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As Laien turned, his Mother saw the same light in his eyes that she had seen when he was ten years old and said he would protect the village.
It was a determined and pure light, as if telling her that he had made up his mind and would not change it again.
She suddenly remembered the video that the fishmongers in the market were discussing this morning.
The establishment of the Neo Marines seemed to have become a hot topic throughout the South Blue.
She knew that Laien's heart had been ignited by that video, and she could not stop him from pursuing his dream.
"Mama..." Laien's voice carried a hint of anticipation and a hint of unease.
He looked at his Mother, his eyes showing a bit of anticipation for her understanding.
His Mother was silent for a moment, finally letting out a soft sigh, her eyes showing a bit of helplessness. "Go, child. But you must remember, no matter where you go, your home will be here."
Her voice carried a hint of tenderness, but her eyes showed a bit of determination.
Laien nodded, a flash of gratitude in his eyes.
He knew that although his Mother was reluctant, she still supported his decision.
He took a deep breath, shouldered his luggage, and walked towards the door.
The sunlight shone on his back, as if lighting up the path ahead for him.
"Laien, wait a moment." His Mother called out to him, took a bracelet from her pocket, and gently placed it on his wrist. "This is Mama's amulet, I hope it can keep you safe."
Laien held his Mother's hand tightly, a flash of emotion in his eyes. "Thank you, Mama, I will come back."
His Mother nodded, watching her son walk out the door, silently praying in her heart. She knew that Laien's journey had just begun, and she could only silently support him from behind.
...
In a certain sea area, on the "Red Crab" Pirates ship, the sea wind howled and the waves surged.
The Pirate Blue Crab nervously swallowed his saliva, his fingers shaking slightly. The screen of his phone was playing a video of the Neo Marines destroying slave traders.
In the video, the scene of Zephyr punching down the evil auction house caused the surrounding Pirates to let out suppressed gasps.
That powerful punch shattered a certain shackle in their hearts.
"Boss Red Crab..." Blue Crab's voice was lighter than the sea wind, his eyes showing a bit of anticipation and unease. "My sister was sold by this kind of human trafficker..."
His voice stopped suddenly, a painful memory flashing in his eyes.
Captain "Red Crab" Hammer's metal prosthetic leg scraped against the ship's railing, making a harsh sound.
The light from the video shone on his scarred face, and those old wounds suddenly began to ache faintly.
A complex emotion flashed in his eyes, as if the scene in the video had touched the deepest pain in his heart.
He remembered twenty years ago, his hometown was also destroyed by a "game" of the World Nobles.
That disaster made him lose his family and also made him a Pirate.
Now, seeing the actions of the Neo Marines, he seemed to see a glimmer of hope.
"Take down my Pirate flag..." Red Crab suddenly turned around, his shark-like teeth grinding. "And replace it with the Neo Marines' white flag!"
Among the shocked gaze of the crew, he snatched Blue Crab's phone, and the scene on the screen continued to play.
He looked at the rescued slaves in the video, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"Damn it, I've been a Pirate my whole life..." Red Crab's right hand crushed the railing, the sound of metal and wood colliding echoing in the sea wind. "It's time to try the taste of being a hero."
The crew members looked at each other, they had never thought that their Captain would make such a decision.
But seeing Red Crab's determined eyes, they knew that this ship, this group of people, were about to embark on a completely new path.
"Boss Red Crab, have you really decided?" Blue Crab's voice shook slightly, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Red Crab nodded, his eyes showing a bit of determination. "I've decided. From today on, we are part of the Neo Marines."
"Let's go find Fleet Admiral Zephyr and join!"
"Alright!"
The sea wind howled, the waves surged, and the "Red Crab" slowly moved forward in the waves.
...
Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's office,
Sengoku slammed his fist on the desk, causing the water in the teacup to shake violently.
His eyes showed a bit of anger and helplessness, as if suppressing the inner turmoil.
Outside the window came the sparse sound of a new batch of reserve recruits taking their oath, making his temples throb and increasing his irritation.
At the top of the mountain of reports piled on the desk was an urgent document titled "South Blue Branch's Monthly Recruitment Numbers Hit a Historic Low."
He grabbed the telegram that had just arrived, his fingers creasing the paper deeply.
Reports jointly submitted by sixteen branches in the North Blue stated that the number of applicants this week was less than three-tenths of the usual.
This was undoubtedly a heavy blow, and the Marines' recruitment work had been severely affected by the Neo Marines.
Vice Admiral Tsuru silently pushed over her phone, which was playing the Neo Marines' latest training video.
The scene of Zephyr leading thousands of new recruits training under the morning sun, accompanied by stirring background music, made people's blood boil.
In the video, the new recruits' faces were filled with determination and hope, as if announcing the arrival of a new era.
"Snap!" The steel pen in Sengoku's hand broke into two pieces, ink splashing onto his pure white Fleet Admiral's cloak.
He suddenly stood up, the wind from his cloak sending files flying off the desk, a look of determination flashing in his eyes, having made up his mind.
"Since they want to play this game..." Sengoku took off his glasses, the rising number of likes on the Den Den Mushi screen reflected in the lenses.
His voice carried a hint of coldness, his eyes showing a bit of determination. "Give the order, assemble all officers and non-commissioned officers with good image at Headquarters!"
Admiral Tsuru nodded and quickly turned to relay the order.
Sengoku stood by the window, looking at the sea in the distance, thinking in his heart.
He knew that the rise of the Neo Marines had caused a huge impact on the Marines, and he had to take measures to restore the Marines' reputation and influence.
"The Marines will never be easily shaken."
...
Over the next three days, Marine Headquarters, Central Plaza, the entire Marine Headquarters was covered in a lively and bizarre atmosphere.
The usually solemn Central Plaza had now become a huge outdoor photography studio. Circular fill lights over ten meters high were set up around the Marines' statue of justice, lighting up the plaza as if it were daytime.
Technicians were busily adjusting the camera angles of their phones. They had also specifically bought many phones, disguised as professional cameras, to shoot from multiple angles, the lenses glinting coldly in the sunlight.
"Admiral Akainu, please... uh... smile a little?" The young makeup artist nervously held up the powder puff, his voice as thin as a mosquito's.