The Black Pearl returned even faster than expected.
When Theus estimated the time, he had used ordinary sailing warships as a reference. But as a pirate ship built for raiding, the Black Pearl excelled at speed. Coupled with Jeremiah, who had spent half his life sailing the Storm Ocean, it was several times faster than ordinary vessels.
After some twists and turns, the Black Pearl successfully docked at the harbor.
Ken was the first to jump off the ship. He had spotted Gaia before the vessel even reached the shore. When Theus learned that the Black Pearl would be returning, he had notified her and old Ivan. They had been waiting for half the day.
Both sides had once believed they would never see each other again. Now, reunited with their family, they were too overwhelmed to speak, and the family of three embraced tightly.
Gaia was a strong girl. Even when the fighting had been at its most desperate, she had gritted her teeth and held on. Yet now, as she embraced her family, tears streamed down her face.
Old Ivan looked at his two children, clutching their hands and refusing to let go.
Most of the advanced-class students who had gone to sea with the ship had remained in Blood Port, but some had continued traveling aboard it. At this moment, they too were surrounded by their families.
Only after losing something did one learn to cherish it. The people of Castel had already lost too much.
Captain Jeremiah withdrew his gaze from the lively reunion beside him and looked toward Castel—the island he had visited many times before, which now somehow felt unfamiliar.
Jeremiah stared in astonishment at the Skyveil Behemoth floating high above, then turned to look at Castel Cathedral rising in the distance. The weather