I once looked up to her. There was a time when… I wanted to be just like her. Maybe I didn’t really care about hunting the Whale. Instead, I was… envious of her. For her ability to focus on something so hard to the point where others considered you insane. Having a reason to live, to have something you can dedicate your entire being to. Ahab… Yeah. That’s the bait she sank into people’s hearts. You don’t realize it until she drags you out to the surface with the hook in your mouth. Because through the water, she looked so radiant. I was lucky. When she used Stubb like a net to ensnare the entire crew, I managed to stay out of it. If I hadn’t… I would’ve been one of her Pallidified crew by now. … But that’s all I did. All I did was staying out of it. I couldn’t—no. I thought I couldn’t do anything. All I managed to do was… survive. And all that’s left in my heart is vengeance. Obsession. Even now… I’m burning with the desire to squeeze the very life out of her. Written by Ishmael
