A boy raised by a demon king and a dragon king seems to be peerless in his school life.

Volume 11 Chapter 14 The Pirate King’s End

“Hey, hey! This is for real!”

“This is amazing! Boss, take a look at this!”

— About a hundred years ago.

There was a black pirate ship speeding across the open sea.

Adorned on its sails was the giant pirate flag, the Jolly Roger, indicating that the ship’s captain was a legendary pirate.

The pirate everyone feared and admired, a pirate among pirates who dwelled in the sea.

Captain Bat, the Pirate King, was on that ship.

“Captain, what’s the plan?”

“Haha, it’s obvious! We’re making landfall!”

As Bat spoke, his crewmates cheered loudly.

Everyone on this ship had dedicated their lives to thrill and romance. Their excitement was at its peak as they ventured into the unknown island.

“…Are you sure about this? It could be a trap, you know.”

Amidst the excitement on the ship, there was one person wearing glasses who spoke calmly.

In the midst of the crew’s excitement, Bat chuckled at his words and gave him a hearty pat on the back.

“You’re too cautious, Rick! A pirate getting scared when the island’s right in front of them?”

“Ouch! Captain, please don’t hit me so hard!”

Rick, the person being called, was the vice-captain of this pirate crew.

With sharp eyes and a stern face, he looked more like a bureaucrat than a pirate. However, he too was a peculiar individual who was captivated by the person named Captain Bat and ended up on this ship.

“Anyway, we’re making landfall. As usual, I’ll take the lead, and you’ll guard the rear. Got it?”

“…Honestly, you always say that. You’re quite the troublesome captain.”

Despite his words, Rick seemed somewhat pleased.

The satisfaction of being relied upon by someone he respected was an unforgettable feeling once experienced.

“But do you really believe there’s a hero’s treasure on this island?”

“I think there’s something on this island for sure. It’s a fact that a hero visited this region in the past, and above all, this island was hidden by such a strong barrier. There must be something they really didn’t want anyone to find here.”

“Well, it does seem suspicious…”

Rick looked worried.

Ignoring him, Bat continued with the preparations for landing.

“You scoundrels, drop the anchor! Follow me!”

“Aye aye, Captain!”

The pirates cheerfully disembarked onto the island.

Their hearts danced with the excitement of encountering the unknown, and the group proceeded further into the island.

On the way, there were structures resembling dwellings.

“Who do you think used to live on this island?”

“Judging from what’s left, it seems like they worshipped some giant black creatures.”

“Huh, some suspicious religion or something?”

“In an island like this, you can worship anything and nobody would complain. Honestly, I wonder what they worshipped.”

Bat didn’t show much interest in them and continued ahead. The pirates were eager to meet the treasure soon. However, what they encountered was not a treasure but despair.

“Hey, Captain, is this…?”

“…Looks like the hero left behind something unbelievable.”

There, they saw a gigantic octopus, measuring dozens of meters. Its outer layer was black and covered in slime. Numerous talismans and magical tools were attached or pierced into its body, restraining its movements.

Captain Bat recognized at a glance that this was the monster once feared in the seas, “Ku Ruu.”

“It seems they couldn’t defeat it completely four hundred years ago and sealed it instead. This is going to be tough.”

Bat scratched his head.

The barrier placed on the sea seemed like it could break at any moment. Bat, being an amateur in magic, couldn’t estimate how long it would last. It might break tomorrow or even sooner.

Though lacking formal education, Bat understood that if this creature’s existence became known, it would be a problem. During his voyages, he had come to realize that there were many people who harbored dissatisfaction with the world and were willing to meddle with immense power without understanding the consequences.

“What do we do, Captain?”

Vice Captain Rick asked, looking troubled. Unlike Bat, he had some education, but textbooks didn’t provide guidance on dealing with sea monsters.

However, the crew, including Rick, believed that Captain Bat, who had always done unconventional things, would figure something out.

“For now, I’ll use this to reseal this creature.”

Saying this, Bat took out a large green glowing gem. It was the finest among the treasures he had found—an exquisite relic of the hero, the “Slumbering Emeraldite-Dormitory Sapphire.”

Once set in the hero’s shield, the gem possessed a potent sealing effect.

Using its power, Bat sealed the awakening Ku Ruu inside a nearby well.

“Well done, Captain. We can relax now.”

The crew felt relieved as Ku Ruu’s presence disappeared.

However, Captain Bat was the only one with a stern expression.

“No, this isn’t enough.”

“Huh?”

