At the harbor within the inner bay of G2 Base's plaza, the uniquely designed warship Qilin, on which Rorschach and his crew had arrived, attracted the attention of many navy soldiers.
A hundred-meter-class warship was already considered large within the Navy.
But a ship like Rorschach's, with a dragon-head figurehead carved into its prow, wasn't something the soldiers had ever heard of.
This immediately stirred curiosity and speculation about which high-ranking Marine might own such a vessel.
Typically, only Vice Admirals and above were qualified to possess customized warships that matched their personal style.
For example, the famous dog-headed warship of Marine hero Garp was known all around the world and was the most iconic vessel in the Navy.
As the soldiers speculated, a beam of dazzling light suddenly illuminated the high platform in front of the fortress, drawing everyone's attention.
"It's Vice Admiral Gumir," the soldiers recognized the person in the spotlight.
Holding a loudspeaker Den Den Mushi in his hand, Gumir looked down at the sea of white-uniformed soldiers gathered below and spoke in a deep voice.
"Soldiers, I'm sure you're all wondering who the guest at our G2 branch is today."
"The warship docked in the inner bay—everyone, remember its name. Because this ship, built from the treasured Adam wood, will soon become one of the finest vessels in the Navy, rivaling even Vice Admiral Garp's dog-headed ship!"
"Its name is Storm-Thunder Qilin! And today, I'm going to introduce you to the captain of that ship."
Whoosh!The spotlight shifted from Gumir to Rorschach, who stood beside him, instantly making him the center of attention for the thousands of Marines gathered there.
Gumir's voice, amplified by the loudspeaker Den Den Mushi, echoed clearly across the entire plaza, reaching the ears of every Marine.
"After the battle in the Holy Poplar Kingdom, his name swept across the world like a storm. By now, there's no one who doesn't know it!"
"He is our Navy's Supernova, the undisputed top of the new generation of Marines! He's the one who brought Instructor Zephyr back from retirement to train new recruits! Like Admirals Akainu and Kizaru, he too hails from the North Blue—a true monster!"
"He single-handedly took down the infamous pirate Chinjao the Drill, with a bounty of 540 million, and the shapeshifter Gladius, with a bounty of 760 million. He turned the tide by himself and buried over ten thousand pirates in one battle!"
As Gumir continued to speak, the eyes of the Marines below lit up, and their breaths quickened.
"Could Vice Admiral Gumir be talking about…?"
All eyes turned to Rorschach, filled with excitement.
Rorschach remained silent, letting Gumir sing his praises.
He understood well that, in the face of an impending battle with multiple powerful factions, the entire G2 base—officers and soldiers alike—needed a boost in morale.
Even though Akainu was bearing the political burden, no one could predict whether those irrational World Nobles might turn their wrath on the lower-ranking Marines.
So the pressure on everyone's shoulders was enormous.
In truth, Gumir's words were not purely flattery.
Meeting the fiery gazes of the soldiers below, Gumir gave them the confirmation they awaited:
"That's right! Standing next to me is…"
"Rear Admiral Rorschach!"
"This year, at just fourteen years old, he became a Rear Admiral—the youngest in Navy history! He is a true hero of the Navy! Let's give a warm round of applause for Rear Admiral Rorschach!"
Gumir raised his voice.
In the next moment, the entire plaza of G2 Island erupted.
Marine soldiers clapped with all their might, shouting Rorschach's name.
The roaring cheer was like a tsunami, shaking the very air above the island.
This massive wave of sound gradually subsided only after Rorschach raised both hands to signal for calm.
Clearly, his feats had already spread far and wide among the rank-and-file Marines.
Especially the battle at Queen of Spring City—it had become the hottest news in Paradise.
Rorschach looked at the countless eager eyes below, then took the loudspeaker Den Den Mushi that Gumir handed him and brought it to his lips.
The first words from his mouth stunned every Marine present, including Gumir.
"Thank you, Vice Admiral Gumir, for your praise. But personally, I feel quite ashamed. Because based on what I've done so far, I don't believe I deserve such acclaim."
"Rear Admiral Rorschach, you…" Kadalu was taken aback.
Gumir's smile froze on his face.
Hibari looked at the sincerity in Rorschach's expression, feeling a bit puzzled as well.
Amidst the buzzing murmurs, Rorschach continued in a deep voice:
"I wonder if everyone here would be interested in hearing my story?"
The plaza quickly quieted again, the soldiers all turning their attention to him with curiosity.
"I come from the Kingdom of Loubnil on the North Blue. Yes, the hometown of the world-famous adventurer Noland."
"My hometown is a small island village called Maple Leaf Village."
At this, the silver-haired boy on the stage let out a soft laugh.
"Heh, I never really understood why it's called Maple Leaf Village. There aren't any red leaves on that island. What we do have are a lot of green bamboo groves."
The boy continued telling his story, his tone calm and without any forced emotion.
His voice was gentle, soothing to hear.
