Chapter 581: Captain Hook

The Wendy burned intensely while retaining its form.

The intense heat of the Wendy was at a level difficult for any magic or dark arts to replicate.

The boiling seawater around the Wendy was proof of that.

The heat was so strong that nearby fish were cooked alive and hot steam rose that could burn on contact.

Amidst that terrible fire, Oliver spoke.

“Uh… This is a bit embarrassing.”

It wasn’t a joke, nor a consideration for Hook. He was genuinely embarrassed.

If met directly by this heat, Oliver would be in danger. But for some reason, it only felt like he was taking a warm shower.

It was an honest sentiment without any exaggeration.

Since returning from the New Continent, there were times he felt the heat from cooking was less intense. He thought it was because he had grown accustomed to it.

But it seemed that wasn’t the case.

It wasn’t just that which puzzled him.

‘I’m fine…’

As soon as he was swallowed by the giant flames, Oliver instinctively touched his face.

The raging flames on the Wendy reduced his clothes, shoes, and even the Greedy Bag vest he was holding to ashes in an instant.

Naturally, the ‘Fake Face’ on his face should’ve been burnt too.

This was a pretty big deal. Not revealing his bare face while posing as Dave was still a taboo for Oliver.

But somehow, the Fake Face was perfectly intact. Without a single scratch.

It was surely just an ordinary dark magic item. When he realized this oddity, Oliver noticed that more than just the Fake Face was left unharmed.

The Quarterstaff and Big Mouth, which were practically extensions of his body, were also unscathed.

Seeing the intact Quarterstaff, Oliver was both surprised and unsurprised.

After all, the Quarterstaff given to him by Kent had withstood Holy Knight attacks, the Flesh Cook’s blade, Merlin’s book, and even The Burned One’s attacks.

Then, a question that should have occurred to him long before rose suddenly in Oliver’s mind.

How could just an ordinary Quarterstaff possess such high durability?

Though the Quarterstaff was precious to him, it was undeniable that it was just an ordinary item.

The Fake Face and Big Mouth were also dark magic items, yet they weren’t anything extraordinary.

However, they had retained their original forms amidst this powerful fire.

It was a bizarre phenomenon that Oliver struggled to understand.

Why only these three items…? They were simply items Oliver had used and cared for over a long time.

Flinch.

Suddenly, Oliver’s body stiffened.

It was as if he had unintentionally faced a dark, ominous, and unsettling truth—something anyone would instinctively avoid if they could.

It seemed like Oliver was confronting something unpleasant and ominous, but then, Hook helped him out.

“You see all kinds of crazy things when you live long enough…”

Hook, who was in the middle of the burning Wendy with Oliver, spoke while kneeling on one knee.

Even though he was shocked by the scene before him, he accepted it as it was.

“Ah…”

Thanks to Hook, Oliver snapped back to reality. He noticed the bandages on his right arm.

The bandages were given by Merlin and the spirit, and like the Quarterstaff, Fake Face, and Big Mouth, they hadn’t burned.

Now fully aware, Oliver regained his composure, calming his slightly shaken mind.

“Well…”

Looking at Hook who seemed to be waiting for an answer, Oliver spoke. For some reason, his expression carried a slight relief.

“It seems to be a gift from someone I met on the New Continent.”

Oliver offered a reasonable explanation.

Unfathomable strength, the burnt right arm, and the time when the fire felt less intense.

Logically, it seemed that the reason Oliver had developed fire resistance was due to The Burned One.

It also explained why he was fine within the flames along with the Fake Face, Quarterstaff, and… everything else.

‘It must be thanks to The Burned One. Yes, let’s go with that.’

Although something felt off. Oliver decided to set aside such minor issues.

Hook asked.

“Huh… What do you mean by that? Cough.”

Hook, who was asking calmly, began coughing as if breathing had become difficult. He was also sweating quite a bit.

It seemed even a dark arts master wasn’t immune to the Fireship’s heat.

The red powder sprinkled by the fairy before ignition gave Hook intense resistance, but even that had its limits.

