"In 1504, on March 14th, we finally arrived at Marineford Island, where the Navy Headquarters is located," Bellemere wrote in her diary,lying on a cot. She hadn't had the habit of keeping a diary before, but as a low-ranking marine, she didn't know when the branch legion would be deployed for combat.
The female marine didn't know if this counted as a will, but Bellemere still hoped to write down some words now, in the form of a diary, to leave for her daughters.
"When the warship passed through the Gates of Justice, all the veterans from the East Blue were very excited. Facing such a towering and strong wall, I could hardly think of words to describe it. The girls were certainly excited too, although I felt that Nami had been smiling the whole time."
Bellemere tried hard to recall what had happened today. She propped her head up with one hand, turned her head sideways to look at the crib not far away, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up.
"Although I don't know what the person in charge of the Burning Legion looks like, tomorrow I can meet this big shot who is said to have a very high reputation at Navy Headquarters. Good heavens, I hope I can still find time to spend with the children besides training. Oh, by the way, are there any children around their age at Navy Headquarters? It would be perfect to have a companion." Bellemere smiled and recorded all her speculations about the future.
Today was undoubtedly a day full of happiness. Considering that the low-ranking marine dormitories in Marineford were shared by several people, she and several other veterans with young dependents were granted special permission to move into the more spacious officer dormitories.
This small two-family building, though not spacious, was enough for the two children. She lived downstairs from a military family who also had children, both husband and wife being ordinary marines from the East Blue.
"Have you settled your luggage? Bellemere? Reiju?" A female officer downstairs called out to the veterans who had come from the East Blue.
Bellemere, interrupted by the sound, hurriedly closed her diary and knocked on the bed board above: "Nojiko? Are you ready?"
"Ready, Aunt Bellemere!" A small head poked out from the second-tier bed's舷(side).
"Let's go! Eat!" Bellemere rubbed her hands together, eagerly. She leaned over and walked to the neatly placed crib beside her, gently picking up Nami, who was still sleeping.
As soon as she walked down the stairs from the second floor, she saw another female soldier with a tan complexion, with her husband and daughter, walking out the door.
That was Bellemere's neighbor who lived on the first floor. The new recruit in charge of the Burning Legion had thoughtfully arranged for a couple to share this not-so-large officer dormitory with her.
"Yo! Reiju!" Bellemere cheerfully greeted her new friend. After all, everyone would be under the same roof from now on, and a harmonious relationship would make it easier for everyone to help each other.
The equally bold neighbor on the first floor held her daughter on her shoulder with one hand and raised her hand to offer a cigarette to the mother on the second floor: "Reiju, from now on, we're neighbors living on the same floor."
The veteran Bellemere expertly took the cigarette offered by the other party, and pointed to the equally dark-skinned man behind her: "Your husband?"
"Yes," the woman called Reiju said, twisting the handle with one hand and opening the dormitory door.
"Don't look at him being so wimpy now," she shrugged. "He used to be my boss."
Gion, the female soldier in charge of the Burning Legion who was waiting downstairs, heard such a bold sentence as soon as she came up. She raised her eyebrows but still suppressed her curiosity.
It was not easy to "persuade" Vice Admiral Tsuru to agree to transfer her to the Burning Legion. As the person in charge, she had only about a thousand female marines under her command, including the medical camp.
These veterans from the Four Seas and the active officers transferred from various branches of the Grand Line would form the Iron Roses of the expeditionary legion.
"Let's go, I'll take you to the restaurant." The great swordswoman looked at these excited children and felt a faint sense of envy.
Since she and Sakazuki confirmed their relationship, that blockhead had only kissed her forehead and held her hands so far.
Look at other people! They already have a second child!
"Yes!"
"Yes"
"Understood, Officer!"
Although the three veterans from the East Blue had retired, they still maintained a military lifestyle. For them, the officer's dormitory had a kind of comforting feeling of returning home.
"Wow, Aunt Bellemere! Look, there's so much food!" Young Nojiko's eyes lit up, and she drooled at the buffet in the headquarters canteen.
She had never seen such a sumptuous dinner.
Bellemere smiled dotingly: "Be good, there are plates and cutlery on the table over there, go get a set and choose your own delicious food!"
But the little girl's address to her caught the attention of several people. While the girl ran away, Reiju, who was also a marine from the East Blue like Bellemere, asked with some surprise: "Isn't she your daughter?"
"No, Nojiko and Nami are both little angels I adopted from the battlefield." Bellemere had nothing to hide in front of her comrades. She gently rubbed her face against the baby in her arms.
