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Clang!

The pirate’s eyes went wide when his blade slid off my own that had appeared out of my sleeve. But before he could make a move, I lunged forward, stabbing straight into his hand.

“Aaaagh!”

Jackal’s blood-stained knife dropped to the sand with a thud. Slamming my foot down on it, I kicked it out of the way and smirked up at my enemy smugly. There was a delicious amount of shock on his face, his eyes wide as dinner plates as he stared at my weapon.

“What did you expect? A fair fight?”

Jackal sent me a savage glair. “I’m gonna gut you, piggy!”

Wiping his bloody hand on his face, he sent me a blood-stained smirk that sent a chill down my spine. Then he simply extended his hand—and promptly, one of the other pirates standing in a circle around us deposited a knife in it.

No fair fight indeed.

I was screwed. I realized that. I considered myself a tough lady. But tough enough to win a knife fight with a pirate while several months pregnant? Ha! Keep dreaming, mate!

Not that I have time for dreams right now.

I had to come up with a plan, and fast. Because, guess what? To hell with me not having a chance! To hell with me being big as a balloon! I wasnotgoing to die today! I wasnotgoing to allow that piss-face of a pirate to hurt my baby!

Time to fight!

I took up a stance. Or at least something closely resembling one.

“Oh-ho!” Jack the Jackal chuckled, stalking closer. “Seems like the little piggy is planning to fight!”

I nodded. “I am.”

The entire crew burst out laughing.

“So, what are you gonna do?” my opponent chuckled. “What are you gonna do, little piggy?”

“This,” I told him.

Then I dropped to my knees in front of him and clasped my hands together pleadingly. “Please! Please don’t hurt me! I have no clue how to fight! I’m just a cook! I promise, I’ll serve you all for the rest of my life, I…I…”

“Are you crying? Ha!” Throwing his head back, Jackal gave a bark of laughter. “He’s crying, mates! The little piggy is crying!” Slowly, he stroked the edge of his knife with one finger. “Want me to give you areasonto cry?”

“P-please, no!”

Bending forward, I did my best approximation of a kowtow. With my bulging belly, it didn’t really end up being a very good one. Still, I knelt trembling on the ground, my eyes lowered and my fingers clenched into the sand.

“P-please…”

“Hahahaha!” Jackal gave another burst of laughter. “Please what? Spare you? Let you lick my boots?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Please hold still.”

Then I moved. In a blink, my hand shot up, hurling a fist full of sand straight into the pirate’s face.

“Mwaaah! Agh! Grakh!”

Jackal hacked and coughed, clutching his face as he twisted in agony. “My eyes! My eyes, you bloody—”