novelraw Chapter 498 498: Justice Never Forgets!
Chapter 498 498: Justice Never Forgets!
Sunshine, sea breeze, and a freedom she had never known before.
Imu had shed the black robe that symbolized confinement and loneliness, changing into a simple white dress.
Barefoot, she stood on the deck, letting the sea breeze tousle her long hair.
After eight hundred years, it was the first time she had stepped out of that opulent cage with her own feet.
She reached out as if to catch a ray of sunlight.
Her dark red eyes, which had witnessed centuries of worldly changes, now brimmed with childlike curiosity.
"Is this the scent of the sea?" she whispered to herself, a note of novelty in her voice.
"No, this is the scent of freedom."
Orion walked over to her and handed her a glass of fizzy juice.
Not far away, Aqua was running back and forth on the deck, followed by a resigned Gunko.
"Mama Gunko, look! It's a Sea King! So huge!"
"Your Highness, be careful—don't get too close to the railing."
"With Uncle Orion here, Aqua isn't afraid of any Sea King!" Aqua turned and made a funny face, then scampered over to Orion and Imu.
Tilting her little face up, she looked at Imu with sparkling eyes. "Mama Imu, is it true you never left the Holy Land for eight hundred years before?"
Imu took the juice Orion handed her and took a small sip, imitating his manner.
The sweet and sour chilled taste made her eyes widen slightly. Looking at Aqua, she revealed a rare faint smile.
"I've left a few times before, but like this... it's the first time in eight hundred years!"
...
The first half of the Grand Line, Paradise.
A town called 'An Harbor'.
Unlike the chaos common to many islands on the Grand Line, everything here appeared orderly and well-organized.
The streets were broad and clean, shops on both sides were thriving, and the people's faces showed no fear or numbness, replaced instead by peace and tranquility.
The four of them—Orion's group—walked along the street without drawing much attention.
Though Imu and Gunko's stunning beauty turned heads, at most it elicited sighs of admiration, with no one daring to approach and harass them.
Because everywhere on the streets, navy soldiers in uniform could be seen patrolling.
Their presence alone served as the most powerful deterrent.
Soon, Orion's group stopped before the gate of a building that looked newly constructed—a 'base'.
A simple wooden plaque hung at the entrance, engraved with the words 'Navy Veterans Home'.
Before they could approach, the door suddenly swung open from inside, and an old man with one arm poked his head out.
When he saw who was standing outside, he froze on the spot, his pipe clattering to the ground.
His lips trembled for a long moment before he finally managed to exclaim excitedly, "Fleet Admiral Orion! It's Fleet Admiral Orion!"
The old man's shout was like a bomb, instantly drawing the attention of the veterans in the home and the disabled soldiers who had retired from the battlefield.
"What?!"
"Fleet Admiral Orion is here?"
"It really is Fleet Admiral Orion! Wonderful, the Fleet Admiral has come to see us!"
"Quick, quick, let's go out and greet the Fleet Admiral!"
Amid the chaotic sounds of chairs and tables being knocked over, a crowd surged out through the door.
Some were missing arms, some legs, some bore fierce scars on their faces, and some were even in wheelchairs, pushed by their comrades to the front gate.
Without exception, the moment they saw Orion, their faces lit up with near-fanatical excitement.
They struggled to stand straight, to offer a proper military salute, but their physical disabilities made their efforts appear somewhat clumsy.
"Everyone, there's no need for this!"
Orion stepped forward, steadying a one-legged veteran who nearly stumbled, and smiled.
"The current Fleet Admiral of Headquarters is Gion. Right now, I'm just a traveler journeying abroad."
"You will always be our Fleet Admiral!"
The leading veteran stepped forward, shouting excitedly, "All personnel, salute the Fleet Admiral!"
"Loy~alty!"
Due to Orion's unexpected visit, the veterans' home instantly became bustling and lively.
A grand reception banquet was promptly organized at the veterans' insistence.
The banquet was held in the main hall on the first floor of the veterans' home.
The veterans crowded around Orion, eagerly sharing their stories and the various changes in the town.
"Fleet Admiral, in the past, when we disabled soldiers retired, it was like waiting for death! But now, with this veterans' home, we have no worries about food or clothing, and navy doctors come regularly to check on us!" A veteran in a wheelchair laughed while wiping away tears.
"That's right! My son is currently serving in the Navy too. He says the benefits now are countless times better than before! The pension is generous too! He told me not to worry - he wants to become a hero of justice just like you!"
Aqua sat quietly beside Orion, listening to the veteran's conversation with him, her large eyes sparkling with admiration.
Imu likewise sat silently nearby, watching the group of disabled veterans radiating vitality and the young figure they surrounded.
In her dark red eyes, light and shadow shifted, leaving others to wonder what thoughts lay behind them.
After three rounds of drinks, a white-haired veteran with a steel prosthetic left arm rose unsteadily to his feet.
He raised his wine glass, his murky eyes glistening with tears as he said excitedly.
"Brothers! I have a suggestion. Since the Fleet Admiral rarely visits, why don't we sing a song together?!"
His proposal was instantly met with enthusiastic agreement from everyone.
"How about singing the Fleet Admiral's original song, 'Justice Will Not Forget'?!"
Hearing the veterans were about to sing the song he had adapted back when he served as a Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters, Orion also stood up and declared boldly.
"Everyone, join in! I'll start!"
With that, Orion cleared his throat, took a step forward, and began to sing.
"Among the vast sea of people, which one am I…"
As Orion's voice faded, the veterans and disabled soldiers all raised their voices in unison.
Instantly, the powerful singing resounded through the "Veterans' Home," drawing the attention of passersby on nearby streets, who stopped and turned to listen.
"In the soldiers conquering the Grand Line, the one silently giving is me…"
"In the long river of the cause of justice, the one forever surging is me…"
The voices merged together, growing louder and more impassioned.
"You don't need to know me, I don't crave your recognition!"
"I've blended my youth into, into the ocean of justice!"
"The mountains know me, the seas know me!"
"Justice will not forget, will not forget me!"
The song echoed through the hall, spilled out the windows, and drifted over the peaceful and prosperous port of An.
Those veterans missing limbs, those warriors in wheelchairs, all straightened their backs at this moment, tears welling in their eyes, as if they were back on the decks of warships, back on the battlefields amid roaring cannons.