"Blasted!" After climbing down his ship, Captain Flipper kicked the giant slope of ice against his hull.

After sailing from Matlock, Flipper located the Ghost Island appeared in the cold waters of the Frozen Ocean at the top of the North. Only a three-day trip before his ship crashed into an enormous thick iceberg at the border of the cold sea. It was big as an island, floating around the sector like a shark searching for prey. His driver, Baffy, couldn’t see the iceberg through the cold fog before he had the chance to move the ship. The vessel hit the blockage so hard; it knocked Daffy off the main deck.

Clumsy fool!

Captain Flipper was also surprised his drill couldn’t break through the ice to prevent his Ruthless Peaker from getting stuck. What was the point if his great weapon couldn’t break through everything?

He blew out his frigid breath and opened his map. Barnacles!

The phantom island has disappeared again! This time it didn’t show up anywhere else on the map. When will the island appear again? Hours?

At least he will have plenty of time to free his ship from the iceberg. But dinner time will come up soon, and Flipper really wants to order his pizza.

“Aye aye, captain!” Daffy’s voice shouted.

Flipper spotted his fat, dumb crewmate crawled from the shore and stood up to salute. In his beck, a fishtail flapped before he swallowed it hold.

Captain Flipper stuck his tongue out. He never thought he would see the fat penguin again. Maybe the sharks or whales didn’t have the stomachs to eat that stupid obese critter. If he wasn’t a good sailing master and gunner, Flipper would have thrown Daffy off the deck. But his brother wouldn’t like it.

“You! Get back on the deck and tell the others to grab their pickaxes!” Flipper ordered furiously. “I want this ice chipped down so we move the ship out.”

Daffy studied the iceberg mountain. “But cap! I think it will take years to break that thing down with just-”

Captain Flipper pointed his wing at his crewmate. “Don’t try to excuse your work! We don’t need to break the whole thing down. Just enough to free the ship. I won’t let Ghost Island escape from me again! Now move it, you lazy bugger!”

Daffy nodded. “Aye cap!”

Captain Flipper climbed up to the main deck. No matter how long it takes, Flipper won’t lose his chance of reaching Ghost Island before he goes back to school.

*****

Lucy sniffed a strong woody pepper scent shot up through her nostrils, shocking her head. She gasped and sat straight up on the bed. She felt like her entire insides were burning up as flames blasted out from her nose.

“Welcome back tuh di living.” Tashina sat on the bed near Lucy, placing a black, greenish herb into her pocket. Charles and Ivy also stood with her inside the infirmary room.

“Are you okay?” Ivy asked. “Tashina told us what happened.”

Lucy rubbed her head. “What happened to me?”

“You were drugged,” Charles answered.

Lucy widened her eyes. “What?”

“Sorry it a fi mi fault,” Tashina apologized with her ears down. “Yuh did suppose tuh remain a wake fi days, but mi potion reversed di effect.” She turned her glaring eyes toward the skull. “Mi should ave neva listen tuh dat old fool!”

Boogaloo laughed. “Yuh aren't a real voodoo witch eff yuh cyaa kill a single person!”

Lucy now remembered the potion she tried to avoid Tashina’s wrath. Next time, she won’t allow herself to become Tashina’s test dummy. “How long was I out?”

Charles smirked. “Long enough for arriving at Bengar.”

Lucy twitched her left floppy ear. “We are there now?”

Ivy giggled. “Wanna step out and see it?”

*****

Lucy and her crew climbed onto the main deck and glanced over the left side. From one mile toward the white immaculate beach, Lucy could see the entire tropical rainforest of palm and pine trees behind the shore. It was like an impenetrable screen of vegetation. In the heat, the atmosphere was damp and heavy, and Lucy could hear active insects in the green over the waves in the dazzling blue sea. Far beyond the jungle was an enormous gray mountain

You discovered Bengar! A remote island, home to the Black Moon Tribe who barely allowed visitors to set foot into their sacred territory. If sailors venture into the jungle without permission, none of them will return. But if the tribe doesn’t get them, the insects or plants will. Besides the danger, the island is a wonderful place to explore if one is very cautious. Do not anger the panther tribe if you want to enjoy the island.

She sniffed the air, admiring the fruity sweet air with little sand and coconut odor drifting near the minty green jungle. Lucy truly loved that scent. "It's beautiful!"

"Wait til yuh si di beautiful pantha men." Tashina rubbed her upper arms while shivering in pleasure. "Hmmmmmmmm….. Mi cya aready feel dem….."

“I hope their ladies are beautiful too,” Charles added.

“Me too!” Ivy exclaimed. “Island girl is gorgeous!”

Lucy laughed, feeling like she was the only one not interested in getting in bed with the tribe. “Tashina, what do you know about the island?”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The hyena witch doctor shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight. Although she lived on a dark island for a while, her eyes easily adjusted during the day. She could have added some kind of potion to avoid blindness in the sunlight. “Bengar beautiful but it ave many dangerous creatures. Mostly giant animal eating bugs. Angering di Black Moon Tribe wi also get yuh kill But no worries. Mi cya chat tuh dem.”

“Yeah, the notification told me.” Lucy drummed her fingers on the ship rail. “Okay, we find the Black Moon Tribe and ask them to join our crew. Right?”

