Pendera 

This is the mysterious world of the Gunma Prefecture, where talking animals and humans live together in harmony.
Situated there is Safari City, where many animals live happily every day.

Now, Safari City is home to a famous police chief. His name is Pendera. He is an emperor penguin who was sent to Gunma Prefecture from Antarctica. Compared to Antarctica, Gunma is very hot, so Pendera seems to be struggling a bit. But his police spirit burns just as fiercely as the summer heat!

With his strong sense of justice, physical strength, and reliability, Pendera is like an older brother to everyone. …Though his only flaw is that he’s a bit forgetful.

But don’t worry, his partner and subordinate Doyle is there to back him up! Doyle may be smaller than Pendera, but he’s also a penguin, and he’s very smart and hardworking.

Pendera and Doyle are a famous duo in Gunma Prefecture, and they’ve arrested countless criminals so far.

…However, their target this time seems to be much bigger than ever before.

The evil orca Orka and his gang, known for being “utterly wicked”… it seems their evil clutches are closing in on Safari City.

Will Pendera and Doyle manage to capture them?

After receiving a call from Shirota, the manager of Safari City’s top supermarket, Pendera and Doyle rushed to the scene.

“What’s going on? Is this some major incident?”
“Um… I’m not sure about it yet.”

According to Shirota, recently, all but one type of candy in the store has been bought up.

“We keep restocking, and the same thing happens right away…”
“But that doesn’t mean the store is losing money, does it?”
“True, but we’re getting complaints from customers. And customers are our lifeblood! They’re like gods to us! …This is starting to become a bit of a problem.”

Apparently, the candy that’s left on the shelves is slightly more expensive than the others. But since the other candies aren’t available, customers have no choice but to buy this one.

“Hmm, I understand how you feel, but can we really classify this as a crime…?”
“…Pendera-san! It seems we’re getting similar reports from other stores too!”
“What!?”

After hearing Doyle’s report, Pendera thought to himself.

(It would be one thing if it were just Shirota-san’s store, but the fact that similar hoarding incidents are happening all over Safari City is suspicious… Could it be…?!)

“…This must be the work of Orka’s gang!”
“Huh!? You mean that elusive phantom thief!?”

Pendera gave Shirota, who was looking surprised, a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry. Doyle and I will definitely arrest Orka. …Alright, Doyle! Let’s start investigating!” “Yes!”

The “Candy Hoarding Incident.” Sensing the involvement of Orka’s gang behind this case, Pendera decided to set up a sting operation.

“These are candies with a tracking device made by Doyle. Please mix these in with the regular stock and put them on the shelves.”
“I see! So whoever buys these is the one we’re looking for! …But it seems a different person buys up all the candy every time?”
“Don’t underestimate Orka’s gang… Especially their leader – his disguise skills are infuriatingly impressive.”

Just as Pendera said, it was rumored that the phantom thief Orka’s disguise skills were unmatched, and no one knew his true face. Orka also had other allies, such as the intimidating shark Jawge and the stingray Stig, who was a master driver.

After hearing Pendera’s explanation, Shirota sighed in admiration.

“Huh… With an opponent that formidable, an amateur like me would never be able to uncover his true identity.”
“But with these candies made by Doyle, there’s no problem!”
“Ah, yes… These really do look just like our products. Doyle-san, you’re quite the craftsman, aren’t you?”
“Hehehe. Thank you.”

…Just as they were having this heartwarming conversation, the tracking device reacted!

“Pendera-san!”
“Alright! Let’s go after them!”

Guided by the transmitter, Pendera and Doyle arrived at a warehouse.
When they opened the door, they found themselves in a sea of candy.

“Yikes!? You’re Inspector Pendera!?”
“Jawge from Orka’s gang! You’re under arrest!”

Inside the warehouse was Jawge the shark. Though he looked tough, he was actually a coward, and the moment he saw Pendera’s face, he took off running.

“I won’t let you get away!”
“Damn it! Eat this!”

Jawge fired a candy machine gun loaded with surplus candy to keep Pendera and Doyle at bay.

