"You little brat, this isn't right."
In the courtyard, Zephyr and Daren sat side by side on the steps, each with a cigar in hand, smoke curling lazily into the air.
Zephyr's tone was low as he gazed deeply at the maple leaves drifting down in the courtyard. After a moment, he shook his head and said,
"It's your child. You should be the one to name him."
It was late autumn. The maple trees planted around the courtyard were a blazing red, radiating the desolate yet fierce beauty unique to the season, like flames devouring the air.
Daren just smiled casually and said in a relaxed tone,
"In my hometown, it's tradition for respected elders to name the younger generation."
"Besides, I don't have any great ideas... Honestly, I'm getting the better end of the deal. Since you'll be naming my kid, won't you feel even more obliged to look after him once he's born?"
Daren naturally understood why Zephyr-sensei cared so much about Toki and the unborn child.
In the past, Zephyr's neglect of his own wife and child had led to tragedy... Now, seeing Daren's happy, complete family, and with Toki's gentle nature so much to his liking, Zephyr looked at her almost like she was his own daughter-in-law—or even his daughter.
Maybe, deep down, this outwardly stubborn and stern purple-haired old man just wanted to make up for what he had lost, so that the guilt in his heart wouldn't eat away at him.
Of course, when it came to the matter of naming, Daren truly didn't have much of an idea.
The culture of this world was just too different from his own, and no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't come up with anything meaningful. He couldn't exactly call the kid something like "Rensuke," could he?
At that thought, Daren chuckled to himself.
"To have a powerful former Admiral doting on you the moment you're born—how many people could even dream of something like that?"
Zephyr remained silent.
"Daren, do you know why I keep telling you to come home often?"
He stared blankly at the blazing maple tree, his voice low.
Before Daren could respond, Zephyr continued,
"I don't want you to have any regrets."
He took a long drag from his cigar.
"Achieving fame and glory is, of course, a good thing. Whatever your original intentions were, your voyages to fight pirates and carry out missions were genuinely for the sake of protecting this sea's peace, for guarding the homes of countless civilians."
"I used to be just like you."
"But what I never expected was that while I was out protecting others' families, playing the hero for the world, basking in all that glory... it was my own family who lived in fear and anxiety."
When he said "family," Daren could clearly hear the slight tremor in Zephyr's voice.
"Toki... she must be afraid too, right?"
Zephyr slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, his voice hoarse.
Caught up in Zephyr's heavy emotions, Daren's tone dropped as well.
He turned his head and looked at Zephyr's profile, noticing the streaks of gray creeping into the purple hair at his temples.
"So... do you regret it, Zephyr-sensei?"
Zephyr pressed his dry lips together, then suddenly gave a carefree smile.
"I don't regret it."
Daren didn't say anything.
If you don't regret it, then why say it?
If you don't regret it, then why try to persuade me?...
"Some things have to be done by someone."
Daren thought for a moment and asked,
"Was it really pirates who did that back then?"
"That doesn't matter."
Zephyr suddenly interrupted him, turned his head, and stared at Daren with a serious look in his eyes.
"It doesn't matter at all, does it?"
"...I understand."
Daren paused for a moment and nodded.
"You little brat, take good care of your family, your happiness, and your life..."
Zephyr smiled freely again and patted Daren on the shoulder.
"About the name..."
"We'll be very happy,"
Toki said calmly, having appeared behind the two men at some point.
Zephyr was startled and turned his head.
He saw Amatsuki Toki, dressed in a kimono, with a gentle but determined smile on her lips.
"If Zephyr-san, no, Zephyr-sensei, could name the child, we would all be very happy..."
She looked at Daren and tilted her head, asking,
"Right, husband?"
Daren was taken aback.
From Toki's gentle gaze, he could see sadness and pity.
Toki was as wise as ever... She could see at a glance the guilt that had almost consumed Zephyr over the years.
"Yes, thank you, Zephyr-sensei."
Daren nodded with a smile.
Zephyr stood there in shock.
He looked at Amatsuki Toki, then at Daren, and somehow his rock-solid hands began to tremble.
"Are you sure... is this okay?"
Getting a reaffirming answer from the looks and smiles of Daren and Toki, Zephyr took a deep breath, his eyes watering slightly.
He pursed his lips again, his old eyes filled with cautious... anticipation.
"Then what do you think... is Ron okay?"
"Ron...?"
Daren pondered the pronunciation of the name.
Toki, standing next to him, smiled and said,
"It's a great name, Zephyr-sensei."
"If I remember correctly, this name means victory, integrity, gentleness, honesty, and steadfastness, and it also means 'strong and powerful leader,' right?"
Zephyr's eyes lit up, and he nodded emphatically with a smile.
"That's right!"
"This child combines the best qualities of both of you, well, mainly yours, Toki."
Daren: ...
What's wrong, don't I have these qualities?
But he couldn't argue.
After all, "honesty, gentleness, integrity, and steadfastness"... Well, these adjectives were indeed not very applicable to him.
Daren couldn't help but pout.
How was this cool compared to "the biggest scoundrel in the Marines"?
"Husband, I think this name is very good. What do you think?"
Amatsuki Toki took Daren's hand and asked softly.
"Yeah, I think it's pretty good," Daren said with a smile.
Toki smiled happily, her eyes crinkling:
"Our child will grow up to be a man who stands tall and proud..."
...
Zephyr left.
Looking at his burly but slightly stooped back, Daren felt inexplicably heavy.
Maple leaves danced in the wind and swirled to the ground.
"Ron… so, my child, shall we name him Ron?"
He murmured softly, unable to suppress a smile.
It was clear that Zephyr, that old man, was very dissatisfied with his title of "Marines scum," and was already looking forward to his next generation being an upright and gentle man.
"Ron... Ron..."
Daren repeated the name over and over, tilting his head back and staring blankly at the maple leaves dancing in the wind.
"It really is a good name..."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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