Originally, registration for the Tide Battle had to be submitted a month in advance.
However, the days designated for registration happened to coincide with the black flag sea blockade, trapping Xu Jian, the resident officer from the Maritime Affairs Office, along with his official seal in Seven-Masts Anchorage.
According to the rules of the Maritime Affairs Office, on the day the resident officer returned, there was still a chance to submit a late registration.
Now that the black flag had been withdrawn, Xu Jian had also returned to Clown Float-Commune.
Today was the absolute last day.
Lu Guizhou's gaze swept across the crowd.
“If Clown still wants to enter the Tide Battle, we must decide on our representative right now.”
A path had appeared.
But who would fight for it?
The only person in the entire commune who met the requirements was An Youyu.
Lu Guizhou did not press him, choosing instead to clarify his way out first.
“There is no supreme ruler on this sea.”
“Serving under this flag today and moving to another float-commune tomorrow is common practice.”
“Even if Clown ends up dismantled, you are a First-Transformation. Finding another float-commune to settle down in won't be hard for you.”
“What's more, you only just registered your residence today. If you don't take this flag, no one will blame you.”
That was indeed true.
An Youyu's fingers unconsciously touched the commune token in his robes.
When Lu Guizhou had handed him this token, he had said: if Clown got bullied, he couldn't pretend not to see it.
Yet now that Clown truly stood at a matter of life and death, Lu Guizhou hadn't brought up that sentence at all.
Precisely because Lu Guizhou didn't, An Youyu found himself even less willing to leave.
He had a thousand reasons not to Seize the Mast.
Yet to take up this flag, a single reason was enough.
The sea breeze flipped up a corner of the old flag, and An Youyu reached out to hold it down.
“I'll take it.”
Lu Guizhou was startled for a moment before laying out the blunt truth even more clearly.
“In the previous Tide Battle, the weakest competitor was at Three Hundred Pressure. The representatives chosen by the twenty-eight communes this time will only be stronger.”
“You are only at One Hundred Pressure. If you truly step onto the Mast-Seizing Platform, losing won't be the worst outcome—you might not even make it back alive.”
An Youyu said, “I walk the Salamander Swim. I can't guarantee anything else, but my life is fairly tough.”
Lu Guizhou let out a laugh.
“That much, I believe.”
He paused briefly.
“Have you truly thought this through?”
“I have.”
Only then did Lu Guizhou grasp the other side of the old flag and raise it together with An Youyu.
The old flag unfolded between the two of them, revealing the broken grinning face painted upon it.
Standing before the monument, several elderly folk stared at it, their backs gradually straightening.
They had seen what this grinning face looked like when it was still intact.
Back then, Lu Guizhou was eighteen years old, Old Chaotou wasn't called Old Chaotou yet, and Old Knobby wasn't so old.
Over forty years had passed; three holes were torn into the corner of the flag, only half of the grinning face remained, and the people guarding the commune monument had all grown white hair with time.
Lu Guizhou looked toward the row of old names carved into the lower edge of the monument's base.
“Clown has an old rule.”
“Whoever takes up this flag on behalf of the whole commune must have their name carved into the commune monument first.”
“If you return alive, this name stands as your glorious achievement.”
“If you don't return, this name becomes your epitaph.”
Lu Guizhou handed over the corner of the flag in his hand.
An Youyu reached out with his other hand to take it, pulling the old flag into his embrace.
Lu Guizhou turned his head and called out, “Old Tie, carve the name.”
“Alright!”
Old Tie's real name was Tie Liangzi, and he was Clown's blacksmith.
Most new iron on the sea was harvested from Sunken Land Grotto-Heavens, rare and expensive. For years, Clown could only repeatedly repair old nails and hooks, to the point where his craft of firing up the forge to forge new equipment had grown rusty.
Carving a name didn't require firing up the forge. Old Tie fetched a stone chisel and an iron hammer, picked an empty spot beside the old names, and squatted down.
The white-haired old woman who had said earlier that she would stay behind pushed away her son's supporting hands and stumbled in front of An Youyu, reaching out to gently touch the broken half-face of the grinning clown on the old flag.
“Old friend, we can fight for it one more time.”
“Even if it's only One Hundred Pressure, even if we can't defend it in the end, even if Clown Float-Commune is destined to sink into the sea, once you've taken this flag, we recognize only one saying:”
“Clown is a banner across this sea!”
“Not a joke!!”
Old Chaotou first rolled up his sleeve, revealing a withered arm that was all sinew. Striking a posture from his youth, he punched his chest heavily before thrusting his fist high above his head.
“Well said!”
The other elders gathered around as well.
As the sea breeze blew, the old flag snapped loudly into the air.
The wind was still the same wind of back then, and the flag was still the same flag of back then.
Back then, the grinning face on the flag was still complete; back then, Lu Guizhou was still eighteen years old; back then, they were still that group of youths following behind the flag, shouting about carrying that smiling face to the top of the mast.
What was there to fear?
Just charge! Just fight!
As long as Clown could still fight, they were not old yet!
Holding the old flag, An Youyu was momentarily speechless.
Wait...
What exactly are they so fired up about?
Old Tie struck with his hammer repeatedly, quickly carving the three characters “An Youyu” into that row of old names.
Lu Guizhou then raised his hand and gestured to everyone.
“Once midnight strikes tonight, late registration closes.”
“Let's go, to the Maritime Affairs Office.”
“Register his name.”
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