Chapter 95: The Family's Choice
Cyriss was stunned. The boy knew. The village knew. All this time, they hadn't treated him kindly out of fear or ignorance. They had accepted him—knowing full well he was Cyriss the pirate, the 'Tyrant's Fist'—and had welcomed him as one of their own.
"Don't be surprised, Riel… no, I should call you Cyriss. I was a man of the sea in your era, too."
An elderly man, the Village Chief, shuffled forward from the crowd, leaning on a cane.
"Chief, you…?" Cyriss's voice broke. Tears he could no longer hold back streamed down his weathered face.
"I knew who you were the day you washed up on our shore," the Chief said, his voice gentle but firm. "I saw the conflict in your eyes during our first talk. I saw a man tired of the sea, seeking peace. So… we all decided to follow your lead. We saw Riel, not Cyriss."
"Family…" Cyriss whispered the word, overwhelmed.
The villagers—men, women, children—closed ranks around him, forming a living wall between him and Satoru. Their eyes weren't fearful. They were resolute, protective. They glared at the white-haired Admiral not with terror, but with defiance.
"So, young Marine," the Village Chief declared, his voice gaining strength. "We will not let you take our family away."
"Family," Satoru repeated softly, a strange feeling stirring in his chest. He had imagined many reactions: panic, betrayal, disgust. He had not imagined this unwavering, conscious acceptance. They knew the monster, and they loved the man.
"By harboring a known pirate, you are all subject to arrest," Satoru stated, though the words felt hollow even as he said them.
Not a single villager flinched or stepped back. If anything, their resolve hardened. They would stand their ground.
"This… complicates things," Satoru muttered, a genuine note of frustration entering his voice. For the first time, the clear-cut path of 'capture the target' was shrouded in moral fog.
"Everyone, please! Listen to me!" Cyriss's voice, rough with emotion, cut through the tension.
All eyes turned to him. Satoru waited, curious.
"I know you mean well. You want to protect me. But… the things I did in my past… the title I carried… I have to atone for that. I can't run from it forever." His words were for the villagers, but they carried the weight of a man finally facing his own ledger.
"NO!" little Xiaobao—Algren—wailed, clutching Cyriss's leg. "You can't go! You promised to teach me! You said you'd make me strong! I won't let you!"
"He's right!" another villager shouted. "We don't know any 'Cyriss'! We only know Uncle Riel, who saved our children from a landslide, who fishes with us, who protects us!"
Once again, I'm cast as the villain, Satoru thought wryly, feeling the collective hostility focus on him.
"You bad man!" Algren turned, his small face a mask of fury and tears, pointing at Satoru. "Go away! We don't want you here!"
All eyes were on Satoru now, waiting. Would the Admiral follow orders to the letter, even if it meant fighting a village? Or would he break protocol?
Satoru let out a long, slow sigh. The tension seemed to drain from his shoulders. "Forget it. It's like I never came."
A collective wave of relief washed over the crowd. Even Cyriss sagged, the prospect of a dank Impel Down cell receding.
"But," Satoru continued, holding up a finger. The relief vanished, replaced by fresh anxiety. "I have one condition."
"Name it," the Village Chief said instantly. "If it is within our power, we will not refuse."
Satoru ignored him. He looked down at the crying boy clinging to Cyriss. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"
The boy sniffled, wiping his nose with his sleeve. His gaze, though tear-filled, was fierce and unyielding. "Algren."
"Algren," Satoru repeated, committing it to memory. "My condition is this: I want you to join the Navy. Learn everything 'Riel' can teach you. And become a good Marine."
Silence.
The request was so unexpected, so far from the threats or demands they had braced for, that it left everyone speechless.
"I… I promise!" Algren blurted out, his voice suddenly strong. "I've always wanted to be a Marine! Grandpa Riel said it was a good dream!"
"Good," Satoru said, a faint, approving smile touching his lips. "That's the deal. If you don't become a Marine, if you stray from that path… then I will come back for the pirate Cyriss. And next time, it will be a one-way trip to the eternal darkness of Level 6."
"I will become a Marine!" Algren declared, his small fists clenched. "I'll become an Admiral! You'll see!"
"I'll hold you to that," Satoru said. He then turned his gaze to Cyriss. "Senior. This kid has potential. Nurture it well. He might just make Admiral someday."
Before anyone could respond, offer thanks, or ask another question, Satoru's form flickered and vanished from the shore.
He reappeared instantly on the deck of the Marine warship, causing the crew to jump in alarm. They saw their Admiral return alone, his uniform slightly dusty but otherwise unmarked. He didn't look defeated. He looked… pensive.
"The mission is a failure," Satoru announced, his voice flat. "Bring me the Den Den Mushi. I need to report directly to the Fleet Admiral."
"Yes, sir!" The Vice Admiral snapped to attention, retrieving the snail without question.
When the line connected to Sengoku's office, Satoru didn't bother with a greeting. His first words were delivered in a dry, accusatory tone:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku. This mission to capture Cyriss… it wouldn't have anything to do with you still holding a grudge over that 'Millennium Kill' from forty years ago, would it?"
On the other end of the line, in the quiet of his Marineford office, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's face went through a fascinating series of transformations—shock, fury, indignation, and finally, a deep, profound purple flush of pure, unadulterated embarrassment. The Den Den Mushi perfectly mimicked his apoplectic expression.
(End of Chapter)
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