Chapter 107

Meanwhile, Miguel tiptoed toward the ship’s railing, taking advantage of the chaos and the turbulent foam that made it impossible to see clearly. The sea monster was still barely alive and wouldn’t bite, so the black-haired young man, trying to minimize the damage as quickly as possible, agilely flipped over the railing and hung onto the rope ladder. His cold fingers gripped the rough ladder, the friction cutting into his skin painfully, but Miguel didn’t hesitate for a moment. He knew he had to move fast. Once this chaos subsided and Caesar had a moment to spare—

“Hey, that piece of trash over there, sneaking off somewhere?”

—he would start meddling.

Miguel: “…”

A strong arm reached out from behind the railing and, without any room for negotiation, grabbed the wrist of the black-haired young man who was about to make a quick escape. Once again, like picking up a chick, Caesar threw Miguel back onto the deck, angrily scolding, “Can’t take my eyes off you for a second! Where are you running off to this time? That sea monster isn’t dead yet, are you in a hurry to feed it?” The captain’s face darkened, his earlier proud and commanding demeanor completely gone. With one hand on his hip, he instantly switched into the mode of a stern father lecturing his son.

Miguel: “…”

Laozi knows it’s not dead yet, that’s why I was about to stick Ghost Slayer into its skull to finish it off properly.

Behind Caesar, Zhizhi was anxiously jumping around, frantically gesturing for Miguel to hurry up. If that sea monster, which seemed impossible to kill, regained its strength, not even a god could save them. Zhizhi’s urgency made Miguel even more frantic. A flash of determination passed through the young man’s deep black eyes, and before anyone could react, he lunged forward, pushing Caesar aside. The man stumbled back two steps, a look of astonishment flashing across his handsome face—

Have you grown some balls now, daring to push Laozi?!

Miguel took two quick steps followed by a wide leap, and with a decisive move, he threw himself into the icy-cold seawater like a huge rock—splashing up an enormous spray that even hit the captain’s chin as he rushed to the railing.

Caesar: “…”

He’d taught pigs and sheep, but he could never teach the former navigator of the Wind Fury how to dive properly.

Even after ten thousand years, Miguel’s diving skills were still something to be ashamed of.

Standing at the railing, veins bulging on his temples, the man glared down at the sea with amber eyes that seemed ready to devour someone. He only saw fine foam rising with countless tiny bubbles, like a small fountain, but after waiting for about ten seconds, the captain finally lost his patience. With a fierce slap to the railing, wood splinters flying everywhere, everyone stared in shock as their captain also jumped into the sea.

What kind of bizarre plot twist was this?

The captain, worried about saving his “son,” assumed that Miguel, having landed so awkwardly, must have hit his head and was now drowning—

But what he didn’t expect was that Miguel, though indeed dazed from the impact, had quickly regained his senses through sheer willpower. Despite his vision darkening, the black-haired young man sinking into the depths soon took control of himself again. The icy seawater enveloped him, and the endless darkness and cold pressed in from all sides. Miguel struggled to move his limbs, even as his head throbbed more and more, the seawater stinging his brain like countless needles piercing him—

He mechanically paddled forward, heading toward the now blurry base of the statue. His body felt heavier and heavier, but he knew he was getting closer to his goal. He flipped over, changing his swimming style, and took Ghost Slayer from his waist, holding it between his teeth. Spitting out a mouthful of salty seawater, Miguel felt even his breathing becoming difficult, but he didn’t stop swimming for a second—

In fact, he swam faster and faster.

But no matter how fast he was, he couldn’t outpace Caesar.