After all, whether it was magic or dark arts, masters could control it finely to avoid harm, but they weren’t immune even to their own arts

especially with fire this powerful; it was only natural.

Looking at the rapidly weakening Hook, Oliver explained.

“I can’t explain in detail due to professional reasons, but I happened to develop some resistance to flames.”

“Didn’t know that could happen… Do you have dragon blood or something?”

Hook, surprised, speculated based on Oliver’s answer.

Oliver looked at Hook and said firmly.

“No, absolutely not. I’m just someone who happened to be lucky and born with some talent.”

“…”

For someone standing completely unharmed in the middle of flames, the statement lacked conviction.

But Hook saw a certain willpower in those words. It strangely reminded him of Fen.

Fen had always claimed his power made him special.

Dave had displayed powerful abilities but claimed he was just lucky.

Different, yet similar, like the ends of a horseshoe curved in opposite directions eventually meet.

It felt like some sort of revelation, creating a small change in Hook’s feelings.

A mix of hope and lingering doubt.

Oliver, sensing those emotions, asked Hook.

“Shall we continue the test?”

Politely questioning from the burning Fireship, Oliver looked at Hook, who responded with a combative grin.

A look of determination mixed with a hint of expectation.

“Of course… Standing untouched in flames is unexpected, but in the end, you’re still just a man with a Quarterstaff. The advantage is mine.”

His words were true. Once the ship caught fire, the intense heat burned not only Oliver’s clothes but also the test tubes, with all the emotions, mana, nature’s strength, and minions he carried.

Now, Oliver was nearly naked.

Though, even as a simple man, the Flesh Cook’s experience had made his bare hands themselves destructive weapons. However, he didn’t want it to end so plainly.

This duel wasn’t just about victory; it was about gaining Hook’s cooperation.

Therefore, it was only right to show him something deserving of that.

After thinking about it, Oliver nodded.

“Understood. Let’s continue then.”

“Refreshing… Huh?”

Hook, who pulled out the Rapier to manipulate the ropes, hooks, and cannons to attack Oliver, suddenly hesitated.

“Let’s continue?” The phrase was in the present tense. It took Hook a while to understand what he meant, but fortunately, the mystery didn’t last long.

Being a skilled dark magician himself, Hook quickly sensed something was off above.

When he looked up, he saw it.

Due to the Fireship’s intense heat, the boiling seawater produced a massive steam cloud, which now formed a huge ice chunk the size of a rock.

“Oh… Wow.”

Through a complex spell of mixing mana, obsession, and patience, Hook admired the sudden appearance of the icy chunk in mid-air.

But truthfully, the icy chunk hadn’t just appeared out of nowhere.

When Oliver’s clothes and the contents of the test tubes caught fire, he instinctively sent the burning emotions and mana into the air with the steam, gradually forming the ice chunk.

Well, to be honest, he hadn’t planned it from the start.

It was closer to a natural response than one learned from countless battles. Utilizing even unfavorable situations—

but still, the effect was hardly different from a carefully laid out plan.

To prove it, the ice block, which had been floating in the air using mana, fell from the sky, crashing toward the burning Wendy.

“This much!”

Not intimidated by the massive ice block, Hook exercised control over the burning Wendy.

The deck split open, and from within, a giant flaming cannon emerged.

It was the same one he had fired at Oliver the first time. Hook intended to blast the ice block apart with its overwhelming firepower.

Then, Oliver chanted.

[Ice Explosion Stone]

The huge ice chunk, as large as a boulder, exploded in the air before the flaming cannon could fire, spreading chilling white smoke that engulfed the burning Wendy.

As soon as the white smoke touched it, the steam cooled and disappeared, and the boiling seawater began to freeze.

“What a relief. Being naked was uncomfortable.”

With the fire that had even burned emotions and mana now extinguished, Oliver spoke from the Wendy, now covered in white frost instead.

Oliver manipulated some of the frost around him using mana, shaping it into clothing and draping it over himself.

Even though it was ice and cold, it was fine for a short while with the cold blocked off by mana.

