The Garrison Captain Who Upheld Benevolence and Righteousness

The following morning, somewhere in an unknown sea of the Grand Line.

A three-masted sailing ship completely shrouded in dense dark energy floated silently through the air like a ghost, gliding steadily forward in defiance of all reason.

Inside the captain's cabin, Dawn sat in a specially made, oversized chair. His bare upper body was smooth and flawless, without a single scar. The injuries he had sustained in the previous fierce battle had fully healed.

At that moment, he was devouring the mountain of food before him at a breakneck pace. As he ate, his stomach visibly swelled, and by the time he swallowed the last steak, his abdomen had become as round as a ball.

With a thought, he activated Life Return. His swollen belly instantly flattened as all the food was efficiently digested and absorbed, transformed into pure reserves of energy.

"Phew—" Dawn exhaled a breath thick with the heat of food, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his lips.

His battle with Joseph had consumed far more than expected. His energy reserves had once fallen to a dangerous level, leaving him vigilant throughout the journey back for fear of encountering a powerful enemy. Now that he had recovered a small portion of his energy, he finally had the confidence to handle most unexpected situations.

His gaze shifted toward a corner of the cabin. There, a beautiful young woman with dazzling blonde hair was bound in an extremely artistic yet exceptionally secure manner.

"How long are you planning to pretend to be asleep?"

Stussy's long lashes trembled as she opened her watery eyes, adopting a pitiful expression.

"How much longer are you going to keep me tied up like this? It's really uncomfortable..."

As she spoke, she deliberately twisted her body, making her graceful curves even more pronounced and irresistibly alluring.

But Dawn remained unmoved.

"Don't waste your effort. I don't believe an elite from a Cipher Pol training base wouldn't know Geppo. If I untie you now, what if you run away?"

Stussy solemnly promised him,

"I won't run away. Can't you trust me?"

Dawn still shook his head.

"Such promises are meaningless. Stay by my side and behave yourself. When the time is right, I'll keep my promise and help you rescue Vegapunk."

A barely noticeable flicker passed through Stussy's eyes. She reined in her seductive manner and put on a resigned expression.

"Why? There were so many female agents on Yoshiwara Island. Why were you the only one who didn't kill me? And... how did you find out about Doctor Vegapunk and me?"

Dawn stood and began putting on the clothes hanging beside him, answering casually,

"Because none of them were as beautiful as you. I like collecting beautiful women. Is that reason enough? As for why I know your secret... that's naturally my secret too."

Caught off guard by such a blunt compliment about her looks, even someone as meticulous as Stussy could not help blushing slightly.

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask something else, but Dawn gave her no chance. Once he was fully dressed, he pushed open the door and left the captain's cabin.

Watching Dawn's tall figure disappear beyond the door, Stussy's eyes turned complicated and distant. Originally, she had joined Cipher Pol and climbed step by step through her own talent and effort. Her ultimate goal had been to infiltrate the core of the World Government and find an opportunity to rescue Doctor Vegapunk, who was being held under house arrest.

For that, she had long prepared herself to sacrifice everything and sink into the mire of darkness.

Dawn's sudden appearance, his destruction of Yoshiwara Island through overwhelming force, and her abduction had thrown all her plans into disarray.

Her feelings toward him were exceedingly complicated. On one hand, he had taken her away from that vortex just before she completely sank into it, and she felt a trace of gratitude toward him because of that. On the other hand, the destruction of her plans had left her deeply lost.

Unable to continue infiltrating for the sake of saving the doctor, and having lost her clear goal, what could she possibly do in the future?

On the deck.

Dawn stood against the wind, his golden hair streaming behind him. He gazed into the distance, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The outline of an island appeared on the horizon ahead, but ominous smoke hung over it, and faint cries of battle drifted over on the wind.

Dawn's eyes flickered. He quietly guided the darkness-wreathed sailing ship closer, intending to see if he could fish for some benefits amid the chaos.

Blue Kingdom, royal capital.

A fierce battle raged before the towering city gates. Issho, captain of the kingdom's garrison, stood at the entrance with a military sword in hand.

His face was resolute, his gaze sharp, and his moon-white kimono fluttered in the wind, giving him an extraordinary presence.

Facing the enemy troops surging in like a tide, he showed no fear. Each swing of his military sword unleashed a fierce blade of sword energy, accurately cutting down large swathes of enemy soldiers.

