It was rainy.

The sky of Marin Vando's day, without the usual sunshine, became a little gloomy.

In the calm square, there is an atmosphere of depression and sadness.

One by one, the figures, who had eaten breakfast since six or seven o'clock in the morning, consciously gathered here, silently staring at the huge stone monument standing in the center of the square in front of them.

On the pitch-black stone stele, rows of names are densely printed.

No one is loud here, and even if there is a need to communicate, it is a whisper.

It can be noticed that everyone wears an unusually neat navy uniform, with black leather boots and a white flower embedded in their chest.

Some people have heavy faces, some people have sad faces, some people are crying in a low voice, some people have red and swollen eyes, and under different expressions, their hearts are full of the same emotions.

The drizzle drifted in Marinfando, which also added a touch of sadness to the already heavy atmosphere.

Time passes quietly.

More and more officers gathered in Marin Fando Square, all of them consciously lined up, many people stood there quietly, and some people were lamenting the cruelty and bloodiness of this war.

"War is never a friendly word, and everyone is afraid of it."

"Because, it represents definitely not beauty, happiness, but endless suffering."

"This kind of suffering, especially after the war, is even more unforgettable and unforgettable."

A light sigh sounded, and an elderly lieutenant general with scars on his face, hair, and beard was already pale, said slowly, his eyes fell on the stone tablet in front of him, and his face was complicated.

"But if war can bring peace to this world, and a happier, more stable life."

"That's a just war, a war that has to be fought!"

Middle-aged, the lieutenant general in the prime of life said in a deep voice.

Hearing this, the elderly lieutenant general shook his head, sighed, and said no more.

No matter which force there is, there are camps.

With such a huge organization of the Navy, it is naturally impossible to avoid the existence of factions and camps. Especially in such a military organization, the contradiction between the softers and the hawks, the radicals is even more obvious.

The Gentlemen advocated that everything should be done in accordance with the concept of justice, and that war should be avoided as much as possible.

The hawks, on the other hand, advocate that problems that can be solved by war, so they should not be spared in the slightest. The remnants of the problems will only give birth to more problems.

Among the older generation, the Warring States handled this matter very well. He perfectly achieved the balance of war, but just before his retirement, he set off such a war that shocked the world.

And the new generation.

The powerful and righteous General Charlot, whose violence and brutality in the war did not allow him to associate it with his superficial moderation.

In his opinion, such a character is the most terrifying.

"Soft-spirited? Or is it a war-faction? ”

The old lieutenant general guessed in his heart.

Because this will ultimately determine the development of the navy in the future, an organization that is constantly fighting is destined to not live long, and an organization without war will also become cowardly, rotten, and ineffective after a long time.

How to perfectly unify and balance it is a difficult problem.

Suddenly, the crowd parted.

In the drizzle, a figure with hair and a beard with the same gray face strode in.

"Lieutenant General Karp!"

"It's Admiral Charlot's teacher, Lieutenant General Karp!"

"Navy hero, Karp!"

“······”

There was some commotion in the crowd, and from the low shouts, the old lieutenant general heard the identity of the old man, and he stood silently in the front row and did not look back.

A moment later, Karp came to his side.

"Karp."

"You have a good apprentice!"

The old lieutenant general said lightly.

Karp naturally knew who he was talking about, but on this occasion, he also showed a smile, and said lightly: "Cross, you are also old!" ”

"Hehe, after today's memorial service, I plan to go back to my hometown to retire."

"I've long since reached retirement age, and I can finally take a good rest."

Cross chuckled.

There was a hint of nostalgia and anticipation in his eyes, that naughty little grandson, should be running happily on the island now, right?

Hearing this, Karp was stunned, and then, he seemed to be in a trance and said softly.

"yes, in the blink of an eye, you're already of retirement age."

After a brief conversation, the two stopped talking.

Time is the least valuable, the least noticeable, and the most frightening thing.

Before you know it, your life is about to reach the twilight of your life.

"The old man dies, the baby is born."

"This is the heritage of humanity."

Cross laughed.

Karp's face moved slightly, and he snorted as he felt that the old guy meant something.

"Haha, I didn't say your grandson who was a pirate!"

Cross was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

Karp clenched his fists, too lazy to deal with this guy.

At this moment, Tsuru walked over, stood quietly beside the two of them, and turned his head to glare at them.

"Be serious, this isn't the place for you hippie smiles."

Cross suddenly retracted his smile, and Karp kept his expression solemn.

Immediately afterwards, several gray-haired old lieutenant generals stood in a row with them.

Everyone's eyes were on the huge stone monument standing in front of them.