“Did you… plan this from the start?”

Covered in frost from the Ice Explosion Stone, Hook shivered and asked.

As the environment around him changed from a sea of flames to an icy field, Hook’s skin cracked under the temperature difference, and he was severely weakened.

It was nearly a decided victory.

Oliver answered.

“Rather than planning, it just happened. I was lucky.”

“…Hahaha!”

At that absurd answer, Hook laughed.

The Wendy, which Hook had painstakingly cultivated for decades after escaping Neverland and becoming a pirate, was taken down with a ‘just happened’ kind of plan.

The overwhelming difference in skill.

Hook laughed at the massive difference in their abilities, but also accepted it.

Such vast differences were something he had experienced plenty of times in the past. In fact, the goal, which had been blurred and faded over time, became much clearer.

Feeling the bittersweet yet joyful emotion, Hook exclaimed.

“You’re… truly amazing.”

“Captain Hook, you’re amazing too. Thanks to the Wendy, I was able to see creation-type dark magic from a new perspective.”

Oliver was sincere. Reprocessing precious items as vessels for creation-type dark magic.

It felt more fitting of the term ‘creation’ than just making monsters. It felt like true essence.

Though he’d encountered similar situations like in the Sleeping Forest, this one felt more tangible.

“But you… You neutralized it with just a casual response. My creature, which I’d nurtured my whole life.”

“Hmm… Why don’t we just agree that we’re both amazing? And—”

“—Maybe you’re even more special than Fen.”

As Oliver was about to ask if he passed the test, Hook interrupted him, mumbling.

Whether it was due to losing control from the sudden temperature drop or his mind breaking down, Hook began to talk to himself.

“Someone special… Fen always claimed he was special. A prince or something… But why? Somehow, you seem more special.”

His mind dazed, Hook recalled the image of Oliver standing bare amidst the flames.

Just standing there, Oliver had an overwhelming presence. It seemed as if that was completely natural.

However, with Oliver’s mind already made up, he felt no particular emotion as he scratched his cheek and walked toward Hook.

Step. Step. Step.

Hook kept expressing his honest feelings.

“But I’m worried… With that soft nature of yours, will you really be able to handle that cold-hearted Fen? If you’re not careful—”

—Grab.

In the middle of Hook’s words, Oliver grabbed him by the collar.

“…”

Hook went silent, shocked by the sudden action. Oliver, with no ill intent, tried to calm Hook down.

“I’ll take care of that worry.”

Oliver lifted Hook, who was frozen solid, and slammed him onto the deck covered in sharp frost with no hesitation.

Crash!

The shaking deck. But that wasn’t the end. Oliver kept slamming Hook down.

Even as blood spurted from Hook’s back, limbs broke, attire tore, and there was nothing left to grasp, Oliver did not waver. He grabbed onto any part of Hook he could find—ankles, arms, neck, and back, and slammed him against the deck, mast, railing, and stairs.

All in an effort to sincerely reassure Hook, without any malice.

“Oh… Isn’t that a bit much?”

“Stop, stop… He’s already dead.”

“Oh, shit! Ouch…!”

The citizens of Bean City and the pirates on the skeleton rock of the Giant watched in horror as Oliver repeatedly slammed Hook into the deck, covering their mouths in shock.

Those who had been betting and drinking on the outcome of the fight forgot everything.

After nearly 30 minutes of relentless slamming, Oliver looked at Hook, now a bloody mess, and asked.

“Are you no longer worried?”

…Nod.

Hook, now covered in blood, nodded.

As he looked at Hook, Oliver wondered if he had let a bit of personal feeling slip in. Then Hook, with his swollen lips, asked.

“But… do you believe?”

“Pardon? Believe what?”

“Your friend… Will she be safe? Wendy and… they might not all be safe. It could be even more dangerous.”

Speaking from experience, Hook’s voice carried a dark tone. Without hesitation, Oliver responded.

“Yes, Miss Jane will be safe. She’s stronger than I am… So please guide me.”

Hook, raising his trembling arm to his forehead, answered.

“Aye aye.”