Marine G-5 Base.
On the port.
"I don't know how the world government found out about this. Obviously, I ordered everyone not to reveal the purpose of Weevil and his mother being here to the government."
Rear Admiral, the base commander, stood on the shore, gritting his teeth.
"It must be some bastard in the base who leaked the secret just to please those above!"
"There are only two members left in the Seven Warlords now, and this organization that the government worked so hard to build is almost destroyed."
"It's not easy to find the right person out at sea even now, so after learning about this, the government will definitely not let Weevil slip away!"
Edward Weevil.
This man claimed to be Whitebeard's son. Though not very famous, his strength was undeniable.
"Don't make a fuss!"
The Marine hero shouted quietly.
He turned to look at his old friend sitting on the shore, staring out at the sea.
Garp took a deep breath, pulled out a phone bug, and dialed a number. After a moment, the other side connected.
"Garp? Your call came just in time!"
A cold voice came from the other end of the line.
"Help us tell Zephyr not to cause trouble."
"An important plan like the Seven Warlords must not fall apart like this. Weevil should be made an example."
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
The already hot-tempered Marine hero instantly exploded.
"What about those young people who were killed by that bastard mother and son? Did they die for nothing?"
"They are the future of the Navy!"
"They attacked first, Garp."
The voice of the Five Elders was indifferent.
"According to our information, Weevil and his mother deliberately came to accept the invitation to join the Seven Warlords. If they weren't attacked, how could they have done that?"
"Isn't it natural for the Navy to fight pirates?"
Garp nearly gritted his teeth.
Since when did the Navy's attack on pirates become something to be scolded for?
"In short, this matter is settled. If Zephyr still wants to bring students, just choose another batch for him. Whatever he wants."
The Five Elders spoke coldly.
"This time, since the mission failed, we'll let your responsibility slide—for now."
"But that base commander from G-5 dared to hide the truth from us. Have him prepare for a military tribunal."
Beside them, the G-5 base commander, a Rear Admiral, turned deathly pale. His fists clenched tightly as cold sweat formed on his brow.
The call ended.
"Damn it!!" Garp roared, his fist slamming into the thick pillar beside him.
With a loud crack, the reinforced concrete shattered, fragments flying in all directions.
Aokiji stood silently to the side, eyes lowered.
Once, during the tragedy of Ohara, it had been innocent civilians who were abandoned.
Now, it was their own men—the Navy itself—being discarded like pawns.
"Zephyr…"
Garp turned to look at the man who had yet to speak a single word since the meeting ended.
He saw nothing but silence in Zephyr's eyes. No anger. No sorrow. Just… emptiness.
But even so, Garp knew what he was feeling. He could sense the roaring storm buried deep within Zephyr's heart.
How could he comfort him?
How could he expect a man like Zephyr—who had always held justice so tightly—to simply let go?
This was the same Zephyr who, when pirates murdered his family, chose to step away from the battlefield.
Instead of chasing vengeance, he trained countless Navy cadets, shaping the future with his own hands.
But this time…
This betrayal cut even deeper.
Suddenly, a harsh, broken laugh echoed through the room.
"Hahahahaha…"
Zephyr staggered to his feet, his hand reaching up to slowly remove the gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.
"Zephyr-sensei!" the base commander cried, rushing forward in alarm.
But Zephyr waved him off.
Without another word, the man walked away on unsteady feet—alone.
"Zephyr-sensei…"
The base commander stood frozen, staring blankly at his back.
The back of the man he admired, the man he revered, the man he had always looked up to—Zephyr-sensei—looked so desolate.
"...Mr. Garp?"
Aokiji's voice was low and heavy. He didn't lift his head, only stared quietly at the ants crawling on the ground.
"Do something. Hurry up and do something."
If nothing was done now, everything would soon spiral beyond redemption.
"..."
The Marine Hero said nothing. He merely gazed quietly out toward the sea.
"What can we still do at this point?"
Zephyr walked into the base building with faltering, aimless steps, as if in a daze.
Coming from the other direction were Weevil and his mother.
Weevil instinctively shrank back when he saw him, still somewhat afraid, and moved to the side.
But the old woman sitting on his shoulder, Miss Buckin, was far more arrogant. She looked at the dazed and broken Zephyr and couldn't help but sneer.
"A former Marine Admiral, and in the end, still couldn't defy the will of the World Government!"
"Hahahaha! From now on, we're on the same side! Do take good care of us!"
Zephyr's body stiffened slightly, but he quickly resumed walking as if he hadn't heard a thing, stumbling forward.
For some reason, Miss Buckin suddenly felt a wave of panic rise in her chest. She quickly slapped her idiot son on the head and urged him.
"Weevil! Let's get out of here now!"
They had already received the government's promise of becoming the new Warlord of the Sea. There was no reason to stay here any longer.
She had this gnawing feeling that the man was about to snap.
Watching Zephyr's retreating figure, that was the only thought in Miss Buckin's mind.
Zephyr arrived at Gion's hospital room.
Since they had returned to the base, Vice Admiral Gion had, of course, been transferred from the ship's infirmary to one of the base's luxurious rooms.
"Gion..."
Closing the door behind him, Zephyr slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall. His head rested back, eyes empty as he stared at the window on the opposite side.
"You once asked me whether the justice of the Marines is truly justice."
"Back then, I didn't know how to answer."
Gion had been so lost then.
Captured by that bastard Ian, used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the World Government—she had learned of many of the government's dark secrets.
She had secretly sought answers from many veteran officers.
But she never received any meaningful response.
"But now, Gion... I think I might finally have the answer."
The Marine Instructor clenched his fists slowly.
His right arm, made of seastone and bent from Ian's attack, creaked under the pressure of his grip.
"Justice doesn't lie with the Marines, and even less with the World Government!"
"The Navy that should be protecting the people... the government that's supposed to represent the will of the world... yet they constantly compromise with pirates!"
He clenched his teeth in frustration. "How are we supposed to end this Great Pirate Era while working alongside such vermin? How can we possibly defeat monsters like Ian?"
"The pirate world is undergoing tremendous change, yet the World Government and Marines are still stuck in the same mindset as eight hundred years ago!"
"The army of justice has completely rotted away. It's nothing more than a tool for the World Government to rule the world now!"
Never before had Zephyr seen things so clearly.
To the World Government, there's no real difference between a Marine and a pirate.
As long as someone serves their purpose—helps them maintain control over the world—then it doesn't matter who they are.
Justice or evil... it means nothing. What the World Government wants is control. Nothing else.
So how can such a government ever hope to defeat someone like Ian?
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24