"You..." Ain's throat tightened as she let out a sound.
Taro looked at the stunned trio and found it somewhat amusing. He smiled and said, "See, I told you my talent was decent."
Zephyr snapped out of it, the shock still lingering in his eyes. "I've taught countless young people and seen innumerable powerhouses and geniuses, but I've never seen anyone like you... You're simply a monster!"
"Hey," Taro muttered with mock dissatisfaction, though the smile on his face only grew more evident. "If you're going to praise someone, do it properly. What's with calling me a monster?"
"What else have you learned?" Zephyr pressed.
Taro quickly waved his hand and gave a sly smile. "Just this. You didn't think I could learn even more, did you?"
Hearing Taro say this, Ain and Binz actually breathed a sigh of relief. They were afraid of hearing Taro say he knew other Moves; that would be too terrifying.
Zephyr, however, looked at Taro with some suspicion. Recalling his previous performance and what he had said to Ain, he didn't quite believe him.
Taro also worried that Zephyr would continue questioning him, so he quickly changed the subject. "I'm very happy to have received Teacher Zephyr's guidance today. Of course, meeting two new friends is also something worth celebrating."
As he spoke, he also smiled at Ain and Binz.
"How can we not have wine when we're happy?" Zephyr turned to his two Disciples and instructed, "Ain, Binz, go back and bring some wine and meat."
After the two left to carry out the order, Zephyr looked solemnly at Taro. "What did you want to say that required me to send them away?"
"Teacher Zephyr, I know the justice you uphold in your heart," Taro met Zephyr's gaze and, after a moment of hesitation, said seriously, "You are dissatisfied with certain practices of the Marines."
"Perhaps one day, you might even become completely disillusioned with the current Marines."
"I hope that if that day ever comes, you can hold on a bit longer. There is still hope."
"That hope lies in our cooperation."
"And in Ain, Binz, and the others."
Zephyr stared at Taro for a while, then looked back in the direction Ain and Binz had gone. His sorrowful gaze softened slightly. "Alright."
Taro showed a sincere smile and held out his palm in the air. "Then, it's a deal."
However, Zephyr was still looking where his two beloved Disciples had left and didn't notice Taro's gesture at all. When he turned back, he saw Taro sheepishly withdrawing his arm.
"What are you doing?"
"A high-five to seal the deal," Taro's lip twitched. Didn't he even know that?
He lowered his head and scratched his hair, kicking at the pebbles on the ground to ease the awkwardness of being ignored. When he looked up again, he saw Zephyr also awkwardly withdrawing his palm.
Taro: "..."
"How about I count to three and we try again?" Taro asked cautiously.
"Get lost!" Zephyr barked angrily.
After quite a while, the awkward atmosphere finally dissipated a bit. Taro approached Zephyr like a sycophant. "Teacher Zephyr, I also wanted to ask about Haki..."
As soon as the word "Haki" left his mouth, Zephyr's Aura suddenly surged. "You know about Haki?"
Taro was a bit dazed. Was this something that couldn't be mentioned early? After all, according to the original plot, the setting for Haki hadn't been introduced yet.
"Uh, I've only heard of it; I haven't seen it."
Zephyr stared intently at Taro. "You really are an amazing young man. It seems I truly am getting old."
He sighed, then shook his head. "I cannot teach you now. According to our agreement, we'll talk about it after you've achieved some results."
Taro was slightly disappointed. Just as he was about to say something more, the figures of Ain and Binz appeared on the hill, approaching rapidly.
Taro had no choice but to suppress his curiosity and nodded in silence.
"Ah, refreshing," Taro gulped down most of his glass of sherry wine. "After drinking so many things, sherry wine is still the best."
"Oh? You like sherry wine too?" Zephyr asked with interest.
Taro chuckled. "Yeah, I like its mellow taste. It's warm like sunshine."
Zephyr's gaze toward Taro became even more satisfied. "This is also my favorite wine."
He paused, a flash of reminiscence in his eyes, his voice low. "That fellow seemed to like sherry wine a lot too..."
Taro, who had tilted his head back to finish the rest of his wine, turned his head. "Who? Which fellow?"
Zephyr shook his head, lifted the Barrel of Wine with one hand, and refilled Taro's glass. "Let's not talk about that. You'll naturally encounter him in the future. When you're happy, just drink. Cheers!"
Zephyr held his glass in the air, and Taro, Ain, and Binz followed suit.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The four glasses clinked together, and they tilted their heads back to drain them before bursting into laughter... At the same time, on the warship by the shore.
Colonel Hina was elegantly holding a cigarette in one hand and a den den mushi in the other. On the table before her lay the latest newspaper, the front page of which featured a photo of Luffy running.
"Oh, is this the kid in the photo you're talking about?" Hina took a drag of her cigarette and spoke softly.
"That's him. His name is Luffy, a new pirate who suddenly appeared. His first bounty reached 30 million Berries."
The den den mushi mimicked a man's low, raspy voice.
"By the way, you came to me this time wanting to use my ship just to find this pirate? Hina is surprised!"
Colonel Hina rested her sharp chin on the hand holding the cigarette and asked.
"Bastard, he's no ordinary pirate. He turned my Loguetown upside down..."
The raspy-voiced man on the other end cursed under his breath.
"I'm currently on a mission in the West Blue and can't come to support you. Truly sorry, Hina will reflect on this." Colonel Hina exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"On a mission?" The raspy-voiced man on the other end of the den den mushi seemed puzzled.
"Hey, Smoker, you know that Headquarters Lieutenant named Taro, right?"
"Taro?" The man called Smoker repeated the name softly. "Is he really as strong as the rumors say? I don't believe it. Some fools in the Marines are always making up fake things for propaganda."
"Now, now, Smoker, if you really think that, Hina is disappointed!" Colonel Hina stubbed out her cigarette butt. "This time, it's not fake news."
"Tch," Smoker snorted disdainfully, then said in a low voice, "Stop talking nonsense, Hina. For the sake of us being in the same class, don't quibble over this and come help me."
"You're always like this. I can understand Tashigi's hard work now."
With a "click," Hina hung up the den den mushi. She looked out the lounge window at the sky; the sun was gradually sinking, and it would be dark soon.
She smoothed her long hair, lit another cigarette, pushed open the door, and walked out.
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