New Justice

The torrential rain finally passed, leaving only the fresh scent of damp earth and air that seemed freshly washed.

The lights in the shelters gradually dimmed, and crying and tension turned into soft sobs and deep breaths.

Rock and Zephyr emerged from the jungle. When sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon them, the Marines on the shore saw those two figures—

The next moment, deafening cheers swept across the entire beach.

"Rear Admiral Rock!!!"

"Vice Admiral Zephyr is back!!!"

"The Bloodsail Pirates have been wiped out!!!"

The soldiers were so excited, as though pent-up frustration had finally burst free. Some even raised their rifles over their heads.

It was not excitement over slaughter, but joy that justice had been delivered and relief that the innocent had been saved.

Zephyr froze slightly. He had never seen... such pure, such exhilarating cheers.

Whenever he had chosen to "spare pirates" in the past, the Marines had understood and respected him, but their faces had never carried such ease, such relief.

At that moment, he could not deny the heavy thought rising within him: tolerating evil truly did rot morale.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he murmured softly, "Rock... perhaps you were right."

Rock's steps paused slightly, but he only revealed a faint smile.

Zephyr took a deep breath, stepped forward, and regained that reassuring air of authority.

"The Bloodsail Pirates have all been executed!"

"Send a team to the beach to seize their supplies. Distribute all of it to the villagers!"

"Yes!!!"

The Marines answered crisply and swiftly. The ranks immediately dispersed, everyone moving with a long-lost sense of ease.

It was as if not only the sky's gloom had cleared, but also the weight in their hearts.

Rock watched Zephyr's back, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.

"It won't change overnight..."

"But it is changing. That's a good thing."

He raised his hand and gave it a light wave.

The roiling thunderclouds in the sky dispersed in an instant, the dark clouds scattering as though torn apart.

The rain had stopped.

Sunlight carrying long-lost warmth spilled across the scarred island.

Hearing the Marines' calls, the villagers finally showed genuine smiles.

The children rushed out of the shelters and burst into tears when they saw the blue sky.

The elderly trembled as they lifted their heads, greeting the sunlight as though welcoming new life.

The entire island seemed purified by thunder, then reborn beneath the sun.

And Zephyr stood in the light, his back resolute and unyielding.

Upon his shoulders rested not only the weight of the Marine cape, but the weight of a true awakening of "justice."

He spoke softly to the brightening sky.

"From today onward... my justice will not change. I will still not kill."

But his next words made Rock raise his eyes.

"Because life outweighs everything. Every soul has the value of being saved. That is the difference between Marines and pirates."

He slowly raised the hand that had once refused to kill, clenched it tightly into a fist, and said, "But when there are people behind me who need protection..."

"My purpose will no longer be to reform demons."

He turned and walked toward the warship, his voice echoing along the entire coast with the sea breeze. "It will be to send demons back to hell."

"Before those words, 'I'm sorry,' can ever be spoken..."

"I will end every possibility that could make someone say 'I'm sorry.'"

Rock watched Zephyr's back, stretched long and steadfast by the sunlight—

That was newborn justice.

That was the fire he had ignited with his own hands.

The sea breeze carried the fresh scent of grass after rain across the island, brushing past damaged roofs and land where hope had been rekindled.

The soldiers' morale was soaring. The ships left behind by the Bloodsail Pirates were swiftly dismantled, and the lumber, food, medicine, and tools were all properly sorted.

"These things are all yours!"

"Use them without worry!!!"

The villagers wept uncontrollably. An old man tried to kneel and bow, but the Marines hurriedly stopped him.

"No, don't do that! We're Marines! This is what we're supposed to do!!!"

The villagers gave smiles mixed with gratitude and relief. Those once-despairing eyes finally shone again.

As the Marines looked at the village containing only the elderly and children, something seemed to tug at their hearts.

"These houses aren't livable at all! Another heavy rain and they'll collapse!"

"Come on, raise the support beam—one, two, three—!"

"I'll reinforce this part! We're out of nails here! Go get some new ones!"

"I'll fix the grain store's pillars!"

Though they were battle-hardened soldiers, they bustled about like skilled carpenters and masons.

Sweat dripped into the soil, yet the village gradually regained its vitality.

Zephyr stood in the distance, silently watching the scene for a long time.

The post-rain sunlight shone on his face, and for the first time, his gaze was so gentle.

For the first time, he clearly felt that the Marines existed for more than just capturing pirates...

