G-17 Branch, military port.
The dock was busy that afternoon. The sea breeze carried the smell of engine oil and seawater. Giant steel cranes rumbled as ropes creaked and workers called out to each other.
Heavy boxes of supplies were being loaded onto a specially modified medium-sized warship.
"Slow down! Everyone handle things with care!"
Aiden wore a large Justice coat with a toothpick in his mouth. He crouched casually on top of the highest shipping container on the dock. "Hey! You over there! Be careful with that box of pork! That's a whole side of meat fresh from the freezer. If you break it, the whole base is going vegetarian tonight because of you!"
"And over there! Those barrels of aged rum are special! Keep an eye on them!"
Behind him, Smoker watched this scene, which looked more like a house move than a supply run. His eyebrows were tightly furrowed.
He counted the supplies. There were three full refrigerated containers just for meat. The vegetables and fruits were piled high. He even saw a box of cigars that clearly wasn't military equipment.
"Hey, Aiden."
Smoker finally couldn't take it anymore. He stepped forward and asked, "We are just going to deliver routine supplies, not throw a party. Why are you bringing so much stuff?"
He pointed at the boxes being loaded onto the ship, his voice full of confusion. "Fresh vegetables and fruit are fine, since they are rare at sea. But those whole sides of pork, barrels of premium rum, and even those—"
Smoker's finger moved toward several long, black metal boxes being carefully carried by soldiers. Those were the latest standard rifles that had just come off the line at the G-17 armory.
"Zephyr's ship is going for recruit combat training. He definitely wants to train them. Aren't you afraid Zephyr will scold you for being wasteful if you bring these things?"
"Wasteful?"
Aiden scoffed. He spat out his toothpick and smiled like he already had everything planned. "Smoker, you don't understand. You're still too young."
He jumped down from the container and walked over to pat one of the boxes filled with new guns. It gave off a clean metallic sound. "This is called showing strength, understand?"
"Who is Zephyr leading? Those are students from the Headquarters Elite Training Camp. They are the future backbone of the Marines. They're good recruits."
Aiden narrowed his eyes, his voice full of clear ambition. "I want these little brats who haven't graduated yet to see something. Although they can learn real skills and follow justice with Zephyr, life at Headquarters isn't exactly generous. They have to count every penny of the military budget there."
"But if they work with me, they can follow justice and eat their fill of meat! The gear in their hands will also be some of the best in the Marines!"
"Once they see this huge difference—"
Aiden chuckled and rubbed his fingers together. "When they graduate and get their assignments, do you think they'll want to stay at Headquarters as a poor Chief Petty Officer, or will they try their best to get into our rich G-17 Branch?"
Smoker was stunned.
He looked at the smirking Aiden and waited a long time before he managed to say a word. "You—are you poaching? And you're doing it right in front of Zephyr?"
"It's about their future. How can you call it poaching?"
Aiden held out his hands naturally. "I'm helping young Marines find better places to use their talent. I'm giving them better options. Besides, G-17 needs people right now. Although Issho is strong, he is only one person. We need more reliable officers to strengthen our defenses."
"Alright, stop talking. Get on the ship. We're already a bit behind schedule."
"We're late because you insisted on packing so much stuff!"
Smoker gave him an annoyed look. Even though he complained, he turned and walked quickly toward the pier.
One hour later, the warship blew its whistle and set sail.
The giant steel bow cut through the waves and headed toward the open sea.
On the deck, Aiden held two wine glasses and a bottle of expensive red wine whose name he could never remember. He walked to the railing.
Smoker was standing there with his back to him, pretending to look at the sea.
But the hand holding his cigar was shaking slightly. His other hand kept pulling at his new Justice coat, as if he felt the collar was crooked.
Not only that, Aiden noticed that this guy had actually shaved off all his stubble. He looked—well, he looked less wild and a bit awkward, like he was trying too hard to look young.
"Alright, stop pulling."
Aiden walked over and handed a glass of red wine to him. He said teasingly, "If you pull anymore, you'll tear that collar. We're Marines. We spend half our lives covered in dirt. If Hina were the kind of shallow woman who cared about looks, she wouldn't have become friends with a troublemaker like you back then."
"Cough—I'm just doing this to maintain the image of the G-17 Branch."
Smoker took the glass and defended himself, looking a bit embarrassed. "After all, we are going to see Zephyr. I can't look messy."
"Sure, sure. It's all for Zephyr."
Aiden didn't expose him. He smiled and clinked glasses with him, then turned to lean against the railing. He watched the distant horizon where the sea met the sky and took a sip of wine.
"Speaking of which—"
Aiden swirled the red liquid in his glass. His eyes became thoughtful. "Zephyr has been a teacher for about twenty years now, right?"
"To be exact, it's been twenty-two years."
When his teacher was mentioned, Smoker's mood stabilized. A look of respect appeared in his eyes. "Almost all the Vice Admirals who are the current core of Headquarters were his students. He trained most of the officers who hold the Marines together today. It's truly amazing."
"Yeah. On this sea, no one is better at training new recruits than him."
