When he uttered the word, his voice was very low, as though afraid of disturbing something.
Light spilled down from overhead, soft as water-soaked silk.
As the Cold Crow · Numancia Flamingo glided into the open waters, short gasps sounded on deck.
Gladius clung to the railing, his eyes darting from side to side.
The dark trench no longer lay beneath them-coral rose in mountainous foundations, buildings growing from colorful skeletons, Dials clinging to their walls with a damp sheen.
Waterways crisscrossed one another, reflecting the false yet gentle daylight overhead.
"It's practically..."
He murmured, "just like land."
His gaze swept across the street, then abruptly stopped.
"Fish-Men... so they don't all look like that."
He cut himself off before he finished, rubbing the back of his head, where a dull ache still lingered.
The hull bumped gently against the edge of the dock.
Rossi's boots landed on the damp flagstones, and his gaze turned toward the burly, blue-skinned figure beside him.
"Don't you need to stay at your post, Commander?"
Jinbe raised a hand, his rough knuckles brushing the edge of his helmet.
"I'll lead the way."
His voice was deep, but his smile remained on the surface as his eyes slowly swept over the figures coming down from the deck: Rossi in his black feather coat, Doffy in his pink coat, the bare-chested Vergo, Diamante clad in golden armor, Tani and Oni with their faces masked, and Gladius and Bainessarna.
Eight people.
Jinbe's muscles tightened silently-three presences were like blades hidden in their sheaths, two others carried weight comparable to his own, and the remaining three... his gaze passed over the two young faces and the woman whose hand was being held.
"This is my work right now."
He spoke frankly, without any evasion.
Rossi's shoulders shifted, as