Early morning.
A thin mist shrouded Marineford.
He opened the window, and damp, chilly air rushed in. His skin prickled at once. Aleus breathed out, then rubbed his hands together, coaxing a little warmth from the friction. Marineford was Spring Island, where a weather phenomenon known as a "cold snap in spring" sometimes occurred.
So although winter didn't exist here, snow occasionally fell.
Today wasn't quite that extreme. No snowflakes drifted down, but a thin layer of sparkling late frost covered the grass in the flower beds.
"Haah!!!"
"Bang, bang—!!"
Drills had already begun on the training grounds in the distance. The marines' shouts and the roar of gunfire echoed through the cold morning air, dispelling the last traces of sleepiness among the nearby residents.
Marineford was home to Navy Headquarters.
But it wasn't entirely a military base. In addition to the barracks, there were towns and villages. Of course, the residents who settled in Marineford all had close ties to the Navy: families of officers and sailors, suppliers who provided goods to the Navy, and even retired naval officers who had made their homes here.
The hotel where Aleus was staying had been opened on the island by a relative of a senior naval officer. It catered specifically to guests like Aleus, who had business at Navy Headquarters but couldn't very well stay in the barracks.
"Knock, knock!!"
A knock sounded at the door.
"Your Highness, I'm coming in!"
Fran, the maid, pushed in a serving cart. After receiving a message from Aleus via Den Den Mushi, she had brought a large retinue of maids and servants down from the Holy Land and booked out the entire hotel. She had replaced everyone, from the chefs to the staff, with her own people.
This was his third day back from