Chapter 269: The Explanation for the Clothes
They arrived at Tsuru's office.
Tsuru sat in her chair with her back slightly hunched, her posture relaxed. Her hands were clasped together, elbows resting on the desk.
With her graying hair and weathered features, she looked no different from an ordinary old woman.
Yet the aura she gave off was entirely different.
It was the calm presence of someone who had spent her life seeing through schemes, people, and battlefields.
Zephyr hesitated for a moment before asking, "How did you know?"
"In this place, there is nothing I want to know that I cannot know."
Zephyr immediately understood what Tsuru meant.
In other words, there was nothing she did not know as long as she wanted to find out.
He could not help muttering, "What groundless confidence."
Tsuru glanced at the muttering Zephyr, then continued, "However, I remember reminding you about this matter before."
Her voice turned slightly helpless.
"For you to still let things develop to this point..."
Zephyr's expression became awkward and somber.
Tsuru had indeed reminded him before.
That was why he had specifically cautioned Axel when he returned last time.
But who could have known that the Vergo incident would cause things to spiral in that direction?
It had led to such a tragedy that once Axel learned about it, he became like this.
With the situation already out of control, Zephyr had no room to argue.
Seeing Zephyr like this, Tsuru also understood that he had never wanted things to turn out this way.
So she did not continue scolding him.
"You really should change your teaching method," Tsuru said.
"Hmm?"
Zephyr looked confused, not understanding why the topic had suddenly shifted to his teaching style.
"Is there something wrong with how I teach?"
"It's not that there is a problem exactly."
Tsuru looked at him calmly.
"But if you only give students advice without properly intervening, trouble will arise sooner or later."
Tsuru believed in the Marine principle of absolute obedience to orders, as well as victory through strategy and tactics.
She did not approve of Zephyr's teaching style.
Looking at the current Three Admirals, all of them were Zephyr's students.
Aokiji gave off a lethargic feeling no matter what he did, lacking initiative.
Akainu was inflexible. Once he decided on his form of justice, he would achieve it at any cost, causing no small amount of trouble.
As for Kizaru, aside from his face, he seemed the most normal among the three.
But in reality, he was a slick and evasive man.
All three were Zephyr's students.
And all three had issues.
That had caused Tsuru quite a bit of distress over the years.
It was precisely because of Zephyr's current method that so many students with eccentric temperaments had been produced.
On this issue, Zephyr still had his own views.
However, he did not dare argue with Tsuru, so he changed the subject.
"Let's not talk about that."
He coughed lightly.
"Let's talk about your ability. Since you know why I'm here, you must know what I want to ask."
Tsuru closed her eyes and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "I don't know whether my ability can be used as treatment."
"You don't know?"
Zephyr looked at her in disbelief.
"Isn't that your ability?"
Tsuru had not just obtained this Devil Fruit power.
She had possessed it for most of her life.
How could she still not know its effects by now?
Furthermore, if it truly had no effect, why would Doctor Kokoilo have mentioned it?
"I really don't know."
Tsuru's answer remained calm.
"I know what you want to say. What happened with Kokoilo was only a chance occurrence where I happened to help treat a patient."
"My ability can wash a person's heart, but it cannot completely erase things."
"I'm not sure how far it can go, let alone when the patient has something like split personality."
Her gaze moved to Axel.
"That is unprecedented."
"I cannot be certain, because I never speak without certainty."
Zephyr looked at Tsuru meaningfully.
"You're still the same..."
"You, on the other hand, have changed a lot."
Tsuru looked back at him.
"You weren't like this before. You were the kind of man who shouted all day about becoming a hero."
What was it that had changed Zephyr?
Strength?
Status?
Power?
Or perhaps family.
The man who had dreamed of becoming a hero had failed to protect his own family even after becoming an Admiral.
That had undoubtedly struck him hard.
And this time, pirates had struck him again.
His beloved students had died once more.
Tsuru could understand that feeling.
But in this world, maintaining peace required a price.
Nothing came for free.
Peace was built on blood and force.
Not the fantasies of idealists.
"In any case, let's try it first," Zephyr said.
"True."
Tsuru slowly stood.
"Any idea needs to be realized through practice. As for whether it works, we will only know after trying."
Tsuru walked over to Axel.
She looked him up and down, then said with emotion, "Although he has changed, I actually think this version is much better than his original state."
Axel blinked and asked flatly, "Can we start?"
"Of course," Tsuru replied.
"However, this place isn't suitable. We need to go to the deck."
Axel nodded indifferently.
He opened the office door and walked out slowly.
"He really has changed a lot."
Tsuru watched his back.
"If it were the old him, he would have disappeared long ago the moment he heard he was going to be washed and hung out to dry."
"Is that so?"
Zephyr's tone carried a hint of mischief.
"Sounds like he's been hung out to dry quite a few times."
"Aren't you the same?" Tsuru said calmly, sounding faintly protective.
Zephyr coughed a few times, said nothing more, and followed her out.
When they reached the deck, Zephyr saw a scene that left him dumbfounded.
"What are you doing?!"
Axel was taking off his clothes.
His shirt had already been removed, exposing his pale, slender upper body. Now the belt of his trousers had been unfastened, and he was about to pull them down.
Seeing them arrive, Axel looked up slightly and said calmly, "Undressing."
Wouldn't a normal person hurry to explain in this situation?
Besides, Zephyr was not blind.
He could see that.
"I mean, why are you undressing?"
"Someone asked, so I did."
There was no need to guess who it was.
Zephyr cast a stern, sharp glance toward a female Marine who had already scurried away.
"Even if someone asks next time, you can't do that."
"Why?"
Axel's expression did not change.
"Is it because being naked in front of others is impolite and damages one's dignity?"
He paused briefly.
"According to the data, that seems to be the case."
Zephyr replied awkwardly, "You could say that."
"However, I do not care whether others think it is polite or not, nor do I care about dignity, because I do not possess those emotions."
Axel stated it calmly.
"Clothes were created for warmth, but my body does not fear the cold."
"So clothes serve no real purpose."
"Since they are a burden, why can I not take them off when someone requests it?"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
There was actually an explanation like that?
Zephyr stared at Axel in shock.
This was not merely a lack of emotion.
It was complete innocence.
He began to doubt whether Tsuru's ability to wash the heart would actually work.
"Because I said no."
Tsuru walked out and spoke calmly.
.....
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