Morris held the small booklet in his hands, flipping through the pages, his expression gradually shifting from curiosity to shock.
{What is faith? What meaning does it hold?}
{Faith is born from the heart and perishes in human nature.}
{What drives us marines to cast aside life and death, to fight against pirates?}
{Perhaps many marines don't fully understand. They only have a vague concept. And what is this vague concept?}
{It is faith. It is protection. It is the hope that people across the world can sleep peacefully without fear of waking up in terror.}
{An army with unwavering faith is invincible…}
{...}
{...}
{What is justice?}
{In the past, the first lesson given to new marine recruits was to follow their own justice.}
{That is wrong.}
{Every marine grows up in a different environment. The first step should be to establish the correct values. Then, guide the marines to understand what true justice really is. Without proper guidance, many marines' sense of justice will eventually become distorted.}
{Lazy justice, moral justice, unclear justice, dark justice... and absolute justice.}
{To understand what true justice is, we must first understand why we fight.}
{It is to protect. It is the determination to safeguard innocent lives, even at the cost of broken limbs.}
{It is...}
{...}
Morris gripped the booklet in his hands, flipping through it with growing shock. It was as if his mind had been struck by lightning. His blood boiled, and his very soul trembled.
"This…!"
He couldn't even form a complete sentence. Every word in the booklet struck deep into his core, leaving his mind blank.
There were no grand secrets within—just a clear and concise definition of faith and justice from every perspective.
Sakazuki stood up and walked over, his voice calm yet firm. "Vice Admiral, consider this a gift for your new role as an instructor. For the future of the Marines."
Morris straightened his uniform, wanting to express something, but he didn't know how.
"This gift… it's too much. Thank you, Sakazuki."
He took a deep breath and bowed.
"No need for thanks, Vice Admiral. It's all for the future of the Marines. One day, the justice of the Marines will reach the ends of the world." Sakazuki's tone left no room for doubt.
Morris exhaled slowly, gazing down at the booklet in his hands. His fingers ran over the cover, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes… one day."
For the first time in years, he could see it—a future worth believing in.
...
The next morning.
Marineford's port was bustling with activity. Supplies were being loaded onto the warship, crates stacked and secured with ropes. Marines hurried back and forth, making final preparations.
On the second-floor deck, Sakazuki stood with his arms crossed, surveying the scene below. His sharp gaze swept over the assembled officers and soldiers as Carlo began the roll call.
"Doberman!"
"Here!"
"Strawberry!"
"Here!"
"Dalmatian!"
"Here!"
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, roll call complete. All personnel accounted for. Awaiting your orders!"
"Set sail."
...
Boom!
The calm sea was suddenly shattered.
A massive Sea King, hundreds of meters long, erupted from the water. Its black and purple-striped body was lined with sharp, jagged spikes. Two enormous eyes dominated half its grotesque head.
Waves surged as it emerged, sending towering sprays of seawater into the air. The turbulence rocked the warship, drenching some of the marines in the cool water.
Amidst the violent swaying, Sakazuki stood firm, unmoving.
His cold voice rang out as he looked at the staggering marines. "Next is the third stage of Armament Haki—external release."
The moment he finished speaking, he raised a hand toward the Sea King's head.
A pale force surged from his palm, forming a concentrated blast that shot forward. Before the creature could even react, the energy struck its chin. A deafening explosion followed. A gaping wound, dozens of meters wide, tore through its lower jaw.
The Sea King's lifeless body collapsed back into the ocean with a thunderous crash. A towering wave surged into the sky as blood dyed the sea a deep crimson.
The marines stood frozen, staring at the monstrous corpse. Silence gripped the deck.
Then Sakazuki spoke again. "And the fourth stage—internal destruction."
It was then that the marines noticed—amidst the flowing blood and scattered flesh, the creature's skull was completely hollow.
A sharp gasp spread through the ranks.
"Did a human really just do that?!"
"Incredible!"
"I have to learn this technique!"
"Whoa!!!"
The stunned marines finally snapped back to reality, whispering in awe. Many of them were already picturing themselves using the same devastating attack in battle.
"Enough. Back in formation."
Sakazuki's voice cut through their excitement.
"These are the advanced applications of Armament Haki. Your current task is to master full-body coating first. Arms. Legs. Head. Torso. Until you can fully coat your entire body, you are not ready for the next stage."
He paused, scanning their faces.
"Pair up and begin sparring. Only one of you should remain standing."
It was as if a surge of adrenaline had coursed through them. The fire in their eyes burned fiercely. In unison, they roared.
"Yes, sir!!!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sharp sound of metal striking metal echoed non-stop, like an unrelenting symphony of steel.
Sakazuki watched the marines train with fiery intensity, nodding in satisfaction. Calling over his second-in-command and the navigator, he spoke.
"Have you pinpointed our current location?"
The navigator unfolded the sea chart and calculations, presenting them to Sakazuki.
"Vice Admiral, we've located our position. We're on the edge of the Calm Belt. Based on the sea chart, log pose readings, and faint directional shifts, we estimate we're about twenty-four nautical miles from the boundary."
"How's the engine room repair progressing?"
"Still under emergency repairs. Some of the damage is too severe and requires full dismantling for proper restoration," replied Carlo.
"Speed it up. Extra rations tonight." Sakazuki gave a slight nod at the report, issuing brief orders.
The Grand Line's weather was unpredictable. Just yesterday morning, the skies had been clear and sunny. By afternoon, a violent storm had struck.
Waves crashed relentlessly. In the chaos of furling the sails and battling the storm, the crew had overexerted themselves, damaging the engine room.
With no control over their course, they had drifted straight into the Calm Belt. It had taken nearly all their remaining fuel to finally come to a stop.
...
Dusk.
The setting sun bathed the warship in golden hues.
Inside the mess hall, the exhausted young marines devoured their meals, stuffing themselves with meat like ravenous beasts.
Sakazuki, however, stood alone on the deck, gazing into the horizon, relishing the brief moment of peace.
Whoosh!
A sudden sharp sound cut through the air.
Sakazuki's brow furrowed.
"Soru."
In an instant, he vanished. Reappearing beside the mast, his hand coated in Armament Haki, he struck.
Boom!
The deafening impact startled the entire crew.
Alarms blared. Marines rushed out of the cabin, weapons drawn, scanning for the source of the attack. On the deck lay the shattered remains of a massive arrow shaft.
Sakazuki lifted his left hand and gave a slight wave.
"Stand down. No danger."
But in his right palm, the arrowhead had been crushed into a lump of twisted iron.
"Prepare for battle."
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I wanted to use blockquotes for the books contents and similar things in the future, but webnovel doesnt have that function, so I just went with {this}. You guys can suggest any better alternatives.
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