"My parents were ordinary people. My father was a fisherman, and my mother was skilled at weaving bamboo baskets. My father's name is John—not the infamous pirate Captain John you might be thinking of…"
His self-deprecating joke earned good-natured laughter from the soldiers.
"My mother, Elizabeth, has a beautiful name. Though time has etched lines into her face, I've always believed she must've been a very beautiful woman when she was young. I still don't know why she married my clumsy fisherman of a father."
"Back then, although our family was poor and had no money, and I suffered from a strange illness that dragged the whole family down, my kind-hearted father and mother never once thought about giving up on me.
Even though our days were hard, the time spent together as a family was truly happy—those were the happiest days of my life."
The boy's gentle and warm voice recounted his ordinary yet sincere past, touching many of the soldiers present with empathy.
As he spoke, some soldiers suddenly began to feel homesick.
They missed their parents, their wives and children, their homeland's landscapes, flowers, and trees.
The boy paused for a few seconds, then continued in the same calm tone:"Later, my mother died from a trivial cold. Three years after that, my father was engulfed by a great fire, along with our entire village, disappearing in ash, smoke, and flames."
The moment his words fell, the entire G2 island fell into silence.
Whether it was the soldiers below the platform or the officers standing next to Rorschach, everyone was stunned.
The boy's clear and cool voice continued to echo across the square.
"That day, I saw crimson leaves—falling from the villagers, rising from houses, grass, and trees. And also..."
"Crimson leaves erupting from the bodies of pirates."
"That was the day I joined the Navy and became a Seaman Third Class. After that, at Branch 177 in the North Sea, I..."
The boy's voice was calm and still, as if narrating someone else's story.
He spoke about his journey from his hometown of Crimson Leaf Village, to a year of hard training at Branch 177.
He talked about his first mission chasing pirates at sea, the coup in the Principality of Prince.
From the awe-inspiring Calm Belt sea kings, to Marineford, and a host of vividly distinct naval officers.
Then came Impel Down, Enies Lobby, Water Seven, and the Spring Queen City.
Battle after battle, story after story—some thrilling, some grand like songs, some heroic and tragic—poured forth from the boy's lips, drawing the entire navy into his tale, as if they were living those moments themselves.
The silver-haired naval youth turned to look at Rear Admiral Kadalu standing beside him.
"Just a few hours ago, I received Rear Admiral Kadalu's distress signal—they had been attacked by pirates. I witnessed the Navy's courage, their fearlessness in the face of death. One after another, naval warriors charged forward without hesitation, shielding their comrades from the enemy's blades. Rear Admiral Kadalu had his abdomen torn open by sharp claws—his intestines were nearly spilling out—yet he fought on without retreat! Comrades! Tell me, why do we do this?"
The boy's voice suddenly rose.
The square fell into dead silence.
After a long while, one soldier clenched his fists tightly and rasped out, "For justice."
"Yes, for justice..."
"For justice."
"For justice!"
One voice after another began to rise from different corners of the crowd.
From hesitant to resolute, the voices grew stronger and more certain.
In the end, countless voices joined together, like a rising tide, transforming into a thunderous tsunami, echoing through the dark night sky.
"For justice!"
"That's right! For justice! But now—what is justice?"
On the platform, the silver-haired navy boy also shouted hoarsely, his voice shaking heaven and earth.
"I'll tell you what justice is!"
"Justice means even the weakest people can live in peace, without fear that pirates will break into their homes and rob or kill them."
"Justice means fishermen can go out to sea without worry, ships can sail in peace, without fear of pirates or slave ships on the open ocean."
"Justice isn't about lofty ideals. It's about ensuring that when we work hard and fight for our families and ourselves, no one can destroy the things we care about and hope for!"
"Justice means when a traveler returns home, there are lights in the house, and loved ones waiting anxiously!"
"Justice is the most basic fairness, order, and conscience!"
"Justice is protecting the ordinary!"
"That is justice!"
"Right now, in this sea, in this ocean, in this world, countless jackals, tigers, and wolves stand in the way of us pursuing and protecting justice. Those pirates, slavers, war mongers, assassins, mafias—those beasts who build their pleasure on our pain. Tell me!"
"What should we do to those people?"
Rorschach's roar thundered like a crashing storm, shaking the skies.
In the next moment, whether it was the naval officers on the platform, the soldiers in the square, Beppo and the others on the Kirin, or even Kadalu and Gumir—all had bloodshot eyes, boiling with passion, and they shouted in unison:
"Crush them!!"
"That's right! Crush them! Wipe out every single enemy who stands in our way! Leave not one behind!"
The silver-haired Rear Admiral hurled a blinding bolt of lightning into the sky, which exploded with an earth-shaking roar—like a doomsday bell ringing over the chaotic sea.
The roar of the thunder mixed with the Navy's fury, surging like a storm, like a tidal wave.
"Now, on my command! All hands to ships—set sail with me! Sweep clean the chaotic seas!"
(End of Chapter)
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