“Ouch! Ouch, ouch, ooooooouch!”
“T-this actually hurts quite a bit!”

While all this was going on, Jawge managed to escape.

“D-damn you!”

Unable to capture Orka’s gang, Pendera stomped his feet in frustration, but the level-headed Doyle took a moment to reflect.

(Sure, buying up all the candy isn’t great, but they did pay full price for it. And even though the candy Orka and co. were selling was a bit pricey, it had a certain high-end feel to it and tasted delicious… Maybe Orka’s gang is actually quite meticulous?)

Thinking about it that way, Doyle found himself unable to really hate Orka’s gang.

This time, the tip came from the manager of an arcade.

“Lately, all the coins used in the arcade games have become chocolate…”
“What!?”

Upon investigation, it was true. Every token inside the arcade cabinets was a chocolate coin.

“These chocolates are incredibly delicious, and very well-made, so they’re popular with collectors and sell for a high price… but if this keeps up, I won’t be able to run the shop anymore.”
“What a malicious scheme… This must be the work of Orka’s gang!”
“What should we do, Pendera-san?”

Unlike last time, a sting operation probably won’t work here.
After thinking for a moment, Pendera made a decision.

“Alright! This time, we’ll go undercover!”

The “Coin Chocolate Forgery Case.” To investigate it, Pendera and Doyle were pretending to be customers and playing at an arcade.

“Pendera-san! This rhythm game is so much fun!”
“Oh! All Justice! Not bad, Doyle!”

…They ended up getting seriously into the game, but as soon as Pendera spotted a suspicious person, he immediately switched back to his inspector persona.

“Let’s follow that guy!”
“Huh? Why?”
“I caught a sweet scent when he walked by… And look at his pants! Those are chocolate stains!”

Following the suspicious figure, they arrived at a secret chocolate factory.

Standing in front of a chocolate tank was Stig from Orka’s gang.

“It’s Orka’s gang! You’re under arrest!”
“Inspector Pendera!? Oh no!!”

Noticing Pendera, Stig knocked over the tank full of chocolate!
Thick, piping-hot chocolate gushed out from inside!

“Oh nooooo!!”
“I-it’s hot! P-Pendera-san! What should we do?! We can’t chase them!”

Pendera and Doyle couldn’t help but scream at the heat of the chocolate… but it seemed Pendera’s police spirit was even hotter than the chocolate itself.

“Huh!? I’m a penguin! I’ll swim right through this sea of chocolate!! Woooaaah!!”
“What!?”
“P-Pendera-san!?”

Stig was momentarily startled by Pendera swimming through the sea of chocolate with the momentum of a bird in flight, but he quickly changed his strategy.

“…Then how about this!”

Stig activated the cooling system, instantly freezing the chocolate.
Pendera and Doyle were frozen solid and couldn’t move.

“D-daaaaaaaamn it!!”
“Hahaha! Bye-bye, you foolish detectives!”

Stig escaped by sliding across the frozen chocolate on his surfboard.

…As a side note, after this incident, the chocolate molded from Pendera and Doyle was reportedly praised by collectors as “an incredibly detailed, life-size penguin chocolate!” and sold for a high price.

Today, Pendera and Doyle have the day off. Since they had the chance, the two decided to go to the aquarium together.

“Pendera-san! Thanks for coming with me today!”
“It’s no big deal. I was free anyway. …But why the aquarium?”
“I really like aquariums. They’re quiet, and there are so many different kinds of fish. I never get tired of watching them… Plus, I heard the aquarium we’re going to today has this!”
“What… IllumiJellyfish?”
“The IllumiJellyfish is a newly discovered species of jellyfish that emits a very beautiful light. I’ve wanted to see one for a long time! I’m so excited!”

Pendera smiled fondly at his partner, who was speaking with sparkling eyes.

“…I see. Well, let’s head over there as soon as possible.”
“Yay!”

…However, when they finally arrived at the aquarium, they were met with very sad news.

“Huh!? The IllumiJellyfishes were stolen!?”
“Y-yes… Early this morning, every single one of them was stolen by someone.”
“No way… I was really looking forward to seeing them.”

