The guard captain pointed at Zephyr, his voice shaking.
"You... you're Admiral Zephyr?"
The surrounding guards froze.
"What?"
"The Marine Instructor?"
"The legend from Garp's era?"
Shock spread through the group.
The guard captain steadied himself and spoke respectfully.
"What brings the former Admiral to Peach Garden?"
His tone remained polite, but his vigilance did not fade.
He knew Zephyr had left the Marines and formed the NEO Navy, a force that hunted pirates across the New World.
A man like that appearing in Peach Garden was no small matter.
Hidden within his sleeve, his fingers activated a communicator crafted by Peach Garden's research division, silently sending word ahead.
Even retired, this was still Zephyr.
A monster from an old generation.
No one would dare be careless.
As defenders of Peach Garden, their duty was simple.
Anything dangerous stopped here.
Zephyr looked surprised for a second, then laughed.
"I didn't expect anyone still recognized an old man like me."
His gaze swept over the guards.
He noticed the captain's covert action, but ignored it.
The captain's communicator vibrated.
A reply had arrived.
His expression changed instantly.
He stepped aside and gestured forward.
"Mr. Zephyr, please proceed."
Zephyr raised a brow.
Then he chuckled.
"Well, thank you."
He stepped ashore and walked forward without hesitation.
The guards stared at his retreating figure.
Some still looked stunned.
He walked into Peach Garden as if he were entering his own backyard.
No fear.
No caution.
That presence alone showed why he once stood at the top of the seas.
The captain exhaled.
"Back to your posts."
The guards obeyed.
Meanwhile, Zephyr continued deeper into Peach Garden.
Then he stopped.
His eyes widened.
Even someone who had seen the world for decades could not remain unmoved.
Before him stretched countless islands scattered across the sea.
Every island possessed a completely different environment.
One flourished in endless green forests.
Another was buried in golden desert.
Another was jagged rock and cliffs.
Another was covered in eternal snow.
Different climates existed side by side.
It looked impossible.
Yet it existed.
Bridges stretched through the sky, connecting island to island.
Not crude metal structures.
Each bridge reflected the lands it connected.
The side touching a spring island carried flowing floral patterns.
The side touching a winter island was sculpted like frost and ice.
Everything blended naturally.
Adapted to each place.
Ships crossed the waters below.
Trade.
Travel.
Life.
Zephyr stared for a long moment.
So this was Peach Garden.
No newspaper had done it justice.
Rumors had failed to capture even a fraction of this.
He had heard Peach Garden was the greatest rising power in the world.
Now he understood why.
This wasn't simply territory.
This was a civilization.
After recovering, he moved on.
Years of battle made him instinctively assess everyone around him.
And what he sensed left him stunned again.
The guards outside had already surprised him.
Every one of them possessed both Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
He thought those were elite defenders.
Special exceptions.
He was wrong.
Because inside Peach Garden...
People with Haki were everywhere.
Everywhere.
Merchants.
Workers.
Citizens.
Warriors.
It was as if the entire nation had been forged into soldiers.
Zephyr clicked his tongue.
Terrifying.
Was this all prepared for war against the World Government?
If every island under Peach Garden was like this...
Then even the World Government might not be able to suppress them.
For the first time, Zephyr genuinely believed Peach Garden might win.
He muttered under his breath,
"What kind of man is Rolan?"
He had never seen a country like this.
What Zephyr did not know was that this had never been built solely for war.
From the founding of Peach Garden, Rolan had made Haki, physical training, and the Six Powers part of every citizen's education.
Not for military stockpiling.
To strengthen everyone.
To raise the entire nation.
And he had succeeded.
Zephyr continued walking.
What he saw along the way only deepened the shock.
Every island felt like a different world.
Every race of the seas existed here.
Fish-Men.
Giants.
Longarms.
Longlegs.
Minks.
Humans.
Countless others.
And somehow...
Harmony.
Real harmony.
Not forced.
Not artificial.
Some islands welcomed outsiders warmly.
Others kept to themselves.
Some lived like ancient tribes.
Some embraced advanced technology.
Each was different.
Yet all belonged.
Zephyr suddenly thought of Totto Land and gave a faint snort.
People called Big Mom's nation a land of all races.
Compared to Peach Garden...
That was a joke.
This was the true nation of every race.
And unlike Big Mom's twisted order...
People here were happy.
Actually happy.
Children ran through streets laughing.
Markets were lively.
People moved without fear.
No tension.
No despair.
Nothing about this place looked like a nation preparing for a war that could shake the world.
It looked peaceful.
Alive.
As Zephyr crossed the streets and bridges, feeling the life of Peach Garden, a strange thought surfaced.
He remembered Whitebeard stepping down and passing command to Ace.
At the time, he found it unbelievable.
Now...
He understood.
A bitter smile appeared.
Retiring here would not be bad.
Maybe...
It would be ideal.
Then his gaze sharpened again.
Because his purpose today was not retirement.
It was meeting the man who built all this.
Rolan.
And at that same moment, inside a vast chamber deep within Peach Garden...
Someone had already received news of Zephyr's arrival.
===
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