"Zephyr, what brings you to Marineford?"
The Fleet Admiral's office doors and windows were tightly shut. Sengoku sat in his chair, looking at his "star-crossed" old friend with a complicated expression.
Zephyr's relationship with the Marine was subtle.
He was once the youngest Admiral in history, with boundless potential... but his spirit sank after losing his wife and child!
Afterward, he focused deeply on education, helping the Marine cultivate true monsters.
The current Three Admirals, two Admiral candidates, and a large number of Vice Admirals were all his students, giving him frighteningly high prestige.
However, fate always plays tricks on people.
One external training mission cost countless lives, as well as Zephyr's arm.
Currently, Zephyr was estranged from the Marine and was not under its jurisdiction. It could be said... Zephyr should not be here.
Zephyr sat in the chair, pulled out a cigar, lit it in his mouth, and took a long, hard puff.
"That's not urgent. But what about the battle at Marineford?!"
Zephyr hadn't finished speaking when Garp's arm rested on his shoulder, grinning widely.
"My grandson... isn't he amazing?!"
Garp spread out his treasured wanted poster of nika Luffy right in front of him.
"So, he really is your grandson?!"
Zephyr's eyes were filled with nostalgia, and... a hint of sadness. He murmured,
"I remember holding him back then!... I didn't think he'd grow this big in the blink of an eye!!"
Zephyr's eyes, hidden beneath his sunglasses, were slightly moist.
Just like that, the two began a heated discussion about Luffy.
"I'm telling you, my grandson!!"
"Yes, it's been so long since I!!"
Sengoku, sitting opposite them, twitched his mouth. So... they were ignoring him, right?
"—Enough!!"
The Fleet Admiral was furious, his deep, thunderous voice shaking the entire office, causing dust to rain down from the walls.
Black and red lightning constantly flashed and vanished in the void, whipping up fierce winds that sent papers flying chaotically.
"Garp, how dare you talk about that bastard grandson of yours! If it weren't for him!!"
Sengoku was so angry he felt like he was having a heart attack.
"Zephyr, state your purpose!!"
Sengoku's tone was absolute.
"I came this time for... Smoker!!"
Zephyr took a deep breath, the light in his eyes growing brighter.
"Smoker? Isn't he your student? He graduated long ago."
Sengoku pondered for a moment and then remembered.
After all, he was one of the only four Logia users in the Marine. Headquarters had initially been full of hope that he could become a "pillar" of the Marine, like the Three Admirals!
But ultimately, his aptitude wasn't enough, and the matter was dropped, causing him to gradually fade from Sengoku's view.
"Smoker? I recall he resolved the issue with Whitebeard's Captain Squard, didn't he?"
Tsuru spoke up. As a strategist, she was clearer on many battle details than Sengoku.
"Is that so?!"
Zephyr was clearly somewhat excited.
"Hm? It's just Squard, isn't it? Why are you so excited?"
Sengoku rolled his eyes at him.
Squard was just a minor figure that over 60% of Vice Admirals could handle.
"What if I told you he hadn't even mastered Haki ten days ago?"
Zephyr stared intently at him.
"Haki?!"
Sengoku was stunned at first, then froze abruptly.
"Are you saying he mastered two types of Haki to the Vice Admiral level in just ten days?!"
Zephyr nodded affirmatively.
A light shone in Sengoku's eyes. The last time he was this surprised was when Luffy reached the level of an Admiral in two months.
[Late Bloomer]
These four words suddenly appeared in Sengoku's mind. He knew Zephyr was the same way.
In his early years, he seemed no different from an ordinary person, but later, he became incredibly fierce, as if he had taken drugs, leaping to become the youngest Admiral in Marine history.
He looked excitedly at Zephyr.
"Is it possible for Smoker to possess Admiral-level combat power?!"
However, Zephyr shook his head.
"I don't know either. That realm cannot be reached by talent alone. I... cannot guarantee it!"
Light flickered in Zephyr's sunglasses.
"Everything depends on his own destiny!!"
Sengoku was speechless. "So, why did you take an interest in him?"
After what happened, even an "Admiral candidate" would likely not elicit such a reaction from Zephyr.
"Because... of Justice!!"
Sakazuki's "Absolute Justice" had completely forged him into a powerful and ruthless war machine, like a hard, cold precipice, indelible and unchangeable.
Kuzan's "Lazy Justice," frankly speaking, meant he was still lost, unable to clearly see the road ahead... he was hesitant in his actions.
As for Borsalino's "Ambiguous Justice," there was no need to mention it; it was completely useless.
But in Smoker, he saw a new Justice—the Justice of Protection!
He wasn't lost like Kuzan, nor was he extreme like Sakazuki. He... didn't fear authority!!
Aside from being a bit weak in strength, he was completely Marshal material... though he was still a bit green!
Zephyr looked at Sengoku, his eyes full of seriousness.
"Hand Smoker over to me. Only through the tempering of blood and fire can he truly grow."
"Hahaha!"
Sengoku burst out laughing.
"Why be shy? Do you think I wouldn't trust you?"
As a friend of several decades, he understood Zephyr's character well.
"Tell me, is it possible for the Marine to... rule the world?!"
Immediately, the entire office fell silent... Several days later,
Akainu, who had been lying in the ward for a week, finally got out of bed.
Outside the ward were Kizaru and Aokiji, who had recovered ages ago. Their tall figures, hands in their pockets, were particularly striking.
"War truly is terrifying!!"
Aokiji looked at the remnants of the ruins that had yet to be cleared and the devastation everywhere, feeling a sudden wave of emotion.
"War is always accompanied by casualties. This is unavoidable."
The cold voice rang out. Akainu's steps did not slow down in the slightest because of the desolate and mournful scene of the ruins before him.
"Instead of wasting time here complaining and venting emotions, it would be better to plan carefully what to do next... There's quite a lot of trash on the sea right now!"
Aokiji's eyelashes lowered slightly, and faint ice crystals condensed. "You really are cold-blooded, Sakazuki!!"
"I wonder why Fleet Admiral Sengoku called for us? I just recovered!... This is labor exploitation, and people will despise it."
Kizaru said sarcastically. He hadn't had enough of his paid vacation yet!
"Admiral Akainu!"
"Admiral Aokiji!"
"Admiral Kizaru!"
Along the way, patrolling soldiers saluted the three with reverence... When the three entered the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku's gaze swept over them.
He then nodded faintly. "It seems you've recovered well!"
Sengoku pushed three large stacks of documents forward.
"Recently, the number of pirates in the Four Blues has increased significantly, and you need to suppress them. Garp has already gone to the East Blue, the Paradise section is left to me, and the New World has Zephyr, Gion, Kake... Choose the remaining three seas!"
The moment he finished speaking, Akainu stepped forward and picked up the intelligence for the North Blue.
Aokiji yawned and took the intelligence for the South Blue.
Kizaru helplessly stared at the lonely intelligence file for the West Blue on the table. "Uh, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, look...!"
"Grab it quickly, and then scram!!"
Sengoku roared. Would that bastard Borsalino die if he didn't speak sarcastically?!
"An angry Fleet Admiral Sengoku is truly terrifying!"
At the harbor, Kizaru shrugged helplessly and boarded the warship.
Half an hour later,
As Sengoku departed Marineford,
Marine Headquarters lost its pillar of support.