Doyle couldn’t help but look dejected. Seeing his partner sad, Pendera stood up.

“…I can’t let my precious partner be sad. Alright, I’ll get the IllumiJellyfishes back!”
“Huh!? B-but how are you going to get them back?”
“To keep that many of those, you need a huge tank and plenty of food. We just need to track down whoever bought all that stuff at once recently.”
“I-I see! That’s just like you, Pendera-san! Since IllumiJellyfishes need special food, I’m sure we’ll find them!”

…Will Pendera and Doyle be able to get the IllumiJellyfishes back safely?

While Pendera and Doyle were off duty, they went around the aquarium shops in Safari City (admittedly a bit of an abuse of power) and finally got a tip that “someone bought a giant tank and food for the IllumiJellyfishes!”

“What do we do from here, Pendera-san?”
“…If we dawdle, there’s a risk the culprit will get away… Alright! Let’s conduct a compulsory search!”

When Pendera and Doyle stormed the house in question, the ones who came out were none other than the familiar Jawge and Stig from Orka’s gang.

“Oh, hey~! The pizza guy was quick, wasn’t he? …Wait, Pendera!?”
“Y-you! Stig!!”

It seems Orka’s gang was planning to use the beautiful IllumiJellyfishes to create Hinstagrammable spots and swindle money from couples.

“W-was this your doing?! Orka’s gang!! You’re under arrest!!”

Pendera and Doyle were surprised by their sudden encounter with Orka’s gang, but the thieves were just as surprised. Jawge, who was particularly timid, ran away the moment he saw Pendera’s face.

“R-ruuuuun!!”
“Ah! Hey, wait a sec!!”

Orka’s gang, known for their speed, shook off Pendera and fled.
Pendera couldn’t help but sigh, thinking his vacation had turned out to be a total disaster…

“…Wow. So this is a real IllumiJellyfish~ It’s beautiful.”

Seeing Doyle looking so enchanted and satisfied with the IllumiJellyfishes, Pendera seemed happy too.

(Orka’s gang got away… but I got the IllumiJellyfishes back, so I’ll call it a good day!)

One day, the director of the Safari City Art Museum contacted Pendera.

“…Whaaaat?! A calling card from Orka’s gang!? And they’re going to steal that White Tiger!?”

The White Tiger is a statue modeled after Mayor Wild, the legendary tiger said to have founded Safari City.
It was an exceptionally gorgeous statue, made entirely of diamonds, created to honor Mayor Wild, who had brilliant leadership under the slogan “Government with a Wild Roar!”

“If the White Tiger is stolen, it would be a tremendous loss for Safari City… no, for Gunma Prefecture!”

Perhaps he was imagining the worst-case scenario? Doyle’s face seemed to have paled slightly. But the brave inspector Pendera did not flinch.

“…It’ll be fine, Doyle! We’ll definitely protect the White Tiger and arrest Orka!”

And so, under Pendera’s direction, extremely tight security was put in place. It was a situation where not even a single ant could slip through.

(Hehehe. With this, even Orka’s gang wouldn’t dare make a move!)

…And then the time written on the calling card arrived!

Exactly at the time reported on the calling card, all the lights in the museum went out at once!

“I-it’s pitch black!”
“Calm down! Go check the electrical panel!”

The museum was in complete panic! Staff members rushed to fix the electrical panel, and the lights came back on safely shortly after, but…

“IT’S GONE!! THE WHITE TIGER HAS VANISHED!!”

Unbelievably, the White Tiger, which had been in the display case just moments ago, had disappeared!
At the same time, the sound of a car revving its engine could be heard from outside the museum.

“It’s Orka’s gang! Don’t let them get away! Chase them!”

Staff members and police officers alike gave chase after the speeding car.
Pendera and Doyle also left the hall where the incident occurred.

A short while later…

“Hehehe. What idiots. I never thought they’d be so easily fooled.”

A security guard approached the empty case. When the guard touched the case, the White Tiger suddenly appeared from inside!

