Early the next morning, Bernia Port lay shrouded in a thin veil of sea mist.
The rising sun cast golden light over the shimmering sea, in stark contrast to the cold, hard lines of the warship moored in the harbor.
Seagulls chased one another between the masts, their cries lending a little life to the scene of departure.
Boer stood alone at the edge of the pier. The sea breeze stirred his short, silver-white, lightly parted hair, and his simple black casual clothes fluttered gently in the morning wind.
He watched the Marines slowly make their way toward the warship, his signature smile on his face.
On the pier, two rows of solemn security personnel in matching black suits stood silently on guard, wordlessly displaying the authority of this place's master.
"Esteemed Marines, please wait a moment." Boer's voice reached every officer clearly, neither fawning nor discourteous.
Kizaru stopped first and turned lazily, his hands tucked into the pockets of his striped trousers, his gaze inscrutable behind his sunglasses. Gion and Onigumo stopped as well, while Raymont stood a little farther back with a complicated expression.
His smile unchanged, Boer continued, "Before your departure, I specifically instructed my men to take inventory of the storerooms overnight. As luck would have it, we found a batch of standard-issue blades produced earlier that had yet to reach the market."
He paused deliberately, observing their reactions. "To express my respect for the Marines' efforts to maintain order at sea, and to prevent any possible future... misunderstandings, I've decided to donate this entire batch of twelve hundred blades to Marine Headquarters, free of charge, for your officers and soldiers to use."
As soon as he finished, the black-clad subordinates behind him moved into action, steadily carrying tightly sealed wooden crates toward the warship. There