Under Orion watchful gaze, two warships slowly approached the shore.
On the lead warship stood an elderly woman who had lost her sight.
She was Stock mother.
Back when Stock was transferred to the headquarters by Orion, Stock had brought his mother along. Orion personally arranged for her to stay in the family quarters and assigned the best doctors from the headquarters to treat her.
However, although the old lady recovered, she had missed the optimal treatnt window and ended up losing her sight.
Watching the elderly woman, accompanied by two female soldiers from the headquarters, tremblingly step off the warship and approach him, Orion couldn't help but recall the scene when Stock had called him for help from the West Blue all those years ago.
At the ti, Stock was still stationed at a branch in the West Blue. Desperate and with his mother critically ill, Stock had reached out to him through a fellow townsman at the headquarters.
Orion, of course, wouldn't refuse the plea of a devoted son. Not only did he transfer Stock to the headquarters, but he also paid off Stock dical debts out of his own pocket.
When Stock saw his mother gradually improving under the care of the headquarters' dical team, he rushed to Orion, crying like a child, and vowed to offer him all his loyalty and even his life.
Orion certainly did not wish for Stock to sacrifice his life for him.
Over the years at the Navy Headquarters, he had gained much, but lost even more. Especially the group of new recruits he had t during his initial training at the Navy Headquarters—most of them had perished while out on missions.
Among the dozen or so closest friends he had made, seven or eight had died protecting him from pirates.
Ti flew by, and six years had passed in the blink of an eye. Now, he had risen to the position of Fleet Admiral, but the friends he had made during his early days at the Headquarters were no longer by his side.
At that mont, another warship docked.
A group of over a dozen soldiers disembarked, carrying the bodies of Stock, his adjutant, and two other soldiers, who had been retrieved by Jinbei. They arrived before Orion, just ahead of the blind elderly woman.
Having lost so many comrades over the years, Orion had thought his heart had turned to stone.
Yet, the mont he saw Stock, it felt as though a massive boulder had been placed on his chest. The sudden weight nearly caused him to stagger.
"Orion"
"Orion"
At that mont, the elderly woman, accompanied by two female soldiers, approached.
Perhaps it was the bond between mother and son that allowed her to sense sothing, as she raised her hands and groped forward, continuously calling out Orion's na.
Orion stopped the two accompanying soldiers and silently walked up to the elderly woman.
Softly, he said. "I'm here, ma'am."
Hearing this, the elderly woman reached out, trying to grasp sothing. Seeing this, Orion quickly placed his hand in hers. After holding Orion hands, the elderly woman felt them for a mont, then suddenly raised her hand to touch Orion face.
This sudden action caused Gion and Ain to instinctively step forward, but a glance from Orion imdiately made them retreat.
After gently caressing Orion face, the elderly woman nodded slightly.
"Stock was right. You are indeed very young."
After a brief pause, her voice suddenly beca hoarse. She patted the back of Orion hand and said.
"Child, I already know about Stock."
"Don't feel guilty about his sacrifice. You have done right by him, and by us, his mother and son."
"Stock ntioned you countless tis in front of , saying you were the best commander in the world. He said that if necessary, he would give his life for you."
"Stock said that because of you, he believed that the Navy justice still exists."
At this point, the elderly woman voice began to choke up.
"If you can't find Stock body, don't waste resources searching for it."
Hearing her words, Gion, Ain, and the others standing behind Orion all had tears in their eyes.
They turned their heads away, unable to bear watching any longer. Even at such a mont, the elderly woman did not weep for the loss of her son. Instead, she comforted their young commander.
Her words resonated deeply with Ain, because she, Binz, and their teacher Zephyr also believed that the Navy justice still existed, thanks to Orion.
Holding the elderly woman hands, Orion also had tears in his eyes. Softly, he said.
"Ma'am, we've found Stock' body. I'll take you to him now."
After leading the old woman to Stock body, Orion stood silently by the side, unable to bear the sight of a parent mourning their child. He turned his gaze toward the sea.
Surprisingly, the old woman did not break down in despair upon touching Stock remains. She sat on the ground, her trembling hand reaching out several tis to touch him, only to withdraw it at the last mont.
After repeating this several tis, she finally composed herself. She raised her head slightly, intending to face Orion, but in her overwhelming grief, she turned in the wrong direction.
Facing an empty space, she called out in a trembling voice.
"Marshal!"
Before Orion could react, her voice rang out again.
"Was Stock brave when he fought against the pirates?"
!!!!
The old woman sudden question struck Orion like a bolt of lightning, leaving him frozen in place. It took several seconds for Orion to snap out of his stupor.
He turned sharply, looking at the old woman in disbelief. He never expected to hear such a soul-stirring question in this world of pirates.
After a long silence, he finally regained his composure.
Standing tall and solemn, he declared.
"He was the bravest of all!"
Hearing this, the old woman could no longer hold back her tears, which stread down her face like a fountain. Orion did not step forward to comfort her. Instead, he took a step back and raised his head.
"Attention, all!"
"To the heroic Captain Stock and all the fallen soldiers!"
"Salute!"
... ...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sowhere in the East Blue.
The sky was filled with the deafening roar of explosions. The shells, as if carrying boundless fury, scread through the air before crashing down onto a pirate ship. In an instant, the ship was enveloped in a mist of water and smoke from the explosions.
The ship, adorned with a swan's head and pink hearts, flew a Jolly Roger with a prominent heart emblem.
The Alvida Pirates.
A pirate crew that frequented the waters around Windmill Village, Shells Town, and Syrup Village in the East Blue.
Their captain was a large, unattractive woman nad Alvida, with a bounty of five million Berries.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
"I've hidden all the way here, and you still won't let go!"
"Fight back, fight back, all of you fight back!"
On the deck of the pirate ship, Alvida, wielding a massive iron club, roared in frustration as shells rained down around her.
Two crew mbers, seeking shelter from the bombardnt, were knocked flying by her club before they could steady themselves.
"Useless, useless, all of you are useless!"
After sending the two crew mbers flying, Alvida looked through the rising mist toward the Navy ship in the distance, fuming with rage.
"You Navy bastards, I'll fight you to the—"
Boom!
Before she could finish, a shell landed at her feet and exploded.
"Argghhh"
With a piercing scream, Alvida was thrown into the sea by the blast, creating a huge splash. By the ti she surfaced, the Navy ship had already closed in.
Standing on the deck was none other than the imposing figure of Captain Morgan, holding his axe.
The soldiers from the 153rd Branch, who had accompanied Morgan, had already boarded Alvida ship and were rcilessly gunning down her crew.
"We surrender!"
"I surrender, damn it!"
Seeing her pirate ship already overrun by the Navy, Alvida, floating on the water, quickly lost her earlier bravado and shouted.
"Hurry up and pull up, you bastards!"
"Thinking of surrendering now? Too late!"
Standing on the deck of the warship, Captain Morgan sneered coldly before declaring in a deep voice.
"By the order of the Fleet Admiral, no pirate surrenders will be accepted during the Fleet Admiral east blue inspection!"
"All pirates are to be executed without rcy!"
As soon as Morgan finished speaking, a row of soldiers imdiately appeared on either side of him, their gun barrels aid at Alvida floating on the water.
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