They also existed to make those who had lost hope believe in the world again.

That conviction reforged amid thunder and blood seemed to be tempered even harder beneath the sunlight.

At that moment, Rock walked over from the shore, carrying an entire string of large fish he had stunned with lightning over his shoulder.

The children widened their eyes, utterly dumbfounded.

"Waaaah! Is that a mountain of fish!?"

"So... so many!!!"

"Big Brother Marine is amazing!"

Even the youths who had once harbored deep resentment toward the Marines could not help drawing closer.

Amid the bustle and laughter, their resentment quietly melted away.

One boy clutched a fish tightly, his eyes full of sincerity. "Big Brother Marine... thank you."

Rock rubbed their heads and merely smiled faintly, but that brought the children more reassurance than words ever could.

As the sun set, the warship raised its sails and departed.

The villagers on shore waved their arms and shouted with all their strength, "Thank you!!!"

Their voices crossed the sea breeze, like genuine joy surging from the depths of their hearts.

Zephyr stood at the stern, his gaze fixed on those endlessly waving figures.

He silently watched this scene, one he had never experienced before, yet one that shook his heart.

The wind stirred his cape and scattered the last trace of wavering in his heart.

The hand that had always insisted on "not killing" slowly clenched.

A voice in his heart could no longer be ignored: Marine justice is not standing by helplessly and waiting for evil to raise its blade again.

Zephyr let out a long breath, his eyes resolute.

The next second, he turned and strode deep into the cabin, his back no longer hesitant.

The following morning · On the warship's return journey

Dawn broke, and the golden sun slowly rose from the horizon, illuminating the entire sea with shimmering waves.

The Marines had just finished their morning drills and were gathered in a circle, heatedly discussing yesterday's events.

"I carried three huge crates of supplies yesterday!"

"Quit bragging. I carried more than you!"

"That lightning strike from Rear Admiral Rock was so cool I couldn't sleep last night!"

"Ow, my back is still numb, hahaha!"

The entire warship brimmed with youth, strength, and long-lost high spirits.

On the other side, Zephyr was still putting himself through extreme training.

His muscular lines looked carved by blade and chisel. His movements were clean and sharp, every punch seeming to tear through the air.

Sweat slid down the grooves of his muscles. He resembled a blazing furnace, heat steaming off his body.

"Crackle—"

Lightning suddenly flickered beside him.

Rock appeared in a form of lightning, his cape fluttering lightly as silver lightning patterns danced across his body.

Zephyr stopped, wiped the sweat from his face with a towel, and revealed a long-lost, fiery smile.

"Rock, you brat, remember to train too."

"Though your Thunder Body Tempering is indeed extraordinary, you can't neglect basic training either... people can't be lazy—"

Before he could finish, Zephyr sensed the atmosphere beside him suddenly change.

Rock did not say a word. He merely stood there, gazing at the distant sea.

Lightning silently blossomed around him, and battle intent erupted skyward like a volcanic eruption!

Zephyr's heart skipped a beat as he followed Rock's gaze.

The next instant, his pupils contracted sharply.

On the distant horizon, a massive warship was cutting through the waves toward them.

Its hull towered high, three thick masts thrusting into the sky as its sails snapped in the wind.

A pirate flag rolled in the breeze, symbolizing an overwhelming force capable of sweeping across the seas.

At the bow stood a figure, proud and unyielding amid the wind and waves.

Built like a giant, his skin seemed forged from steel. His green open-front shirt exposed a body like an impregnable wall.

A white pirate cape draped over his shoulders, billowing wildly in the wind. One hand gripped an enormous bisento, its cold blade seeming capable of cleaving the horizon apart.

Most eye-catching of all were his dazzling blond hair and the symbol of one of the sea's strongest—

A massive crescent-shaped white mustache curving upward!

Zephyr's breath caught, and every hair on his body stood on end.

He spoke the name in a low voice. "Newgate..."

Lightning exploded around Rock. Lightning Roar howled like a wild beast, and even the sea was forced backward by his overwhelming presence!

At the bow of that massive ship, the man slowly raised his head.

His gaze pierced wind and waves, pierced distance, pierced heaven and earth, and fixed upon the Marine warship with the pressure of one looking down upon all living things.

—Rocks Pirates · Senior Officer

—Hailed as the "monster among monsters,"

The future foremost of the Four Emperors, the prototype of the world's strongest man · Edward Newgate!!!