Everyday Life on Hachinosu

The sunrise on Hachinosu always arrives later than in Mary Geoise on the Red Line.

A thick morning fog enveloped the entire harbor, with white mist drifting slowly along the sea surface like a thin, soft veil, completely swallowing the distant coastline. Visibility was limited to the vicinity of the pier, where rough wooden planks and taut cables barely managed to break free of the fog, revealing their clear outlines.

A portal to another dimension opened silently in mid-air.

Lin Yuan took a step forward, and the thin mist immediately clung to the surface of his dark coat, condensing into countless tiny water droplets. He raised his hand to close the spatial gap, turned around and looked at the entire harbor. A cool sea breeze pierced through the thick fog, carrying the unique salty smell of the sea.

The great expedition to Mary Geoise lasted a long time, but when he returned to the docks of Hachinosu, he found that only subtle changes had occurred.

Most of the old wooden planks at the dock have been replaced; the new wood is light in color and hasn't yet developed dark brown stains from being soaked in the seawater day after day. Sealed wooden crates are stacked in layers at the warehouse entrance, the supplies arranged neatly. There are no people bustling about on the dock, yet it's full of life: clothes drying on ropes sway gently in the morning breeze, a small wooden boat is firmly moored to the shore, and a half-dry coarse cloth towel is casually draped over its side.

Lin Yuan took a step forward and walked slowly along the stone path of the dock, heading towards the stone Castle in the center of the island.

The Castle walls were a pale gray in the hazy morning light, covered with cracks. A long crack that had run from the second-floor window all the way to the ground was still clearly visible. The edges of the crack had been freshly plastered, indicating that the damage had been repaired in time while he was away on campaign.

The wooden door to the Castle hall was ajar; it opened slowly with a gentle push.

The hall was empty, not a soul in sight. A cup of tea sat on the long, solid wood dining table, its steam rising slowly, a testament to its recent brewing. A jacket was casually draped over a nearby wooden chair; the durable fabric, with frayed cuffs, was the very jacket Ginny often wore.

Lin Yuan walked slowly to the table, his fingertips hovering above the teacup, without reaching out to touch the tea.

Footsteps echoed from the depths of the corridor, initially hurried, then gradually slowing, and finally stopping abruptly at the entrance to the lobby.

He turned around and faced Ginny at the door.

She clutched the leather notebook and quill pen tightly in her hand, leaning slightly forward, her eyes scrutinizing Lin Yuan from head to toe, as if checking him for any injuries or missing parts. After examining him repeatedly for a while, confirming that all four limbs were intact and that he had not suffered any fatal injuries, Ginny's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, her voice still carrying a hint of suppressed nasal tone.

"You're finally back."

"Yes, you've returned safely."

Ginny's gaze unconsciously fell on the sword slung across his waist— Roger's prized Famous Sword that he always carried with him. She stared at it for only two seconds, without asking about its origin, before quickly changing the subject and deftly tidying up the account books on the table.

"You stay here and don't move. I'll go and notify the others right away. Ash and Huijin are on guard duty on the Castle's top floor, and Caesar has been spending all day in the lab working on blueprints. I'll call them over as well."

She glanced at Lin Yuan from head to toe, noticing his disheveled appearance, his face covered in dust, and dried, blackened bloodstains on his collar. Her brows furrowed involuntarily.

"We just finished a tough battle, covered in dust and blood. Let's find a chair and rest for a bit, then we can discuss the battle in detail once everyone is here."

After saying that, Ginny turned and walked quickly into the corridor, but after taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and turned back to give a word of advice.

"Please don't go out and wander off without a word again. Everyone is on tenterhooks waiting for news."

Lin Yuan responded and remained in the hall.

The footsteps in the corridor gradually faded away. The wooden door of the next room creaked open, and footsteps ascended the stone steps, heading towards the top floor. He pulled up a wooden chair and sat down steadily. The hot tea on the table was still steaming. He touched the ceramic cup with his fingertips, and a warmth slowly spread from his fingertips to his palm. In a short moment, the temperature dissipated.

Not long after, a series of footsteps could be heard coming from the stairwell.

The first one to enter the hall was Jin.

The black wings of the Lunarian were folded back, the golden flames that had risen from his body had extinguished, and a faint glow remained on his shoulder, indicating that he had just finished his vigil. He sharply scanned Lin Yuan's entire body, carefully checking for injuries, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there were no serious external wounds.

"The dock warehouse always keeps healing ointments; I'll go get them for you."

Standing beside Jin, Huijin tilted his head, his gaze fixed on Lin Yuan's face, and said with certainty, "You've lost a lot of weight."

"I've been traveling a lot and haven't had regular meals, so I can't say I've lost weight," Lin Yuan said, shaking his head helplessly.

"She's just lost weight." Huijin refused to back down, sticking to his judgment.

Jin had no interest in such trivial matters. He turned and walked toward the storeroom on one side of the corridor, with Huijin following closely behind. They left the hall one after the other.

The next moment, Kuma slowly walked in through the side door.

He remained silent as always, stopping three steps away from Lin Yuan. His dark face was calm and expressionless. After watching him silently for a moment, he nodded solemnly. No further pleasantries were needed; this nod signified that he had finally put his mind at ease.

Ginny had already returned to the dining table, pulled out a wooden chair, sat down, opened her leather notebook, and picked up her pen to record intelligence.

"Now we can report on the battle situation. Has the Battle of Mary Geoise truly come to an end?"

