Rain hauled Dal and the other two unconscious soldiers onto the lifeboat.
"Rain, what do we do now?" Rosinante asked nervously.
"Return."
Rain's answer was crisp.
Not long after, in the early morning as the fog slowly thinned, a battered lifeboat drifted out of the mist like a ghost and entered the sightline of Sakazuki's steel-beast main ship.
On the warship's deck—
Sakazuki stood at the bow, expressionless, watching the survivors being carried aboard one by one on stretchers. When he saw that the two recruits were still alive, a flicker of surprise passed through those predatory eyes—so small it was almost invisible.
A medic tried to carry Dal away, but Sakazuki raised a hand and stopped them.
"Vice Admiral!" Dal lay on the stretcher, face chalk-white, but still forced his voice loud as he reported. "After entering the Fog Archipelago, we were ambushed by the Maelstrom Spider Pirates. The cutter was destroyed. The squad… only five survived."
"The crew of Seagull-3… all killed in action!"
The deck fell into dead silence. Only the wind remained.
"But!" Dal's voice suddenly rose. "Maelstrom Spider Squard has been killed!"
Sakazuki's harsh expression finally shifted a fraction. His cold gaze swept over the five survivors.
"Who did it?"
Dal's eyes slid past Sakazuki for a moment, flicking toward Rain in the back, who stood there like a nobody.
Then Dal turned and pointed at Rosinante.
"It was Rosinante."
Dal continued, voice hoarse. "Rosinante obtained a Devil Fruit on the island—the [Calm-Calm Fruit]. When we were being hunted by Squard, it was him—using the fruit's power—who launched a surprise attack from behind and successfully assassinated Squard!"
The deck erupted in stunned inhales.
Every Marine's gaze locked onto the clumsy "big golden retriever" everyone knew.
Everyone: ∑(O_O;)
The atmosphere instantly turned… bizarre.
Sakazuki didn't say a word.
His cold stare rested on Rosinante for a moment, then shifted to Dal's injuries.
Finally, his eyes landed on Rain in the back and stayed there for a full five seconds.
He didn't believe a single word of it.
But in the end, he only let out a cold snort.
"Results are everything." Sakazuki turned away, his coat snapping in the sea wind. "The pirates have been eliminated. Dal—you did well."
"Mission complete. Set course for return."
Rain leaned against the railing at the stern, sea wind ruffling his bangs. He watched Rosinante get surrounded by the crew, panicking because he still couldn't fully control his silence ability—mouth opening and closing with no sound, sweat pouring down his face.
The objective had been achieved. Commander Dal was smart—and knew how to cooperate.
…
Inside Sakazuki's infirmary, the mood was strange.
Rosinante sat on a sickbed, flustered as the medics tried to examine him.
"I… I'm fine."
Because he was nervous—and still unfamiliar with his power—his voice kept cutting in and out.
Rain sat nearby, calmly sipping hot cocoa the medic had handed him, watching Rosinante's mime show like a spectator.
"Everyone out."
Dal entered on a cane and dismissed the medics.
Now only Rain, Rosinante, and Dal—the "witness"—remained.
"Commander Dal!" Rosinante tried to scramble up and salute.
"Stay down. You're not fully recovered yet." Dal stopped him with a raised hand. "Vice Admiral Sakazuki has already signed off on the merit report. Your credited kill on Squard has been confirmed."
Then he turned to Rain.
"Sergeant Rain, I've also 'truthfully' reported your contributions. The Vice Admiral has approved commendation for you as well."
Without waiting for Rain's reply, Dal simply clapped Rain on the shoulder once.
"Recover well."
…
A few days later, the warship's mess hall.
Rosinante, finally discharged from the infirmary, walked in.
Every eye in the room snapped to him at once.
In a corner, Rain quietly ate, watching Rosinante get overwhelmed by the storm of attention, looking helpless.
"Well, if it isn't our hero!"
A few veteran sailors with trays grinned and sat down across from Rosinante.
They looked like they'd come to see a rare animal, curiosity written all over their faces.
The leader was a one-eyed veteran. He bared yellowed teeth in a grin. "We weren't there for the fight. But we heard… you one-shot Squard?"
"N-no… not me… I didn't…" Rosinante waved his hands anxiously.
"Don't be modest. It's in the report." Another veteran leaned in, eyes bright. "We just want to see it—what exactly can your [Calm-Calm Fruit] do? If it can trick a monster like Squard, it's got to be something."
"I… I…" Rosinante was sweating bullets under the crowd's gaze. He looked desperately toward Rain across the room for help.
Rain lifted his soup bowl, took a sip, and gave him a look that clearly said: you're on your own.
"I… I'll try…" With no choice left, Rosinante braced himself and cautiously activated his ability.
An invisible [Silent Zone] expanded from him, covering the entire table.
The mess hall's noise continued everywhere else.
But at that table, everything became silent pantomime.
"So? Did you activate it?" the one-eyed veteran asked—only to realize his voice was gone.
He opened his mouth in panic, but no sound came out.
"Hey, no sound!" his companion tried shouting too—and became mute as well.
Now their curiosity exploded.
"Try this!" The one-eyed veteran got excited. He grabbed his metal spoon and slammed it hard against his tray.
A strange scene unfolded.
Rain stopped eating and watched quietly from across the room.
The spoon struck the tray with a heavy jolt, soup splashing from the bowl—but not a single sound.
Once they'd all seen enough, Rosinante quickly dropped the ability.
The full noise of the mess hall rushed back, making the moment of silence feel even more extreme.
The veterans' excitement now carried a bit of awe.
"Your power… is freaky as hell," the one-eyed veteran said, giving Rosinante a pat on the shoulder.
~~~
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