As Kairo chatted with Zephyr, Hancock made no attempt to interrupt.
She simply stood quietly aboard the Kuja ship, waiting for him.
"Mr. Kairo seems very familiar with that Marine."
"Could Mr. Kairo be a Marine too?"
"Idiot! Didn't Mr. Kairo say he's a traveler? Isn't it normal for a traveler to know some Marines and pirates?"
"He feels really amazing somehow!"
Listening to the chatter behind her, Hancock herself felt a little puzzled.
Although she didn't know why Kairo was acquainted with the Marines, it wasn't important.
After all, she was now one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea herself and technically affiliated with the World Government.
Of course, Kairo and Zephyr weren't old friends meeting again after years apart.
This was their first meeting.
Still, Kairo had a very good impression of Zephyr.
Likewise, Zephyr held great interest in this young traveler whom Garp constantly talked about.
In fact, Zephyr even felt a strange sense of regret at not having met Kairo sooner.
The feeling was sudden and inexplicable.
But he liked it.
Once all the fallen Marines had been properly wrapped and prepared, Ain and Binz quietly stepped up behind Zephyr.
Both of them had heard stories about Kairo before.
Among the Marine recruits who trained under Zephyr, Kairo occupied a unique position.
Though he wasn't a Marine, many of them felt he embodied the spirit of one more than some actual Marines.
Whether in East Blue, West Blue, or North Blue, Kairo had repeatedly become involved in various conflicts during his travels.
And in every battle, he had chosen to stand on the side of justice.
Not the Marines' justice.
His own justice.
More importantly, Kairo's influence was quietly spreading throughout Marine Headquarters.
Whether it was Smoker and his companions who had returned from East Blue or Drake, who had resigned and gone back to North Blue, all of them had been deeply affected by Kairo.
Many recruits and even officers who had never met him were being influenced by his actions without even realizing it.
Ain and Binz were no exception.
Now that the legendary traveler stood before them in person, they naturally couldn't help staring.
"Ain. Binz."
Zephyr suddenly turned around.
"Come introduce yourselves."
"Huh?"
Caught off guard, the two quickly looked up.
After a brief moment of surprise, Binz stepped forward and bowed.
"Mr. Kairo, hello."
"My name is Binz. I'm Teacher Zephyr's student."
"Hello, Binz."
Kairo glanced at him.
A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
The current Binz was still dressed in a Marine recruit's uniform.
Compared to the ninja-like outfit he wore in Film Z, he looked like an entirely different person.
Kairo was also fairly certain that Binz hadn't yet obtained the Grow-Grow Fruit.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up caught in Edward Weevil's massacre.
After only a moment of surprise, Kairo shifted his gaze toward Ain.
At this point in time, Ain was much younger and less mature than when she appeared in Film Z.
She looked more like a young girl who had only recently come of age.
She was probably around Hancock's age.
Perhaps because this was her first deployment and it had ended in such a horrific tragedy, traces of sadness still lingered in her bright eyes.
"Um... m-my name is Ain."
When Kairo looked at her, Ain immediately became nervous.
She bowed awkwardly.
"M-Mr. Kairo, it's nice to meet you."
Kairo nodded slightly.
"So you're Ain."
After both Ain and Binz had introduced themselves, Zephyr suddenly stood up.
"Kairo."
"It's time for me to return and report."
"If fate allows it, I'll buy you a drink someday."
Kairo smiled.
"Perhaps my next destination will be Marine Headquarters."
"I'd like to visit Marineford, admire its scenery, and witness the elegance of the Marines' justice firsthand."
With that, he turned and jumped off the warship.
Using Moonwalk, he stepped through the air and landed steadily on the deck of the Kuja ship.
"That...!"
Ain and Binz's pupils contracted instantly.
"Marine Six Powers—Moonwalk?!"
"Now that's unexpected."
Even Zephyr looked surprised.
However, he quickly blamed a certain old Marine.
"It must've been Garp."
Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he continued,
"Alright, let's go."
Then he raised a hand toward Kairo.
"Thanks, kid."
Kairo didn't respond verbally.
He simply nodded.
He understood exactly what Zephyr was thanking him for.
It wasn't for cleaning and treating his wound.
It was for the fallen Marines behind him.
For Zephyr—a former Marine Admiral who had trained countless future Admirals, Vice Admirals, and officers—those young soldiers represented the future.
And now that future was gone.
It was this tragedy that had begun changing Zephyr's outlook.
Years later, when Edward Weevil became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Zephyr would finally abandon Marineford in anger.
Together with his favorite students, Ain and Binz, he would establish the Neo Marines and pursue his own version of justice upon the seas.
Meanwhile, atop a pavilion in Kuja City—
After watching the warship depart through her telescope, Elder Nyon lowered it and turned toward Robin.
"Does Kairo know that Marine?"
"If I'm not mistaken, that was Zephyr—the former Marine Admiral."
"Yes."
Robin nodded.
"I didn't know Mr. Kairo knew Zephyr either."
"But I do know that he's on good terms with Vice Admiral Garp."
"Mr. Kairo once said that he doesn't care about a person's identity when making friends."
Elder Nyon blinked in surprise.
"He doesn't care about identity?"
"What a broad-minded man."
Robin didn't reply.
Instead, she gazed toward the distant shore.
Her eyes remained fixed on that figure.
Though far away and somewhat blurred, he was incredibly clear in her heart.
A faint smile gradually spread across her face.
Ever since she boarded the Traveler in West Blue, she had noticed something.
Everyone Kairo met was influenced by him to some degree.
Although he always insisted on remaining independent and joining no faction, Robin couldn't shake a certain feeling.
If one day Kairo ever stopped traveling...
The entire world might change because of him.
Changing the world through the influence of a single person?
It sounded absurd.
Almost impossible.
And yet—
Robin couldn't help looking forward to it.
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