Change

The five airships slowly rose into the sky—one hundred meters, two hundred meters, three hundred meters... gradually climbing to an astonishing height and leaving Water 7 beneath them.

Dragon breathed in air he had never experienced before, and his mind cleared slightly.

"Dragon, right? Lord Annus wants to see you in the cabin." An angel soldier wearing wings and a black one-piece monk's robe approached him.

"Alright, I'll go right away."

Following behind the angel soldier, Dragon entered the airship's cabin. His heart was filled with amazement at the strange sights around him, along with unease over his uncertain future.

Following the copper pipes along the cabin walls, which resembled totemic directional markers, Dragon arrived at the captain's quarters. Yale, Diumil, and Lilith were there as well.

The three, who had been conversing, fell silent in tacit agreement upon seeing Dragon. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for him, so he quietly stood to one side and waited.

A few minutes later, Annus arrived fashionably late with Kuma.

"Everyone's here? Lilith, Diumil, Yale, you three may leave first. I have something to discuss with Kuma and Dragon."

"Yes."

Lilith and the other two nodded and walked out of the room.

For a moment, only Annus, Kuma, and Dragon remained in the captain's quarters.

"Kuma, you've already 'marked' Water 7, haven't you?"

"I have marked it, Master. If you need it, I can use my ability to send people back at any time."

Kuma still had not fully adapted to his current life. He retained his old verbal habit and instinctively called Annus "Master."

Although Annus had told him many times that there was no need to address him that way, Kuma still had not changed.

Still, there was no rush. Kuma would change eventually.

"Just call me Lord Annus. There's no need to call me Master..." After correcting him once more, Annus got to the point. "I called you here to assign you your respective duties..."

"Starting today, I officially declare you members of the Angel Legion's Apprentice Celestial Soldiers."

"Come, put these on first."

As he spoke, Annus took out two boxes and placed them before the two of them.

At the sight of the boxes, Kuma could barely contain his excitement. After taking a deep breath, he opened one and took out the two white wings inside, fastening them onto his back.

Having stayed in Water 7 for so long, Kuma had integrated into his new surroundings and learned that these wings symbolized the Angel Legion. Only official members acknowledged and accepted by Annus were qualified to wear them.

To Kuma, putting on these wings meant that he was no longer a "slave," but someone with a new "identity"!

Beside Kuma, seeing how excited he was, Dragon no longer resisted. He followed Kuma's example and put on the wings, beginning his life as an Apprentice Celestial Soldier.

Wasn't Annus supposed to make me his apostle? What did this mean now? Did this guy have other plans, or had he tricked me?

Filled with countless doubts, Dragon silently stepped back beside Kuma and waited for Annus to speak.

Annus continued, "From now on, the two of you will train together with the Angel Legion soldiers. After we return to Birka, Diumil and Yale will each be responsible for devising your training plans."

Kuma was thrilled. "Will Lord Yale become my teacher?"

Annus nodded. "Yes, Kuma."

But Dragon did not see it that way. Hearing this, he finally could not hold back any longer and asked, "Annus, what exactly are you planning? This isn't what I came to you for!"

Joining this Angel Legion has nothing to do with changing the world, does it? I left the Marines to save more people trapped in suffering!

"I advise you to call me Lord Annus, Dragon. I don't care much about forms of address, but the Angel Legion does. If Diumil or anyone else hears you address me like that, I'm afraid you'll suffer quite a bit," Annus advised kindly.

"That still doesn't mean I have to become your subordinate, does it? I came seeking cooperation. Didn't you say back then that I only needed to report news to you and carry out certain activities according to your instructions? Why now..." Dragon said.

"Cooperation? It can only be called cooperation when both sides are equals. With Dr. Vegapunk, for example, I am very willing to use that word.

"But with you... aren't you overestimating yourself?

"Dragon, first recognize the difference in our strength. If you were a pirate, then by Hachinosu's rules, I would have already killed you.

"My willingness to invest in you is my own business. Since you want to change the world, you must listen to me.

"From the moment you put on those wings, you ceased to be a Marine and became an Apprentice Celestial Soldier. I hope I will not need to repeat this in the future.

"As a Celestial Soldier, you must show sufficient respect to the Lord. Only then can you grow stronger in the Legion."

"When all is said and done, what does that have to do with becoming an apostle?" Dragon asked, his pale face rigid.

"Good question... Before becoming my apostle, you must gain sufficient strength! Who do you think your enemies are? How can someone so pathetically weak change the world? Have you forgotten how, back in God Valley, a mere God's Knight nearly got you killed?" Annus sneered.

Dragon gritted his teeth at those words, but he had no choice but to acknowledge them... Scenes from God Valley flashed through his mind like a slideshow.

Especially the face of that tall, horned woman.

If Lilith had not appeared, that woman would have killed him with nothing more than a casually fired beam of light!

Though afterward, Lilith had effortlessly knocked him down again...

Indeed, if I'm too weak, I can't change anything...

Maybe this guy is right.

Without realizing it, Dragon accepted Annus's words and reined in his temper.

"I understand. From now on, I'll follow the arrangements, Lord Annus..."

He was not some fool who knew nothing of the world. He understood how terrifying Annus was.

The reason he had continued acting so agitated and arguing with Annus was, on one hand, to uphold the beliefs in his heart. On the other, he could not fully trust Annus. He feared that this demon-like man would drag him into the abyss while he remained completely unaware.

Only then did Annus nod in satisfaction and smile. "Very good. Maintain that attitude, Dragon. Only then can you survive the coming 'trial'... Alright, Kuma, take Dragon around and familiarize him with the surroundings first."

"Alright, Lord Annus." Kuma nodded. His tone when calling Annus "Lord" sounded far more natural than Dragon's.

Though he was only nine years old, Kuma was even taller than Dragon due to his Buccaneer Tribe bloodline, making the seventeen-year-old Dragon look like a child instead.

After the two left, Annus fell silent for a while. He went to another room next door and activated a large Den Den Mushi as tall as a person.

"Brrring, brrring... Brrring, brrring..."