Sakazuki felt a bit helpless. During this pursuit operation, not only did he personally step in and wipe out the enemies, but he also took on the tasks of both the Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals.
However, after his speech concluded, seeing the expressions of sudden enlightenment on the faces of the officers and soldiers below, Sakazuki thought that this painstaking effort of being both a father and a mother was worth it.
Back in the captain's quarters, with his legs crossed, Sakazuki sank into deep thought. This time, the pirates' ship was too fast, which ruined his original plan of using the pirates as a grindstone to test the combat level of his soldiers.
However, what pleased him the most today was seeing his subordinate, Onigumo, restrain his urge to kill and instead use the sheath of his sword to subdue people. Change happens bit by bit.
Sakazuki had never expected a single speech of his to entirely change a person's character or a group's mindset. He merely planted a seed within them, hoping that over time, coupled with his own exemplary actions, this influence would subtly and gradually bring about visible change.
He was not some overpowered "Dragon Hero" whose mere presence would make his subordinates bow in worship. He was just a soldier who wasn't particularly eloquent but happened to be quite skilled in combat. The actions of the officers and soldiers today made Sakazuki realize once again that these soldiers and officers were not just lifeless stepping stones for his accomplishments or cold numbers on a list of casualties.
They were people—living, breathing individuals who had all sorts of thoughts. They could feel fear, speculate about their superior's intentions, hesitate, get angry, and even harbor resentment.
This was why Sakazuki, on a whim, decided to take advantage of this unexpected incident to give the soldiers a lesson in ideology. Elite soldiers are destined to excel both externally and internally. With excellent skills and unwavering beliefs, they can form an indomitable army.
Two short knocks, "knock knock," broke his train of thought.
"Come in!"
With permission granted, a commander walked into the cabin, carrying a plate of fragrant spaghetti with meat sauce and a glass of lemon water, placing them on the table.
Sakazuki frowned. He didn't have the habit of eating midnight snacks, and there was no way the commander didn't know that.
With a slightly cold tone, Sakazuki asked, "Commander Lindemann, I need an explanation." He didn't want his subordinates to be overly servile. Although the military assigned attendants to ensure the quality of life and safety of their commanders, a commander bringing midnight snacks to his superior was not behavior befitting a good military structure.
Having been Onigumo's subordinate for a long time and trusted as one of his confidants, how could Lindemann not understand how to read expressions? And how could he not know the style of his supreme commander? Not panicking in the face of Sakazuki's displeasure, Lindemann calmly smiled and said, "Vice Admiral Sakazuki, sir, you've misunderstood. This midnight snack wasn't ordered by me or Rear Admiral Onigumo. The kitchen staff made it on their own initiative."
"?!"
Sakazuki was momentarily stunned and didn't immediately grasp the situation.
Lindemann added, "During dinner, some marines mentioned your speech today, which deeply moved the kitchen staff who were preparing meals at the time. They regretted missing your speech on deck, so they decided to break protocol and prepare this midnight snack as a way to express their support for your views."
The cold-faced Vice Admiral's expression softened. He looked at the meat sauce spaghetti on the table and said, "Tell those fools, don't do this again." Picking up a few strands of the chewy noodles with a fork, he took a bite and slowly chewed. "Tell the chefs, it tastes good."
The commander saluted solemnly. "Yes, sir!"
Quietly closing the door behind him, Lindemann returned to the kitchen, where the chefs anxiously awaited. Smiling, he nodded to them. "The Vice Admiral said it tastes very good."
"Yeah!" The previously tense atmosphere instantly came alive. The chefs hugged and high-fived each other. The mild-mannered head chef laughed as he patted Lindemann's shoulder. "Thank you. It's all thanks to you that Vice Admiral Sakazuki got to taste our goodwill."
The commander smiled genuinely. "It's our honor to fight under Vice Admiral Sakazuki."
The head chef stood in a bit of a daze, with thoughts of what he had heard during dinner swirling in his mind—
Let's rewind to dinner time. Soldiers from various posts had begun arriving at the kitchen mess hall for their meals. Unlike usual, when marines would wear tired expressions, today, there was an unusual energy.
The sailors excitedly discussed and agreed on something, sparking the chefs' curiosity. Finally, a few sociable cooks couldn't hold back any longer and asked a soldier who was eating and animatedly gesturing about what was going on.
"What?!" Staff Sergeant Ryan looked at the curious chefs in surprise. "You don't know about Vice Admiral Sakazuki's speech today?"
Seeing the blank expressions on the chefs' faces, the marines became annoyed, as if the chefs had missed a major piece of news.
A staff sergeant who Onigumo's sword sheath had struck during the battle became particularly emotional, vividly mimicking Sakazuki's speech:
"Undeniably, there may be men who go to sea for a true adventure, and perhaps there are some noble thieves. But undeniably, the majority of pirates are composed of lawless bandits and scum. They wave the banner of freedom, avoid honest labor, and recklessly plunder civilians, indulging in hedonistic revelry with stolen goods that don't belong to them."
"If you show mercy because of their momentary pleas, tell me—how can you face the innocent civilians they slaughtered? You've witnessed towns and islands pillaged by pirates, haven't you? Women were violated, the elderly and children slaughtered like livestock, countless homes destroyed, families torn apart, and the hard-earned wealth of diligent laborers ruthlessly stolen. Blood debts must be paid in blood. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!"
Another marine, equally moved, with reddened eyes, picked up where the staff sergeant left off, quoting sakazuki's words:
"If by any chance these pirates survive, do you think, given their nature of preying on the weak, that they would reform?!"
"No!! Once they've tasted the thrill of seizing the most precious possessions of others, these wolves and dogs will bring more violence and slaughter to others.
They might even retaliate against the civilians who support us and provide us with intelligence, launching vengeful massacres. We cannot gamble the lives and property of our people on whether these pirates have any remnants of goodness in their hearts."
"We are not gamblers! We are the military—the law enforcement agency that ucses violence to combat violence! The interests and safety of the nation and its people are our dignity!!! To pirates, we shall never yield; to comrades, we shall never abandon. That is the iron resolve that defines us!!!"
The table of marines and officers stood up, holding hands, shouting hoarsely, passionately reciting this oath filled with iron and blood.