East Blue, Windmill Village.
Two steamships, billowing thick black smoke, sliced through the torrential rain before docking with remarkable stability at Windmill Village's modest pier. The raging waves and howling winds that had terrorized the coast seemed utterly powerless against these iron behemoths.
The villagers gathered on the dock stood transfixed, their jaws slack with astonishment. These vessels defied all maritime conventions they had known—no billowing sails, not even masts adorned their decks. Instead, imposing smokestacks dominated their silhouettes, belching dark plumes skyward.
The moment the gangplanks descended, Edmond led a contingent of white-coated medical personnel rushing ashore. He approached Woop Slap, the village elder who had come to receive them, and quickly inquired about Harden's whereabouts. After enlisting a local villager as guide, Edmond and his medical team hastened away without further delay.
Though equally concerned for Harden's welfare, William took a moment to properly express his gratitude to Woop Slap and the assembled villagers. He instructed Dampier to remain behind and handle matters regarding compensation and docking arrangements before following in Edmond's wake.
In his semi-conscious state, Harden sensed someone attempting to pry the parachute pack from his grasp. His eyes flew open, though blood loss and concussion rendered his vision blurry. After struggling to focus for several moments, the figure before him finally took shape.
"William?" Harden's voice emerged as barely a whisper.
"It's me, Harden," William replied softly. "They tell me you've refused to relinquish this pack, insisting it must be delivered to me personally. I'm here now—you can let go and allow the doctors to treat you properly."
At William's reassurance, the tension that had sustained Harden through his ordeal finally released. His fingers loosened their death grip on the pack, and he surrendered to complete unconsciousness.
Though William harbored countless questions, he recognized the priorities of the moment. Ushering the equally curious Edmond and his team from the room, he left the space to the medical professionals who would fight for Harden's life.
"Severe blood loss, multiple fractures, internal hemorrhaging, cerebral concussion..." Wood, who had once served as a pirate crew's physician, reviewed the diagnosis report in a hushed tone. "His survival thus far borders on miraculous."
William gazed through the small window in the door at Harden's immobilized form, wrapped in bandages like an ancient mummy. He exhaled deeply, his breath fogging the glass.
"What caused these injuries?" William asked, his tone measured.
Wood understood the true nature of William's inquiry. Turning to another page of the report, he responded carefully: "There are wounds inflicted by deliberate human action, and also..."
"And also what?" William's brow furrowed slightly.
"And also clear evidence of systematic torture." Having delivered this assessment, Wood fell silent.
William was renowned for his inscrutable demeanor, rarely allowing emotions to surface visibly. Yet those who had served him longest and most intimately had learned to recognize certain subtle tells.
Upon hearing Wood's words, William's eyelids lowered fractionally, and his lips compressed into a thin line. Wood recognized these signs—his leader was experiencing profound, controlled fury.
Despite this internal tempest, William's instructions remained methodical and precise.
To Edmond, he commanded: "Assemble a team and eliminate this 'Lord of the Near Sea.' It has injured my man and terrorized this village for years. I want no further reports of its existence."
Edmond acknowledged the order with a curt nod before departing. He had already heard accounts of the sea monster's appearance during Harden's rescue. Even without William's directive, Edmond's personal code would have compelled him to hunt the creature.
William then turned to Dampier: "Return the steamships immediately. Their presence here must be brief—we cannot risk revealing too much technological intelligence."
Though William harbored no illusions about keeping the new steamships secret indefinitely—nor did he intend to—he remained unwilling to expose them prematurely. The technical specifications of their construction, particularly the advanced steam engines and sonic emitters, were classified at the highest level. Their production was limited exclusively to Kalmar City and the shipyards of Maple Leaf Village—William's original power base and headquarters.
William hoped these revolutionary vessels might achieve decisive strategic advantage before the world fully comprehended their capabilities. Had it not been for the violent storm and his urgent concern for Harden's condition, William would never have employed the new steamships for this journey to Windmill Village.
That night, Harden emerged from his coma. Word reached William immediately.
Striding purposefully down the corridor, William entered the sickroom with a grave expression. After a swift assessment of the situation, he issued a clear directive: "Everyone except Wood, leave the room now."
The mysterious disappearance of Harden's steamship remained an unsolved enigma. With no clear understanding of what had transpired, William considered all possibilities—including the grimmest scenarios. His instinct was to contain any potentially destabilizing information that might trigger panic if disseminated prematurely.
Wood's continued presence was permitted solely due to Harden's precarious medical condition, which demanded professional supervision.
Once the room had cleared, Harden spoke with evident effort: "Golden Lion... It was Golden Lion Shiki, William. He attacked our vessel."
William, who had just pulled a chair to Harden's bedside, momentarily froze before resuming his movement and taking his seat. Wood's expression, by contrast, registered open shock.
At William's subtle signal, Harden recounted everything—their capture by Shiki's forces, the tense banquet where Shiki's arrogance provoked conflict, the execution of several exchange students and crew members, and Harden's subsequent imprisonment.
As the narrative progressed, Harden's breathing grew increasingly labored. William grasped his hand firmly, offering silent support.
"I betrayed Barbarossa years ago because he was a bastard who disregarded the lives and futures of his entire crew," Harden declared, his bloodshot eyes fixed intently on William. "But I am not a man who betrays his captain for personal advancement. Such an act... I would never commit twice."
"I know," William responded gently, his other hand lightly patting Harden's. "I know."
Harden then detailed his escape from Shiki's clutches. Kuro and Krieg had orchestrated an elaborate deception. For weeks before reaching East Blue, Krieg had fed Shiki intelligence, portraying himself as an ambitious opportunist eager to rule East Blue under Shiki's patronage.
However, Krieg's intelligence proved far less valuable than that provided by Kuro—who had once headed a national intelligence agency, a fact that lent his information considerable weight.
Upon reaching East Blue waters, Krieg, feigning impatience, had publicly challenged Kuro's assessment of Harden's importance. This theatrical confrontation forced Kuro to "prove his loyalty" by apparently executing Harden. Afterward, Krieg had ostentatiously disposed of Harden's "corpse" in the forest, seemingly eliminating any possibility that Kuro might harbor ulterior motives.
"I used Life Return (Seimei Kikan) to suppress my vital signs and escape detection," Harden explained between labored breaths. "Kuro warned me with his eyes before striking. Later, Krieg revealed their plan and showed me where he had concealed the parachute. After evading the forest predators, I made my escape."
Though Harden had not mastered Life Return to the degree of controlling individual hairs, his proficiency sufficed to temporarily suppress his life signs convincingly.
"The parachute pack contains an encrypted message from Kuro," Harden concluded. "He employed a cipher known only to the highest echelons of our intelligence division."
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