Captain – Chapter 698 – Night Ends, Dawn Breaks

“Mango…”

At the moment the cat’s call fell and waves rose in the dark sea, Roy knew its intention, knew this matter was beyond redemption, so she attempted nothing.

Nor were there excess words, only a low call.

“Meow.”

Hearing the girl’s slightly trembling voice and seeing the sorrow on her cheeks that she couldn’t suppress, the Siamese cat called out gently and raised its front paw toward her.

It was comfort, and also a request to be held.

Seeing this, the captain stepped forward without hesitation, lowered herself, and picked up the cat.

The sensation the cat brought was no different from when they slept together days ago, or even when they first met in the ice sea. It was still fluffy and soft, only much warmer than before.

She knew this was because it was scattering all fate and using light and heat to protect and guide them, along with those unknowing life forces, to return “home,” back to where they came from.

This was reversing cause and effect, even touching upon time itself—something even gods couldn’t accomplish.

The cat could influence this because of its special existence, being the embodiment of fate itself, and also because it was the instigator—those dead spirits and ghosts had all come to be because of it.

But even so, even if it was just changing fate back, it still required a price.

Just like before, when it brought Caine into the dream, it had cast an anchor into the sea but nearly lost itself forever in slumber. Though it was fortunately brought out by the girl and later awakened by great power, it had fallen into nearly irreversible weakness.

If not for this, when they first battled the Hydra, how could it have easily let the opponent escape?

It would have long since used silk threads to bind that “fragment” into a fur ball.

There wouldn’t have been so many troubles afterward.

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But now, what it had to do was not merely connect the fates of two people who were already closely linked, but to save tens of thousands of living beings.

To return their freedom and liberation.

This was truly difficult.

So difficult that without abandoning physical form and transforming back into rules, even the cat would feel powerless.

Relatively speaking, saving the girl’s father was merely a casual act while rescuing tens of thousands of living beings. However, often the triggers for great events are very small.

Of course, this didn’t mean that before meeting Roy, the cat had never thought of doing this.

Only at that time, it still harbored delusions, hoping the devil might one day have a change of heart. If not, it would first seek complete justice for old friends before leaving.

The reason that Pirate King set this open trap was to eliminate this possibility. As he had thought, they wouldn’t fight so unsightly over right and wrong.

After all… they had been companions once.

Obviously, he had succeeded.

Using that legend of old days as bait, with the inducement of not wanting the girl to face such a sorrowful ending, the cat finally came, becoming a warm sun in the dark sea.

Only from the perspective of never making Roy sad, it seemed to have miscalculated somewhat.

So the cat wanted to explain and comfort her a few words.

“Meow.”

After returning to that soft embrace, the cat raised its head, looking at the girl who seemed aggrieved like a child whose elders were traveling far but had been kept in the dark from beginning to end, and called softly.

Saying it was just leaving, just sleeping a longer sleep—why be so unhappy? Besides, if it truly had to face death, the cat had nine lives, didn’t it?

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Hearing this and feeling it was coaxing a child, Roy still couldn’t cheer up, muttering: “Come on, how do you know this isn’t the last of those nine times?”

The cat called out again with complete confidence, saying it just knew.

Only the captain ignored it, still murmuring with lowered brows: “Besides, even if you really can come back, who knows how many years later that will be. I might not even be here anymore.”

“And by then… will you still remember me?”

Sometimes long separations weren’t frightening—if one held something in their heart, there would always be opportunity to meet again.

But if forgotten, separation in life would be no different from death.

The cat wasn’t a deity, but should still count as a fragment of rules. It might indeed not die, or even lack that concept, but no one could be certain…

If it could return, would it still be the current it? Even the cat itself didn’t know.

But facing the girl’s sorrow that also contained a trace of hope in her question, the cat didn’t hesitate. It extended its paw to gently scratch her cheek and called out like a promise.

Saying as long as they could meet, it would definitely remember her.

The cat guaranteed it.

As the call fell, comfort and farewell seemed to enter their final stage.

“I believe you, always have, Mango.”

Roy could feel that the “sun” in her embrace gradually stopped spreading warmth, like the setting sun sinking into the sea, losing its temperature. She couldn’t help but hold it tighter, coaxing it.

As if afraid it would be cold, would sleep poorly.

After giving its promise, the Siamese cat withdrew its paw, curled up tighter, seeming drowsy as it nestled its face into the captain’s embrace, making dream-like soft calls.

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“Meow…” saying, girl, then you must definitely win, otherwise it would really be…

Hearing the cat’s breathing gradually soften and lighten, knowing it had fallen asleep, and that the unfinished words should be “never see you again,” Roy lowered her head, burying her face in the gray fur that had lost its “light and heat” but remained warm, humming softly in response.

Thinking she understood, sleep well, Mango.

Gradually, the girl felt the cat in her embrace becoming lighter and lighter. Those gray hairs that gently brushed against her cheek, making her slightly itchy, could no longer be felt, as if they had become clouds and mist.

Finally, Roy’s cheek that had been buried in the cat’s fur was illuminated by faint light. She slowly loosened her embrace—there was no trace of the cat within, only tiny motes of dim light.

They floated upward and faded away, not sorrowful but full of joy.

Because this was returning home, and also because their departure…

Meant the dark sea had truly “come alive.”

Life force was everywhere.

A hazy morning sun rose on the horizon, dispelling the long night and revealing a clear blue sky. When Roy awakened from the changing scenery and looked around, she found herself standing at the bow of a warship.

The bow looked familiar, so the girl recalled for a moment and remembered this was the Satin.

Only it was no longer trapped in ice, but sailing under blue sky, surrounded by peaceful sea surface dyed golden by the morning sun. She could vaguely see other ship silhouettes in the distance.

This was naturally not in the present world, but should be the cat’s memory.

But the people and things within were all real.

Human voices gradually rose. Roy turned around, but what met her eyes was not that dead ghost who should have come back to life. This surprised her slightly, but she quickly understood.

Since this was a memory fragment that Mango had, intentionally or not, let her see, then those present here were naturally all those old “people” who had gained liberation.

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Her dead ghost father logically shouldn’t be among them.

And those making somewhat noisy sounds due to various emotions were all familiar faces. In other words, since she was aboard the Satin, those she encountered…

Were naturally its crew members, the pirates she had spent time with in the ice sea. They stood in disarray, all gazing at their hands in bewilderment.

For a long time they didn’t come to their senses, whether due to being in chaos for hundreds of years.

Or unwilling to believe that person would treat them thus.

“Long time no see, everyone.”

Only when the girl’s soft words rang out did they startle slightly, awakening from that feeling of being separated by worlds. Their faces showed inexhaustible emotion before they raised their heads.

Some surveyed their surroundings, some looked at each other, but of course, most looked toward the front.

Toward the girl at the bow.

Feeling those gazes that still carried bewilderment but held no strangeness, Roy knew the cat must have left them with those memories of their time together in the ice sea.

Though it was also possible that their souls had originally been eternally trapped on that day.

Having truly met her, they naturally remembered.

But none of it mattered anymore, because the cat had left, and the people before her would soon depart as well.

This was merely an unintentional farewell.

It was tenderness after redemption.