"But Zephyr!" Sengoku rubbed his temples. "Going directly to the Fleet Admiral to ask for someone like this won't be easy! After all, that kid was born in… the West Blue."
The West Blue—a region infamous for corruption and rot.
"Hey! Sengoku, what's wrong with being born in the West Blue?!" Garp barked loudly, slamming a hand down.
"Zephyr! Don't be afraid! Look at my son, Dragon—didn't I raise him myself? The Fleet Admiral's not that unreasonable!"
"That's because you threatened to stop chasing Roger if he didn't agree!" Sengoku snapped back. "Zephyr isn't a lunatic like you, damn it!"
"Next year, we're probably all getting promoted to Admiral anyway," Sengoku continued. "We can just wait—"
Before he could finish, Garp suddenly slammed the table and stood up, crumbs flying from his mouth.
"Oi, oi! What do you mean 'we'? I never said I wanted to be an Admiral!"
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead as he wiped rice cracker crumbs off his face.
"You bastard! The decision's already been made—do you think you can just run away from it?!"
"Hahaha! Who wants a job that ties you down like that?" Garp laughed loudly, hands on his hips."I just want to chase Roger freely! Becoming an Admiral means taking orders from those Celestial Dragons—what a pain!"
"Garp!" Sengoku snapped. "This is the Navy, not a playground!"
"Hahaha! Rules?" Garp picked his nose casually. "I don't care about that stuff. Admiral or not, I just want to hunt Roger!"
"You idiot…!" Sengoku fumed. "The Navy needs discipline and responsibility—not your lazy nonsense!"
Garp grinned, flashing his trademark teeth. "Perfect then! You be the Admiral—I'll stay a Vice Admiral. Everyone's happy!"
Zephyr watched their argument and shook his head helplessly.
Rising to his feet, he straightened his Justice coat and said calmly,"You two can keep arguing. I'm going to see the Fleet Admiral."
Sengoku turned toward him, frowning."Zephyr… you're really going to ask Kong directly? That won't be easy."
"I know," Zephyr replied evenly. "But Gern is worth it."
Sengoku adjusted his glasses, his expression serious."That kid's performance in the West Blue was impressive, but his actions… especially removing the Marine flag—"
Garp interrupted, "What's wrong with that? The kid was right! What kind of justice arrives too late?"
Sengoku shot him a glare."The Marines are a disciplined force! Lowering the flag without orders is a challenge to authority! Fleet Admiral Kong values order above all else!"
Zephyr said nothing more. He simply turned and walked toward the door.
"Rules are dead," he said quietly. "People are alive."
Marine Headquarters — Fleet Admiral's Office
Steelbone Kong, now in his fifties, sat behind his desk reviewing documents. His spiked hair was streaked with gray. Without looking up, he said, "Come in."
Zephyr entered and snapped to attention. "Fleet Admiral."
Kong raised his head, sharp eyes locking onto him."Zephyr? What is it?"
"I wish to request that Gern Reginald Sigmar of the West Blue be transferred to Marine Headquarters—under my command."
Kong frowned immediately, setting his papers aside."Gern? The one they call 'Heaven-Shaker'?"
"His abilities are certainly rare," Kong continued coldly, "but his behavior…"
He folded his hands on the desk, staring at Zephyr through the drifting cigar smoke.
"Zephyr, you understand that the Naval Academy exists for a reason. That boy came from the West Blue—corruption runs deep there. His ideology must be corrected."
Zephyr remained composed."Fleet Admiral, his actions at Ashen Harbor prove the strength of his justice."
"Justice?" Kong snorted, slamming a report onto the desk."He ordered the Marine flag taken down! That's an insult to the dignity of the Navy!If every soldier acted like him, what would become of our discipline?!"
Zephyr glanced at the report calmly."He believed that if the Navy failed to protect the civilians, then flying that flag would be nothing but hypocrisy."
"Hypocrisy?" Kong's voice hardened."Zephyr, you of all people should understand what the flag represents! It symbolizes responsibility and honor!"
"He wasn't rejecting the Navy," Zephyr replied firmly."He was questioning what we've become."
"Even so, his behavior was extreme. A soldier who cannot follow orders—how can he lead others?"
"I believe he can," Zephyr said without hesitation.
"That's absurd!" Kong slammed the desk."The Navy upholds the balance of the world, not personal heroism! If he can't obey, how will he command?!"
Zephyr paused, then asked quietly,"Fleet Admiral… when you promoted Garp, did you care whether he followed orders?"
Kong froze.
Zephyr met his gaze without flinching.
"For the first time in years," Kong thought, "he's arguing back… for a rookie, no less."
After a moment, Kong sighed."Garp is different. He came from the Academy—pure roots. But Gern…"
"Gern," Zephyr interrupted firmly,"climbed up from the very bottom. No background. No talent. No luck.Until one year ago, when fate gave him a Devil Fruit."
"That kind of man understands the weight of justice better than anyone."
Silence filled the room.
Kong stared at him as smoke drifted between them."You rarely push this hard for anyone."
Zephyr's fists clenched slightly."You know me, Fleet Admiral. I'm no prodigy like Garp, no brilliant tactician like Sengoku."
He raised his calloused hand.
"At fourteen, I scraped together travel money from my entire village just to reach Marineford.At eighteen, I couldn't even see my rifle sights properly.At twenty-eight, I finally mastered the Six Powers—and by then my peers were already officers."
His knuckles creaked as he clenched them.
"At thirty-four, when they called me 'Black Arm,' Garp had already crushed eight pirate crews in the New World alone.Now he's chasing Roger himself."
His voice grew heavier.
"My peak is almost over.But Gern… he's just beginning."
"There's something growing inside him—something called justice."
"He shouldn't be forced to rot like I did."
The room fell silent.
Kong studied him carefully before finally speaking in a calmer tone.
"I understand, Zephyr. But remember—the Navy needs discipline as much as strength."
Zephyr nodded."I'll make sure he understands that."
Then he turned and left, his footsteps steady and unshaken.