Chapter 271: The Candidate
Tsuru fell silent for a moment before saying, "I don't have any experience in this area either."
She looked at Axel, then continued, "And unlike an ordinary child, he cannot be treated like a blank canvas."
"A normal child comes into this world knowing nothing. Their life is gradually painted by their parents and surroundings."
"But Axel's current state is different. He is like an exquisite piece of art that has already been completed, except it is missing color."
"Ordinary people cannot add that color to him."
Zephyr understood what Tsuru meant.
Ordinary children, having just arrived in the world, knew nothing except their own physical needs.
Axel was different.
He understood things.
He possessed knowledge, judgment, and the ability to act.
What he lacked was emotional pursuit.
"Neither of us is suitable."
Zephyr frowned.
"Then who do you think would be?"
"To be honest, I don't know who to look for either."
Tsuru shook her head.
"But we have to try eventually."
Her gaze fell on Axel.
He was standing blankly beside the clothesline, looking upward as if thinking about something.
Those vivid red eyes were still different from ordinary people's eyes, but they no longer had their former agility and cunning.
Only emptiness remained.
In some ways, this was similar to the Marine justice Tsuru believed in.
Yet at this moment, even she could not say whether that was good or bad.
Zephyr thought for a moment.
"In the Marines, I know many people who have their own families, but not one of them can truly be called a competent parent."
His voice became heavier.
"In such a chaotic era, all they can do is protect this sea through their actions, and through that, protect their own homes."
It was tragic.
But it was also an undeniable fact.
Among Zephyr's generation, those who survived had either become high ranking Marine officers or had already become one of the countless souls lost at sea.
Many of them had families of their own.
But few could stay by their loved ones' sides.
"How about we wait for Garp to return...?" Zephyr suggested in a low voice.
"Do you want the Marines to have another reckless fool?" Tsuru asked calmly.
At her words, Zephyr shuddered violently.
Just remembering a few memories of being around Garp was enough.
"Forget it, then."
"It doesn't necessarily have to be someone with experience."
Tsuru continued, "After all, every parent starts without experience before becoming a parent."
"It is just that you and I are both unsuitable."
"Your previous failure to bring any change to Axel has already proven that you do not know how to handle this situation."
"As for me, I may not necessarily be able to suppress him."
Zephyr narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
"My ability can wash people's hearts, but it was just proven ineffective on him."
Tsuru's gaze instinctively moved toward Axel again.
"So if Axel's emotions go wrong, I am not completely confident I can suppress him."
It was hard to imagine that a child had already grown to this extent.
Before this, news had come of Axel clashing with the Seven Warlord Donquixote Doflamingo and Whitebeard's First Division Commander, Marco.
Tsuru's first reaction had been shock and disbelief.
Setting Marco aside, she had pursued Doflamingo for many years and knew very well how troublesome that man was.
Yet someone as troublesome as Doflamingo had failed to take down this child.
The child from back then had truly grown.
Zephyr also fell into deep thought.
After a while, he said, "Then what do you think of Sengoku?"
Sengoku's strength could definitely suppress Axel.
In terms of management and teaching, he was not bad either.
He could be considered an excellent candidate.
"Do you think Sengoku has the time?"
Tsuru directly rejected the idea.
"Even if he wanted to teach, his workload would not leave him any free time."
"And even if he wanted to make time, I would not allow it."
"The current Marines cannot do without him as Fleet Admiral."
Zephyr smiled apologetically.
His suggestion had indeed been a little unrealistic.
Knowing Axel's current strength, he also felt somewhat bitter.
Who else possessed enough strength to suppress Axel while also having enough free time to take him along?
Soon, an idea came to him.
"What do you think of Sakazuki and the others?"
Tsuru did not answer directly.
Instead, she asked, "Then among the three of them, who do you think is suitable?"
"Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan..."
Zephyr began considering them one by one.
The first one he thought of was Kuzan.
But the moment he imagined Axel picking up Kuzan's personality, doing everything half-heartedly and looking lazy all day, Zephyr immediately dismissed the idea.
Then he thought of Sakazuki.
That student seemed normal on the surface, but he possessed an extreme sense of justice and pursued Absolute Justice in everything he did.
Zephyr did not oppose that sense of justice.
But he did not want Axel to become like him.
Finally, he thought of Borsalino.
That was the student Zephyr got along with the least.
There were many reasons Zephyr disliked him, but the most prominent one was that, unlike Kuzan and Sakazuki, Zephyr could not feel Borsalino's sense of justice.
Although Kuzan was lazy, he had his own view of justice.
Sakazuki went without saying.
But when Borsalino carried out missions, he felt more like someone completing an assignment than someone acting for justice.
He had also treated Zephyr's teachings like background noise.
Because of his teaching style, Zephyr had only lectured him and never forced him to change.
Moreover, just imagining Axel making a face similar to Borsalino's gave Zephyr a chill.
The problem was that none of the three were truly suitable.
If he had to choose, he would rather pick Kuzan.
At least that guy was only a little lazy.
"None of the three are suitable," Zephyr said, shaking his head.
"No."
Tsuru said, "I think Kuzan is suitable."
"But Kuzan's personality..." Zephyr frowned.
"I think that personality is precisely what makes him suitable."
Tsuru's tone was calm.
"Right now, the most important thing is not to rush."
"Many people only look at the result of a matter and ignore the process. But for there to be a result, there must first be a process."
She paused slightly.
"Just like the current chaotic sea."
"Back then, the World Government and the Marines were too hasty. They publicly executed Roger, but they never expected that a single sentence from him would trigger the Great Pirate Era and raise the curtain on a new age."
"The same logic applies to Axel."
"Compared to Akainu's Absolute Justice and Kizaru's neutrality, I am more optimistic about Kuzan's laziness."
"Laziness?"
Zephyr looked at her strangely.
He did not understand why Tsuru would be optimistic about laziness.
What did that have to do with needing a process?
"Laziness is also a personality."
Tsuru continued, "It is an emotion, and it is the gentlest kind of emotion."
"Under laziness, a person simply does not want to do anything."
"That makes it the least harmful test."
"Because no one can be sure what the final result of this attempt will be."
"If it were Sakazuki, Axel might fall into an even more extreme state after learning his extreme ideology."
"This has already been proven by that undressing incident just now."
A solemn look flashed across Zephyr's face.
Tsuru was right.
Axel often fell into extreme states.
When they did not know how the cultivated personality would change, they should guide him in the least harmful direction possible.
Furthermore, Kuzan was not only Zephyr's student, but also Garp's former subordinate.
He should take care of Garp's grandson.
And even if Axel truly fell into an extreme state, Kuzan's freezing ability could lock him down without causing too much damage.
That was much better than Sakazuki's magma or Borsalino's light speed kick.
.....
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