calmly. "Go. Bring that big brother a few more barrels of good liquor."

Amira and Amina turned their heads at the same time, looking at Charlos with confusion in their eyes.

The waiter took the gold, bit it to check its purity, and immediately broke into a broad smile. "Thank you, young master! Thank you, young master!"

"Tell him for me," Charlos said, a faint smile curling at his lips, "that I greatly admire his experiences. When I grow up, I want to become a pirate too."

"Right away! I'll get to it immediately!" the waiter quickly replied.

The burly man was still bragging endlessly about his exploits.

The waiter walked over and placed several barrels of liquor in front of his table.

"I didn't order these."

"That young master at the next table ordered them for you."

The burly man turned his head and looked at Charlos through bleary drunken eyes.

Charlos raised his cup and drained the juice inside in one gulp.

The pirate grinned. "Hehe, kid."

With that, he raised his cup as well and drained the strong liquor in one go.

Charlos refilled his cup with juice, held it, and slowly walked over.

"Mister, I just heard you say that you're a pirate?"

"That's right, of course! I'm with the Hungry Wolf Pirates. Our captain is called Hungry Wolf, and he's quite famous at sea. I've followed him in raiding three villages. So, kid, do you want to become a pirate when you grow up?"

"Sure, mister. But everyone says pirates can really hold their liquor. I had the waiter bring over a few barrels of good liquor. Do you dare drink them?"

The burly man burst into laughter, his face full of contempt.

"Kid, don't look down on me! I can drink as much as you bring me."

"Sure, mister. Then I'll pour you a drink."

Charlos opened a barrel and raised his hand to fill the pirate's cup to the brim.

The pirate picked up the cup, tipped back his head, and drained it in one gulp.

"Ah, good liquor!"

"Mister, just tell me if you can't drink anymore."

"Just keep pouring!"

The pirate kept pouring cup after cup of liquor down his throat, and his head gradually grew hazy.

"Mister, what's wrong? Can't drink anymore?"

"I can still..."

"Mister, you really can't drink anymore. Let me take you back."

"Oh... all right, all right."

Charlos helped the pirate to his feet and quietly gave Amira and Amina a look.

The sisters nodded slightly, turned around, and silently left the tavern.

"The western dock, right, mister?"

"Mm..."

Half supporting and half carrying the pirate, Charlos made his way to the western dock.

Beside the empty dock lay a huge pirate ship, its sails marked with the emblem of a wolf's head and a skull.

"Mister, we're here."

The pirate staggered on unsteady feet and waved his hand.

"Uh... all right, kid, go back. When you grow up, you'll definitely become an outstanding pirate."

Charlos let go of him, turned around, and slowly walked back the way he had come.

The pirate watched his departing back, felt his stomach churn, and vomited on the spot.

At that moment, a scolding voice came from the pirate ship's deck.

"Hey, how useless are you? You actually needed a kid to bring you back."

The pirate muttered drunkenly, "Uh... so what? That kid really admires me."

The person on deck sneered. "Admires you? Give me a break."

Hungry Wolf, captain of the Hungry Wolf Pirates, was sleeping deeply in the captain's cabin.

The bottle in his hand slipped weakly free and crashed to the floor.

A wave of heat suddenly swept through his body. He raised a hand to touch his burning cheek and abruptly opened his sleepy eyes.

What entered his sight was a towering blaze that had engulfed the entire captain's cabin.

"Fire! Put out the fire!"

Piercing cries suddenly rang out across the dock.

Hungry Wolf's expression changed drastically. He strode out of the captain's cabin and looked around. The entire massive pirate ship had already been wrapped in flames, thick smoke billowing as the firelight dyed the whole sea red.

"Where are the night watchmen?!"

A surviving pirate, disheveled and pale-faced, rushed forward, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Captain Hungry Wolf... the watchmen... they're all dead!"

"What?!"

Hungry Wolf suddenly turned his head, his gaze locking onto the high lookout platform.

The corpse of the sailor assigned to keep watch hung alone from the lookout platform. Nearby, a telescope lay quietly on the ground.

Overwhelming fury instantly surged into Hungry Wolf's heart, and he gritted his teeth as he growled.

"Damn it! Who did this? Was it the Marines?"

Within the forest, Charlos stood atop a tree, quietly watching the towering flames by the dock.

Amira and Amina hovered behind him, their wings beating.

Amira spoke. "This way, none of them can escape, right?"

Charlos smiled faintly.

"I don't know, but that ship is definitely finished. Next comes game time."

Amina answered, "Mm, we understand. We'll make those utterly wicked bastards have a proper taste of fear."

Charlos lifted his chin. "Then go."

Amina was the first to spread her black wings. With a flash, she flew into the shadows of the forest.

Amira watched her sister's departing figure, then turned to Charlos on the treetop.

"Then I'm going too."

"Mm."