"What did you just say?" The voice from the Den Den Mushi was loud and clear, drawing uneasy glances from the Marines beside Lieutenant Commander Glans.
They exchanged strange looks but said nothing.
Glans didn't bother replying. He calmly reached out and ended the call with a decisive click.
Then, sweeping his gaze across the battered, half-naked Marines floating in the sea around him, he drew in a deep breath.
"Brothers… I'm done with the Marines. If fate allows it, we'll meet again."
His voice rang out, steady and resolute.
This was the declaration of a man who had made up his mind, one he would never take back, no matter the consequences.
He had seen everything. Rojen's final act of mercy had struck a chord deep within him, shaking the very foundation of what he once believed in.
And the reason behind the Marine blockade of the entire Baterilla Sea Reason?
A single pregnant woman.
Yes, one woman. That was all.
Few knew this, but Glans, though now only a branch Lieutenant Commander, had once been a Rear Admiral in the Marine Headquarters. He had a bright future, exceptional strength, and a stellar record. But all of that was ripped away because of one incident.
An incident he could never forget.
A child, not even ten years old, was nearly beaten to death for the sole crime of accidentally stepping into the path of a Celestial Dragon.
Glans had stepped in.
He saved the child.
And in return, a Celestial Dragon's whip left a scar on his face, and the system left a scar on his future.
That moment ended his career. His promotion was halted and his potential was buried.
He was demoted and exiled to a desolate island in the South Blue. A place where no one asked questions, and nothing ever happened.
He understood perfectly: he had been cast aside.
Yet despite it all, Glans never let go of his belief in justice. He never stopped wearing the uniform with pride.
But today, that belief has shattered.
If justice meant being punished for doing the right thing… If justice meant the Celestial Dragons could act like gods while honest men were disgraced…
Then what was this justice even worth?
Was this truly what the Marines stood for?
Glans could no longer lie to himself.
To deploy the full force of the Marines, to blockade an entire sea, just to chase down a pregnant woman and a young man who hadn't committed a single crime?
Was that justice?
Before this, who even knew Rojen's name? Who knew anything about the Pirate King's Wife?
"Collective punishment? What a damn joke."
He clenched his fists. This wasn't about Rojen anymore. It was about everything the Marines had become.
Deep inside, he'd held back resentment for years. And now, it surged forward, unstoppable.
If the Marines could no longer stand for justice, then he would walk away and uphold it on his own.
His eyes hardened with conviction. Glans was ready to give up everything.
"Lieutenant Commander Glans…"
"Sir…"
The Marines around him were hesitant, their expressions complicated.
But after a few seconds of silence, they made their decision.
Their eyes turned firm.
"You saved our lives. We'll follow you!"
"We all know what really happened. We've had enough."
"That's right! We're Marines, not thugs. We can't attack innocent civilians just because someone at the top gave the order!"
One by one, the young Marines raised their voices, full of passion.
Their commotion quickly spread to the rest of the surviving Marines floating on the sea.
Word traveled fast. Murmurs turned into murmurs of confirmation. Confusion became clarity.
And then, rage.
Like a spark falling into dry powder, the truth ignited a fire.
According to Marine protocol, some missions were carried out without full disclosure. Orders from the top were often labeled as confidential, strictly need-to-know, and gag orders were enforced.
And this mission?
It was absolutely classified.
But Glans didn't care anymore.
He had already abandoned his uniform.
One after another, he laid bare the truth, the real reason behind the operation, the real target, the real orders.
And just like that, the rage of the Marines exploded.
These days, joining the Marines was no different from becoming a pirate, driven by hot-blooded passion, raging hormones, and an overflowing sense of justice.
"We're quitting too!"
"You've completely let us down, Marines!"
Some even burst into tears.
"Wuuuuhhh… The Marines in my heart, how did it come to this?!"
Glans stood still, sweeping his eyes across the crowd. His face was solemn, but his gaze held warmth.
"There's rot in the Marines, corruption, decay, but we can't ignore the fact that there are still good officers. People who genuinely care about protecting the weak."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"At the end of the day, the Marines are just an organization. There's good and bad within, just like anywhere else."
"I won't force anyone. Those who want to leave, come with me. We'll walk a new path and uphold our own justice."
"If you choose to stay, that's your right too. No shame in that."
The Marines fell into deep thought.
You had to admit, Glans wasn't just a strong fighter; he was a man who thought things through. He understood the world wasn't black and white. Everything had two sides. That included the Marines.
But even so… he couldn't stomach what the Marines had become.
To launch a full-scale operation against a pregnant woman, innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, was a line he couldn't cross.
And many others felt the same.
One after another, Marines began to make their decisions.
When the final count came in, over four thousand Marines had chosen to leave with Glans.
It was a shocking number.
These weren't just ordinary civilians, they were trained, battle-hardened soldiers. And since they'd been stationed at the Baterilla Sea Reason blockade, that meant they were elite soldiers, men who'd fought through fire and blood.
As Glans stared at the sea of faces before him, the weight of leadership pressed down on him.
From now on, these men were his responsibility.
But in the very next moment, his spirit ignited.
A surge of energy filled him, wild and unbound, like a fish breaking the surface into open sea, or a falcon soaring high above the clouds.
"Brothers, listen up! Search for any ships that can still sail, we're getting out of here!"
The moment he gave the order, the entire force sprang into action.
Soon enough, they salvaged a few vessels, barely seaworthy, but they'd do.
Everyone boarded. As the ships pulled away from the blockade, one final act marked their severance:
They tore down the Marine flags.
In their place, they hoisted plain black cloth, fluttering silently in the wind.
"If the light has gone dark… then let the night bring a new dawn."
Standing at the bow of the lead ship, Glans muttered these words, his eyes distant but determined.
"From this moment forward, we are Night!"
Far behind them, countless miles away…
Noas sat frozen, staring at the Den Den Mushi that had just been hung up on him.
His mind blanked.
"What?!"
A second later, fury exploded from his chest. Someone had actually dared to hang up on him?!
"Tell me his name!!" He roared, livid.
Rojen's case was a high-priority matter, yet these local Marine branches were not only disobedient, they were throwing tantrums?!
Just then, a shadow moved beside him.
Kizaru stepped forward, eyes narrowing beneath his signature shades.
"…Maybe something big just happened."
(End Of This Chapter)
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