The Ultimate Escape

Dudu sprang high into the air like a tightly coiled spring launching loose, his rainbow hair bouncing wildly.

"BOING!"

His leg coiled mid-air like a steel spring, then—

"SPRING DROP KICK!"

WHAM!

Eleo blocked with both arms, skidding backward, his feet scraping the deck. The force nearly launched him off the ship.

Eleo gritted his teeth. "Whoa—! Okay, ow. That kinda hurt."

Dudu landed back on the deck, stretching his shoulders.

"Hey, Mr. Rat! You gonna help me or what?!"

Bo's giant pet rat twitched its nose, then charged at Eleo with blinding speed.

SQUEEEEEEK!

In four seconds...

BAM! SMACK! CRUNCH!

The rat was already on the ground, dazed, holding up a tiny white flag in surrender.

The entire crew stared.

Dudu's jaw dropped. "...You gotta be kidding me."

Eleo dusted off his hands. "Huh. Guess I'm stronger than a rat."

Dudu facepalmed. "...No shit, idiot."

He flopped onto the ship dramatically, groaning.

Eleo cracked his knuckles. "Okay, my turn—INK!"

He clapped his hands together.

His arms transformed into a massive black cannon.

"INK CANNON!"

BOOOOM!

A huge black ink ball blasted toward Dudu.

Dudu's eyes widened. "CRAP—!"

He instantly stretched his legs, making them ridiculously tall to dodge.

The ink cannonball sailed right past him.

BAM!

It smashed into the ship's hull instead.

Dudu's face went pale. "Ah shit—"

The ship shook violently.

Dudu blinked. "...Maybe I shoulda just let him hit me."

Dudu turned to his crew. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, YOU LAZY BASTARDS! FIX THE SHIP!"

His crew groaned, rolling on the floor like they'd been mortally wounded.

"Ughhh, boss... We're dying over here..."

Dudu squinted. "...YOU ASSHOLES WERE FAKING?!"

The crew sprang up in perfect sync.

"Sorry, boss!"

Dudu facepalmed again.

Meanwhile, Eleo bolted toward the ship's railing.

"Welp, time to go!"

He jumped off the flying ship.

Dudu, BK, Bo, and the entire crew ran to the railing and leaned over, staring down.

Silence.

Bo scratched his head. "...I guess he didn't wanna die to us?"

The entire crew turned to look at him.

A beat of silence.

Then—

They all BURST INTO LAUGHTER.

The entire crew collapsed onto the deck, rolling in laughter.

Dudu wiped away tears. "Alright, alright—somebody get the binoculars. Let's see if the bunny actually survives."

Dudu snatched the binoculars from his crew and scanned the water below.

Nothing.

No splashes, no floating bodies—just the vast, endless sea.

He smirked, tossing the binoculars over his shoulder. "Welp, sucks for them. Guess they're gonna drown. HA! Sucks to be them!"

The crew burst into cheers.

Dudu clapped his hands. "Alright, boys, let's get moving! I need to find Kuma and beat his ass! Then I'LL be the strongest!"

The crew roared.

"YEEEAAAAHHH!!!"

BOOM!

The ship rocketed forward at ridiculous speed, disappearing into the sky like a shooting star.

Eleo drifted beneath the surface, his eyes wide with wonder as he looked around. He attempted to speak, but only bubbles escaped his mouth. A laugh bubbled up, and he poked at the shimmering orbs, delight dancing in his gaze.

With a sudden burst of energy, he swam back toward the light filtering through the surface. As he broke through, he gasped, "Wow! That was so cool! Look at the bubbles!" His excitement bubbled over, yet he quickly realized, "But I have no boat or anything to travel with... Oh, wait! I can do this!"

Concentrating, he formed a bubble made of ink, watching it swell and shimmer. "Whoa! This is so cool!" he exclaimed, wonder filling his voice. "This is incredible! Hahaha!"

Curiosity tugged at him as he gazed at the inky bubble. "Hmm, I wonder what's under here..." Without hesitation, he plunged his head through the bubble and into the cool water. His wide eyes scanned the vibrant underwater world.

Schools of colorful fish darted past, shimmering like tiny rainbows. Crabs scuttled along the sandy bottom, and turtles glided gracefully through the currents. Eleo's thoughts raced with excitement.

"Wow, look at all this! I thought there'd be nothing but water... maybe a seaweed or two. This is amazing!" He resurfaced, shaking his head to rid his fur of water. A moment of solitude washed over him, and he sighed. "Okay, Eleo, you're alone, and that's okay. You're in the middle of nowhere."

He sat down, mulling over his thoughts. "Man, maybe I was too cocky. I kinda wanna go back to Abby..." But then he shook his head vigorously, dispelling the doubts. "No, Eleo, you can't give up!"

With renewed determination, he pushed the bubble forward. Hours passed as he exerted himself, but finally, he spotted land. With a burst of exhilaration, he hopped out of his bubble.

Eleo glanced up at the towering forest in front of him. The trees loomed high, their thick canopy blocking most of the sunlight. "So... this is an island? Or maybe it's, like... Chicken Island? Or Random Jungle Island?" He rubbed his head in confusion, his ears twitching. "Welp, only one way to find out!"