From the first line to the last, countless names are densely engraved.

"Monument to the Heroes of the Navy!"

Tsuru said softly.

"They're more appropriate for the title of hero than for me."

Karp said softly.

No one objected to his words, and if those who have given their lives for a just cause do not deserve the title of hero, then who will?

"In this battle, many old friends have been relieved!"

Someone next to him said in a trembling voice.

Karp and Tsuru both had dark faces, and they clearly saw the names recorded in the front row.

Among them were their familiar friends, comrades-in-arms of the same year.

But at their age, to put it bluntly, they are waiting for death, and it is not surprising that they leave suddenly one day, and it is indeed equivalent to liberation.

"Dying on the battlefield and leaving with glory is also a perfect destination."

"I only hate my name, and it is not engraved on this stone tablet."

"Otherwise, Karp, Lao Tzu will become a hero like you!"

An old lieutenant general said in a cold voice.

When Karp heard this, he was stunned at first, and then barely squeezed out a smile in response.

There is still a difference between dead heroes and living heroes.

But he vaguely heard a hint of other meaning from the other party's words.

Slowly raised his head and looked at the monument in front of him again.

Densely packed with names, deeply imprinted on them, with a huge pedestal underneath, piled with flowers, fruits, and lit white candles.

At the bottom of the stele is a short sentence engraved on it.

"Everyone who sacrifices their lives for justice is a true hero!"

The word hero, originally in the navy, was only possessed by Karp. But since the battle on the top, after this stone monument was erected, there have been countless of them.

Although their lives are over, the souls of the heroes will live on forever.

The names on this monument will probably not be forgotten by those who come after.

For all those who join the army, they have a pursuit in life. Even in the face of death, there is no longer any fear.

Because, that will be the gateway to becoming a hero.

Suddenly, the crowd stirred.

"It's the young lieutenant generals who have distinguished themselves in the war!"

"Stop the red-haired Lieutenant General Bucky of the Four Emperors!!"

"Lieutenant General Rosinandi who blocked Whitebeard's punch!"

"Lieutenant General Smoker."

"Lieutenant General Gunina, the Great Sword Hero."

"Lieutenant General Fisher Fisher Tiger, the legendary liberation fighter who ascended to Mary Joy?"

"Behind them, it's the scientific research troops, right? They are all strong young people! ”

With the arrival of Bucky and the others, there was a whispered conversation in the crowd.

Soon, the young lieutenant generals looked for positions and stood behind Karp and other lieutenant generals of the older generation.

Then, there is the arrival of Lieutenant General Stexrez, Flying Squirrel, Ghost Spider and others.

Time continues to pass, and the drizzle has a tendency to gradually become heavier.

But the officers standing in the field did not have any umbrellas, but stood there quietly, straight, like ghosts in the drizzle.

"Marshal Sengoku is here!"

"And the generals!"

In front of the square, with the arrival of the white figure, everyone's eyes were slightly condensed.

Behind the Warring States, there stood three tall figures.

The four of them came here one after another, standing at the forefront, Sengoku first, placing the flowers in their hands in front of the monument and bowing deeply.

Immediately after that, the three generals who followed behind followed him in turn.

After the three generals were finished, the large contingent of officers bent down and bowed in unison.

"This memorial service will be presided over by General Charlot."

Sengoku faced everyone and said in a deep voice.

People are not surprised by this statement. With the performance of General Charlot's performance in the battle at the top, there is no doubt that his prestige has reached the highest level.

In the entire navy, no one can compete with it.

And presiding over the memorial service is a declaration in a sense.

The handover of the marshal, which represents the position of marshal, is already underway.

Then, in the eyes of everyone, Xia Le stood at the forefront, facing the huge monument to the heroes.

His voice was deep and deep, and it traveled far, far and far in the rain.

"The road to justice, light, is always full of mud."

"There will be a lot of sacrifices on this road, and they will not be able to accompany us to continue walking."

"They who gave up their lives are undoubtedly heroes."

"They gave their lives for the greatest cause."

"Many people cannot understand this sacrifice, but history will show that without their sacrifice, there would be no struggle for you who are still standing here."

"Peace and happiness, equality and justice, will forever sleep in darkness."

"There are some things that someone has to do, and there are roads that have to be walked through thorns and mud."

"Now, these things, this way."

"It's our turn!"

The short words were deafening, making the entire Marin Fando silent, and countless people felt their blood boiling in this calm, and their fists were subconsciously clenched.

Suddenly, Xia Le raised his head and roared.

"Shoot!"

"Send !! comrades-in-arms"

(End of chapter)