Next Bonus, 100!!
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After Zephyr explained, Jin smiled. "Thank you for your concern. As you can see, I'm fine."
Putting aside some of Zephyr's more questionable actions later in his life, he was, at his core, a traditional, "just" Marine.
"You didn't run into Ochoku's crew when you landed?" Jin asked.
"No."
"That's strange," Jin said. He was a little disappointed. Ochoku's treasure wasn't as large as he'd hoped, only about three hundred million Berries in total. "Knowing how crafty he is, he's probably got stashes hidden all over the place."
"Huh?" Zephyr was confused. "Weren't you fighting Kaido? Ochoku..."
"Oh," Jin said casually. "I took care of them on the side."
Zephyr was speechless.
Two of the world's strongest fighters had a showdown, and the spectators were the ones who got wiped out?
Ochoku... what terrible luck.
He'd just been sitting at home, and disaster had come knocking.
Jin looked at him. Zephyr and his Neo Marines had no connection to him, yet they had still chosen to storm Hachinosu to save him.
He had earned Jin's respect.
Previously, Jin had considered him for the commander position at the G-5 base but had ultimately decided he wasn't the right fit and had contacted Gion instead. At the time, Jin's assessment was that Zephyr didn't have the specific skills needed for that role. But that didn't mean he couldn't shine elsewhere.
No one is perfect at everything. It's about finding the right position for the right person.
And now, a new idea was forming in Jin's mind. "Zephyr," he said, "I've heard a little about your past. Are you interested in a partnership?"
"A partnership?" Zephyr asked, confused. "What do you mean? Are you asking me to be a drill instructor in your kingdom?"
He'd heard from his former colleagues that Jin had been recruiting retiring Marine officers.
"No," Jin said with a smile. "At your age, you should still be out on the front lines. Why would you want to be a drill instructor?" He could hear the resentment in Zephyr's voice. It was clear he still longed to be in the fight. Otherwise, he wouldn't have broken away from the Marine command structure and formed his own unit.
"Then what kind of partnership?"
Jin glanced around at Hachinosu. "Are you interested in setting up the Neo Marines' headquarters here?"
"Huh?" Zephyr was stunned, struggling to keep up with Jin's train of thought.
"Ochoku and his crew have fled the island," Jin explained. "Someone needs to keep watch over this place, or it will just become another pirate den. Your relationship with Marine Headquarters isn't exactly harmonious, is it? Having a base like this would make things a lot easier for you. And I could provide you with funding for your operations."
"Are you trying to recruit us?" Zephyr asked, his brow furrowed.
"No, no... a partnership," Jin said with a smile. "I just think that a traditional, honorable Marine like you shouldn't have to fade away. But reality... is a harsh mistress. To maintain a fighting force, even if you don't pay your men, you still need money for weapons, ship maintenance, and upgrades, don't you? With my funding, you could focus on what you do best: fighting pirates and maintaining peace. Isn't that a good thing?"
"What's your objective?" Zephyr asked.
"Pirates," Jin replied. "The scum of the earth. They shouldn't be imprisoned. They should be executed. Don't you agree?"
Zephyr was no longer the "non-killing" hero. He now harbored a deep-seated hatred for pirates, and he subconsciously nodded.
'Does Jin have a grudge against pirates too?' Zephyr wondered. He thought back on Jin's career. He had always been fighting pirates, even taking on the Yonko...
He assumed that Jin, like him, had a painful past, that he had been hurt by pirates, and that's why he was offering his support.
After a long moment, Zephyr said, "Alright."
Jin could see it clearly. Zephyr's conviction—his will—had been clouded over, replaced by a raw, all-consuming hatred. To fight pirates, to take his revenge, he had modified his own body. It was only natural that he would accept this offer.
What a shame.
Jin sighed.
Conviction was a precious thing in the world of One Piece. It was the source of a warrior's will, their Haki, their strength.
Lose that, and even a Yonko or an Admiral would see their power decline.
Zephyr was a prime example.
The cruel hand of fate had broken his spirit.
He had started out as a young boy who dreamed of being a hero of justice. He had joined the Marines and had always been the first to charge into battle. He had eventually risen to the rank of Admiral.
But tragedy had struck. His family had been murdered by a pirate.
Heartbroken, Zephyr had retired from the front lines and had become an instructor, training the next generation of Marines.
But tragedy had struck again.
His training ship had been attacked by a pirate. He, Ain, and Binz were the only survivors. And Zephyr had lost his arm.
In that moment, he had been consumed by hatred, transformed into an avenger. He had replaced his arm with a mechanical one, a Seastone-laced "Smasher" designed to crush Devil Fruit users. He had formed the Neo Marines and had begun to hunt down pirates.
And then, in the original story, came the ultimate betrayal. The pirate who had butchered his students and severed his arm was recruited as a Warlord of the Sea.
Recognized by the World Government.
There could be no greater irony.
Zephyr, who had dedicated his entire life to "justice," had finally seen how hollow that word could be.
The hero "Z" had become "Z," the destroyer.
He would destroy the New World.
One Piece? The will of the people? Freedom? Even if it was the wave of a new era, he would crush it all. He would personally eliminate every pirate in the world, guide them to their destruction. Dreams would bow before his infinite hatred, and he, Z, would bring the curtain down on the Great Pirate Era. In a world without pirates, a new dawn would finally break.
That's what Zephyr had roared.
But if his plan had succeeded, the New World would have been consumed by magma. Everyone, pirate and civilian alike, would have perished.
Zephyr's story was a tragic one. But his final choice was unacceptable.
The hero of justice had become the enemy of justice.
As Sengoku had said, "To drag innocent civilians into this... that can never be the right path."
In the end, Zephyr had let go of his hatred. He had remembered his conviction and had chosen to end it all with his own life. He had taken responsibility for his actions, a final act of "justice." It was a respectable death.
But now, with Jin's intervention, would his fate be different?
Of course, Jin wasn't investing in Zephyr to change his fate. He was investing because Zephyr and his Neo Marines were a valuable asset.
Zephyr couldn't take on an Admiral or a Yonko, but he was still a formidable fighter. And his men were loyal. They were a good team.
The pirates they captured would provide soul crystals for the demonic carrier. And among them, there might even be some Devil Fruit users.
And even if Zephyr still chose the same path in the end... after his death, Jin could recruit his followers.
Either way, it was a profitable investment.
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