The warship smashed through dark-blue waves, leaving the island—shrouded in fire and smoke—far behind.
The sea wind howled.
It struck the faces of every member of the Davie Clan.
They had survived.
Yet the thought brought no joy—only deeper confusion and sorrow.
Their home was gone.
Where was their future?
No one knew.
Dozens of clansmen sat or lay sprawled across the cold deck, staring blankly at the distant sky stained red.
That was their homeland.
Rocks' father stood alone at the railing like a nailed pillar, silent and unmoving.
He looked at no one.
His cloudy yet sharp old eyes were fixed, unblinking, on the shrinking outline of the island.
The stubborn anger from his argument with his son had vanished from his wrinkled face.
In its place was worry.
That damned brat…
Would he really survive?
Facing enemies like that…
Facing the encirclement of the entire World Government…
His fists clenched tightly at his sides, nails digging into flesh. The sharp pain meant nothing compared to the agony of possibly losing his son.
Memories flooded his mind uncontrollably—Rocks as a mischievous child he used to chase and beat; the fierce, rebellious eyes when he first held a sword; the resolute back when he left the clan; and just now, that wildly arrogant line:
"Old man, if you're not dead yet, how could I die?"
Now all he felt was endless regret.
Regret that he could not help his son.
Suddenly—
Rocks' father, who had stood motionless until now, jolted.
As if making a decision, he turned sharply.
Then he strode rapidly toward the white figure standing at the bow, facing the wind.
The sudden movement drew confused gazes from the clansmen.
Lucian still stood with his back to everyone, the white mask glowing faintly beneath the setting sun, seemingly indifferent to everything behind him.
Before countless stunned eyes—
Rocks' father rushed forward and stopped abruptly.
Then—
With a heavy thud, he dropped to his knees on the cold, hard deck before Lucian.
He knelt.
"This… this brother…"
He lowered the head that had been proud all his life, his forehead nearly touching the deck.
"I beg you… please help Rocks! I know you're strong—I've seen enough! Please… go back and save him!"
His hoarse voice trembled with desperate emotion.
Every word carried the plea of a father trying to save his son.
The moment Rocks' mother saw her husband kneel, shock flashed across her face, followed immediately by overwhelming grief.
Without hesitation, she hurried forward and knelt beside him.
"Yes… please, brother…" Tears streamed down her face, her voice choked but clear. "Please help Rocks. Save my son!"
The sight of the couple kneeling and pleading stunned the entire Davie Clan.
Yet somehow… it also felt completely natural.
No matter what, Rocks was still their son.
Soft sobbing spread across the deck.
And yet, Lucian—the center of it all—remained like an emotionless statue.
He slowly turned around, looking down at the kneeling couple beneath him.
Behind the mask, his gaze showed no ripple.
He did not answer immediately.
Nor did he help them up.
Instead, in a calm tone tinged with faint curiosity, he asked quietly:
"Weren't you… estranged?"
A simple question.
Yet it struck Axe like a red-hot blade piercing straight through his heart, tearing away his last fragile disguise.
His body stiffened.
Estranged?
Yes… to outsiders, they had long been broken.
He had even hurled harsh words at his son when he returned to save the clan.
But…
So what?!
That was his son!
His only son!
The son he had once been most proud of!
Gathering every ounce of strength, he roared at Lucian—and at the vast sea itself:
"No matter what… he will always be my son!!!"
"I will always… be proud of him!!!"
The shout, torn from the depths of his soul, carried a father's deepest love—and all his regret and fear.
Afterward, Axe seemed drained of all strength.
Then—
He and Lilith exchanged a glance.
They saw the same resolve in each other's eyes.
And in the next moment—
Both bent forward simultaneously and performed a deep, formal kowtow before Lucian.
Thud!
Their foreheads struck the hard deck heavily.
No further words.
That single bow spoke more than a thousand sentences.
Lucian watched quietly as the two elders lay prostrate, humbled beyond measure.
He let out a faint sigh, murmuring softly to himself in a tone mixed with helplessness and mild amusement:
"…Ah. This really is an Eastern-style father–son relationship."
Though he said that aloud, his decision had already been made.
From the beginning, he had never truly intended to abandon Rocks.
After all, that man was a crucial piece for stirring the world's tides—and, besides the template he sought, the greatest source of "entertainment" during this God Valley journey.
How could he let him die so easily?
Still, the performance had to be complete.
Looking down at the kneeling pair, he spoke again.
He raised one final, realistic question.
"If I leave," Lucian said calmly, "what happens to you if you encounter the World Government?"
His gaze swept over the shaken clansmen.
"This is a Marine ship. Government reinforcements could catch up at any moment. Without me—what will you use to resist?"
The words fell like cold water, instantly cooling the emotional atmosphere.
Yes…
What would they do?
They had begged him to save their son—but forgotten that their entire clan aboard this ship remained lambs awaiting slaughter.
Yet Rocks' father's reaction shocked everyone.
He suddenly lifted his head.
"Don't worry!"
His voice rang out loud and firm.
He pointed toward several strong clansmen—battle-hardened warriors among the crowd.
"The Davie Clan may not match that damned brat, but we are no helpless sheep! The blood of 'D' runs in us too!"
"There are more than a dozen seasoned fighters here! We can sail, we can navigate! We know how to fire this ship's cannons!"
His gaze swept across every face, voice rising with fierce determination.
"Even without Rocks—without you—we Davie will fight! We will survive!"
"If it means giving Rocks… giving my son even the slightest chance to live… then even if we must stake all our lives, ram headfirst into a World Government fleet, we will never retreat!"
"So, brother!"
"Please… go without worry!"
"Our lives—we will protect them ourselves!"
Those words awakened something within the Davie Clan.
Yes!
They were Davie!
Descendants of Davy Jones!
They could bleed.
They could sacrifice.
But they would never be cowards who only cried and begged!
"That's right!"
"We can handle this ourselves!"
"Brother, go without worry! We'll protect the clan!"