Once the dust had settled, Momonga ordered everyone to rest where they were and set sail for home the next day.
They also needed to recover the remains of their fallen comrades. That was not something they could rush.
On the Coast, Loa sat quietly beside a campfire, watching the soldiers work in silence. Everyone's heart was heavy.
Of the 59 people who had set out, only a little over 00 would make it back alive. Loa had not asked for the exact number. He was afraid knowing it would hurt even more.
That was how people were. They could not bear to lose those close to them, yet could look past the deaths of strangers.
Loa knew he was no saint. Before gaining this power, he had been an ordinary man, one of countless people like him in either world.
He had the same thoughts any ordinary person would have, and the same emotions too.
So he had never forced himself to meet some lofty standard. When he was happy, he let himself be happy. When he was sad, he let himself grieve.
He could slaughter Pirates in Hiswell and Kuriswia, but he still could not remain calm in the face of his comrades' deaths.
All he could do now was cast magic on the body bags, freezing the fallen so they could return home and be laid to rest.
Yet even that was a luxury many navy soldiers would never dare dream of!
The seas of the One Piece world were vast, and travel was difficult. Most of the time, soldiers killed in battle could only be buried or cremated where they fell. Dying on the battlefield might be an honor, but never returning home was a sorrow all its own.
Compared to him, Momonga, a veteran officer,