The very air at the West Blue's X187 Branch seemed thick with the smell of rust and gunpowder, utterly unlike anywhere else.
There were no hidden plots or wavering opportunists. The X187 Branch was like a stubborn lump of iron, heated through in a raging fire and then quenched in ice water. From Branch Commander Kalos to the lowest-ranking soldier, everyone exuded an almost obsessive "loyalty" and an insular solidarity utterly at odds with the World Government's mainstream Marines.
In the branch commander's office, Kalos sat on a rough metal chair, wiping down an old flintlock, his gaze as unyielding as stone. Several fierce-looking officers stood before him. They were X187's backbone, each bearing deep marks left by sea winds and battle.
"Bastille of the X113 Branch is a spineless coward, and Horne of the X115 Branch is a fool," an officer with a scarred face said hoarsely. "But we of the X187 Branch volunteered to stay on this hellish front line to protect the homes behind us! We've stopped countless pirates from reaching the Grand Line. The World Government forgot us, and Marine Headquarters abandoned us, but we never forgot that we're soldiers! That Liu Bei thinks he can come here with Chang'an's orders and absorb us into his ranks? Dream on!"
Kalos snapped the cleaned gun shut, his voice low but metallic. "The X187 Branch is not a bargaining chip. Every person here stayed because they believed that only by holding this place could their families behind them remain safe. That conviction carries more weight than any commission." He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp. "Tell the men to prepare to receive our 'guest.' Let him see what a true Marine bulwark looks like!"
When Liu Bei's warship appeared on the horizon, he was met not by cannon