Kain stared at Garik, the words hanging heavy in the cabin''s still air. Leaving? The concept seemed absurd. Garik had been their constant, their foundation, as reliable as the tides that crashed against Ravencall''s rocky shores.


    "What do you mean you''re leaving?" Kain finally managed, his voice smaller than he intended.


    Garik''s weathered face remained impassive, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of emotion. He settled onto the worn stool across from them, his massive frame making the furniture appear child-sized.


    "Exactly what I said. I''m leaving Ravencall. It''s time."


    Ash jumped to his feet, water still dripping from his hair. "Time for what? You can''t just drop this on us and expect—"


    "I''ve taught you everything I can," Garik interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. "You''re thirteen now. Old enough to make your own choices."


    Redd closed his journal with deliberate care. "Where are you going?" he asked, his practical nature cutting through the shock.


    Garik''s pause lasted a heartbeat too long. "There are matters I need to attend to. People who need my help."


    "What people?" Talon pressed, leaning forward. "We need you too."


    "No," Garik said with surprising gentleness. "You don''t. Not anymore."


    Kain felt the familiar sensation of his thoughts mirroring Talon''s—confusion, hurt, and a rising tide of abandonment. He fought to keep his voice steady. "Is it something we did?"


    The old man''s expression softened. "Nothing like that. You boys have made me prouder than you could know."


    "Then why?" Ash demanded, pacing now. "Why leave at all? This is your home too."


    Garik''s gaze drifted toward the window, toward the sea beyond. "There are obligations I''ve put aside for too long. Debts that must be paid."


    "What kind of debts?" Redd asked, his analytical mind clearly working through possibilities.


    "The kind that can''t be measured in beli," Garik answered cryptically.


    Kain exchanged a glance with Talon, recognizing the familiar wall Garik erected when he refused to discuss certain topics—his past, his occasional mysterious visitors, the scars that mapped his body.


    "When?" Kain asked, knowing further questions about the why would yield nothing.


    "Today. The tide turns favorable in a few hours."


    "Today?" Ash''s voice cracked. "Just like that?"


    Garik stood, his decision clearly final. "Just like that… The cabin and land are yours. You''ve learned to hunt, fish, and trade in the village. You''ll manage."


    "That''s not the point," Talon said, frustration edging his words.


    "I know." Garik''s tone softened again. "But it''s how things must be."


    Redd, ever practical, asked, "Will you come back?"


    "When I can," Garik answered, though something in his eyes made Kain doubt the sincerity of the promise.


    Kain watched as their mentor moved to his corner of the cabin, pulling out a weathered sea chest from beneath his bed. The efficiency with which he began packing suggested this wasn''t a sudden decision but one long contemplated.


    The boys fell silent, watching Garik methodically sort through his sparse possessions. He took little—some clothes, a few books, the large metal staff he always kept close. Most of his belongings remained untouched.


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    "The rest is yours to divide or keep as you see fit," he said without looking up.


    Kain felt numb. For thirteen years, Garik had been their world—teacher, protector, the closest thing to a father any of them had known. Now he was leaving, taking with him the certainty that had defined their existence.


    After packing, Garik straightened and surveyed the cabin one last time. His expression remained unreadable.


    "Kain, Talon," he said suddenly. "A word outside before I go."


    Ash began to protest, but Garik silenced him with a look. "I''ll say my goodbyes to each of you properly. Give me a moment with them first."


    Kain followed Garik outside, Talon close behind. They walked a short distance from the cabin, stopping where the trees began to thicken. The old man turned to face them, his expression more serious than Kain had ever seen.


    "There''s something you should know," Garik said, his voice lowered. "Something I''ve kept from all of you."


    Kain felt his pulse quicken. "What is it?"


    "I''m a member of the Revolutionary Army."


    The words hung between them like physical things. Kain''s mind raced, connections forming rapidly. The mysterious visitors. The coded messages. Garik''s extensive knowledge of world politics that seemed beyond what a simple islander should possess.


