Chapter 196: The Reason
No matter where a person went, returning to a place they had once stayed always carried a trace of nostalgia.
Brand-new equipment still seemed to carry an old scent. The simple, undecorated rooms looked more like bunkers than living quarters. On the training grounds, Marine soldiers covered in bruises and scars pushed themselves through drills that paid no attention to ordinary physical limits.
Yet once someone grew used to this place, that kind of training began to feel natural.
No one gave up just because their body was exhausted. Here, more people chose to break through their limits because they knew it might one day save their lives.
However, there was one clear difference from before.
This place had become too comfortable.
Axel could see it from the Marines training in front of him.
Many of them had talent. Many of them were willing to work hard. But they lacked something, the sharp bloodthirst and murderous edge that came from true combat.
That was undoubtedly one of the clearest effects of the Seven Warlords system.
The seas were gradually stabilizing, and the Marines were slowly losing both their sharpness and their chances to be tempered. Otherwise, with Zephyr's teaching style, he would have already sent this group of Marines out for field experience instead of making them train rigidly inside the base.
This world was not a game.
A strong fighter could not be produced through training alone.
Training only laid the foundation. Without rich combat experience, it was difficult to truly grow.
Zephyr was clearly worried about this as well.
"So, you called me back because of this?"
Axel looked at Zephyr, waiting for an answer.
"Don't stare at me like that," Zephyr said. "First of all, I didn't call you back solely for this. Besides, isn't it a student's duty to share his teacher's worries?"
"I don't believe that kind of theory would ever come from your mouth."
If students were required to share their teacher's worries, then almost all of the Marines' new blood counted as Zephyr's students. Axel had never seen him go looking for anyone else.
"Speak," Axel said. "Why did you come up with that kind of excuse to call me back? Since you said it wasn't only for this reason, there must be something else."
"Talking to you really is tiring."
Zephyr shrugged lightly.
No one would feel good dealing with such a sharp brat.
"There are two main reasons I called you back. The first is your habit of slaughtering pirates."
Axel's expression did not change.
"I don't support it," Zephyr continued, "but I won't deny another person's justice. Still, you'd better adjust your mindset. Too much bloodlust will eventually make you lose yourself. And in the end, this is not good for peace on the seas."
Axel knew what Zephyr meant.
"You're talking about how the Marines mostly imprison the pirates they capture, right?"
In truth, most pirates captured by the Marines were not executed because of that exact concern.
Anyone who knew they would certainly die after being caught would fight desperately. It was the same principle as a cornered dog leaping over a wall. If all captured pirates were executed, future capture operations would become far more difficult.
Even worse, some criminals who might originally have surrendered could become pirates instead out of fear of death.
That was also one of the reasons Impel Down existed.
It gave criminals a sliver of hope.
Though they did not know that what awaited them inside was usually despair.
Axel's methods were the complete opposite of the established system and Marine capture regulations.
What he did looked more like massacre.
Pirates did not approve of it.
Many Marines did not approve of it either.
"..."
Zephyr fell silent for a moment.
Axel had already said everything he had wanted to say.
A smart student could sometimes be a form of torture for a teacher.
"The second reason," Zephyr said, "is that I want to ask you for a favor."
"A favor?"
The fact that Zephyr was being this polite immediately gave Axel a bad feeling.
"You should be able to see it yourself. The current students are too comfortable. Back when you were training, things were already comfortable enough, but now it's even worse. They basically only train inside the base. That kind of training can't temper them properly."
"You don't want me to help you find pirates, do you?"
Axel looked at him strangely.
"For something like that, shouldn't you go to the Marine Intelligence Department? Or the World Government? What use is there in looking for me?"
Axel was not simply trying to push responsibility away, nor was he joking.
He was telling the truth.
When it came to intelligence, the World Government, with the Cipher Pol agencies under its command, undoubtedly held the advantage. Even the Marines had branch bases across many islands constantly reporting local situations.
Under those circumstances, shouldn't Zephyr be asking those two sides for information?
How could Zephyr not understand that?
"I tried both," Zephyr said. "The World Government used to provide intelligence, but this time they rejected the request. Because the Seven Warlords system has just been established, the Marines are not allowed to go out and cause trouble. All for the sake of that bullshit balance."
His face darkened slightly.
"As for the Marine side, I originally wanted to get intelligence through Sengoku, but I didn't expect the same answer."
Before Zephyr could continue, Axel spoke first.
"That damned old bastard Sengoku. He's actually plotting against me."
Zephyr froze.
"How did you know?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Axel glanced at him from head to toe.
"You're huge and muscular. You don't look like the type who uses his brain to solve problems. Besides, Sengoku definitely knows I plotted against the World Government not long ago."
Zephyr's eyelid twitched.
Axel continued without mercy.
"On this matter, he absolutely supports you. But he can't openly oppose the World Government. So he thought of me and decided to squeeze out whatever value I still have left."
He folded his arms.
"If that's what this is about, I refuse."
Good grief.
The moment he returned, it was like a turn-based game. A difficult task was thrown at him immediately.
Last time, he had nearly pushed the World Government to its limit through a battle of schemes and nerve.
Doing it again now would be a direct provocation.
It was like playing a prank on someone and then saying sorry afterward. The other side knew perfectly well that it was intentional. The first time, they might suppress their anger. The second time, they would probably solve things with force.
"Sengoku said you're a crafty brat and would definitely have a way," Zephyr said. "Besides, look at the faces of those recruits. They're training hard because they long for real battle, because they want to protect justice."
No, all I see is agonizing pain on their faces.
Axel wanted to say that, but in the end, he changed his words.
"It's not that I don't want to help you. I can't. Last time, I already offended the World Government badly enough. I don't even know when they'll decide to make a move against me. If I do it again, I'm probably finished."
He raised a finger.
"Look, Sengoku is called the Strategist. You should ask him to think of a solution. Besides, simply providing pirate intelligence should be beneficial to the World Government, not harmful."
"If Sengoku were useful here, why would I need you, brat?" Zephyr said irritably. "How am I supposed to know what those people are thinking? Capturing pirates isn't like the illegal things you do, so why was it rejected? Don't you think that's strange?"
"Just say what you want to say. Don't drag me into it."
"If this doesn't work, I'll just find pirates myself," Zephyr said.
He would not abandon his plan to temper the Marines just because someone was obstructing him.
But those words reminded Axel of something.
Originally, Axel had wondered how Zephyr could have encountered Edward Weevil while leading recruits for training, given the comprehensive intelligence networks of the Marines and the World Government.
Now, it seemed highly likely that Zephyr had simply gone out on his own without receiving any so-called intelligence at all.
That was why the tragedy had happened.
.....
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