He stood up, brushing sand off his overalls. "Alright, jungle, show me what you've got!" he declared confidently, stepping into the dense forest. But as soon as he took his first step, a low growl echoed from the shadows.

Eleo froze. "Uh... okay. On second thought... maybe you don't have to show me everything right away." He chuckled nervously, inching forward. "But, y'know, I'm not scared or anything. Nope. Totally fine. Just a friendly bunny exploring a mysterious island. What could possibly go wrong?"

And with that, he ventured deeper into the forest.

Eleo strolled through the forest, hopping over roots and ducking under low-hanging branches, his voice echoing through the trees as he sang a completely ridiculous song:

"I'm a bunny, a super strong bunny,

Not too smart, but my punches are funny!

Hop to the left, hop to the right,

I'll kick a bad guy right outta sight!

Carrots are yummy, I eat them all day,

Except when they're stolen, then I make 'em pay!

Do-do-do-do, I'm the best, oh yeah,

Who needs a plan when you've got bunny flair?"

He added a little skip to his step, spinning around dramatically as he continued, his voice getting louder:

"Strongest in the world, you better watch out,

When Eleo's around, bad guys will shout!

'Oh no, it's that bunny, he's coming for us!'

And I'll say, 'Darn right!' while they cry and fuss!"

As he was about to launch into the next nonsensical verse, a faint murmur stopped him in his tracks. He perked up his ears, tilting his head to listen.

Voices.

He crouched low, his nose twitching. "Wait... is that people talking?" he whispered to himself, excitement bubbling up. "Alright, Eleo, time to make some new friends—or punch some bad guys. Maybe both!"

Eleo crawled into the bush, parting the leaves carefully to get a better look at the scene ahead. His wide eyes locked onto the unusual figure tangled in a net hanging from the trees.

The girl had large, almond-shaped eyes with bright golden-yellow irises that glowed faintly in the dim light, their luminescence unmistakably revealing her demonic heritage. Her rich, dark brown skin shimmered with an exotic and regal air, suggesting someone of great importance.

Her dark purple hair, styled in playful high ponytails, swayed lightly with her movements. Ornate hairpins shaped like intricate symbols rested in her hair, adding to her royal appearance. Her outfit was unlike anything Eleo had ever seen—she wore a dark, velvety dress that shifted between deep purple and black with every flicker of light. Gold embroidery in the shape of ancient demonic symbols adorned the fabric, giving her an almost mystical aura.

Her long, bell-shaped sleeves pulsed faintly with a red glow, as though imbued with some kind of magic. She also wore knee-high boots with silver buckles shaped like demon wings, completing her striking, otherworldly appearance.

Eleo's jaw dropped slightly. "Whoa... she looks... weird. But, like, a cool weird? Is she... evil? I mean, she's in a net, so maybe she's not the bad one? Or maybe she is? But those two guys don't seem so nice either..."

The girl thrashed against the net, her golden-yellow eyes glowing brighter with fury. Her voice was sharp and venomous, laced with a commanding edge. "Let me go, you pathetic jerks! Do you have any idea who you're messing with? My knights will find you, and when they do, they'll cut your tongues out and serve them to the hounds!"

The two men in suits exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter, their cruel cackles echoing through the forest.

"Yeah, right," said the first man, his smug grin widening. "A demon princess, huh? Spare us the drama. Your knights aren't here, and you're nothing but a payday to us."

The second man sneered, stepping closer to the net and inspecting her horns. "You demons think you're so special. But you're just parts to us. Horns, tail, wings—they're worth a fortune on the black market. Imagine how much we'll make off you!"

The girl's eyes widened in horror for a split second before narrowing into a murderous glare. Her voice dripped with venomous sarcasm. "Oh, brilliant plan, genius. You want to mess with me, a demon princess, and think you'll live to brag about it? I'm going to enjoy ripping you both apart limb by limb when I get out of this net."

"Yeah, yeah," said the first man, waving dismissively. "You wouldn't even scratch us. Now stop squirming; it'll make this easier."

Hidden in the bushes, Eleo crouched low, his ears twitching as he whispered to himself. "Okay, uh... so, demon? What's a demon? Is she bad? I mean, she looks angry enough to bite their heads off, but those two guys... They don't seem nice either." He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Are they the bad guys? Or is she the bad one? Ugh, why is this so confusing?!"

He peeked through the leaves again, watching the girl thrash violently, her hairpins catching the light as she struggled.

The demon girl snarled, her voice dripping with disdain. "You're lucky I don't have my magic right now, or you'd already be piles of ash! When my knights find me, you're both dead men walking. And trust me, I'll make sure it's slow and painful."

The second man chuckled, clearly unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah. Keep dreaming, princess. We've heard it all before. Now shut it, or we'll gag you."

"I'd like to see you try," she snapped, her sharp teeth glinting as she bared them at her captors.

Eleo scratched his head, frowning. "Okay, she's definitely scary... but they're kinda scary too. So who's the real bad guy here?" He hesitated, his hand twitching over the bush as he debated whether to jump in or stay hidden.