The first half of the Grand Line, Caslan Island.
A group of pirates who had only recently landed on the island were fleeing in a panic.
"Run! It's the G2 Branch's navy!"
"A vice admiral is personally leading them!"
"You've got to be kidding! The combined bounty on all of us is less than a hundred million Beli. Do they really need to send a vice admiral to capture small-time pirates like us?"
In truth, the vice admiral they feared had not made a move. He merely stood at the edge of the battlefield and watched in silence.
"Senior Longinus, aren't we going to help?" The blind man slurped his noodles with a noisy "slurp, slurp" on the battlefield. "Whether it's your Conqueror's Haki or my gravity, we should be able to end this fight quickly."
"Just call me Commander." Longinus sighed faintly. It was rather strange being called senior by someone a full generation older than him.
"Alright, Senior Longinus."
"...Forget it. Have it your way." Longinus sighed. "We can't stay by these soldiers' sides at all times. Letting them gain enough experience through battle is the best choice."
"And the meaning of our existence is to prevent accidents from happening." As Longinus spoke, he killed a pirate second-in-command instantly with a Flying Shigan after the man had secretly concealed his strength and tried to launch a sudden attack.
"Is that so? It seems I really haven't been able to change my way of thinking." Issho bit through his noodles and nodded slightly. "When I was a wanderer, I went everywhere alone. As long as I didn't betray my principles, that was enough. But now that I've become a soldier, I also have to consider my subordinates and comrades."
"No matter how strong one person is, they can't change