Aiden took another sip of wine. His tone wasn't exactly praise; there was a trace of regret in it. "It's just a pity—that the Black Arm that once crushed the ambitions of countless pirates is now only used to train recruits."
Smoker gripped his glass tighter. He stayed silent for a moment before saying quietly, "That tragedy is still a pain our teacher has never been able to forget."
"But he wasn't consumed by hatred. Instead, he became even more firm in his refusal to kill. He is trying to use justice and the law to end this chaotic era."
Smoker took a large gulp of wine and wiped his mouth. His eyes were complicated. "He doesn't want to fall and become a beast like those pirates who kill entire families!"
"I know. That kind of persistence looks stupid in today's world, maybe even a bit stubborn. But I have to admit, that stiff old man is the only one on this sea who can push himself that far without going crazy."
"Stupid?"
Aiden snorted softly. His voice became cold. "If it were just stupid, that would be easy to handle."
"In an era like this, with madmen everywhere and people dying every day—"
Aiden turned his head and looked at Smoker. "This so-called 'no-kill' is a poison you feed to your own people."
"Aiden!" Smoker frowned, unhappy with Aiden's evaluation of Zephyr. "You're being too extreme. The Marines enforce the law. We are not murderous butchers. If we kill as freely as pirates, where is the justice?"
"Justice?"
Aiden scoffed and finished the wine in his glass in one gulp. "Smoker, haven't you seen what this world is really like yet?"
"Those recruits who just went to sea are still inexperienced. Zephyr taught them physical techniques. He gave them the skills they need to fight."
"But he failed to teach them the most important lesson—what to do when the enemy gives them no choice."
Aiden pointed toward the deep sea, his tone cold. "Pirates don't listen to reason. When you hesitate on the battlefield for even a second because of a 'no-kill' belief—thinking about how to knock out the enemy instead of killing them—"
"That one second is the line between life and death."
Aiden turned his head and looked at Smoker calmly. "This so-called 'no-kill' is something only the truly strong can afford."
"Zephyr is very strong. He can afford that choice, and he has the ability to pay the price for his mercy. But what about those recruits?"
Aiden pointed toward the deep sea. His voice was flat. "Can they afford it?"
Aiden finished another glass of wine. "Zephyr is gambling. He is gambling that with his strength alone, he can protect those children without letting them stain their hands. He's gambling that he can make this sea follow his rules."
"I hope the sea continues to show him that much respect."
After saying that, Aiden stopped talking. He just stared quietly at the sea.
Smoker opened his mouth but didn't say anything in the end. He just irritably gulped down the wine in his glass. The alcohol made him feel a bit more alert, but Aiden's words still weighed on him.
Three hours later.
The warship was still sailing at full speed. The surrounding waters remained calm, but the sky had turned a bit grey at some point.
"Report!"
A communications soldier ran onto the deck in a hurry, breaking the silence. "We have arrived at the meeting point reported by Chief Instructor Zephyr!"
"We're here?"
Smoker's mood lifted. He immediately threw away his cigar and walked to the bow. He picked up his binoculars and looked around.
However.
No matter where he looked, there was only the vast ocean and rolling waves.
The surface of the sea was empty. There was no sign of any ship.
"No one?"
Smoker was stunned. He lowered the binoculars and asked with a frown, "Are the coordinates correct? Did we go the wrong way?"
"Report! The navigator checked three times. The coordinates are definitely correct!" the soldier answered loudly. "And we have been trying to call their ship—"
"No response?" Smoker asked, frowning.
"The Transponder Snail won't connect. Maybe the distance is too far, or the signal is bad," the soldier explained.
"Tsk, that's a bit of a problem."
Smoker scratched his head, feeling that this was tricky. "Zephyr is strict about protocol, but anything can happen at sea. A sudden storm or a temporary change in course to chase pirates could cause them to miss the coordinates."
He looked at Aiden with a questioning tone. "What should we do? Wait here, or—"
Aiden put down his wine glass and stretched. He stood up and walked to the bow.
The sea breeze blew his coat. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the empty sea. "Wait? How long would that take? We brought so much meat and wine; it won't be fresh if we wait too long."
"Since they aren't at the planned spot, let's look for them."
Aiden turned around and ordered the soldier, "Contact Headquarters. Confirm Zephyr's last reported position and planned route. See if there were any temporary changes."
"Yes!" The soldier immediately ran to carry out the order.
"Also, tell the lookouts to stay alert and expand the search area."
Aiden pointed at the grey sea ahead, his tone casual. "Maybe Zephyr is hiding in some corner doing special training for the recruits. Since we're here, we can't just take all this stuff back."
"Search the surrounding waters at full speed!"
"Yes!"
Seeing Aiden stay calm, Smoker's unease slowly faded.
That's right. This was Zephyr, a former Marine Admiral.
In this part of Paradise, what could possibly threaten him? It was probably just some minor delay.
"I hope we find them soon," Smoker said as he lit another cigar. "Otherwise, we'll have to finish all this meat ourselves."