Reiju immediately gave her a thumbs up without saying a word, and even Gion, who had maintained a cold image along the way, couldn't help but look at this woman a few more times.
Adopting orphans on the battlefield was undoubtedly a noble act of righteousness, and treating orphans as one's own children required great compassion. Gion nodded slightly, imperceptibly. She thought of Sakazuki's decision to adopt Robin.
"Then why did you still choose to join the Burning Legion? Wouldn't it be better for these two children to live in a peaceful and safe town?" Gion was a little puzzled.
Bellemere scratched her head a little embarrassedly: "Officer, don't be angry when I say this, the pensions for us low-ranking marines after retirement are too small, I can't give the children a decent life."
Gion was stunned by her straightforward words: "For money?"
"It would be a bit hypocritical if I told you it was for faith, but for now, I'm really here for the high salary of the legion." Bellemere looked like an old fox.
Gion frowned. She had discussed this issue with Sakazuki before when they were chatting.
High pensions could certainly attract a large number of retired marines in their prime, but there would definitely be no shortage of old sly foxes who came for the money.
All veterans who could enter the legion through the hard requirements had good skills, or at the very least, had rich combat experience.
Although these old sly foxes had excellent skills, whether they could be mobilized and made to charge into battle...
Gion, who was about to scold the other party for this kind of go-slow thinking, was abruptly blocked by Bellemere's next sentence.
"Although I know that the expeditionary army is indeed a business where nine out of ten will die, my children can still get a large pension after I die in battle, and that's enough." She was indeed not the biological mother of the two children, but her love for them was undeniable.
Before Reiju and the others could express their emotions, the optimistic Bellemere quickly started gossiping. She elbowed the other party's waist: "Hey, hey, Reiju, how did you get pursued? He was your boss!"
Several people turned to look at the middle-aged male officer who had already found a free booth with his child.
This middle-aged man, described by Reiju as wimpy, had been a little sullen all the way. His skin, tanned to a dark brown by the strong ultraviolet rays of the sea, combined with his naturally gray short hair, made his apparent age seem to be at least over forty.
"You mean Tullius? No, no, no," Reiju looked at her man, who was still in a state of low pressure, and shook her head repeatedly. "I forced myself on him."
"...."
"...."
Even Gion was a little numb. These retired veterans from the East Blue were bolder than each other.
Finally, she couldn't help but ask curiously: "Wasn't he your boss?"
"Yes, he used to be a lieutenant commander in the 77th branch in the East Blue. The rank difference between the branch and the headquarters is two levels, so he's just a lieutenant here." Reiju unceremoniously revealed her husband's background. "I've been working under him, and we've always had a good relationship."
"And then, it naturally became a beautiful story?" Bellemere guessed.
"What nonsense," Reiju sighed, with an expression that said the past was unbearable to look back on.
"He had a bad friend, and the two of them would bicker all the time, often disagreeing on military affairs. I thought this was not conducive to the development of the branch. Once, I went to give Tullius private advice after they quarreled, but Tullius, that blockhead, actually yelled at me, saying that subordinates can't talk back to their superiors."
Reiju licked her lips: "Then, in a fit of anger, I kissed him, then pinned him to the ground and had my way with him."
As she spoke, she showed the two women, who were stunned, the seagull mark on her arm.
Gion and Bellemere spontaneously applauded. This was simply an excellent example of women pursuing freedom and equality, a model of feminism in the new era.
Navy, Navy, seagull logo tattooed on the body, applause for the Navy people.
Bellemere, with a mischievous smile, stretched out her hand and made an up-and-down motion in the air: "Is it because this was very satisfying that you chose to retire?"
"Of course not!" Even though Reiju had a thick skin, she was still embarrassed by the female rogue's actions. "Tullius and his same-rank buddy were always bickering and fighting, and then one day they got into an armed brawl with their troops and were expelled. I just happened to choose to retire."
"Then why does he look so listless now? You guys need to learn to be moderate." Fleet Captain Gion skillfully started talking dirty.
"Officer Gion! You're logically raping me," Reiju said with a wry smile. "Originally, Tullius's buddy, Ulfric, also planned to come to the legion, but he was persuaded and taken away by a man wearing a dark green cloak and an ugly blood-red tattoo on his face."
But Gion's mind was no longer on the topic. She turned her head and looked in the direction of Sakazuki's officer dormitory.
It seemed that kissing and forcing oneself on someone was a good choice?
Sakazuki, who was giving a farewell party for Jonathan, who was about to take office as the commander of the Navy's G8 Sea Urchin Fortress, suddenly felt a chill down his back.
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