A change in personality always needs a process and a catalyst; a person can't just inexplicably change all of a sudden.
Even Kuzan's shift from "Burning Justice" to "Lazy Justice" was a long process.
For Kuzan, this was an extremely complex experience in his life, from youth to middle age, from brimming with passion to becoming lost and uncertain about the world.
A child's ideals are often very simple: doctors can save lives, firefighters can put out fires, scientists lead the development of technology and bring benefits to humanity.
But as one grows older, one gradually realizes that what you learn and what society requires you to do are two entirely different things.
Mandrell did not want his daughter to walk the same path as him. He was not Kaido, and even though the outside world spread nicknames like "Kaido II" or "Little Kaido," Mandrell's personality was the opposite of Kaido's.
Kaido had one rigid requirement for Yamato: to become strong….infinitely strong. Mandrell, on the other hand, hoped his daughter could just be ordinary.
Just those two words, "being ordinary," were already something countless people dreamed of.
No one knows what will arrive first, tomorrow or an accident. War, disease, bankrupt business, a broken relationship; many things change in an instant, especially on these turbulent seas.
The peace of a village or town could be shattered at any moment by sudden events: a pirate raid, a whim of the Celestial Dragons, or oppression from royalty.
Taxes raised arbitrarily for leading a life of pleasure alone could at any time become the last straw that breaks someone's spirit.
To live an ordinary life from beginning to end was already something many people pursued.
Mandrell was very clear: he had no noble bloodline, and his ancestors had no famous person. To be precise, he didn't even know who his ancestors were.
He grew up on an island in the Grand Line. After hearing Kaido's name, he excitedly set out to sea, and because he was good at swimming and fast at running, he smoothly joined the scout squad. Then, with just a bit of luck, he rose to become a senior officer.
After struggling for so long, if he were to let his child walk the same path as him, he would feel like a complete failure.
Now, with the Beasts Pirates at the peak of their prosperity, and his good-natured personality leaving him with many connections, it gave Maylo the chance to pursue an ordinary life.
This was the capital he had earned through decades of struggle. Because of that, he wasn't particularly strict with his daughter.
But in this world, it was impossible to completely "lie flat." Unless he kept his daughter tied to his side at all times, she still needed the ability to protect herself. Even if she couldn't win, she had to be able to run and call for reinforcements. [TN: Lie flat: It means choosing a simpler, less stressful existence by doing the minimum and contenting oneself with attainable goals.]
On ordinary days, Maylo attended school like any other child, and afterward, she trained her physical strength under the guidance of either Mandrell or Rusalka.
Although Rusalka looks weak and gentle, few people on this island can catch up with her in terms of swimming speed. That was a talent of the Mermaid race.
Maylo's half-Mermaid bloodline not only allowed her to breathe underwater but also gave her agility far beyond ordinary people.
Just a few days ago, he had gone swimming with his daughter, only to discover that she loved the rumble of heavy firepower. This made him, as her father, feel a bit like a failure. He hadn't even figured out what his daughter truly liked.
"Let me think… the people Maylo usually interacts with are… Jinbe, Shyarly, Hachi. No, it shouldn't be them. None of them are the type who enjoy fighting."
Mandrell began tracing things back, trying to figure out where the source of this came from.
At this moment, Hachi alone was handling the work of an entire artillery team. That was one of the advantages of an octopus Fish-Man: great strength, multiple arms, and no problems with self-coordination. But it looked more like he was playing with a child than guiding them.
Arlong, on the other hand, was combative and had interacted with Maylo. But nowadays he was like a retired uncle, whose biggest daily hobby was working as a security guard at the amusement park. Even if it was him, it was impossible for him to have used such "high-tech" methods.
In Arlong's perception, cannons were useless against Fish-Men, so he was purely a brute-force melee fighter. But he only had a limited level of skills; he could bully people in the Four Seas, but there was no way he could have influenced Maylo like this.
"It might have been after we came back from Onigashima last time. Ever since then, she's been enthusiastic about mathematics, the subject she dislikes the most."
"Could it be that brat Jack did something behind my back again?"
Mathematics, a basic subject. All the sciences and engineering ultimately revolve around it, and the same goes for warfare. Skilled gunners are often excellent in mental arithmetic, and with a simple function they can calculate the most optimal angle for bombardment.
Maylo originally disliked mathematics. From her sudden interest in it, combined with her current performance, it seemed possible to deduce a few things.
Last time on Onigashima, Jack had deliberately let Maylo knock him down with a single punch just to make the child happy. If he had done something else as well, it wouldn't be surprising.
"But then again, that doesn't make sense. Even if he did give a demonstration, it would've been a close-combat example."
No matter how Jack's fights started, they always ended with him ramming ships together and beginning a boarding battle. After all, between two ships, one was bound to sink, unless he hadn't intended to fight in the first place.
Mandrell wasn't sure exactly who had influenced his daughter, and decided he'd ask her about it after this battle ended. Judging by the situation on the sea, it wouldn't take much longer before things were wrapped up.
Coastal defense cannons built into the island had far larger calibers and greater range than ship-mounted cannons. On a ship, one had to account for deck endurance, the effect of recoil on ship stability, and many other issues, but on land, such concerns barely mattered.
Large caliber artillery on the island weren't very effective against individual strong opponents, but against pirate ships they worked just fine. Under the blanket of firepower, the invading pirate ships were sunk to the bottom of the sea. Yet, through the artillery barrage, a small boat was closing in at an astonishing speed.
Boom! Boom!
Shells crashed into the sea, throwing up huge plumes of spray, but the small boat deftly weaved through the firepower, cutting a white trail across the waves as it rushed toward the island.
"Interesting. Looks like this year's rookies actually have some skill."
Mandrell flexed his wrist, already prepared to take action. But before that, he wanted to see what Maylo would choose to do. If she really liked this sort of thing, then guiding her toward becoming a commander of artillery teams wouldn't be a bad path.
Besides the personal duels between top-tier officers, the battles of ordinary members could also indirectly shape the tide of war. If after a major battle all that's left is a barebones crew, then a force won't be able to grow at all.
"Dad, can you have the other cannons concentrate their fire?"
Maylo could ask Hachi to help her operate a single cannon, but she couldn't command an entire artillery team. That was still far too much for a child's play. To give such an order, it had to be Mandrell.
But things ended faster than Mandrell expected. Before he could even respond, a massive red Gyarados rose from the sea.
A Hyper Beam vaporized the enemies on the sea, and in that instant, Mandrell's earlier question was answered. The star-like glow in Maylo's eyes had already given him the answer.
****Please support on pat*eon for extra chapters; there is date to date subscription enabled on patreon. [There is a 7-day trial version availabe on patreon.]
https://www.pat*eon.com/dmtranslations
You can read ahead upto 75 chapters on my pa*reon.