“…And now, this beautiful White Tiger is mine!”

Yes, this security guard was actually Orka in disguise.
Orka had rigged the case containing the White Tiger in advance so that it would appear empty during the power outage, then deliberately had his subordinate’s car accelerate suddenly.

Just as Orka was about to open the case…

“Don’t move! …You’re Orka, aren’t you?”

Pendera and Doyle entered the hall, guns drawn. In fact, Inspector Pendera had seen through Orka’s trick and had deliberately left the hall to hide, to lure him into a false sense of security.

“I see… Inspector Pendera, you’re truly something else.”
“I won’t let you get away this time, Orka!”

Inspector Pendera, the pride of Gunma Prefecture, and Orka, the phantom thief who has stolen countless famous treasures.
Will this long-awaited showdown finally reach its conclusion?

“I won’t let you get away this time, Orka!”

With his pistol drawn, Pendera was determined to finally capture his arch-nemesis Orka, but Orka remained completely unfazed.

“Hmph… Did you really think I hadn’t prepared anything?”

As Orka raised his hand, a massive shower of sardines rained down from the ceiling!

“W-what~! S-sardines~! Aaaah… I can’t resist!!”

Sardines are Pendera’s absolute favorite! Distracted for a moment by the delicious aroma, Pendera actually let Orka escape!

“Gah! What a blunder!”
“Inspector! Let’s give chase!”

Pendera jumped into the car Doyle had prepared and gave chase after Orka. Now! The car chase begins!

Orka had fled onto the highway. His illegally modified car raced at breakneck speed, going head-to-head with Pendera’s patrol car!
However, the distance between Orka and Pendera was gradually closing!

“Orka! Everything you stole is…”

Pendera announced all the crimes committed by Orka’s gang over the loudspeaker.

“…After piling up all these crimes, doesn’t your conscience hurt at all?!”
“Hah, those are like my medals of honor!”
“Whoa!?”

Orka started throwing fish oil and sharp, pointed seashells at them.

“Eeeeek!”
“Doyle, hold on tight!”

Pendera skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel, dodging one obstacle after another. However, the intense acceleration and spinning made Doyle’s head spin.

Meanwhile, Pendera successfully cornered Orka in a section of the highway under construction.

“Haa… haa… …You can’t escape now, Orka!”
“…It seems so.”

Pendera has successfully recovered the White Tiger. All that was left was to apprehend Orka.

“Now, Orka… You’re finally under arrest! First, let me see your true face!”

Pendera stripped away Orka’s disguise! And then…

“W-what…!? O-Orka… You’re…!!”

To everyone’s surprise, what emerged from beneath the mask was the face of a stunningly beautiful lady!

“I-I can’t believe it… Orka, you were a woman?”

And not just any woman. Orka was a stunning beauty. Pendera found himself mesmerized by her face, a beauty he had never seen before. …But Orka wasn’t about to let him catch her off guard!

“Heh!”
“Guh!? Is this… A pepper smoke screen!?”

Leaving the choking Pendera behind, Orka escaped via parachute.

“Farewell, Inspector Pendera! …You’re the first person to ever see my true face! That was quite an interesting battle! See you again!”

As Pendera stood there in a daze after letting Orka escape, Doyle, who had finally woken up, came over.

“W-we did it, Inspector! We let Orka’s gang get away, but nothing was stolen, so the case is resolved!”

Doyle was overjoyed… but Pendera remained dazed. His face even seemed to be turning red.

“No, she stole something far more precious. …My heart.”
“Huh? …What’s wrong, Inspector?”

After Doyle shook him, Pendera finally snapped back to his senses.

“D-damn it! Orka! One day I will arrest you, I swear!”

Pendera shouted his renewed resolve toward the rising sun.

• ジョージ could have been translated (very boringly) as George, but I went with Jawge because it’s a shark. :t+ vs shark playing in the distance:

• Chunithm is canon in Animalia

• Episode 10’s title is a parody of a Japanese police comedy drama called Bayside Shakedown (踊る大捜査線, Odoru Daisousasen)