The Lion Pirates had already been annihilated by the youth standing atop the Sea King. The survivors had been rounded up, so Zephyr and his Marines were finally able to relax.
"Doesn't matter where," Rakuya said casually, his gaze sweeping over the Marines. "Just don't drop me back in the Calm Belt."
"Oh?" Zephyr raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing as he studied the boy more closely.
"Young man," he asked after a pause, "what exactly did you do to shatter that pirate ship?"
Zephyr knew it had been Rakuya's hand that crushed the vessel, but the how was still beyond him. Even he, a Marine Admiral in his prime, had never seen a ship explode like that from a single gesture.
Rakuya waved it off as if it were the most mundane thing in the world. "Oh, that? I just grabbed it. Didn't really use much strength."
The Marines around them almost choked on their own breath.
Just a casual grab? No strength at all? And the entire pirate ship went up like splinters under a hammer?
Were they supposed to believe that?
And yet, none of them had forgotten what they had just witnessed with their own eyes. No matter how absurd it sounded, the youth was not boasting. He truly was a monster strong enough to crush a ship barehanded.
Even Zephyr's expression stiffened. To pulverize a pirate ship as easily as snapping a twig… even I couldn't do that.
He leaned forward, voice low. "Can you tell me how you did it?"
Rakuya's lips twitched. "How? I curled my hand into a claw, pulled, and it shattered. Isn't that obvious?"
The boy looked almost irritated, as if Zephyr had just asked the dumbest question in the world.
A ripple of unease stirred inside him. In truth, Rakuya was already regretting it. Tch. Should've sunk the Marine ship too. Then no one would be pestering me with these ridiculous questions.
Zephyr exhaled slowly, his mind racing. Even with his years of experience, that casual explanation shook him to the core.
Before he could probe further, Rakuya's expression cooled, his indifference carrying a faint edge of warning. Zephyr was sharp enough to recognize the signal. The words on his tongue died, swallowed back with a stiff nod.
Instead, he changed the subject. "Young man, do you want us to take you back home?"
"Home?" Rakuya's eyes dimmed, a bitter smile curving across his lips. "That's impossible. My hometown is… very far away. Even with your strength, you couldn't reach it."
The weight behind his tone was unmistakable.
He wasn't lying.
Zephyr frowned slightly, studying him. Where could this boy possibly hail from that even a Marine Admiral would be powerless to reach? His instincts told him Rakuya's words weren't a joke. And beneath that careless front, Zephyr felt something else a faint, genuine sorrow. The ache of longing for a place forever out of reach.
This kid isn't even twenty… yet he has power on par with an Admiral. Someone like this doesn't just appear out of nowhere. He must have come from a terrifyingly powerful background. But if such a family or clan existed in this world… why haven't I heard of them?
Zephyr's gaze grew thoughtful, the light in his glasses reflecting coldly. Could it be… hidden families? Forgotten lineages living in secrecy? The thought made even him uneasy.
"Young man, what are your plans now?" Zephyr finally asked.
"None. I'll just go wherever." Rakuya shrugged.
Zephyr's eyes glimmered. "In other words, you don't have a place to stay yet."
"Correct." Rakuya gave a noncommittal nod.
That was enough for Zephyr. His gaze sharpened as he stepped forward, his presence filling the deck. Then, in a rare display of solemnity, he extended his hand.
"Young man, why not join the Marines? With your strength, I'll personally guarantee you the rank of Vice Admiral the moment you enlist."
The Marines around them nearly fainted from shock.
"What? Vice Admiral right from the start?"
"Has Zephyr-sensei lost his mind?!"
"No, this is unprecedented in Marine history! No one's ever been given a Vice Admiral rank immediately!"
"But if Zephyr-sensei himself promises it, then it's real… this guy is beyond lucky!"
"Vice Admiral, just like that… what I'd give to trade places with him right now…"
Every eye turned toward Rakuya, filled with envy, admiration, even jealousy.
But Rakuya only gave a small wave of his hand, his tone calm and distant.
"Sorry. I don't have that kind of plan."
His refusal struck the Marines like a thunderclap.