A Blockade in Name Only

Jaya Island, outer waters.

Several pirate ships lay quietly at anchor on the sea.

Wine bottles and half-eaten food were scattered across their decks, while pirate flags still fluttered from their masts.

Yet beneath those flags, the ships were completely empty.

About five hundred meters from those ghost ships, a standard Marine warship cruised slowly by.

On the warship's deck, a clothesline strung between the two sides stood out conspicuously.

Hanging from it were not clothes, but human-shaped figures washed flat and translucent, swaying in the wind like shirts.

Their skin looked like clothing that had been bleached clean.

They swayed from the line, their expressions unexpectedly peaceful.

"The wind... feels so refreshing."

A pirate hanging at the very end muttered, his cheeks flushed.

"It feels like... my body and soul have both been cleansed."

"So healing..."

"Why did I... become a pirate... I really want to go home and farm..."

Contented voices rose and fell.

At the bow, Zephyr stood with his arms crossed, his gaze behind his sunglasses sweeping over the row of "drying" pirates. The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Ha ha."

He turned to the female officer beside him.

"Sometimes, even I think your ability is terrifying."

Standing beside him was none other than the Marine Headquarters Chief of Staff—Tsuru.

At thirty-eight, Tsuru was at an age where military bearing and feminine charm blended perfectly.

She wore a cloak of justice, standing straight and tall as a pine.

Her blue-black hair was neatly swept back, revealing a smooth forehead and sharp brows.

With both hands in her trouser pockets, the profile of her face looked especially valiant beneath the sunlight.

"What are you afraid of?" Tsuru said calmly. "My ability washes away evil thoughts."

She turned her head slightly, a faint smile curling at her