Tashina shrugged. "Di tribe big wid plenty of men tuh offa. Eff yuh cya duh sup'm fi dem, dem wi follow inna yuh service."

"Like what something?"

"Like mi seh no worries Allow mi tuh duh di chatting." Tashina winked.

Lucy turned toward her friends. "Okay, and we need someone to stay here to watch the ship. We don't want anyone to steal our ship." She eyed Ivy. "I think Ivy should stay here and keep watch."

The catgirl hung her mouth down a bit. "But I want to meet the tribe too!"

"If our ship is alone, anyone can take it."

Charles stepped forward. "I suggest you let me stay here with her. She cannot handle an army of pirates on her own."

Lucy nodded with a grin. "Good idea. If you try to step out of line, Ivy can put your butt into the brig."

Charles frowned, drooping his muzzle down. "You still don't trust me?"

Lucy sneered at him. "I prefer taking every caution step as possible."

Ivy chuckled. "Don't worry! I will keep him in line!" She slapped Charles's back. "Heeheehee!"

Lucy smiled. "Alright, let's move the ship close to the shore. Tashina and I will gather some supplies before we use the longboat."

"Eff yuh nuh mind, wi cya gatha herbs pan di island," Tashina asked.

"Sure if you spot some, but finding the tribe is the main focus. We can't waste time on this island."

"Mi undastan."

"Me too," said Ivy

"Me too too," Charles added with a finger up.

Lucy smirked.

*****

"What is taking you so long!?" Captain Flipper just returned to the game after he ate his pizza. He expected his penguin crew to finish picking the ice blockage down before he returned. The hull was clear, but the drill was still inside the ice.

"We are sorry, captain," said Baffy, "the ice is harder than we thought. Our pickaxes aren't strong enough to break it down faster."

The captain ran his flipper down his face. He never thought he could crash into an iceberg since he started to play Skulls and Crossbones. He knew there were stronger pickaxes at shops that could break the ice faster. But he relied too much on his drill to solve all his problems. Plus the pickaxes were expensive to purchase for his entire crew.

Captain Flipper approached his railing and rested his beak on it, sighing. But then he saw three shadow figures waking down the ice mount toward his ship.

Flipper grabbed his spyglass on the poopdeck and stared through it.

The strangers were polar bears wearing woolen tunics and armor plates. Each of them carried axes and wore shields on their backs.

Iceberg Bandit Level: 20 Race: Polar bear HP: 200 Non-player character

Iceberg Bandit Level: 20 Race: Polar bear HP: 200 Non-player character

Iceberg Bandit Level: 20 Race: Polar bear HP: 200 Non-player character

Flipper lowered his spyglass and frowned. So we penguins are about to battle our natural predators.

He heard about iceberg bandits who hide among the enormous chunk of ice to ambush bypassing ships. Whenever an iceberg melts, they sail to the next one and repeat. A weird type of pirates, but that was their own way of raiding ships.

The polar bears stopped near the ship, and one of them pointed his ax at Flipper. "You up there!"

Captain Flipper pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Give us your loot, and we will leave your ship alone!" Their leader shouted.

Flipper chuckled. "Why should I? There are only three of you!"

"Wrong!" The bandit pointed his ax toward the east. "There are more of us from the other side. If you don't obey our command, we will attack!"

Flipper glared. He couldn't afford to give up all his supplies to a tribe of savages. He needed all his items for the dungeon raid on Ghost Island. Without them, he and his crew will not survive.

Nobody has ever stepped foot on the island and told anyone about it. As far as Flipper expected, all the mobs on the island were stronger with unique effects. If Flipper dies on the island, he might respawn some place else off the island. He couldn't take any risk if he wanted to complete the dungeon raid on an unbeatable island.

Captain Flipper pulled out his sword and pointed it down at the polar bears. "You ice loving fools! You can try, but my crew will destroy you all! Nobody steals from Captain Flipper! Nobody!"

The bears growled.

"So be it!" Their leader shouted. "We will bring back more to claim your loot and your lives!" He chuckled. "You better be prepared for battle."

Flipper smiled. "I will! You bet your furry butts you will!"

The bears roared and marched away. They said there were more of them, but how many more? Flipper hates it when the stupid NPCs never tell him specifically.

Baffy climbed onto the poopdeck and walked toward his captain. "We are almost done with the drill, captain. We can sail before those fiends return and-"

"Nonsense." Flipper placed his wings behind his back. "Tell my crew to prepare for battle. I want all the bandits wiped off this iceberg."

"Are you sure that is wise? We don't know how many bandits there are."

Flipper turned toward his right-hand officer. "Then send a couple of scouts to observe the enemy. But I want everyone armed and ready. Tonight, the penguins will be the ones on top of the food chain!"

Baffy bowed. "Aye, captain. We will be ready before our enemies arrive."

"Good!" Flipper smiled at the east.

Killing the bandits will aware him of more experience points to help him level up more before he reaches Ghost Island. After he destroys the entire bandit tribe, he will check their loot to find anything useful. The more supplies he could get his flippers on, the more gold he could earn. It would also give him some spare time to do before Ghost Island shows up again. Better than sailing around into boredom in the open sea. Flipper couldn't wait to slaughter the polar bears. That would be a good way to show how penguin pirates were stronger than their enemies.