However, those fighting at his side were not the kingdom's regular soldiers, but a group of ragged slaves armed with crude weapons!

The real kingdom soldiers cowered behind the sturdy gates, watching nervously. From atop the walls came the lofty commands of the royal family and nobility from time to time, all amounting to nothing more than ordering the slaves to hold the line and use their lives to wear down the enemy forces.

In this country, only nobles were qualified to become soldiers. To the nobles, slaves were merely expendable goods and cannon fodder.

"Fall back! All of you, get to the rear!"

As Issho swung his military sword to fend off the enemy, he roared at the slaves around him. He possessed a heart of benevolence and righteousness and could not bear to watch these innocent people march to their deaths.

But the slaves turned a deaf ear to his orders and continued charging forward numbly. In their deeply rooted beliefs, the authority of the royal family was absolute, and the orders of the nobility could not be defied, even if those orders sent them to their deaths.

Listening to the cold urgings of the royals and nobles behind him, watching slaves fall like grass around him, their warm blood splashing across his face and body...

Something within Issho finally snapped. The belief in "protection" that he had upheld seemed so laughable and feeble in the face of such naked contempt for life.

"Enough!!!"

A roar filled with pain and fury burst from Issho's throat. He abruptly withdrew his military sword and abandoned resistance, allowing the wolfish enemy troops to rush past him toward the city gates.

Some enemy soldiers, their eyes red with slaughter, wanted to take the opportunity to kill the surviving slaves as well and vent their anger. Issho immediately blocked them with his blade, his icy killing intent locking onto those soldiers and forcing them to remain still.

The enemy commander seemed to understand something and immediately ordered his troops not to harm the slaves and to focus all their efforts on attacking the city gates!

With Issho, their strongest barrier, no longer defending them, the kingdom soldiers, who had lived in comfort for years and lacked real combat experience, were completely unable to withstand the ferocious enemy. The gates were soon breached.

The enemy troops poured into the city. Some tried to take the opportunity to loot the civilians, but Issho stepped forward again and stopped them.

The enemy commander gave Issho a long look before issuing another order,

"The army is permitted to attack only the royal family, nobles, and their soldiers. Civilians are not to be harassed."

This time, Issho sheathed his sword and stood aside completely.

The result was beyond doubt. Having lost their greatest support, those decadent nobles alone could not resist the wolfish enemy troops. The royal family and nobility were swiftly purged.

The purpose of the war had been achieved—in the rules of this world, the complete annihilation of a royal family meant the destruction of its kingdom.

The enemy commander did not linger. He decisively ordered a retreat, unwilling to remain and provoke a terrifying powerhouse like Issho, causing needless casualties.

When the fighting subsided, the surviving slaves and civilians who had escaped the disaster gathered around Issho and thanked him profusely. Some even excitedly proposed that the powerful and benevolent Issho become the new king of the country, and the surrounding crowd eagerly echoed the suggestion.

However, Issho firmly refused. His face was filled with deep exhaustion and self-reproach.

"I am but a war criminal who destroyed the nation I swore to protect with my own hands. What right do I have to become its new king? Everyone... take care of yourselves."

He knew the rules of this world well. With the royal family destroyed, the Blue Kingdom existed in name only. He chose to exile himself and prepared to leave this place of sorrow.

High in the air, Dawn stood on the deck of the darkness-wreathed sailing ship, taking in everything below. He let out a soft sigh.

"I never expected that the future Navy admiral who upheld 'benevolent justice' would become a 'war criminal' and leave his homeland in this way... How lamentable."

He had arrived when Issho gave up resisting. After recognizing him, Dawn had watched from the sidelines, originally considering whether he might take the chance to establish a connection or even attempt to recruit him.

But after witnessing everything Issho had done, Dawn understood that the possibility of recruitment was slim to none. Even at this point in time, Issho's moral standards were far too high.

Dawn knew he could not be like Issho, worrying over civilians at every turn during battle. In his view, that was no different from exposing one's weakness to the enemy.

Dawn shook his head and no longer lingered. He guided the sailing ship quietly upward, merging it into the clouds and leaving the land that had just undergone a dramatic upheaval.

Below, Issho, who was preparing to leave, seemed to sense something. He discreetly raised his head and glanced toward where the sailing ship had hovered moments ago, his brow furrowing slightly. Then he continued bidding a final farewell to the grateful people.

TO BE CONTINUED