The furious man, within three seconds of entering the water, immediately sensed the unnatural flow of the currents. He surfaced and spotted the black-haired young man struggling to swim dozens of meters away, surrounded by foam and tiny whirlpools. Caesar wiped his face, shaking off the seawater, and with a powerful push, he shot forward like a perfectly streamlined swordfish. In just a few strokes, he caught up to Miguel. Reaching out, he grabbed the young man, who was now sinking unconsciously—

Treading water, he pushed Miguel upward. Even Caesar, now submerged in the icy water, began to feel his breathing falter. But what made him want to curse was that the black-haired young man in his arms, now half-conscious, started to struggle. He mumbled something incomprehensible, but his movements were like an octopus clinging to Caesar, making it difficult for both of them to move—

“Stop fucking moving, will you?!” Finally, unable to take it anymore, Caesar slapped Miguel on the back, growling in a low, angry voice.

At that moment, the sea monster, which had been lying weakly at the base of the statue, let out a heavy breath. The seawater around it made faint cracking sounds, and then, wherever the monster’s breath touched, a thin layer of ice began to form.

The crew of the Wind Fury watched in stunned silence.

Everyone knew that if you were caught in that breath, you’d be trapped in the ice. By the time someone broke through to rescue you, you’d already be frozen to death.

And Caesar wasn’t even wearing a shirt.

Caesar reached out to grab the dagger from Miguel’s mouth, but the black-haired young man clenched his teeth tightly. With one arm wrapped around Miguel to keep him from sinking, the captain used his other hand to try and pry open Miguel’s jaw—the blade of the dagger, though already chipped from earlier battles with the Siren, was still sharp, and its edge had already cut into the corner of Miguel’s mouth—

A drop of blood dripped from the young man’s pale chin, splashing into the water.

Caesar frowned deeply, patting Miguel’s cheek: “Let go.”

Miguel ignored him, pushing the man away. He turned and started swimming toward the sea monster again, only to be yanked back by Caesar without a word. When he turned and collided with the man’s solid chest, feeling the warmth radiating from his skin, Miguel was caught off guard by a sharp, resounding slap that landed squarely on his left cheek.

Ghost Slayer flew out of his hand, but he managed to grab it mid-air. Spitting out a broken tooth, Miguel turned his head back to meet the man’s gaze, his expression calm.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” Caesar said through clenched teeth, almost word by word, “and the answer is—you don’t need to.”

“Good, because I wasn’t planning to ask you,” Miguel finally spoke, his voice steady despite the fact that his lips were blue and trembling from the cold water. “Not everything has to be about payback… and I don’t have to stay here. See, I’m from five hundred years in the future. If I die, it’s all over. That’s for the best…”

He reached out, touching the man’s jaw, now covered in a scruffy beard, and smiled: “You should shave.”

Caesar slapped away the hand that was messing with his chin, then thought better of it and grabbed it, holding it firmly in his own.

“Let me ask you something.”

“I won’t answer.”

“If we meet again in five hundred years, will you remember me?”

“…”

Miguel’s fingers were nearly crushed in Caesar’s grip, but he didn’t pull away. The two stared at each other in the icy water, like a scene from Titanic—except the Wind Fury wasn’t sinking, and the entire crew was watching in stunned silence as the two of them seemed to be saying their goodbyes.

Finally, Caesar couldn’t stand the stalemate any longer—if they stayed in this icy water much longer, both he and Miguel would end up with serious problems.

As the man’s amber eyes darkened, his gaze made Miguel’s heart skip a beat. A large hand cupped the back of his head, and with a forceful motion, Caesar pulled him close. Their cold lips met in a fierce, almost desperate kiss, like two starving beasts tearing into each other. The taste of blood spread between them as they bit and sucked at each other’s lips, until they were swollen and bleeding—

“Yes.”

Miguel smiled, satisfied.

“Come back with me, we’ll figure something out!” Caesar pulled Miguel, trying to swim back.

But Miguel stubbornly tugged in the opposite direction.

“You know there’s no other way,” Miguel shook off Caesar’s hand, treading water as he moved back, “You’re just trying to fool me.”

“You don’t have to die for me.”

