Chapter 272: Conversation
"It seems we'll need to pay Kuzan a visit," Zephyr said.
"Do you think he'll agree?" Tsuru asked. "Isn't he the one who hates troublesome matters the most?"
"On that point, I don't think he'll refuse."
Zephyr thought for a moment before continuing, "Although Kuzan dislikes trouble, he has always admired Garp. Since this concerns Garp's grandson, I doubt he'll turn it down."
He paused, then added, "Besides, a request from me, his teacher, should still carry some weight."
"Speaking of Kuzan, he went to carry out that mission."
Tsuru's gaze shifted toward the sea.
"Do you think he'll succeed?"
"No," Zephyr answered without hesitation.
"You think so too, then."
"There's no doubt about it."
Zephyr's voice was firm.
"If a powerhouse with that kind of ability were so easy to arrest, this sea wouldn't be in such turmoil."
Tsuru slowly walked toward the bow.
She rested both hands on the railing of the warship and stretched her aging body.
"In fact, I was the one who initiated that mission."
Zephyr looked at her.
"And the goal was merely to get an answer."
"An answer?"
Zephyr suddenly found it somewhat absurd.
Deploying one of Marineford's highest combat powers just for an answer?
"That's right. An answer."
Tsuru's tone was calm.
"Because the culprit was never caught, the Celestial Dragons have been making quite a fuss. Both the World Government and the Marines are having headaches over it."
"This operation was launched to appease them."
Tsuru spoke without reservation.
The term Celestial Dragons was indeed taboo among ordinary Marines.
However, for Marines of Tsuru's generation, it was not something worth being overly cautious about.
After all, Celestial Dragons were human too.
They were not gods standing above the world.
The only reason they appeared so grand to commoners was because of the power they held.
"You mean the Celestial Dragons?"
Zephyr frowned.
"Do they seem like people who care that much about their own peers?"
"Although there are connections between their families, there isn't much depth to their relationships. The only thing binding them together is their status."
Tsuru nodded.
She glanced at Zephyr, then continued, "The death of one of their peers isn't the reason they're making such a fuss."
"It's because someone broke the rule."
"The rule that Celestial Dragons are inviolable."
"Bringing the culprit to justice and reestablishing that rule is what they truly want."
"..."
Zephyr fell silent for a moment.
Then he said, "What a decadent rule."
His voice was low.
"Just like the gradually decaying Marines."
This time, Tsuru did not respond.
Whether she agreed or disagreed, no one knew.
After a while, Tsuru asked, "If one day the Marines truly become utterly decadent, what would you do?"
"I don't know."
Zephyr lowered his head.
"But my ideals won't change."
His voice became heavy and firm.
"I must put an end to this Great Pirate Era."
Whether for his ideals or for the family he had lost, that was what Zephyr thought.
Not wanting to continue such a sensitive topic, Zephyr changed the subject.
"Aokiji probably won't be back for a while. Until then, I'll continue looking after Axel."
He paused.
"I'll take this chance to teach him some things I haven't had time to teach yet."
"Knowledge?"
Tsuru looked at him.
"What kind of knowledge?"
Her tone was flat.
"Surely not the knowledge of stripping in public. That would be quite a remarkable skill."
Zephyr's face flushed with embarrassment.
He immediately looked around, afraid someone might overhear and cause some strange misunderstanding.
"Tsuru, don't talk nonsense and create unnecessary misunderstandings."
He lowered his voice.
"When did I ever teach Axel such things?"
"But if the word gets out, it won't matter whether I believe it or not."
Tsuru's voice remained calm.
"Others will."
"..."
Zephyr froze.
"What's your goal? Just say it."
He conceded.
This was exactly why he did not want to come here.
He was always being outmaneuvered by Tsuru.
"While Aokiji is away, Axel will stay with me."
"That... might not be a good idea."
Zephyr looked worried.
"Keeping a young boy among a group of women for too long, I'm afraid he'll lose his masculinity."
"Don't worry."
Tsuru's tone did not change.
"The female Marines here are far more masculine than most male Marines."
"Besides, what he needs right now isn't combat knowledge, but common sense."
Axel's earlier display of overly theoretical understanding of common sense had made Tsuru feel that some guidance was necessary.
Although that was true, Zephyr still felt something was wrong.
"Aren't you very busy?"
He tried to sound reasonable.
"I won't trouble you with this. I can teach him common sense myself."
"So, you're not planning to hand him over?"
Tsuru's tone was perfectly normal.
Yet Zephyr could not help breaking into a cold sweat.
"Then I can't guarantee what kind of rumors will spread next."
Tsuru continued softly, "Women love gossip, and my crew seems to enjoy talking about such topics."
"It is inevitable that they'll bring it back to Marineford."
This was no longer a hidden scheme.
It was an open threat.
Zephyr shuddered.
Without a doubt, if this news spread, true or false, everyone in Marineford would look at him strangely.
He would probably become truly famous.
For all the wrong reasons.
He conceded again.
"I'll hand him over, but I have one condition."
"What condition?"
"It must be on this island."
Zephyr looked at her seriously.
"When your fleet leaves, you must return him. How about it? Can you accept that?"
This was his counterattack against Tsuru.
Aside from Sengoku, Tsuru was one of the busiest people in Marineford.
She could not stay here for long.
Zephyr believed that in such a short time, she would not be able to influence Axel much.
"Fine. I agree," Tsuru replied.
Her answer filled Zephyr with joy.
Perhaps that joy came from the rare feeling of winning a round after being cornered by Tsuru so many times.
"However, I have some good news for you."
Tsuru continued calmly, "For certain reasons, I must stay here for an extended period to assist with paperwork."
Zephyr froze.
He suddenly realized that everything had already been calculated by Tsuru, even his condition.
Her threat had been meant to pressure him into proposing that exact condition.
After all, it was the only reasonable condition he could offer.
The path had been laid out from the beginning.
He had simply walked into it.
"I truly lose to you."
Zephyr sighed dejectedly.
"You're still calculating every move just like in the old days, Tsuru."
Then, he suddenly laughed.
His stern and serious face slowly broke into a smile.
It was an expression he had not shown in a long time.
"But now I'm more curious about how Garp will react when he returns."
"He's always been helpless against you, so things will get interesting."
Zephyr looked toward the distance.
"I just wonder when he'll be back."
"Who knows?"
Tsuru looked up at the sky.
.....
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