"Since you've joined the Whitebeard Pirates, then you have to call him 'Oyaji' like me,"
Sanjuan Wolf advised Shirahoshi.
"Oyaji? Hehe, doesn't that make you sound too old?" Shirahoshi remarked with a smile.
"Alright, Captain Oyaji,"
Shirahoshi said, perhaps because she wasn't accustomed to interacting with pirate crews, adding the word "captain" before "Oyaji."
"Guurarara, it's quite interesting. I rather like this name," Whitebeard said with a smile.
Whitebeard didn't mind what he was called, but with Shirahoshi on board, the once dull atmosphere had changed significantly.
Because Shirahoshi often said funny things that made Whitebeard laugh.
On their way back to the New World, Whitebeard also reorganized the Marine soldiers.
Whitebeard listened to Sanjuan Wolf's account of what happened that day. A Marine soldier reported that his comrade had fled without authorization. This indicates that this man is quite disciplined.
Whitebeard located the Marine soldier and noticed his well-balanced attitude, as if he had practiced some fighting skills, which piqued Whitebeard's interest.
"What's your name?" Whitebeard asked.
"Sir, my name is Benjamin," the soldier replied quickly
"Benjamin, I've heard about your previous actions. Everyone wanted to escape, and it was indeed dangerous at the time. But why did you insist on staying behind? What could be more important than your own life?"
Whitebeard asked with curiosity, but Benjamin's tone didn't waver in the slightest when facing Whitebeard. He replied even more firmly, "I am a Marine soldier, and it's my duty to obey orders."
"Furthermore, I also believe that you can handle that kind of crisis, and the Fishman Island won't be destroyed by that kind of attack"
Then Benjamin added, and Whitebeard's eyes flickered slightly, showing a hint of acknowledgment towards him.
"Your superior asked you to obey my orders, so by obeying my orders, are you still obeying your superiors' orders?" Whitebeard asked again.
"Yes," Benjamin answered without hesitation.
"So, as a Marine soldier, do you feel resistant to obeying my orders?" Whitebeard asked.
This question immediately made Benjamin hesitate. He already had his own answer in his heart, but he still felt conflicted.
"I don't resist, because I have my own thoughts,"
Benjamin answered after a moment of silence.
"Oh?"
Whitebeard suddenly became intrigued.
"Then tell me what your thoughts are. Why don't you resist? Aren't Marines and pirates opposites?"
As Whitebeard talked with Benjamin, the other Marine soldiers watched from a distance, their moods appearing quite complicated.
On one hand, they were eager to have such close contact with Whitebeard. After all, Whitebeard was now their immediate leader.
Perhaps the Marine Headquarters would summon them back in the future to enlist their support, but for now, they all had to obey Whitebeard's commands.
So, if any of them could establish a relationship with Whitebeard, it would surely be beneficial.
On the one hand, they felt deeply jealous and resentful towards Benjamin, believing that he must have been favored by Whitebeard due to their previous interaction.
Therefore, these individuals began to feel regret in their hearts, wishing they had acted the same way as Benjamin did at that time.
Regarding Whitebeard's question, Benjamin first glanced at the other soldiers who were watching them, then hesitated.
Benjamin was worried that his words might be reported to the Marines Headquarters in the future. However, after some consideration, he decided to open up to Whitebeard.
"I believe the opposition between pirates and Marines is only in terms of duty, not identity,"
Benjamin concluded, his statement sounding somewhat profound.
This made Whitebeard feel that Benjamin wasn't just a simple Marine soldier, merely being used as a tool by the Marine Headquarter. Benjamin seemed to possess his own thoughts and capacity for independent thinking.
This impressed Whitebeard greatly, and he became even more interested in understanding Benjamin's thoughts.
"Well, tell me specifically what you think," Whitebeard nodded, signaling for Benjamin to continue.
"First of all, it's because of Roger's declaration before his death. People rushed to the sea, thus opening the era of great pirates"
"Under such circumstances, pirates surged up like a swarm of bees, but among them, many are evil individuals who plunder and terrorize innocent people"
"In the face of such pirates, the Marine Headquarters must, of course, severely take them down to protect people's peaceful lives"
"Although pirates are often seen as the same kind, there are also some pirates who contribute positively to the world"
"I believe that fighting against pirates should depend on the specific wrongdoings of the pirate, rather than just on their identity as a pirate".
Benjamin opened up like a floodgate, revealing to Whitebeard many thoughts that he had kept buried in his heart.
Benjamin often thinks over the concepts of Marines, pirates, and justice. These were thoughts he had never shared with anyone before.
But now, standing before the strongest man, the king of the sea, Whitebeard, Benjamin could express these thoughts without any regrets.
After hearing Benjamin's words, Whitebeard's eyes reflected admiration. This ordinary Marine had his own thoughts and opinions.
Such independence of thought was rare under the tightly controlled Marine Headquarter. If Benjamin wasn't lacking in combat prowess, Whitebeard would have considered recruiting him into his pirate crew.
"That's right. As an ordinary Marine soldier, I didn't expect you to possess such awareness. But there's another truth I'm not sure if you're aware of," Whitebeard remarked.
"What is it?" Benjamin asked with some interest.
"In any position, seeking one's own stance requires a certain mental awareness. But your current awareness seems to surpass your current position. Do you believe you can effect any change?" Whitebeard questioned.
"But, I don't want to change anything. I understand I don't have that kind of power"
Benjamin replied earnestly.
"If you don't want to change anything, why then join the Marines? The Marine Headquarters confines your mindset. Are you familiar with Buster Call?"
Whitebeard's tone turned serious.
"Buster Call..." Benjamin hesitated, feeling the weight of the topic, as it had always been a source of distress for him.
The Marine Headquarters, sometimes, prioritizes it's own justice, but in doing so, it may inevitably stray from its true principles.
Benjamin is also aware of the World Government's reprehensible actions, like the slave of Celestial Dragons. These slaves endure unimaginable suffering, unjustly imprisoned and marked with lifelong scars that cannot be erased.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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