Marine Headquarters, Marineford
Fleet Admiral Kong the Steel sat buried behind his desk, drowning in a mountain of documents.
Each file concerned crucial decisions affecting the future of the Marines, and every one of them required his judgment. Fortunately, there was Sengoku—the successor he personally favored as the next Fleet Admiral. Sengoku had already grown into a formidable pillar of the Navy.
As for his other two disciples… better not to mention them.
Pururururu… Pururururu…
The Den Den Mushi suddenly rang.
Kong let out a long sigh before glancing at it with faint confusion. Who would be calling at a time like this?
He picked up the receiver.
The voice that came from the other side made his heart jolt.
"Kong. It's me."
It was Saint Warcury.
As the de facto leader among the Five Elders, Warcury was the one Kong dealt with most frequently. Kong knew his temperament well—and an uneasy premonition rose in his chest.
Warcury did not waste time. He began speaking at length, carefully wrapping their intentions in righteous justifications. But the more Kong listened, the colder his heart became.
How could they do this?
How dare they?
They intended to order Zephyr, who had long since stepped down to the second line of service, to capture his own most prized former student.
Did those five old men truly not understand that Zephyr had nearly been broken by Roldy's defection?
No—of course they understood.
Kong was no fool. After only a moment of thought, he understood the Five Elders' true purpose. But no matter how one looked at it, Zephyr had once been a Marine Admiral. His service record was illustrious. He had trained countless pillars of the Marine Headquarters. To treat such a man this way—weren't they afraid of chilling the hearts of the Marines?
Clearly, they were not.
They controlled the Navy's funding. They held its lifeline in their hands.
And with that power, what would they not dare to do?
Kong fell silent. He attempted to voice opposition, tried to persuade them to reconsider, but the Five Elders' stance was unwavering.
The Golden Lion Pirates had grown too bold. They must be punished. The authority of the World Government must be reasserted.
And this—this was also punishment for Zephyr.
The Den Den Mushi went dead.
Kong remained seated, staring blankly ahead, a bitter ache forming in his chest.
Countless Marines had shed blood to defend the World Government—
And in return, the Government painted a grim and terrifying future with that very blood.
He, the Fleet Admiral, was loyal beyond question—yet he could not even protect his own student.
He could only imagine what Zephyr would feel upon hearing this order.
And yet… there was nothing he could do.
Unseen, alongside loyalty and respect, a new emotion took root within Fleet Admiral Kong.
Resentment.
And it continued to grow.
Zephyr
A single dispatch snapped Zephyr out of his numb routine at home.
Looking at the Marine messenger standing before him, Zephyr felt only a bitter amusement.
It was the Fleet Admiral's order.
He could not refuse.
Nor could he blame his former teacher. He understood everything perfectly.
And it was precisely because he understood that the fire in his chest burned hotter and hotter.
Zephyr accepted the document in silence.
Once the soldier left, he clenched his fist and slammed it down onto the table before him.
Boom!
The desk shattered into splinters under the sheer force of the blow.
He sat on the sofa for a long time, head lowered in thought. Finally, he stood and walked to his room.
Opening his wardrobe, he revealed a cloak.
Though slightly worn, it was spotless.
The coat of a Marine Admiral.
It was his glory. The greatest affirmation of the justice he upheld in his heart.
He had once set the record for the fastest promotion to Admiral in Marine Headquarters history. His legend still inspired countless young Marines.
Zephyr gently ran his hand across the coat, as if greeting an old friend.
At last, his gaze hardened.
The coat settled onto his shoulders.
His aura changed instantly.
He was no longer the aging former Chief Instructor of Marine Headquarters.
He was the man whose Black Arm had once beaten pirates across the seas into silence.
Admiral Zephyr.
He changed into a suit, draped the coat over his shoulders, and stood before the mirror, adjusting himself until he was immaculate.
The face staring back at him was aged. His beard had grown wild with neglect.
He washed his face thoroughly and shaved clean.
In that moment, he seemed ten years younger.
No matter what, when he met his most proud student again, he would stand tall and dignified.
He could be worn down.
But he would not allow his finest student to see him broken.
"Roldy…"
He muttered quietly.
"Let your teacher see how much you've grown."
Suddenly, he felt a faint tug at his chest.
Looking down, he saw his wife carefully straightening his tie.
No words were needed between them.
The gentle woman understood her husband's character completely. She said nothing—only offered her trust, as she had countless times before.
When Zephyr left, he carried an enormous bundle on his back.
At the docks, three hundred elite Marines from Headquarters stood ready in full formation.
The moment they saw the figure wearing an Admiral's coat, their eyes shone with emotion.
"Set sail!"
Zephyr's voice rang out—firm and resolute.
The soldiers boarded in orderly fashion, taking their assigned positions.
Unseen by anyone, one Marine lowered the brim of his cap and quietly slipped aboard.
He was the three hundred and first soldier.
Kingdom of Karl
Under the overwhelming military pressure of Shiki the Golden Lion and Roldy, the corrupt nobles of the kingdom had been purged in a bloodbath.
The commoners had initially fallen into despair.
Yet soon, they discovered that life was… not so different.
In fact, it seemed slightly easier.
The taxes were still heavy—but at least there was now a glimmer of hope.
Pirates were cruel and domineering. But they needed weapons. They needed entertainment.
In this twisted balance, the lives of the common people had actually improved.
They received tools from Shiki. They earned wages—negligible in his eyes, yet meaningful to them. And they worked diligently.
The Kingdom of Karl was being rapidly fortified.
In Shiki's blueprint, it would become a war fortress.
The daily affairs of the Golden Lion Pirates were managed by one of Shiki's trusted confidants. Roldy could not quite recall the man's name—he only remembered that the man served as the crew's strategist.
During this time, Roldy remained constantly by Shiki's side, obsessively studying his Dual Sword Style.
His progress was visible to the naked eye.
But today—
News delivered by a pirate shattered the fragile calm.
Marine warships were sailing toward the Kingdom of Karl.
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