Sir Francis Drake was hated by the Spanish with nickname ‘El Draque’ or "Dragon"

Drake's exploits made him a hero to the British, whereas the Spaniards considered him a pirate. And Francis Drake was hated by the Spanish with the nickname ‘El Draque’ or "Dragon". King Philip II of Spain is said to have offered to offer a reward of $20,000 equivalent to approximately £7 million (or $8 million in 2022) to anyone who can catch or kill him.

Due to the frequent attacks that Sir Francis Drake conducted on Spanish ships and communities while on his trips, the Spanish abhorred him and gave him the nickname "El Draque" or "Dragon". In particular, by commanding several assaults against Spanish treasure ships and settlements in the New World, Drake turned himself into the scourge of the Spanish from 1570 till the end of his life. In fact, Drake frequently traveled without an official privateer's commission, making many of the expeditions completely unlawful. Some Spanish seafarers were so terrified by Drake that they thought he was a witch. Drake was said to be working with the devil and to have a magic mirror that gave him access to a map of every ship in the ocean.