Justice Would Never Forget!

Sunshine, sea breeze, and a freedom I'd never known before.

Imu took off the black robe that symbolized confinement and loneliness, and put on a simple white dress. Barefoot, she stood on the deck, letting the sea breeze blow through her long hair.

For the first time in eight hundred years, she stepped out of that magnificent cage with her own two feet.

She reached out, as if trying to grasp a ray of sunlight, her dark red eyes, which had seen through the vicissitudes of life, were now filled with childlike curiosity.

"Is this what the sea tastes like?" she murmured to herself, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

No, this is the taste of freedom.

Akira walked over to her and handed her a glass of bubbly juice.

Not far away, Aqua was running around on the deck, followed by Gunko, who looked helpless.

"Gunko's mom, look! It's Sea King! It's huge!"

"Your Highness, please be careful not to get too close to the ship's side."

"With Uncle Akira here, Aqua isn't afraid of any Sea King!" Aqua turned around and made a face, then ran happily to Akira and Imu, tilting her little face up and looking at Imu with bright eyes, "Mother Imu, did you really not leave the Holy Land for eight hundred years?"

Imu took the juice Akira offered, mimicking his gesture by taking a sip. The sweet, sour, and icy taste made her eyes widen slightly. She looked at Aqua, a rare smile appearing on her face, "I've left a few times, but like this, this is the first time in eight hundred years!"

The first half of the Grand Line Paradise.

A town called "Angang".

Unlike the chaos of many islands along the Grand Line, everything here is orderly. The streets are wide and clean, the shops on both sides are thriving, and the faces of the pedestrians are not filled with fear or numbness, but with peace and tranquility.

Akira and his group of four walked down the street without attracting much attention. Although Imu and Gunko's stunning beauty drew glances, it was at most enough to elicit a sigh, but no one dared to approach and harass them.

Because the streets are filled with uniformed naval soldiers patrolling everywhere. Their very presence is a powerful deterrent.

Soon, Akira and his group stopped in front of the gate of a "base" that looked newly built.

A simple wooden sign hangs at the entrance of the small building, with the words "Home of Naval Veterans" engraved on it.

Before they could even get close, the door suddenly opened from the inside, and an old man with one arm poked his head out. When he saw who was standing outside, he froze on the spot, his pipe falling to the ground with a clatter. His lips trembled for a long time before he excitedly shouted, "Marshal Akira! It's the Lord Marshal!"

The old man's shout was like a bomb, instantly attracting the attention of the veterans at the veterans' home and the wounded soldiers who had returned from the battlefield.

"What?!"

"The Lord Marshal has arrived?"

"It really is Marshal Akira! That's wonderful! The Lord Marshal has come to see us!"

"Quickly, quickly, go out and greet the Lord Marshal!"

After a series of chaotic sounds as tables and chairs were overturned, a group of figures rushed out of the door.

Some of them were missing arms, some were missing legs, some had hideous scars on their faces, and some were even in wheelchairs, being pushed to the front door by their companions.

Without exception, the moment they saw Akira, an almost fanatical excitement appeared on everyone's face.

They struggled to stand up straight and give a proper military salute, but their physical disabilities made them look somewhat disheveled.

"There's no need for that, everyone!"

Akira stepped forward, helped up a one-legged veteran who nearly fell, and smiled, "Now the Marshal of this headquarters is Gion, and my current identity is a traveler on a journey."

"You will always be our Lord Marshal!"

The leading veteran stepped forward and shouted excitedly, "Attention, all! Salute to His Lord Marshal!"

Loyalty!

Because of Akira's unexpected visit, this veterans' home instantly became lively and bustling, and a grand banquet was held in an orderly manner thanks to the veterans' insistence.

The banquet was held in the lobby on the first floor of the Veterans' Home.

The veterans surrounded Akira, each telling their own story and recounting the various changes in the town.

"Lord Marshal, before, when we veterans retired, it was like waiting to die! Now it's all good. With this Veterans' Home, we have no worries about food and clothing, and naval doctors come to see us regularly!" A veteran in a wheelchair laughed while wiping away tears.

"Yes! My son is serving in the navy now, and he says the benefits are so much better than before! The compensation is also higher! He reassured me that he wants to be a hero of justice like you!"

Aqua sat quietly beside Akira, listening to the old soldier chat with Akira, her big eyes sparkling with admiration.

Imu sat quietly to the side, watching the group of remnants of the army brimming with life before him, and the young figure surrounded by them. His dark red eyes flickered with light, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

After a few rounds of drinks, an old soldier with gray hair and a steel prosthetic arm on his left arm stood up shakily.

He raised his glass, tears welling in his cloudy eyes, and exclaimed excitedly, "Brothers! I have a suggestion. Since the Lord Marshal has come all this way, how about we sing a song together?!"

His suggestion was met with immediate approval from everyone.

"Good!"

How about singing the Lord Marshal's original song, "Justice Will Not Forget"?!

Upon hearing that the veterans were going to sing a song he had adapted when he was Vice Admiral at the Marine Headquarters, Akira stood up and declared boldly, "Everyone, let's sing together! I'll start!"

As he spoke, Akira cleared his throat, then stepped forward and began to sing. "In the vast sea of people, which one am I..."

As Akira's voice fell, the veterans and wounded soldiers also started shouting.

Immediately, a loud song resounded throughout the "Veterans' Home," attracting pedestrians on nearby streets who stopped and turned around.

"Among the soldiers who conquered the Grand Line, I was the one who silently dedicated myself..."

"In the long river of the cause of justice, I am the one that flows eternally..."

The songs came together, growing louder and more passionate.

I don't need you to know me, and I don't crave your knowledge of me!

"I dedicate my youth to the ocean of justice!"

The mountains know me, the sea knows me!

"Justice will not forget, it will not forget me!"

The song echoed in the hall, burst out of the windows, and drifted into the peaceful and prosperous skies above Ankang.

Those veterans missing limbs, those soldiers in wheelchairs, all straightened their backs at this moment, tears welling in their eyes, as if they had returned to the deck of the warship, back to the battlefield amidst the roar of cannons.

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