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Marine Headquarters, Marineford. Fleet Admiral's Office.
Sengoku set down the documents with a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples in exhaustion. "Did the CP9 assassination mission sent by the Five Elders fail? Not even a shred of intel has made it back?"
Rob Lucci, Blueno, and Kaku had vanished from the face of the earth. Kalifa had been taken by Stussy. The CP9 quartet had disappeared into the abyss, leaving no trace behind.
Sengoku muttered to himself, but in the quiet office, only a paper-eating goat remained to listen. It had been three or four years since Garp died. Without his oldest friend there to crunch on rice crackers, snore at his desk, and bicker with him, the office felt hollow. Habits are hard to break.
"With no response for this long, it's safe to assume they failed. The Thunder God Territory is a place where it's easy to hide, but impossible to make a move without being caught..."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Great Staff Officer, pushed open the door and took a seat.
"Tsuru, you're here," Sengoku sighed. "Any word on... Zephyr?"
"He took his students out to clear his head because he was disillusioned with the Navy. No one expected this tragedy..." Tsuru's voice was heavy. "And then the World Government tried to recruit 'Whitebeard Jr.' right in front of him. I fear Zephyr has lost all hope."
"Lost hope" was an understatement. Zephyr had poured his remaining passion into the next generation, only to watch them be slaughtered while he stood powerless. For a man whose will had already been battered by the murder of his family, this was the final blow.
Sengoku knew he couldn't force Zephyr back, but he hoped the man would find peace. The "Iron Triangle"—Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru—along with Zephyr, had joined the Navy in the same year. With Garp gone, Sengoku couldn't bear to lose Zephyr too.
"Let him wander for a bit. What about Kuzan? Is he still with him?"
"We've lost contact with Kuzan as well."
"What? His leave of absence has been long enough. With the Navy buried in work, he chooses now to disappear?"
"He sent back a message consisting of only two words," Tsuru said, her brow furrowing. "'Unwavering Justice.'"
Sengoku's heart skipped a beat. He had a very bad feeling about this.
..............
Early Sea Circle Calendar, 1513.
Aokiji, using the search for his own justice as a pretext, invited the broken Zephyr to join him in seeking out the Thunder God Pirates.
Zephyr, as a former Admiral, found the idea of consorting with pirates repulsive, even in his state of despair. But Aokiji's argument struck a chord: Only by standing with the devil can you see what the devil truly intends, and only then can you devise a counter-strategy.
To convince Zephyr, Binz, and Ain, Aokiji led them on a journey through the New World to see if the World Government still truly represented "Justice."
First Stop: Gran Tesoro.
The "Gilded Graveyard" of Gildo Tesoro. This place held one-tenth of the world's Beli and influenced the global economy. Gold dust floated in the air, the seawater at the port looked like molten gold, and every building screamed opulence.
They saw the "Success Cars" carrying billionaires, underworld brokers, high-ranking Government officials, Marine generals, and even Celestial Dragons leading slaves on chains. Here, the lines between "Black" and "White" were blurred.
But beneath the gold lay filth. The servers were people who lost everything to debt; the entertainers were women coerced or threatened. They had been drained of their luck by the Gol-Gol Fruit and owed debts that ten lifetimes couldn't repay. If they stumbled, they were beaten—or killed—on the spot. Zephyr left, trembling with a rage he couldn't act upon.
Second Stop: Dressrosa.
A façade of peace masking the horror of the Hobby-Hobby Fruit (toys), the underground arms trade, and the SMILE factory supplying Kaido.
The Grand Line (Paradise).
They left the New World and entered the first half of the Grand Line. Here, the Navy's influence was absolute. But what Zephyr saw made his blood boil: his own students, draped in Marine coats, oppressing civilians.
Impoverished nations that couldn't pay the exorbitant Heavenly Tribute were denied entry into the World Government. They weren't just raided by pirates; they were exploited by the Navy. The more they saw, the more the anger grew within Ain and Binz. Even a man as resolute as Zephyr felt a crushing sense of grief and indignation. He was powerless to stop it—especially when the World Government was often the hand behind the scenes.
..............
Sea Circle Calendar, 1514. Alabasta Kingdom.
"What has happened to this world??"
Zephyr stared at the stage in disbelief. The "Hero" Sir Crocodile was being cheered by the masses, standing alongside his secretary—the intellectual sole survivor of Ohara, the "Devil Child" Nico Robin.
The people believed the drought was the King's fault, never realizing the "Hero" they worshipped was the architect of their misery. Why would the World Government partner with such a vicious man? Why was there so much darkness hidden beneath the "Light"?
"It cannot be explained, and we are powerless to change it from within. That is why we must find our own answers, Teacher," Aokiji said, his expression complex.
"And going to the Thunder God Pirates will give us those answers?" Zephyr asked.
"Perhaps not. But Arthur is currently the source of the newest darkness on this sea!"
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