“It’s not up to you,” Miguel wiped the corner of his mouth, gripping Ghost Slayer tightly and raising it. Then, to Caesar’s horror, he gave a strange smile, “And it’s too late.”

Everything seemed to happen in an instant.

A pair of cold, slender arms wrapped tightly around Caesar’s neck, yanking him backward—at the same time, Miguel turned and darted forward, escaping Caesar’s reach. The man’s face turned pale with anger, but a long, slippery tail coiled around his body like a snake. A woman’s breath, warm and fragrant, brushed against his cheek. Caesar grabbed the arms around his neck, trying to fight back, but the strength of the creature holding him was inhuman—

And indeed, it wasn’t human.

“If you’re going to act, do it now!” Zhizhi’s impatient voice rang in Caesar’s ear, “Before I change my mind!”

Miguel nodded, swimming swiftly toward the base of the sea god statue—

“Rick, what are you waiting for?!” Caesar roared, struggling against the black-scaled merfolk wrapped around him, “Stop him!”

From the side of the Wind Fury came the sound of several splashes as crew members jumped into the water. Zhizhi clicked her tongue, her tail slapping the water and sending a huge wave that pushed the crew members trying to stop Miguel back by several meters. In the midst of the waves, Caesar could only watch helplessly as Miguel climbed onto the base of the statue, crouching beside the sea monster, and raised Ghost Slayer high above his head.

“Stop!”

Caesar’s roar was filled with anguish, his heart and soul shattering as he was held back by Zhizhi, forced to watch as Miguel knelt beside the sea monster and plunged the dagger into its skull. A deafening wail shook the heavens, the monster’s massive tail thrashing wildly, churning up towering waves—

An unfamiliar, deep voice whispered in Caesar’s ear, and his thoughts faltered. Suddenly, it felt as though something was being pulled from his mind, his memories—

The sound of the Wind Fury swaying in the fierce wind filled his ears.

It was as if his life was rewinding before his eyes. Caesar saw himself as an apprentice shipbuilder in Munich, the first time he raised a saber, the first time he drew his ship on paper, the first draft of the Wind Fury he completed after countless sleepless nights, his first voyage, the Black Wolf flag he designed himself, the curses of Margarita and Margaret, the Lady Lovibond, and the deadly sea battle with the Barbarossa brothers.

And then?

…

As the black-scaled merfolk’s low chant filled the air, Caesar’s gaze grew increasingly unfocused…

Not far from the man, the monstrous waves washed away the green blood that had splattered onto Miguel. As the sea swallowed everything, all was engulfed in the raging waves. Watching the water rise into a towering wall above him, the sunlight gradually disappearing, the shadow of death looming overhead, Miguel reluctantly closed his eyes as the last glimmer of light vanished…

Twenty minutes later, the sea finally calmed—the crew of the Wind Fury, battered and disoriented by the waves, clambered back onto the deck. As they climbed aboard, they found their captain standing at the bow, staring at the now-empty base of the statue.

“Captain, what are you looking at?”

“…Nothing. I just feel like I’ve forgotten something important.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“…I can’t remember.”

“Y-you can’t remember?”

“Yeah,” his heart inexplicably clenched as his gaze fell on the empty base of the sea god statue. The man frowned, unable to figure out what was wrong, and waved his hand dismissively, “Why are you asking so many questions? Is everyone back? If they are, then—”

“…I feel like we’re still missing someone,” Rick scratched his head, leaning closer to the captain.

Caesar gave him a strange look, one that sent a chill down the red-haired first mate’s spine.

“Set sail,” the captain waved his hand, looking exhausted.

…

—”Zhizhi, can I ask you a favor?”

—”No!”

—”…Hey.”

—”What is it? You’re so annoying!”

—”After this is done, make him forget me. Otherwise, neither of us will have any peace.”

—”…”

Goodbye.

Big Dog.

Caesar.

My captain.

I really wanted to see you one more time.

…