“I understand. This seal can be easily broken. If that happens, this creature will rampage again.”

Bat instinctively sensed Ku Ruu’s power writhing at the bottom of the well.

His suspicion was correct; even with the power of the Slumbering Emeraldite-Dormitory Sapphire, Ku Ruu wasn’t completely sealed.

“T-Then let’s escape! Or maybe hand it over to some country. We can’t handle this ourselves!”

“Ku Ruu was a problem even for any country until the hero Orger fought it. Which country do you think will manage it?”

“W-Well…”

Vice Captain Rick was lost for words. No country would want to deal with such a monster. By passing responsibility to each other, foolish individuals might come forward trying to use Ku Ruu to their advantage.

“If there were a successor to the hero, I’d gladly pass this responsibility to them, but unfortunately, a new hero hasn’t been born. In other words, I’m the only one who can do something about this,” Bat explained.

“But that’s not fair, Captain. Just finding it and feeling such responsibility…” Rick desperately tried to stop the captain.

Seeing his attempts, Bat smiled warmly and placed his large hand on Rick’s head.

“It’s not about fairness, Rick. I don’t feel burdened by responsibility. I just want to protect.”

“Huh…?”

Bat’s unexpected words left Rick sounding pathetic.

“I love this sea. Its vastness, its freedom. Everything living in it—the creatures, the fish, the wind, the clouds, everything.”

It was a heartfelt confession.

Since childhood, Bat had been sailing the seas, exploring oceans worldwide. His answer, something he sought throughout his life, was always right in front of him.

“And above all, in the sea, there are all of you, your families. If I can’t protect that… well, then, I don’t mind giving this Pirate King’s life for it.”

“C-Captain…”

Rick and the others were all in tears at the thought of losing their beloved captain and the end of this journey, which had become their purpose in life. The loss was so immense that even the cheerful and buoyant sea men wept.

“With the power of this gem, I should be able to create an even stronger barrier. No, I might even be able to seal the island underwater. If we use the magical items on the ship, we might even turn into zombies. Well, as pirates, skeletons might suit us better.”

As Bat spoke cheerfully, as if deciding the course for tomorrow’s voyage, Rick thought to himself that he could never match this man.

“Captain, I also…”

“Of course, Rick, you’re going back. You have family waiting in the harbor, right?”

However, Bat interrupted Rick’s words.

“But, but! Captain, you have a family too, waiting for you. Isn’t it the same?”

“I’m the captain, I can’t just run away.”

In those words, there was a sense of loneliness. Bat had a young child. It was sad to think he wouldn’t be able to see them again, but he couldn’t run away, especially not if it meant protecting his child.

“But…”

Rick still seemed hesitant.

In response, Bat, as the captain, issued his final command to Rick.

“I, Captain Bat, command Vice Captain Rick Evans! Lead the crew and evacuate from this island! Spread the rumor that the pirate Captain Bat fled with the treasure and keep this island’s secrets hidden!”

“Captain…”

Seeing the captain willing to sacrifice even his own honor, Rick found himself unable to argue any further. A man of the sea couldn’t question the resolve of another man like that.

“And! And… take care of my family, Rick. I’m entrusting you with this enormous task.”

“Yes, understood. I will definitely accomplish it and show you.”

Wiping away his salty tears, Rick replied. His resolve was firm.

“Those with families, go back! The rest… leave it to us! Only the crazy ones should stay!”

In the end, aside from the crew members who were forcibly sent back home due to having families, everyone else stayed on the island. They didn’t know what they could do by staying on this island. However, they thought that if they could even slightly ease the loneliness of their beloved captain, it would be worth it.

“Is it okay? With a small boat.”

“Yes. The Jack Spinell is the captain’s ship.”

Rick and the others boarded a small boat that was loaded onto the Jack Spinell and left the island. If they could truly sink the island underwater, this might be their final farewell. Tears flowed from Rick and his companions as they waved to the captain and their fellow crew members.

“We won’t forget anyone! We’ll definitely protect the captain’s family too!”

Expressing their gratitude, the crew members disappeared into the sunset.

Bat watched their departure until the very end. He quietly wiped his eyes to ensure no one saw, then looked at the remaining dear fools.

“Alright then, let’s get to it. Let’s start a fight to protect them.”

On that day, an island quietly disappeared from the sea.

Simultaneously, the legendary pirate Captain Bat, who had shaken the world, also vanished from the seas.

The prevailing theory is that he quarreled with his comrades over monopolizing the treasure, lost his life at sea, but hardly anyone knows the truth.

