When the warship drew to within five meters of Zephyr's rickety little boat, Jaina called down from above: "You are Mr. Zephyr, I presume? Please come aboard. By order of our Lord, I have come to invite you."
"Once you return, you will surely be pushed aside by the Marines — you will have plenty of free time. Come with me, and I will show you the dark truth behind the World Government… and the world itself."
Zephyr immediately recalled the words Grimm had spoken to him back on Punk Hazard, the day the Heavenly Tribute was seized.
He looked up at the massive vessel, which carried well over a thousand men — yet he felt no fear. Raising his voice, he shouted back: "How did you find me?"
He had never intended to trust Grimm, the pirate he despised more than any other. Yet here the man was, having tracked him down barely two months after they last met.
"That is simple enough. Have you ever seen this?"
Before he knew it, Jaina was holding up a small sheet of white paper no bigger than his palm. Zephyr's expression hardened instantly — Vivre Card.
And more importantly… was it his?
Memories of their fight flashed through his mind. He quickly glanced down at the fingers of his left hand — they looked perfectly whole, fully restored thanks to the power of his blood‑force.
But he remembered clearly that his fingers had been cut during that battle, and Vivre Cards are made from a person's own fingernails.
By now, the gangplank had been lowered and extended toward him. "Mr. Zephyr, please step aboard," Jaina urged.
For a man who had served the Marines and the Government faithfully for most of his life, boarding a pirate ship was something he would have considered unthinkable.
But after everything he had endured — students killed, rank suspended, reputation stripped away, and his pride trampled into the dirt — something inside him had shifted.
Whether driven by rage or by bitter disillusionment with the World Government and the Marines, he leaped upward, landing firmly on the deck nearly thirty meters above.
Clap, clap!
Stratos, who had accompanied Jaina, applauded. "Impressive! Still as sharp as ever!"
"Hmph."
Zephyr only grunted in reply, then sat down on the gunwale. Jaina waved a hand, and one of her men brought out a bottle of Jerez wine — his favorite.
"Please, help yourself," she said politely.
"If you do not mind, I would like to escort you to our Lord's domain. He has been very eager to meet you."
Zephyr hesitated for two seconds, said nothing, but raised the bottle and took several long swallows. It was clear enough — he had agreed.
Seeing this, Jaina took out a Den Den Mushi, then gestured for everyone else to leave the deck. Once they were alone, she herself headed below to her quarters.
"Best report this to Lord Grimm right away…" she murmured as she stepped through the door.
Night had fallen, marking the end of another day. Zephyr let out a long sigh, wondering where his path would lead him next.
---
Back in the southern port city of Artemis, inside Grimm's grand residence, Boa Hancock lay curled comfortably beside him.
She raised herself slightly after listening to Jaina's report over the Den Den Mushi, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Zephyr… that former Marine Admiral? The man who once gave Grandma Nyon such a hard time when she ruled Amazon Lily? Why would you bring him here now?"
"Have you ever heard this saying?" Grimm asked suddenly.
"What saying?"
"Those who walk in darkness serve the light."
Grimm leaned back against his chair and continued: "Zephyr is the opposite. He has walked in what he believed was the light his whole life, thinking he served justice. Then one day, he realized he was nothing more than a dog on a leash for the darkness… and nothing more. Once a man's beliefs crumble, there is no limit to what he may do next."
"I have always admired him, you see. I am curious to see what becomes of a man who has spent his entire life fighting for Marine justice — once he finally sees the truth of how the world really works."
"I don't understand any of that…" Hancock shook her head, then wrapped her arms around his arm. "But whatever you say, my love, must be right."
---
One month later, Zephyr — still dressed in his usual black tank top, black trousers, and leather boots — stood before Grimm, his face stern and cold.
"I have come, as you asked. What is it you want to say?"
"First of all, congratulations," Grimm said, rising from his seat. "Or should I say — don't you think you deserve to congratulate yourself?"
"Spare me the nonsense. Speak plainly!"
Zephyr still looked at him with no warmth. After all, Grimm was a pirate — and he… well, was he still a Marine?
Even though his name remained on the roster, he no longer felt like one. The thought made his expression turn even grimmer.
"Did you ever visit Artemis before I took control?" Grimm asked out of the blue.
"Of course I did."
"Good. Then stay here for a while. Watch and see what has changed — now that all those high‑and‑might exploiters have been removed."
With that, Grimm turned and walked out of the hall, leaving Zephyr standing alone, stunned.
Exploiters.
The word echoed in Zephyr's mind, striking deep at his conscience.
Just before stepping through the doorway, Grimm added: "By the way — do you consider the Celestial Dragons to be exploiters? Parasites that suck the blood of the entire world? If so, then what does that make the Marines? Think on it, Zephyr, while you are here."
---
Another month passed, and Zephyr still found it hard to believe what he was seeing.
It was as if every person here stood on equal ground. Grimm himself, along with his officers, mixed freely with the townsfolk, without a trace of arrogance or superiority.
Once, Zephyr saw a commoner openly questioning an official about his work.
He expected the man to be thrown in prison immediately — but what followed made his eyes nearly pop out of his head.
The official actually bowed and apologized: "My apologies, sir — I made a mistake."
Zephyr stood frozen. In any other part of the world, that man would have been locked up by now.
Confused, he later sought out the townsman and asked him what had happened.
The man simply replied: "We are the ones who work and produce everything. It is our labor that feeds and supports them — so they exist to serve us."
Zephyr did not move for the rest of that day, lost in deep thought.
He could not understand it. Why, after Grimm had killed the royal family and all the nobles, did the people still hold him in such high regard?
And why did their standard of living seem far better than anywhere else he had ever visited?
Why?
"Confused, aren't you?" A voice suddenly spoke beside him.
"Some people are born nothing more than vermin feeding off the world — and they deserve to die."
__________________
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