War Without End
"I see." Understanding dawned on Issho, and his expression grew serious. "Admiral Zephyr, the one they call 'No-Kill'? I've always had great respect for him. I never imagined something so tragic would happen."
"What I can't understand is how the information about Admiral Zephyr's family got out," Vidal said, lowering his voice.
"Nothing like this seems to have happened even once in hundreds of years."
Never mind that sort of information about a Marine Admiral—even information about Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals was top secret. Where could pirates have found out about it?
Issho immediately grasped what Vidal meant. He frowned and fell into thought.
"Let's not talk about that." Vidal shook his head. He would only say such things in front of Issho.
"I remembered something on my way here. Would you like to come with me to the Garuzburg Kingdom, the place they call 'War Without End'?"
"I've heard of it. It's one of the main places I plan to visit someday, but why do you suddenly want to go there?" Issho looked up at Vidal as he ate his soba.
"I received information that there's a boy there who's only thirteen, but has been very active on the battlefield thanks to his great strength."
"I thought that since I have some free time lately, I'd go see if I can bring him back. After all, if it's true, it would be easy for him to stray down the wrong path." Vidal also began to enjoy the rich flavor of his ramen.
After hearing him out, Issho considered it for a moment. He had no pressing business of his own, so he agreed at once!
"All right. Let's leave after we finish our noodles."
Garuzburg Island was a large island in the first half of the Grand Line. Though it could not compare to Alabasta,
it was half the size of that island, which already made it larger than seventy percent of islands. After all, most small islands really were small, with a single town at most.
But the reason the world called it "War Without End" was that there were two Garuzburg Kingdoms on the island!
Both royal families claimed to be the legitimate rulers, and both wanted their kingdom to join the World Government. But long ago, the World Government had declared that there could only be one Garuzburg Kingdom.
This brought the conflict between the two kingdoms, which had already clashed frequently, to a fever pitch. From then on, the fires of war had never died down on the island.
Even more despairing was the fact that, because of the island's constant warfare, various forces and individuals from outside had also set their sights on it.
Arms dealers brought in large quantities of weapons, slave traders set up permanent bases to buy and sell all kinds of slaves, and those who enjoyed killing and those seeking bounties came too. Just about every sort of person could be found there.
It was an arena that the underworld had placed in plain sight!
As a result, the situation on the island was destined to remain as it was. No one wanted either kingdom to be completely conquered.
Nor did anyone want the war on the island to end. That was why the place was called the "Country of War Without End."
That name did more than describe the truth. It was also the vicious hope that the various powers held for it!
Recently, however, a "bad" development had emerged on Garuzburg Island. The Garuzburg Kingdom in the south had won victory after victory over the past few years, driving the northern kingdom back at every turn.
Although the underworld had deliberately or otherwise committed more weapons, troops, and troublesome figures to the North Garuzburg Kingdom, the situation had shown no "improvement."
The reason was a blond boy in the South Jialuzibao Kingdom's army, only twelve or thirteen years old, who had already been awarded the Hero Medal!
Pirates of some renown, whether from the four seas or from Paradise itself, as well as bounty hunters, had died at his hands one after another. The ordinary soldiers he had slaughtered were even more numerous.
The boy possessed an almost innate talent and luck for combat and war. It was as though no hardship or danger on the battlefield could ever find him.
For that reason, the South Jialuzibao Kingdom placed increasing importance on him, and his status rose steadily.
Not only had the people given him the title of "hero," but there were even rumors that he would be promoted to "general" the following year.
At the same time, however, he had become a complete thorn in the side of the North Garuzburg Kingdom and the underworld, and the patience of the various parties had reached its limit.
Simply put, someone this damn powerful could not be allowed to exist on the island!
That day, thanks to the schemes and machinations of the various parties, the Bullet Unit led by the boy was finally surrounded in a valley.
The two sides exchanged fierce fire at the narrow mountain pass, and the dense net of gunfire turned everyone who tried to enter into a corpse.
Bullet, broad and muscular, dressed in a black military uniform with a medal hanging on his chest, stared fearlessly at the army outside the valley.
Though he was still young, he was already over 180 centimeters tall, taller than most of the adults in the army.
"Have you contacted Commander Douglas? When will support arrive?"
"Captain Bullet, headquarters says the reinforcements will arrive in half a day at the latest!" shouted a messenger holding a Den Den Mushi.
He had no choice but to raise his voice. Otherwise, amid the relentless gunfire and explosions, it would never have carried.
"Good. Then hold out for another half day. When the reinforcements arrive, we'll attack from inside and out and crush them!" Bullet said, his gaze icy.
His mother had been a civilian of the North Garuzburg Kingdom. She became pregnant after being raped by a soldier of the South Jialuzibao Kingdom, where he now was.
The man who was his so-called father naturally had no intention of taking responsibility, and after giving birth to him, his mother had ruthlessly abandoned him on the battlefield.
He was eventually adopted by Douglas Gray, commander of the South Jialuzibao Kingdom's Bullet Unit, and became a child soldier numbered nine.
His first job was to use his own feet and body to uncover ambushes, land mines, traps, and the like. In other words, he was part of a so-called spearhead suicide squad.
But thanks to his tremendous luck and reflexes, he had somehow survived among the piles of his comrades' corpses!
As a result, he caught Commander Douglas Gray's attention and went from "Number Nine" to being given the name "Bullet," which meant a bullet.
Five years ago, thanks to his formidable fighting strength and impeccable, outstanding military achievements, he had received the Hero Medal, awarded by the state to those with the greatest military merits.
But his smooth sailing on the battlefield and the joy of earning distinction made him increasingly arrogant, and, unsurprisingly, he overlooked the threat from those around him.
His "little companions"—he no longer knew which batch they were, but they had grown up under the same brutal conditions as he had—were driven by fear, jealousy, and other emotions.
Not only did they drug his food and attack him from behind at the victory banquet, they even stole his medal. To this day, he remembered the vicious, savage faces those youths had shown at the time.
They had all but succeeded. He was indeed gravely wounded and nearly died, but they had still underestimated him, Bullet.
With a physique and will beyond those of ordinary people, he forced himself to stay awake, killed all the child soldiers, and reclaimed the medal that had been stolen from him.
From then on, he recognized the reason for his failure. He no longer trusted anyone and believed only in his own strength. So-called comrades and companions were nothing more than chess pieces and tools!
He fully formed his philosophy of life: "strength alone." Only strength was worthy of his complete trust!
Elsewhere, such a philosophy might have been debatable, but on this island, in this country, trusting others truly was a very risky, even foolish, thing to do.
In this world, some people simply could not be trusted!
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