Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office
With the fleet dispatched to 'retrieve' Zephyr, Sengoku finally set aside his paperwork. The office was quiet, leaving him alone with the heavy silence of waiting.
Since the destruction of the first End Point, Marine Headquarters could no longer turn a blind eye to Zephyr's rampage. Yet, as a friend who had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him for decades, Sengoku clung to the faint hope that Garp and Borsalino could talk him down.
He knew, however, that the odds were impossibly slim.
He had worked alongside Zephyr long enough to know the man's soul. Unlike Garp, that old scoundrel who played loose with the rules, Zephyr was a Marine of rigid honesty. He never cut corners. He was a man of deep kindness, a trait immortalized by his title: the "Admiral Who Never Kills."
But it was precisely that kind of man who, once set on a path, could not be stopped by anyone.
Sengoku understood the grim reality. Even if the legends were true, that destroying the three End Points would flood the New World with magma, Zephyr wasn't a fool. He knew that he couldn't stand against the World Government, or even the fleet currently bearing down on him, with his strength alone.
He had likely gone into this prepared to die.
Sengoku sighed heavily, rising from his desk to stand by the window. He gazed out at the waves crashing relentlessly against the fortifications of Marineford.
After a long while, he exhaled, his breath hitching with melancholy. "Counting the time... if they intercepted him at the second End Point, Garp and Borsalino should be seeing Zephyr off by now."
The moment the words left his lips,
*Purupurupuru... Purupurupuru...*
The Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.
Sengoku snatched the receiver but didn't speak immediately. He took a steadying breath before answering in a low, guarded voice. "Hello?"
"It's me! Sengoku!"
"Garp." Hearing that familiar, carefree voice, Sengoku confirmed his guess. He paused, steeling himself. "Is it done?"
"All taken care of!"
"Zephyr... Did you bring him back?"
"Nope! Why, you need him for something?"
"I see... So that's how it is."
Hearing Garp's blunt answer, a surge of sorrow crested in Sengoku's chest. He removed his round glasses, squeezed his eyes shut, and wiped away the moisture gathering at the corners.
Grief, sharp and sudden, took hold of him. He muttered to himself, his voice trembling, "I knew it... I knew he would make that choice. Zephyr... you stubborn old fool."
He ignored Garp's question about needing Zephyr. That man had always been tactless. Even with their old friend gone, Garp remained heartlessly casual, though Sengoku knew better. Perhaps Garp was hurting too, masking his grief behind that facade of indifference.
Sengoku didn't press him. He slid his glasses back onto his face, blinking his red-rimmed eyes open. After a heavy silence, he spoke, his tone thick with defeat.
"Please... see Zephyr off for me."
"Huh? You want me to say goodbye for you? Can't you just tell him yourself?"
"..."
'Tell him myself? Is he telling me to commit suicide?'
Sengoku's face reddened . He knew Garp was dense, but this was a new low, even for him.
Before Sengoku could lash out, the Garp-faced Den Den Mushi (Garp-Mushi) pursed its lips impatiently. "Fine, fine, I'll pass on the message! Zephyr's right across from me, anyway. But listen here! When we get back, I'm doubling my rice crackers allowance!"
Sengoku stood there, dumbfounded, trying to process the demand for rice crackers. Meanwhile, the Den Den Mushi turned its head, looking away from Sengoku, and shouted joyfully toward someone in the background.
"Oi, Zephyr! Sengoku says hi! You hear that?"
Sengoku froze.
His mind filled with static. He stared blankly at the snail in his hand, which seemed to mimic Garp waving at someone in the distance.
"What is going on?" Sengoku stammered, the gears in his head grinding. "Wait. You said you didn't bring him back." His voice dropped, sudden realization warring with confusion. "Zephyr... isn't dead?"
"Dead?" The Garp-Mushi looked back at him, confused. "Why are you cursing Zephyr to death all of a sudden? Let me tell you right now, the rice crackers in your private cabinet are mine! Otherwise, I'm telling Zephyr you were trying to bury him!"
"Shut up!" Sengoku roared. "Look at the time! Look at the situation! Is this really the moment to talk about snacks?!"
Sengoku frowned his expression turning grave as a terrible possibility occurred to him. "Garp... did you let Zephyr escape?"
Had the second End Point been destroyed? If Zephyr was alive and not in custody, that was the only logical conclusion.
"Huh? Escaped? Nope!" Garp remained infuriatingly cheerful. "Didn't I just tell you? Zephyr is preparing to retire!"
'What? Retire?'
Sengoku gripped the receiver tight enough to crack the plastic. "When did you 'ever' say that?!"
"Oh, did I miss that part? Bwahahaha! You called so suddenly, I must have forgot!" Garp's laughter boomed through the speaker, utterly unbothered by the Fleet Admiral's rising blood pressure. "Well, it's the same difference. Zephyr says he's resigning. In fact, I've got his resignation letter right here. He told me to slap it on your desk when I get back!"
"..."
He's resigning? He wrote a letter?
Wasn't he trying to destroy the New World and eradicate piracy via volcanic apocalypse just an hour ago? What did he mean, resigning?
Sengoku's mouth twitched. He recalled his earlier tears, his moment of mourning. His face turned a shade darker. "Is Zephyr with you right now?"
"He's catching the sea breeze on the bow of the ship opposite us. Why?"
"He's... in the mood to enjoy the breeze?"
Sengoku was stunned into silence. Finally, he asked, his voice low and serious, "What exactly happened out there? Zephyr wouldn't just retire in the middle of this."
"I don't know the details! Maybe seeing his once-proud disciple come to pick him up changed his mind." Garp picked his nose absentmindedly. "Zephyr's already been whisked away by his student. Said he wants to leave this sad place, prep for retirement, and follow the kid back to the East Blue!"
"His student? East Blue?" Sengoku frowned, searching his memory. "Dante?"
"Bwahahaha! That's the one! The brat came all the way out here just to fetch him!"
"So... that's it?" Sengoku pressed, needing absolute clarity. "Garp, answer me seriously. Is Zephyr really retiring?"
At this, the normally playful expression on the Den Den Mushi vanished. Garp's voice dropped, losing its manic energy.
"Is the reason important right now, Sengoku?"
Sengoku fell silent. He understood.
'No matter the reason, Zephyr retiring... is the best possible outcome for us.'
"Fine," Sengoku sighed, the fight draining out of him. "Hand me his resignation letter when you return. And you better explain everything clearly then."
He didn't wait for Garp to start laughing again. He slammed the receiver down, cutting the connection. He stared at the sleeping snail and cursed under his breath.
"That bastard... He really knows how to give me a heart attack."
But relief was short-lived. Would the World Government allow a man who tried to destroy the New World to simply... quit?
Thinking of the political storm brewing, Sengoku's headache returned with a vengeance. He rubbed his temples, groaning.
*Purupurupuru... Purupurupuru...*
The phone rang again.
Sengoku snatched it up, his patience frayed. "What is it now?!"
A low, commanding voice echoed from the speaker.
"Come here. Immediately."
The Gorosei (Five Elders).
Sengoku froze. He looked at the Den Den Mushi, confirmed the signal origin, and snapped to attention. "Yes, sir."
*Clack.* The line went dead.
Sengoku stared at the hung-up receiver, rubbing his forehead with even more distress than before.
"As expected... Here it comes."
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