"No." Gern shook his head and stood, flicking his cloak as his gaze hardened and his tone turned solemn.
With an expression that proclaimed justice could never be killed off, he said,
"Instructor Zephyr, I've simply chosen to do something more meaningful.
Fish-Man Island is one of the World Government Member States, yet it has long suffered harassment from pirates. Isn't that precisely the sort of place the Marines should be looking after?
If that's how things are... where is justice? Every time I think about it, my heart aches.
Instructor, even other races need to bask in the light of justice!"
"..." Silence fell.
The recruits' training chants rang out from the drill ground, and the cries of distant seagulls were clearly audible.
After listening to Gern's impassioned speech, Zephyr's brow suddenly twitched beneath his sunglasses.
Then he slowly took them off and rubbed his temples with a calloused hand.
"Something more meaningful?" Zephyr's voice suddenly turned strange. "Did you just say... Fish-Man Island?"
"Yes, Instructor." Gern straightened his back, his justice cloak with its black-trimmed cuffs snapping in the sea breeze.
"The people there have long lived under the threat of pirates. They urgently need the Marines to..."
"Pfft!" A sudden snort of laughter cut Gern's speech short.
Zephyr abruptly turned away, his shoulders shaking suspiciously.
"Instructor Zephyr?" Gern blinked in confusion.
Zephyr spun back around, his usually stern face now bright red from holding back his laughter.
He grabbed Gern by the shoulders, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.
"You little brat... that expression you just made... hahahaha!"
Gern froze on the spot.
Twenty meters away, Lipo was sorting out equipment when the shock made her drop her carrot. Tesoro was equally dumbfounded.
Having trained under Zephyr, neither of them had ever seen "Black