Chapter 5: The Marines, Teacher - One Piece: Explosion

The business with Bill had put a crack in Li Ziming's relationship with the villagers. Or perhaps the crack had always been there, and Bill had merely brought it to the surface. Li Ziming still greeted the villagers when they met, and they still supplied him with liquor and came to drink at his bar. But the distance between them could no longer be erased.

"The people in my village have gone too far!" Alto was upset—or perhaps simply confused. Neither side meant any harm, so how had things become so strained? Even though he could sense what people felt, he could not figure it out.

"It's normal." Li Ziming shook his head. "How long have I even lived among you? If someone made you choose between me and the villagers, who would you pick?"

"Uh, I..." Alto froze.

"Forget it. It's only human." Li Ziming shook his head. "Things being like this doesn't really affect me, does it?"

"I guess..." Alto was about to say more when a villager came running over.

"S-someone else is here!" the villager gasped.

"What?" Alto looked at Li Ziming, a plea in his eyes.

Li Ziming could only nod helplessly. He wasn't happy with the villagers, but he thought Alto was a good person. He had even begun to consider him a friend, and Li Ziming had never been stingy when a friend needed help.

"No need. I only came for a drink." A towering figure appeared in Li Ziming's shop, his right sleeve hanging empty. "I heard from the villagers that the liquor here is good?"

"Teacher!" A clear female voice rang out. "We came for supplies! You can't go looking for a drink everywhere we stop!"

"Let Teacher drink. It's not like we can stop him," a man said helplessly.

"Exactly. Don't worry, we're not bad people," the tall man said with a smile. "We're Marines."

"Teacher, how is anyone supposed to know you're a Marine when you're not wearing your coat? Your face is scary enough as it is." The woman finally appeared. With dark blue hair and a white Marine coat, she cut a striking figure.

"That's just how Teacher is, Ain." The man appeared as well. Looking at the length of his arms and legs, Li Ziming could only marvel at how strange this world was.

"Anyway, these are my students. A fine bunch, every one of them." The tall man showed them off with obvious pride. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Zephyr, just an old Marine instructor these days. These two are my star pupils. The man is Binz, and the woman is Ain. I've taught plenty of other promising youngsters besides them." As Zephyr introduced his students, he sounded like a man showing off his most precious treasures.

"I can tell you're fond of your students, Mr. Zephyr..." Li Ziming poured each of them a beer.

"Beer, huh." Zephyr looked a little dissatisfied. "A bit weak. Doesn't have enough kick."

"Uh, why not try this?" Li Ziming poured gin and vermouth into a glass and handed it to Zephyr.

"Ahh!" After taking a drink, Zephyr drew a deep breath. Its crisp, complex flavor and spicy bite captivated him. "What is this?"

"A martini." The business with Bill had put a crack in Li Ziming's relationship with the villagers. Or perhaps the crack had always been there, and Bill had merely brought it to the surface. Li Ziming still greeted the villagers when they met, and they still supplied him with liquor and came to drink at his bar. But the distance between them could no longer be erased.