With his commanding officer standing up for him like this, how could he, as a subordinate, not feel moved and grateful?
He had not quite reached the point of dying for someone who understood his worth, but if Randall ordered him on a suicide mission right now, he would not hesitate!
Taken on its own, this incident might not seem like much.
But nearby were officers from the Hawk Faction led by Sakazuki, who would fire directly on their own men just to spare themselves some trouble!
Randall, on the other hand, had stood firm against pressure from the World Government, protecting not only the soldier's life, but his dignity as well.
Looking at the soldier, who was on the verge of tears, Randall smiled.
He patted the soldier's shoulder, his face warm, without a trace of the coldness he had shown the Masked Man earlier.
"Protecting my subordinates is part of my duty as their commanding officer!
Oh, right. Your name was Brick, wasn't it?"
"Yes!" Brick looked thrilled that Randall had remembered his name.
"You did very well just now. If you ever have any questions about training, come see me when I'm free!"
At those words, every soldier on the deck stared at Brick in envy.
Personal instruction from their commanding officer! They wanted that too!
Damn it! If only they had been the ones who had almost gotten killed earlier!
Brick froze for a second before realizing what an incredible windfall had landed in his lap.
"...Yes! Thank you, sir!"
Randall said nothing more. He patted his shoulder, gave him a look that said, "Keep up the good work. I've got high hopes for you," and turned away.
Although the whole affair had been a tangled mess from start to finish, less than ten minutes had