    "The Revolutionary Army?" Talon echoed. "You''re serious?"


    Garik nodded. "I''ve noticed your interest whenever news of our activities reaches Ravencall. The questions you ask. The way you react to stories of the World Government''s abuses."


    Kain couldn''t deny it. Growing up with knowledge from Earth—understanding that this world''s Government was corrupt to its core—he''d always been drawn to stories of the Revolutionaries.


    "I''m returning to active service… retirement just doesn''t suit me," Garik continued. "And I''m offering you both the chance to come with me."


    "Us?" Kain managed, stunned. "Why not tell Ash and Redd too?"


    Garik''s expression softened. "They''ve shown no interest in the Army. Redd speaks only of joining the Marines someday. Ash dreams of making his name as a Pirate Hunter. I won''t interfere with their paths."


    "But later?" Talon asked.


    "When they''re older, stronger, more aware of the world they live in—yes, the door will remain open. But for now..." Garik focused intently on them. "What do you say?"


    Kain felt the weight of the moment. This was the Revolutionary Army—the only force truly standing against the corruption and tyranny of the World Government. While Kain new this was an alternate world of One Piece some things remained the same… and the World Government was definitely one of them.


    The Revolutionary Army aligned perfectly with everything he believed in.


    And yet...


    He looked back toward the cabin where Ash and Redd waited. His brothers in everything but blood.


    "I can''t," Kain said finally. "I respect what you do—what the Army stands for—but I can''t leave them."


    Talon nodded in agreement. "We belong with our brothers."


    Rather than disappointment, Garik''s face showed understanding. "What will you do instead?"


    Kain took a deep breath. "I''ve been thinking about joining the Marines with Redd."


    "And I want to follow the Pirate Hunter path with Ash," Talon added.


    Garik''s eyebrows rose slightly. "The Marines? You know what they represent."


    "I do," Kain acknowledged. "But maybe change can come from within too."


    Garik studied him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Perhaps." He paused, seeming to consider something. "There is another possibility. The Army needs eyes and ears within the Government''s forces."


    Kain''s breath caught. "You mean...a spy?"


    "An informant," Garik corrected. "Someone who could relay important information while pursuing their own path. It would be dangerous, but potentially valuable."


    Kain felt a surge of excitement. This was perfect—he could stay with Redd, join the Marines as planned, yet still contribute to the cause he believed in.


    "I''ll do it," he said without hesitation.


    Garik clasped his shoulder. "Think carefully. This isn''t a decision to make lightly. If you get caught, things won''t be pretty…"


    But Kain had already decided. "This is the best of both worlds. I can be there for Redd and help the Army make real change."


    Garik nodded, a hint of pride in his eyes. "Then it''s settled. When the time comes, we''ll establish contact protocols."


    He turned to Talon. "And you? Will you serve as our eyes among the Hunters?"


    Talon shrugged his shoulders. "I don''t know how much help a lone hunter can give the army, but I''ll be there when called on."


    "Good," Garik accepted. "And while the pirate hunters are a loose organization, that doesn''t mean you can''t contribute to the cause."


    "You both just worry about getting stronger and gaining status that''s the best way to contribute in your positions…"


    He looked between them, his expression solemn. "You understand this conversation remains between us. For everyone''s safety."


    Kain and Talon understood the underlying meaning, while Ash and Redd could be trusted that this wasn''t something they needed to know currently. If they knew Garik was part of the Revolutionary Army, they would surely drop their dreams and join the cause, and neither Kain, Talon, or Garik wanted to see that happen.


    So both Kain and Talon nodded in agreement as Garik turned back toward the cabin. "Come. It''s time I said my goodbyes to all of you properly."


    Kain followed, his mind racing with the revelation and his new purpose. Whatever came next, nothing would be the same—but perhaps that wasn''t entirely bad. They were no longer children needing protection. They were becoming men with paths of their own to forge.


    And his, it seemed, would be more complex than he''d imagined.


    ****


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