Chapter 37: Partners and a New Scheme
Ian stopped walking and turned to T. Peng. "You know, you're right. Why don't we just prepare a ship for them?"
T. Peng looked up, surprised. "Really?"
"Of course," Ian continued, his tone escalating. "Then we'll all get on the boat together and escort them personally."
T. Peng hesitated. "This..."
"We'll find a richer, safer island, get them all settled, and find a good, stable job for every single one of them."
T. Peng: "…"
"Help them find partners, start families, build new lives..."
T. Peng: "…"
Ian finally clapped a hand on T. Peng's shoulder, his voice dropping to a deadpan. "And if that doesn't work, I might as well just give them my life and be done with it."
T. Peng hung his head, thoroughly chastened. "I'm sorry, Commodore Ian. Please, stop. I was wrong."
Ian could only sigh in bewilderment. How did the current culture at Marine Headquarters produce someone so pathologically self-sacrificing? You had to learn to let go, to respect the agency of others. More importantly, he and his team had already done the crucial part—they had given these people a chance. Whether they could seize that opportunity and build a new life was now in their own hands.
"Speaking of which, Uncle T," Ian said, his tone shifting to one of sly curiosity. "How exactly are you planning to record tonight's activities in your report to Headquarters?"
A triumphant smile finally played on Ian's lips. He had been waiting for this moment. After dealing with Doflamingo's lackeys and saving the civilians, it was time to deal with his own internal security risk.
"Ah, tonight's action... This... I hadn't thought that far ahead," T. Peng admitted, his focus having been solely on the rescue.
Peacock chuckled. "So that's the real game. Little Ian, you're truly wicked."
Nami grinned. "Haha, Commodore Ian, you really are a natural pirate!"
Skylark looked worried. "Is it... is it okay if we just don't report what happened tonight?"
It was possible, in theory. But given T. Peng's rigid integrity and his vow to "record truthfully," it was completely unfeasible. The older Marine was now locked in a fierce internal struggle between his conscience and his desire to protect his new comrades.
"Your honesty is a virtue, and I wouldn't dream of changing that," Ian said, his voice reasonable. "How about this: from now on, before you send any report to Headquarters, you send a draft to Nami first. She can... curate it. She'll select the events that are truly worth reporting and tactfully omit the... minor operational details that don't require higher-level attention. Then it gets sent to Fleet Admiral Sengoku. It's not lying; it's selective reporting for operational security. Otherwise, if the full details of tonight got out, we'd all be court-martialed, wouldn't we? Do you really want to see the comrades who just helped you save all those people thrown in a military prison?"
Resolving the T. Peng report issue was critical. He couldn't be taken down by friendly fire before a pirate even got a chance at him.
T. Peng scratched his head, the internal conflict clear on his face. "It... it doesn't seem like actual lying, if it's just an omission... From now on... thank you for your help, Miss Nami."
Nami's eyes sparkled with shrewd intelligence as she gave a confident thumbs-up. "Leave it to me! Hehe!"
Ian finally took off his cloak, holding it up in the moonlight to admire the embroidered emblem once more. "What a handsome design. It's nice to slip into a different skin now and then, to cut loose!" He looked at his team, his expression turning earnest. "When we wear our Marine uniforms, we are the arbiters of justice on the sea. But when we put on these cloaks..." He paused, letting the question hang.
T. Peng straightened his back, his voice firm. "We are still the arbiters of justice on the sea!"
Peacock struck a pose, one hand on her hip. "I want to be the most interesting person on the sea!"
Skylark raised a tentative hand. "The most... peaceful person on the sea!"
Nami's eyes turned into Berry signs. "The richest person on the sea!"
Ian looked at each of them, his pause stretching into a moment of genuine warmth before he burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I really do have a crew of the most amazing subordinates!"
And with that, a team truly belonging to Ian was officially forged. Crews bound by mere profit or power were not partners. Those united only by a mission were not fully partners, either. True partners were those who knew each other's secrets, understood each other's flaws, saw each other's humanity, and still chose to stand together, giving their all willingly.
"Hey, little Ian, you didn't say what you want to be!" Peacock teased.
"Yeah, Commodore Ian, you're the most cunning of all!"
"Commodore Ian, tell us!"
Ian's grin was wide and unapologetic. "Me...?"
End of Chapter