The Captain was silent as he sat on a log near the fire, his gaze lost on the horizon, the line between the sea and the night sky was barely discernible under the white moonlight. A sigh left his lips before he took another long swig of rum, hoping that he could drown his sorrows with alcohol.

Although this was not often the case, Kid was no stranger to the bitter taste of defeat, but this one did sting more than most. It had been foolish and irresponsible of him to underestimate a pirate like Red-Hair Shanks, and his recklessness had cost him his left arm, more than half his crew and his ship. The Victoria Punk, in fact, was barely afloat after the fight, which had forced them to land on the first island, in desperate need of wood, supplies and medicinal herbs. Killer, his right-hand man, had insisted that he lead the expedition inside the island so that his captain could rest and regain his strength. He had entered the jungle shortly after dawn with some of his companions and had not yet returned. Kid couldn't help but worry he'd lost him too.

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a chorus of shouts and laughter. Kid turned his head towards his crew, ready to shout them off, but the words died in his throat as he watched them gather at the entrance to the jungle, around his breathless first mate.

"Killer!" Kid yelled, springing up and striding forward to meet him. "Move and let him breathe, you idiots!" he then barked at his men, who were still hanging around their comrade like a pack of hungry wolves.

"We need to get out of here, Kid," Killer said, still trying to catch his breath, "and soon."

"So that we can sink less than a mile from the coast?" retorted the Captain sarcastically.

"A better fate than the one that awaits us if we stay," the first mate replied in a serious tone, looking him straight in the eye.

If it had been any other member of his crew to make such a request, Kid would have sliced them up without hesitation; but it was different coming from Killer. In his deep blue irises, the Captain was surprised to catch a glimpse of an emotion that had never been there before: fear. His friend would have never suggested escaping and abandoning their comrades without a valid reason. Whatever had happened in the jungle had scarred him deeply.

"Tell me what happened," Kid said in a grave voice.

Killer sighed. "Fine," he said, before nodding towards a log nearby and sitting down. Kid followed.

"We found an old house in the middle of the jungle. It seemed unapproachable at first, because of all the beasts that surrounded it, but when they didn't harm us we decided to check it out. It seemed abandoned but it could have had some useful supplies." He paused, looking down, trying to find the right words and the courage to continue. "It wasn't abandoned. There was a woman inside. She was gorgeous, Kid, more than any woman I've ever seen. And the others thought the same: they couldn't keep their eyes off her, it was like they completely forgot about everything else. She invited us in and offered us food and something to drink. The men didn't hesitate to accept, of course."

"And why didn't you join them?" the Captain asked, not liking the turn that the story was taking. They were supposed to find supplies for the ship and the injured, not to fool around with a random woman.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to," he replied. "But something felt off. And thinking about it now, I'm glad I didn't."

Kid shot him a questioning look, impatient for him to continue.

"They turned into swine, Kid. She turned them into swine. All of them."

"What?" the Captain roared, jumping to his feet.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I saw it with my own eyes," Killer sighed and run a hand through his messy blond locks. "I'm not a lunatic. And I'm not a liar. Our men turned into pigs right in front of me."

Kid could not believe his ears, it seemed like the ramblings of a madman. But the Captain knew that, even if it sounded impossible, it had to be true. A sigh left his lips as he glanced at the sea one last time, as to promise that he would soon sail again. He then set out into the jungle, ignoring the cries and complaints of his comrades. He would have gotten to the bottom of this story and no one would have ever been able to convince him otherwise.

Killer followed his friend with his eyes until he saw him disappear into the thick vegetation. "That's enough," he barked at his crewmates, "or do you doubt your Captain?"

Upon hearing those words, the men fell silent. In their hearts, everyone knew that when Kid set his mind on something, he didn't waver. And their Captain wasn't the kind of man who would abandon his crew at the mercy of a witch.

✵✵✵✵

"Damn it," Kid cursed, cutting off yet another plant that had had the misfortune of being on his path. The heart of the island resembled a tropical rainforest, it was warm and humid, with dense and lush vegetation. If the Captain was already irked before, his mood worsened with every step.
Kid was not sure how long had passed since he had entered the jungle, when he found himself in a small clearing. In the centre, sitting in front of a small bonfire, there was an old man, who as soon as he saw him invited him to sit by his side.

"Who are you and what do you want from me, old man?" the Captain inquired.

"Who I am is not of great importance, but heed my advice, young one," he replied calmly. "About the Witch you're so eager to defy."

Kid was surprised to hear those words, the Witch must have had a reputation for the old man to be able to guess so easily that he had a feud with her so easily.

