"That's certainly no problem. Even if you hadn't mentioned it, since we've met you, we would arrange for you to see each other. Robin, take her to the Dawn. I'll handle things here." Rosen said, looking at Robin.
Having Robin take her would be prudent. If there was any trap, Robin's strength would be enough to handle it. Otherwise, relying on Natalie to lead the way would be fine, but she couldn't manage unexpected situations.
After all, a former Marine Admiral was bound to have a few powerful subordinates following him.
"You should stay out of it. If they wanted to start a fight, there would have been plenty of opportunities. For a father and daughter reunion, they need some private space..." Rosen saw Zephyr wanting to follow. Rosen was worried they might pull a trick, but Zephyr was equally concerned.
Over the years, he had always treated Ain like his own daughter. But Rosen's words made him stop, as what Rosen said made sense.
"Let's go. We need to find a ship coater." Rosen patted Natalie's little head. She was cute, alright, but too much of a chatterbox. If he ever had a daughter, he definitely wouldn't let her talk this much. Yes, definitely... how annoying...
Regarding Zephyr, as long as there was no conflict, Rosen didn't plan on having any interaction with him. He was a pitiful Admiral. Judging by how much he hated pirates, if it weren't for the connection with Ain, he probably would have attacked Rosen already.
"Okay, okay." Natalie nodded repeatedly. She hadn't chimed in earlier when things seemed tense, but now it seemed there was no major problem.
Zephyr watched Rosen's retreating figure without a word. He truly had nothing to say to pirates.
And so, their encounter was brief, and they parted just as quickly.
"Crocodile, huh?" Zephyr murmured to himself, his thoughts unclear.
"An amusement park? You want to play? No, we're here for business... Alright, fine... Since you said you wouldn't bother me for three days, I guess I'll reluctantly agree..." Three days was quite a long time.
Rosen then took Natalie around the amusement park until she was satisfied. Afterwards, they found a former pirate shipwright in the lawless zone who agreed to coat Rosen's ship.
Others were too scared. Some, upon seeing Rosen in person, shut their doors tightly. Forget talking, they wouldn't even show their faces a second time. Ordinary pirates, even those with bounties over a hundred million, wouldn't necessarily scare them.
After all, the people of the Sabaody Archipelago had seen plenty of pirates. Normally, they probably wouldn't avoid them. But now, the Dawn Pirates were in the spotlight, at risk of attracting an Admiral's attack at any moment.
And some who looked like ordinary people were actually pirates in hiding. They didn't want to get caught up in any trouble.
Still, they eventually found one place. The owner couldn't close up in time. Rosen grabbed Natalie and threw her inside, preventing the door from closing. Then Natalie started talking non-stop, and that sealed the deal.
When Rosen returned to the Dawn with the coater, Ain had already left. Miggs looked a bit down. It seemed he had wanted to persuade her to stay, but Ain already had her own path to follow. It didn't work out, which was entirely expected.
"Don't be so glum. Their goal is the New World too. They'll probably make a move soon. You'd better think about how to handle it when the time comes. You wouldn't want to run into them one day and not even be able to beat your own daughter." Rosen said with a smile.
"Well... well... I've never been able to beat her." Miggs scratched his head sheepishly. Even when Ain was little, he never won an arm-wrestling match against her.
"Hahaha..." The crew members burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Alright, time to set sail! Fish-Man Island, the island of dreams, awaits us!"
…
"Is that enough?" Zephyr asked Ain calmly.
"It's enough. Although he is a Pirate, it wasn't forced. He chose it willingly. He has a stronger conviction than I do. I hope that one day in the future, we won't have to face each other."
"I can't promise that." Zephyr sighed.
"I know."
"Mm. Let's go too. The most vicious pirates are in the New World."
Marine Headquarters.
"Garp, this is serious. Zephyr has defected from the Marines, and he's taken many of our elite with him." Fleet Admiral Sengoku called Garp, his tone very grave.
Although Zephyr was old and no longer at his peak strength, he was still far from comparable to ordinary pirates.
"Did the World Government do something?" Garp paused, but didn't seem surprised. He asked Sengoku calmly over the Den Den Mushi.
"The World Government has recruited the mastermind behind the Neo Marine incident seven years ago as a Shichibukai." Sengoku said heavily.
"Is that so... I see..."
"What do you mean 'I see'? Think of something!" Sengoku's face was covered in black lines. Did you think I called you on the Den Den Mushi just to hear that?
"Think of what? I'm just a Vice Admiral. I can't very well manage the affairs of a former Admiral, can I? You're the Fleet Admiral." Garp immediately retorted loudly.
Sengoku: ...Damn it!
"From the intelligence I have, before he left, Zephyr seemed to have visited Divine Peak Island. We're still inventorying what was lost, but I have a bad feeling... I'm not sure what he's planning yet. If he just hates pirates, that wouldn't be so bad." Sengoku said, deeply worried.
Not long ago, when he received Garp's message about the Ancient Weapon, he almost had a heart attack. Fortunately, the World Government hadn't made a big fuss over it. Did they not believe it was the Ancient Weapon? Or did they not care?
It was impossible they didn't care. Given the World Government's modus operandi, they had likely already started taking action. They probably had spies already infiltrated.
"I'll keep an eye out for any relevant information." With that, Garp hung up the Den Den Mushi. Truly, before one wave subsides, another rises. This sea was filled with chaos everywhere.
Zephyr, what exactly are you trying to do? Have you come to hate the Marines so much that you can no longer stay?
The Five Elders' Residence.
"Given that Crocodile may possess the Ancient Weapon battleship, by order of the Five Elders, CP0 is to deploy all members. Request a portion of the Dyna Stones from Divine Peak Island. At the first opportunity, execute the mutual destruction plan. We cannot allow anyone to wield power similar to ours." The Five Elders summoned the two commanders, the head and deputy, of CP0.
"Yes." They both responded in unison.
But moments later, a transmission came from Divine Peak Island: "Report. All of the Dyna Stones are missing. Surveillance indicates it was taken by Instructor Zephyr several days ago!"
"What?!" The Five Elders were shocked. That item had been taken. This was a trump card capable of posing a lethal threat even to Admirals, and it had been taken by Zephyr, who had defected from the Marines.
Did he intend to use it to eliminate pirates? Or would he retaliate against the Marines?
"Tell Sengoku to mobilize all Marine forces, spare no expense, and retrieve the item." The Five Elders immediately issued the order.
"Yes."
"What an unsettled year."
"Indeed. Is the deterrent power of Marine Headquarters waning?"
"That's partly it. With Admiral Akainu also dead, it's normal that their strength is insufficient. If absolutely necessary, have some of those wielding the Dragon Blades take up positions at Marine Headquarters. We must ensure the world maintains its awe."
"Agreed."
"What about Ramirez?"
"Tell him to bring back Crocodile's head. If he doesn't, he shouldn't return to the Holy Land. His position will be filled by the new Dragon Blade guard instead."
"Agreed." After a brief discussion, the Five Elders made their decision. They were essentially abandoning Ramirez. Of course, they would let him use his remaining strength. But even if he returned, unless he had some achievement, reclaiming his previous position would likely be impossible.
"Wow, this is the bottom of the sea? It's so beautiful! So many big fish! They must taste delicious, and they look amazing too. It's incredible..." Natalie pressed against the bubble coating, mesmerized as the giant ship descended. She looked like she was trying to push her face right through the coating.
After the coating was applied, it wasn't too late. Rosen and the others didn't delay either. Staying here too long would eventually cause trouble. They immediately set sail for the New World.
(End of Chapter)