"Completely over."

Ginny's hand holding the quill paused slightly, her eyes tensing. "Imu is dead?"

He died on the spot.

What about the Five Elders?

"With all five members defeated and killed, the Celestial Dragons' supreme rule crumbled."

The pen paused for a moment on the parchment, Ginny took a deep breath, and calmly continued, "Take stock of our forces. Are there any of us who didn't make it back alive? Make sure the casualty figures are accurate."

Lin Yuan remained silent for a moment, then lightly tapped his fingertips on the table, his tone becoming low.

Roger did not return with the team.

Ginny gripped her pen, motionless, her expression instantly turning serious. "How did he ultimately sacrifice himself?"

"To slay Imu, Roger risked his own life, single-handedly delivering the decisive blow, sacrificing himself to secure victory."

Ginny paused for a few seconds, then her pen fell, and she neatly wrote a line in her notebook: Roger, confirmed dead.

After finishing writing, she closed the notebook, let out a long sigh, suppressed the regret in her heart, and returned to a pragmatic state.

Has the plan to form the Void Federation been successfully implemented?

"Successfully established. We have set rules: each pirate faction will govern its own territory, forming joint forces to resist external enemies, without establishing a single monarchy, to prevent the recurrence of dictatorial rule like that of the Celestial Dragons."

Which factions have joined?

"Representatives from the Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and Roger Pirates, along with Kaido and Bullet, have all joined the Federation. Rocks and Golden Lion, unwilling to be bound by the treaty, have chosen to remain neutral, but they guarantee they will not obstruct the implementation of the new sea order."

Lin Yuan paused for a moment, then continued to add information about the navy's movements.

"The naval leadership has also reached a reconciliation. Garp and Sengoku have voluntarily ceased hostilities and will no longer intervene in the new maritime order. A large-scale naval battle is not expected to break out in the short term."

Ginny finished recording all the information, snapped the ledger shut, and looked up at Lin Yuan.

What are your plans for the next phase of your work?

"Give yourself a few days to rest. We fought in Mary Geoise all day without eating or drinking, and all we want right now is to fill our stomachs." Lin Yuan rubbed his aching shoulders. "After the rest, we'll handle the post-battle cleanup. On one hand, we'll arrange for people to clear out the Royal City's supplies left behind in Mary Geoise to maintain the initial operation of the Void Federation. On the other hand, we'll send people to continue liaising with the navy to finalize the maritime demarcation agreement."

As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps came from the direction of the laboratory.

Caesar, with his messy hair, clutched a thick stack of engineering blueprints tightly in his arms. His collar was stained with black ink, clearly indicating that he had been studying the blueprints for several nights in a row, barely getting any sleep. He peeked into the room from the doorway, his eyes gleaming.

"I've finished compiling all the blueprints for the Pluton Battleship! The power system, gun emplacement coordinates, energy circuit distribution diagrams—every detail is fully marked! It's such a waste to keep such precious Ancient Weapon blueprints locked in a warehouse. Could you disassemble a portion of the structure so I can study it in detail?"

Lin Yuan said calmly, "The main hull cannot be disassembled or damaged, but you can disassemble and study the gun emplacements and the external power structure as you wish."

"That's enough!" Caesar was overjoyed. He grabbed a stack of blueprints and excitedly ran back to the laboratory, eager to begin his research.

A moment later, a tall figure walked towards the Training Ground.

Zephyr stood at the doorway of the hall, neither carrying his usual wooden sword nor a water bottle. He leaned quietly against the door frame, calmly watching Lin Yuan as he sat down. The two stared at each other for a long time before the old instructor slowly spoke.

"He's back safely."

"Professor Zephyr, I'm back."

Zephyr glanced around and noticed Lin Yuan's dejected expression. He asked softly, "Did the team go short of people after the expedition?"

"We've lost a partner."

Zephyr didn't press for details of the fight, but simply nodded solemnly and turned to walk towards the Training Ground outside. Halfway there, he paused, straightened his back, and never looked back, his voice drifting into the hall on the wind.

Was the sacrifice of that departed comrade worthwhile?

"It was absolutely worth it; he gained the freedom of the entire ocean in return."

Having received a reply, Zephyr continued walking. Soon, the sound of a wooden sword slicing through the air echoed from the Training Ground, one strike after another, the rhythm slow and steady, only a little slower than usual, carrying a hint of regret.

The hall fell silent again.

The tea on the table had long since gone cold. Lin Yuan picked up the ceramic teacup, his palm tightly enveloping the cup, quietly feeling the remaining warmth dissipate little by little, until only the cold porcelain surface remained. He gently placed the cup back on the table, no longer dwelling on the sadness of the war.

The hunger brought on by continuous high-intensity combat surged forth.

"I'm starving! Is there any cooked food left in the kitchen?"

Ginny immediately stood up and walked quickly to the kitchen, a hint of gentleness finally appearing on her face.

"I'll check the pantry; there's roast meat, broth, and whole-grain bread. It'll be ready to serve in no time."

The fog slowly dissipated, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, streaming into the Castle hall and illuminating the floor.

The smoke and fire of war have been left behind in distant Mary Geoise, and Hachinosu has returned to its former tranquility. With the great war over, a new era of warring factions has officially begun, and this island will become the most stable stronghold of the new order.

Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

The days that followed were no longer filled with endless battles, but with the consolidation of power and the steady establishment of new ocean rules for the Void Federation.

(End of Chapter 124)