"Perhaps I should thank you for your trust, Mr. Sebastian. In a situation like this, you don't think I might have ties with the Marines?"
Suddenly running into the Marines during a meeting, and with neither side being particularly familiar with each other, yet Sebastian didn't suspect him at all. That was what surprised Dragon.
"Trust? Kid, I'm not trusting you. I'm trusting the Boss's judgment. Since the Boss thinks you're trustworthy, I won't doubt you either.
All these years, the Boss has never misjudged anyone.
Besides, so what if it's a Marine Admiral? They are indeed monsters within the Marine. I'm no match for them in a direct fight, but if I want to leave, they can't stop me.
Need me to help you escape?"
This wasn't some deserted island on land; it was the open sea. Even being close to an island wouldn't change much.
"No need. If you trust me, Mr. Sebastian, then wait nearby for a moment. If the one who came is Zephyr… I think I know how he found me."
Over the past two years, Dragon hadn't been idle. He now had crimes designated by the World Government attached to his name, like orchestrating a coup in a certain East Blue kingdom.
But something like that wasn't enough to warrant the deployment of a Marine Admiral.
Having once served in the Marines, Dragon understood their procedures well, and was even more familiar with their reconnaissance methods. He was quite adept at counter-surveillance.
So far, the Marines in East Blue had no way to deal with him; they simply couldn't track him down.
The situation of Dragon's subordinates was even worse than his own. If they betrayed him, Dragon might be fine, but they themselves would be more likely to be purged by the World Government.
Aside from his own people, only two individuals currently knew Dragon's location—one was Nereus, and the other was Garp.
Though father and son had serious ideological differences, they hadn't completely fallen out. They still maintained a certain level of contact.
It was the same in the original timeline; Dragon would even find the time to toss the child to Garp to be raised.
If Zephyr's target was really him, then Dragon believed this matter must be related to Garp.
When it came to understanding Garp, Dragon was confident.
Meanwhile, on the nearby warships.
The information reported by Dragon's subordinates wasn't entirely accurate. This wasn't just a single warship, but a fleet.
On the nearby ships were quite a few kings from East Blue kingdoms. After the Levely ended, these kings needed to return to their respective countries, and Zephyr had been assigned to escort them.
The main task was to ensure these ships passed safely through the Calm Belt. Without a strong escort in that sea region, it would come down to sheer luck.
If a pirate fleet entered, losing eighty or ninety percent of their ships didn't matter. But if eighty or ninety percent of the kings died on their way back, that would be a disaster.
Originally, Zephyr's mission would have been complete the moment they left the Calm Belt, but due to some personal matters, he continued escorting them for a while longer.
Naturally, the kings had no objections. With such a powerhouse accompanying them, their safety was better guaranteed.
After arriving near this area, Zephyr ordered the other Marines to continue the escort mission, while he temporarily separated from the warships.
"Dragon, you really are here."
"I'm guessing my father gave you my information."
"You do understand Garp well. I've got something I want to talk to you about. You should have a place suitable for conversation here, right? I don't have much time, so let's be quick."
In fact, Marine Admirals didn't have as much autonomy as Vice Admirals, because many missions strictly required an Admiral to carry them out. The three Marine Admirals were busy most of the time.
Especially now, with the number of pirates increasing and the Admiral positions not fully filled.
"This is an uninhabited island, so anywhere is fine. As long as you, Uncle Zephyr, can be sure there's no one eavesdropping nearby. The wind tells me… there isn't."
Dragon knew very well that in terms of strength, Zephyr was far superior to him. Dragon could rely on his Devil Fruit ability, using the power of the wind to sense his surroundings.
As for Zephyr, he could directly use Observation Haki to confirm such things. Each method had its own advantages, and using both together was always safer.
"Don't rely too much on your ability. It's useful, but you can't neglect training your Haki and body. I didn't come here for anything else, more than two years ago, during that operation in West Blue… what exactly did you see?"
"Uncle Zephyr… you came all the way here just for this?"
"That's right. I won't hide it from you. After I was promoted to Admiral, I investigated this matter. But even with the authority of a Marine Admiral, I couldn't find any records of that operation. It was completely sealed as top secret by Headquarters.
That Garp should know something, but he's always been vague. Although I've already reached a rough conclusion, unless I fully confirm it… my mind won't be at ease."
"…What I saw… was hell."
After a long silence, Dragon gave his answer.
Garp hadn't directly given Zephyr an answer, but when Zephyr asked for Dragon's location, he didn't hide it either.
Because Garp didn't know what Zephyr truly intended.
If Zephyr was merely curious, then knowing the truth would be meaningless, and might even put him in danger.
But if Zephyr genuinely wanted to uncover the truth and was willing to travel all the way to East Blue to investigate, then it meant he had already made his resolve.
In that state, letting him know wouldn't be a big deal.
"That b*stard… really was telling the truth…"
"Uncle Zephyr, are you willing to come and help me? What we need is a real army—one that truly fights for justice, for the people of the seas, not as accomplices to the Celestial Dragons.
Only by bringing those people down can the World Government become what it's supposed to be."
Dragon extended his invitation to Zephyr. He didn't have many people he could rely on, and Zephyr's ability to train recruits was widely recognized throughout the Marines.
Among the current high-ranking officers, he was the best at leading troops.
If Zephyr could help him, things would surely get on track much faster.
"No, Dragon. There are people in the Marines who truly fight for justice. Among the new recruits joining, there are also many who carry justice in their hearts. They need guidance, not to be completely assimilated by the World Government.
Besides, in the current situation, me joining you wouldn't be a good thing."
If Dragon acted alone here, the World Government wouldn't pay too much attention at first. They would only treat him as an ordinary pirate or bandit in the early stages.
But if a current Admiral like Zephyr were to defect…
There had been Admirals who died in battle, but none who had defected.
And with the Great Pirate Era not yet in full swing, the Marines weren't stretched thin. Dragon's group also couldn't be considered particularly powerful. If Zephyr really came here, it would only cause the World Government to focus its full force on crushing them.
"That's enough. I've already gotten what I came for. Perhaps in the future… someone I introduce will come to join you."
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