◇

Volume 11 Chapter 15 Bat

“Ku… It hurts…”

Moaning in pain, Captain Bat struggled to sit up. Despite his extraordinary toughness, the attack from the monster Ku-Ruu exceeded his defensive capabilities.

The area where the tentacles had directly struck had cracks in the bones, and it ached with a creaking sound every time he moved.

“He’s… not here anymore.”

Looking in the direction he had been thrown, Bat saw that Ku-Ruu was no longer there. It seemed that rather than delivering a finishing blow to Bat, Ku-Ruu had prioritized recovering its strength.

“What should I do now?” As he pondered, a certain individual rushed towards Bat.

“Captain! Are you okay!?”

It was a skeleton pirate who appeared. He came to Bat and expressed concern for his injuries.

“What’s the matter, Marcus?”

“I was worried about you, Captain… so I brought someone who might help!”

“Hmm? Who’s that?”

As Bat tilted his head in confusion, two individuals approached from the direction Marcus had come from.

“You guys…”

It was Ruisha and Cindy who had arrived.

They happened to be running near the spot where Bat had been thrown. Ruisha, looking at Bat in a sorry state, approached him with concern.

“Are you… okay!?”

“Yeah, no problem. Just a few scratches.”

Saying so, Bat got up.

Although he put on a brave front, his legs were trembling slightly. It seemed the damage was still affecting him.

“That monster from earlier was Ku-Ruu, right? We saw it from a distance.”

“I see. You were watching.”

“Yes. And I also asked why you were protecting this island.”

“Is that so?”

Bat glanced at Marcus briefly.

Marcus, who had revealed the captain’s secret, lowered his head apologetically.

“S-Sorry, Captain. I thought they might help if they could stand up to you as equals.”

“It’s fine… It’s all over anyway.”

“Huh?”

Upon hearing Bat’s words, Marcus made a puzzled sound.

Never before had the captain uttered such a pessimistic sentiment.

“What do you mean it’s over? Captain, you have to defeat that monster!”

“I… sealed it because I couldn’t defeat it. I tried challenging it, thinking that if it woke up, I might be able to defeat it, but it was no use.”

Bat, who had confronted Ku-Ruu directly, understood that there was a massive barrier between himself and Ku-Ruu, something that neither effort nor talent could bridge. Just as it was foolish to resist a natural disaster with strength, Bat had lost the will to face Ku-Ruu.

“That thing has been devouring sea creatures in vast numbers, making itself even stronger. I couldn’t defeat it, the same creature that even Hero Orger couldn’t defeat.”

“Th-this…”

Marcus slumped down, disheartened. In any battle, as long as the captain encouraged him, he could fight. But now, with the captain giving up, his spirit was broken.

Watching everything unfold, Ruisha approached Bat and spoke.

“If that monster goes on a rampage, the surface world will be in great danger. I must stop it. Could you please lend me your strength?”

“I’m sorry, kid. If you want to defeat that thing, you’ll have to do it on your own. I’m… tired.”

Bat said wearily.

For a hundred years, he had been fighting at the bottom of the sea.

Even if he had turned from a human into a skeleton, he had continued to fight to protect the sea.

However, even after all that effort, the monster had been unleashed into the sea.

A strong sense of emptiness now resided in his chest. He wondered if all his fights until now had been in vain. Such thoughts swirled around in his mind.

“Bat-san…”

Ruisha didn’t know what to say to him.

No matter what beautiful words he used, they wouldn’t reach him now.

Amidst this heavy atmosphere, one person started to move.

“…Don’t be ridiculous! What kind of spineless talk is that!?”

Saying so in a loud voice, Cindy grabbed Bat’s collar.

Her face was colored with strong anger.

“You’re supposed to be Captain Bat, the strongest pirate whom even crying children fear, right!? And what’s this about feeling pathetic just because you lost once?”

“…It doesn’t concern you, miss.”

“Doesn’t concern me…!?”

Cindy let go, pushing his hand away. Then, glaring at Bat, she began to say something outrageous.

“It does concern me. There’s a deep connection between you and me.”

“…What?”

The three, excluding Cindy, listened attentively to her words.

Her words didn’t sound like lies or bluffs.

“I’m called ‘Sinbad’ But that’s not my real name, more like a nickname.”

Ruisha remembered Cindy being referred to as such.

“My real name is ‘Cindiana J. Bat.'”

Upon hearing this, Ruisha casually thought, “I see.”

However, Bat and Marcus had different reactions. They were astonished and left speechless upon hearing Cindy’s real name.