North Blue - Small Island
Hunter's gaze lingered on Ayano, the young man's defiant stance a stark contrast to Allumos's trembling silence. The Captain's initial amusement at Ayano's bravery morphed into something darker, a barely perceptible flicker in his eyes.
"And you," Hunter said, his voice dropping slightly, losing some of its resonant boom to take on a more chilling, almost conversational tone. The faint smirk remained, but it was now laced with a bitter irony. "You're new. Foolish, perhaps, but certainly brave." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly, not just observing, but dissecting Ayano's youthful idealism. "Tell me, boy, where do you stand in all of this?"
Hunter wasn't asking for a simple position. The question was to probe Ayano's moral compass. It was a comparison against Hunter's past. The unasked question was: Do you understand what you're defending? Do you understand the true nature of the evil you're shielding?
A muscle in Hunter's jaw twitched. Hunter saw Allumos, this former oppressor, attempting to blend in, attempting to escape the very consequences that his lineage had inflicted on countless others, including Hunter's own family. He saw the golden light of Ayano's protective stance, the innocent belief in a future untainted by the past. And it angered him. It burned deep in his gut, a simmering hatred that he constantly had to suppress beneath his Marine uniform
He couldn't strike at the Celestial Dragons. His oath, his position, the iron grip of the World Government, the very lives of his potentially surviving family members – all these chains bound him. But Allumos… Allumos was a target he was allowed to hate, a vessel for the fury he harbored against the entire corrupt system. Allumos was a rogue piece of that system, fair game for the Marine's wrath.
Ayano's defiant defense of Allumos, however naive, was a fresh wound, rubbing salt into the old scars. This boy, this innocent, believes in defending even one of them. The thought grated on Hunter. He had seen too much, suffered too much, to believe in such simple heroism. He wanted to see if Ayano, once confronted with the truth of who he was shielding, would still stand so tall. Hunter wanted to shatter that innocence, to force Ayano to confront the cruel reality of the world that Allumos represented – the world that had stolen Hunter's family and twisted his own life.
He knew he couldn't reveal his true motives. He couldn't speak of his family's enslavement, or the silent, burning hatred he held for the Celestial Dragons. It was a secret he carried, a burden that fueled his ruthlessness but would also be his undoing if exposed. He had to maintain the façade of the dutiful Marine, the relentless hunter of pirates and defectors. But in his gaze, in the slight tightening of his lips, was the silent promise that Allumos would pay, not just for his defection, but for every slight, every injustice committed by his kind. And if Ayano stood in the way, he too would learn the harsh lessons of this world.
Ayano's resolve solidified, meeting Hunter's gaze. The Marines advanced, weapons drawn, and the crowd's fear was palpable. Mr. Han ushered Scarlet back into the shop.
Allumos grabbed Ayano's arm, his grip surprisingly strong. "Ayano, no!" he hissed, desperation lacing his voice. "You don't understand! You can't fight him! He'll... he'll tell them!" The last words were a whisper, heavy with terror.
The unspoken tension between Hunter, Allumos, and Ayano was thick. Hunter's hatred for Allumos was apparent. Allumos's fear was evident. Ayano stood firm, a protector. The unspoken threat of what Hunter could reveal hung in the air. The nature of this threat was a mystery.