Everyone nodded in agreement and quickly returned to work, steering the Sylvan toward the entrance of Reverse Mountain at full speed.
Meanwhile, on the other side—Arton was already soaring upward, feet pressing against spirit-pressure platforms as he ascended at an angle. Guided by Tashigi, it didn't take him long to catch sight of the Marine warship below.
With Tier's exceptional eyesight, he didn't even need a telescope to clearly see the sailors working on deck from such a high altitude. His gaze quickly locked onto two figures.
One was a towering man with purple hair and a massive mechanical arm.
The other was a woman with long dark-blue hair, dressed in a tight formal jacket and ultra-shorts, a prominent cross-shaped scar etched across her thigh. At this moment, she was standing about ten meters behind the purple-haired man, eyes fixed on his broad back.
As for the other Marines bustling around them, Arton dismissed them from his mind entirely.
"A giant mechanical arm, purple hair, a body built like a fortress, and a life force burning strong… this man must be Zephyr. And that scarred woman—she has to be Ain."
Even if the gap between anime and reality left some differences, both of them carried unmistakable traits. Arton's sharp eyes had no trouble confirming their identities.
"Arton, they don't seem to have noticed us yet. Should we strike first?" Tashigi's voice echoed in his mind.
"Oh? Tashigi, you want me to launch a sneak attack? Weren't you the one worrying about me fighting Zephyr a moment ago?" Arton chuckled. "By the way, the position you've chosen right now… I can't help but feel like having a very thorough conversation with you."
When Arton turned his focus inward, he found Tashigi lounging in the fusion space—hands pillowed behind her head, legs crossed, reclining in the glowing bubble as if it were a sunbed.
From this angle, Arton had a crystal-clear view of her chest… and the delicate weak spots further below.
Tashigi twitched at the corners of her mouth, refusing to admit the truth: she'd posed this way deliberately, hoping to keep Arton's eyes (and his camera) on her instead of the Marines below. If he stopped to take pictures of Zephyr's forces, they might lose the chance for an early advantage, whether that meant escape or battle.
As for suggesting an ambush—she hadn't really meant it. In truth, she didn't want Arton to fight Zephyr at all. She just hoped that if things did come to a clash, they would at least hold the upper hand, reducing the chance of Arton being forced into a deadly exchange.
To her relief, Arton only admired her body with his eyes. He didn't raise his camera. If he had snapped a photo of her like this, Tashigi thought she might just want to die on the spot.
For now, she was grateful that all of his attention remained locked on Zephyr and Ain below.
"No need to rush into a sneak attack. Let's wait and see." Arton answered her calmly and expanded his senses further, sweeping across the entire Marine warship.
Life auras flared into his awareness like sparks in the night.
"As expected, the strongest life force here belongs to Zephyr. Meaning, aside from him, there are no other major threats on this ship."
"With only him to deal with… things will be far simpler."
No trace of Gion. No trace of Garp. That alone allowed Arton to breathe easier.
Even so, he didn't move just yet. Before making a move, he needed to be certain—was Zephyr really here to intercept him?
As he weighed his next step, Arton flipped open his Diary System, uploading the latest entry for every diary holder across the seas to read.
Tashigi couldn't help regretting her earlier behavior.
After all, her little stunt hadn't managed to stop Arton from updating his Diary.
In the end, it only meant she had given him a chance to take advantage of her for nothing.
Not that she minded Arton taking advantage of her—but posing in such a humiliating way… that part, she did regret.
[Photo: Encounter with Zephyr.]
[Photo: Encounter with Ain.]
[Former Navy Admiral, current Chief Instructor of the Marines, and commander of the Marine Guerrilla Unit: Zephyr.]
[I didn't expect to run into Zephyr here of all places.]
[This man must be here to intercept me.]
[Makes sense. I burned a World Noble alive in Loguetown. Of course he'd come.]
[Sengoku must have ordered him.]
[Who would've thought the mess I stirred up in Loguetown would lead me to Zephyr in the East Blue?]
[And on top of that… what a coincidence to meet the lovely Miss Ain.]
[She's still a little green, but already plenty adorable.]
Black Maria: "A photo of former Admiral Zephyr? So Arton really did encounter the Navy…"
Ulti: "It's just one former Admiral. That won't be enough to stop Arton."
Smoothie: "But Arton does seem to hold some respect for this man… would he really choose to fight him?"
Nico Robin: "And Ain—the girl must also hold a copy of the Diary. If Arton is updating his records now, she should be seeing this as well."
Gion: "Damn it! Arton noticed them already? If he strikes first… Garp, how much longer until you arrive?!"
Ain: "This view…? Arton is above us?!"
On the warship, Ain's eyes widened. She tilted her head upward, feigning nonchalance as she scanned the skies.
But of course—she couldn't see Arton at all.
He was cloaked within the clouds.
The photos weren't from his own line of sight, but from vantage points selected through the Diary System.
Without Observation Haki, there was no way Ain could pinpoint him.
Still, she searched the skies nervously, afraid of drawing suspicion, afraid Arton might interpret her gaze as proof she'd detected him.
She worried for nothing.
Arton did notice her looking up but he dismissed it, assuming she was simply staring at the clouds.
Only Tashigi, within him, instantly recognized that Ain was trying to locate them, and her heart tightened with unease.
Ain found nothing. She even considered pulling out a spyglass—when suddenly, fresh words etched themselves across her Diary.
Her breath caught. Her eyes flew wide.
"T-This… this is Zephyr-sensei's tombstone?!"
"No… no, that's impossible! Impossible!"
Terror froze her features as she stared at the Diary's animated image.
There—she saw herself and her comrade Binz.
A little farther in the distance stood Admiral Aokiji, in civilian clothes.
But what stole her soul was the gravestone.
Carved into the stone, undeniable, was her teacher's name: Zephyr.
[Image: Zephyr's Tombstone.]
[Seeing Zephyr again reminds me of the anime…]
[Who would've thought, the man who trained three Admirals—would meet such an end.]
[Not only failing to die with honor, but slain at the hands of one of his own students.]
Hina: "…Zephyr-sensei's… tombstone?!"
Doll: "So Arton, upon seeing Ain and Zephyr, remembered the anime he once watched… and exposed it here."
...
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