"Then speak, old man. I'm listening."

"I was once a lost soul, much like yourself," the elder said, his gaze lost in the flames as memories flooded his mind. "Not many moons ago, I was working on an old merchant ship when we were approached by a vessel with black sails. They must have been in quite a hurry, they annihilated us quickly, without caring about taking prisoners or seizing the cargo. Then fate took me to this island. I was at the gates of death, I never thought I would survive the night." The old man sighed, the pain and terror of that day had left an ugly scar on his soul. "But it was not my time to die just yet. I thought I saw an angel, a wonderful creature come to take me to the afterlife. Only a few days later I discovered that I had no such vision, but that it was a girl who found me dying on the beach and nursed me back to health. A young woman so beautiful that the goddesses had to curse her to protect her."

"Curse her?"

"She was born with such beauty, grace and purity of heart that she was bound to become prey to the greed of men. She would have never found anyone who appreciated the beauty of her soul, no one worthy of her trust or her love. Any man would have only seen her blond braids and her emerald eyes, and that would have been enough to want her for themselves. So the goddesses cursed her. Now any man who looks at her with lustful eyes, any man who has impure thoughts about her, is bound to turn into an animal. And if my instincts do not deceive me, this was the fate that befell your companions, and the reason why your heart now craves revenge so ardently."

The old man's words were so deep that they managed to touch even the most untouchable of hearts. Upon hearing them, the Captain could only turn his anger towards himself: for the second time, he had underestimated his opponent, blindly letting himself be guided by pride. The woman he had taken very little time to judge as a cruel enemy was not so different from him. A pirate relies heavily on his reputation, his appearance and how much terror his name can arouse in the hearts of those who hear it. Kid was too used to not being seen for who he was but for who he appeared to be.

With a sigh, the Captain stood up and resumed his journey, stopping only for a moment to murmur a "thank you" to the old man, who had not moved from his position.

✵✵✵✵

The Captain soon reached the house Killer had been talking about. The shining of its stones in the moonlight gave it an almost mystical aspect, as if entering it meant passing the veil between reality and dream. Kid stopped at the threshold. He took a deep breath, then pushed the wooden door, inviting himself inside. Before his eyes, there was a scene so wonderful that the man had to pinch himself to be sure it was real. The woman was as beautiful as Killer had described her. Her snow-white skin, her long golden hair that fell softly along her arms, her beautiful emerald eyes focused on the frame in front of her, her graceful hands intent on weaving the threads. The Captain needed all the discipline and self-control he could muster not to imagine her in a context that would have certainly caused him to turn into a pig.

He cleared his voice, catching her attention. He spoke before he could think about what he was going to say. "I'm here to apologise," he said.

She gave him a surprised look, taken aback by his words. "What for?" she asked.

"The behaviour of my men."

"The actions and thoughts of those you speak of are not in your control, do not take their blame just because they sail with you," she replied, giving him a sincere smile.

"I am the Captain, the behaviour of my crew is my responsibility," he continued seriously. "So I ask that you please accept this apology."

"Very well then, apology accepted."

Kid finally released the breath he hadn't even noticed he was holding. The woman stood up and motioned for him to sit with her at a table already set. He nodded, following her.

"I must admit, this is an unexpected visit, Captain."

"Kid. My name is Kid. May I be so bold to ask yours?"

"Eliana," she replied simply, her eyes locking with his. She was looking for any sign that could tell her what kind of person she had in front of her, a hidden desire, a dark motive, a reason to be alert. Much to her surprise, however, she found none. His eyes were sincere.

It was at that moment that she finally realised that the man had not yet turned into a pig. The curse did not affect him, could it be possible that that pirate was the answer to her prayers? The one she had been waiting for, the man who would have seen her for who she was, without dwelling solely on her appearance. Eliana smiled instinctively at that possibility, earning a questioning look from her guest, who of course couldn't know what was going on in her mind.

"Is everything all right?" Kid asked, not knowing how to interpret her silence.

Before the woman could answer him, however, their attention was captured by numerous voices coming from the backyard. The Captain sprang up and rushed outside, without bothering to ask for her permission, but somehow relieved to hear her following him. Once they reached the fences in the back garden, the two were shocked to notice that there were no animals inside, but men in flesh and bone.

The curse has been lifted, Eliana thought. She could not herself say why it had happened, but was glad to no longer be the cause of the suffering of others nonetheless.

The Captain took note of her behaviour, he saw the surprise painted on her face and saw her eyes shine brightly, as if a great burden had just left her heart. She was never cruel, he told himself, it is this world that is cruel.