CHAPTER 86 — INJUSTICE (WHALEBELLY ZONE)
"Even if the world laughs at justice, I'll stand tall enough for it to echo." — Moro
The sun was high above the lands of Mavaria, painting the silver clouds with a golden shimmer. The group had been walking for two days since leaving the old woman's hut. Moro's strength had returned—his eyes brighter, his aura calmer, his mind at peace but sharper than before. Kaya walked beside him, her hands folded behind her back, the breeze running through her blue strands. Kiro trailed slightly behind, sharpening his nin-blade with quiet focus, while Herbet carried supplies with Carol the fox trotting faithfully beside them.
The forest thinned into a gentle hill, and from its crest, the travelers saw it—a vast, beautiful town lying on the belly of the sea cliffs. The waves crashed below, and massive windmills turned slowly in the breeze. A bright wooden sign welcomed them:
> WELCOME TO WHALEBELLY — HOME OF MERRIMENT AND TRADE.
Moro smiled faintly.
"It's been long since I've seen a peaceful town," he said.
Herbet chuckled. "Peaceful towns are the ones with the darkest secrets, my friend."
Moro nodded, though his gaze lingered on the townsfolk below. "Let's rest, refill our supplies, and keep our heads low. Mavaria is still Cd 9 territory."
They walked down into the town streets, cobblestone paths humming with chatter. Children ran by chasing wooden hoops; merchants sold bread, silk, and seafood fresh from the coast. Everything seemed so normal… so human. But beneath the laughter, something felt off. The smiles were too forced, the laughter a little too loud—as if trying to cover something rotten beneath.
As they passed a bakery, a sudden shout echoed.
"Get up, you filthy runt!"
A man in a white apron—his belly round, his eyes cruel—was kicking a frail boy near the street corner. The boy's clothes were ragged, his skin pale. He clutched a small loaf of bread that had fallen into the mud.
"Didn't I tell you not to beg here?!" the baker barked, raising his hand again.
The crowd gathered, but no one spoke. Some even laughed.
Kaya stepped forward, her expression darkening. "He's just a child!"
But Moro raised a hand to stop her. His jaw clenched as he walked closer.
The baker noticed him. "What do you want, stranger?"
"To tell you to stop," Moro said firmly, his voice low but carrying weight.
The baker scoffed. "This brat steals every day. You outsiders have no business here."
The townsfolk murmured in agreement.
"He's from the slums."
"They eat what we throw away—vermin!"
"Outsiders should mind their own business!"
Moro's aura flickered faintly, golden light rippling like calm fire. "And who made you judge and jury?"
The baker spat near the boy. "I earned my bread. He didn't."
Kiro's eyes narrowed. "You earned arrogance, not honor."
Herbet folded his arms. "Looks like this town confuses cruelty for order."
Moro bent down and helped the boy up, brushing the dirt off his shoulder. The child looked up, trembling. "T-thank you, mister…"
Moro smiled faintly. "No one should thank me for stopping injustice. It's supposed to be natural."
The baker laughed harshly. "Natural? You talk like a saint in a world run by coin. Here, justice costs money. And you look broke."
The crowd erupted in mocking laughter.
Moro looked around. He saw mothers turning away, fathers pretending not to hear, children learning silence from fear. His fists clenched, the wind shifting around him.
He stepped forward and said quietly, "If that's the kind of peace you live by, then it's no peace at all."
The baker glared. "You better leave before you regret it."
Moro turned slowly, his aura flickering—soft but radiant like sunlight through thunderclouds. "I won't leave. Not while injustice stands proud in daylight."
He took one more step, his tone rising—not from rage, but conviction.
"My name is Moro, Pillar of Justice. And if there's corruption in this town, I'll burn it away—not with fire, but with truth!"
His voice echoed through the square like thunder cracking against steel. The townsfolk froze.
The baker stumbled backward, dropping his rolling pin. The boy behind Moro stared up in awe.
For a brief second, silence ruled the town. The waves beyond the cliffs seemed to quiet too. Then, as if waking from a spell, people began to scatter—some out of fear, others out of shame.
Kaya watched Moro silently, her eyes soft. "You didn't even strike him, but the whole town felt your words."
Moro looked at the trembling baker, who couldn't meet his eyes. "Sometimes," he said, "the heaviest blow is the truth itself."
He turned to the boy. "What's your name?"
The child hesitated. "Lian."
"Do you have a home?" Moro asked.
Lian shook his head. "No… just the street."
Moro nodded and removed the small silver badge he'd kept—a token from Liberty City—and placed it in the boy's hand. "Keep this. It's not wealth, but it means you've met someone who'll fight for you."
The boy looked at it, then at Moro's face. "Will you come back?"
Moro smiled faintly. "If you ever stand for justice, I won't have to."
Kiro chuckled softly. "You always have to make a scene, don't you?"
Moro grinned a little. "If standing up for what's right is a scene, then let the world keep watching."
As the squad continued walking, the sun began to dip, painting WhaleBelly in orange hues. They reached a quiet hill overlooking the town. Herbet set up camp while Carol rested near the trees.
Kaya sat beside Moro. "You know," she said softly, "you talk like your father used to."
Moro looked down at his hands. "He always said justice starts small… in moments like that. Maybe that's how he wanted me to live."
She leaned slightly closer. "And maybe that's why you were chosen to lead us."
Moro chuckled. "Chosen or cursed—hard to tell some days."
Herbet, by the fire, added, "Well, chosen or not, you've given us something to believe in. That's more than most kings do."
The night grew quiet, stars spilling over the sea. WhaleBelly sparkled below like a cluster of fireflies. The group rested, but Moro's eyes remained open, fixed on the horizon.
And somewhere, in the distance between the trees and the moonlit sky, a man stood watching them. Cloaked in shadows, a faint silver symbol glowed on his hand. His lips curved into a knowing smile.
> "So that's him… the boy who calls himself the Pillar of Justice."
The wind carried his whisper away, lost among the rustling leaves.
Moro turned slightly, sensing something.
"Kaya… did you feel that?"
She opened her eyes. "What?"
He looked into the dark woods—nothing but silence. "...Nothing. Just thought I heard someone."
The waves crashed below, the stars gleamed above, and WhaleBelly slept peacefully—unaware that something greater than any storm had just arrived within its borders.
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End of Chapter 86 — INJUSTICE (WHALEBELLY ZONE)