A low voice suddenly rang out at the scene.
"Who's there?!"
Ain and Binz, who were accompanying Zephyr, both had their expressions change as they drew their weapons.
"If he wanted to harm us, he wouldn't need to come all the way here. Dropping a meteorite directly would be enough. That means he bears no malice. Lower your weapons, Ain."
As Zephyr spoke, he looked toward the two figures who had suddenly appeared there.
"Two division commanders of the Raijin Pirates, Bartholomew Kuma and the blind swordsman Issho. I wonder what brings you all the way to my Neo Marines' base?"
"I only brought him here to meet you."
After Kuma finished saying that, he nodded toward Issho.
"If you're done talking, give me a call. I'm going to move supplies now."
"Thank you for your trouble, Kuma."
Issho thanked Kuma. After the latter left, Issho directly sat cross-legged on the ground, showing that he held no malice.
"My view happens to be the same as yours, Zephyr-san. I also strongly disapprove of the Warlord system," Issho said.
"Is that so? A division commander of the Raijin Pirates actually discusses and evaluates the World Government's policies and systems. That surprises me."
Zephyr smiled and sat down on the ground directly across from Issho.
"I have no choice but to pay attention. Because this year, the Raijin Pirates will have their decisive battle against the World Government."
Issho's words landed like a thunderclap.
"What?!"
Zephyr was clearly shocked.
"The Raijin Pirates are going to war with the World Government this year? Why hasn't even the slightest bit of news leaked out?!"
Zephyr had once served as a Marine admiral, and he also had his own intelligence channels.
Yet he had not received any information about abnormal movements from the Raijin Pirates, aside from the fact that they had been moving supplies rather frequently...
Wait. Moving supplies?!
Logistics before mobilization!
Zephyr raised his head and looked at Issho, the shock still lingering in his eyes.
That was even more true for Ain and Binz, who had suddenly heard the news from behind him.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
Zephyr, whose emotions were far from calm, asked aloud.
"Haha, it's nothing much. The main reason I'm saying this is that I would like to invite you, Zephyr-san, to join the Raijin Pirates."
"Invite me to join the Raijin Pirates?!"
Zephyr felt that today was truly no ordinary day. Too many major pieces of news had left him somewhat unable to process them all.
"Are you joking? Even though I left the Marines, the Neo Marines I formed still contain the word 'Marines'!"
Zephyr's tone began to grow stern.
Issho had long since anticipated Zephyr's attitude, so he did not get angry. He merely continued calmly.
"Zephyr-san, you served as a Marine for your entire life, and your rank even reached admiral. Yet in the end, you directly left the Marines and cast aside the justice you had carried for a lifetime. Do you truly feel nothing unusual in your heart?"
Feel nothing unusual? How could Zephyr possibly not?
His old comrades from the past, the disciples he had once taught, the belief in justice that had run through his entire life, and so many other things all made Zephyr toss and turn late at night, wondering whether he had truly been wrong.
But every time that happened, Zephyr's eyes would always see that day again.
Edward Weevil slaughtered an entire ship full of his outstanding disciples and even cut off his right arm.
The justice of the World Government had long since changed beyond recognition!
"I believe you should already know that the World Government has long since become rotten and fallen. This old man chose to close his eyes precisely because he had seen too much evil in the world. I imagine that during this time after you left the Marines, you must have felt that very deeply."
"The Raijin Pirates have been labeled by the World Government as utterly heinous. But honestly, so far, the Raijin Pirates have never done anything to harm civilians. They have even lent out their flag to shelter those islands. After all, Captain Roy, the Thunder Emperor, was once the hero of freedom who rescued the slaves of the Holy Land Mary Geoise!"
"That is why this old man chose to join the Raijin Pirates. Because I believe that with the Raijin Pirates' ideals, they are bound to have a battle against the World Government in the future. And what is obvious is that the time to launch this war has arrived."
"Then, Zephyr-san, aren't you curious about the final result of this battle, one that will affect the entire world's structure?"
After listening to Issho's words, Zephyr remained silent.
At that moment, Issho spoke one final sentence.
"You must know that once two great powers begin a decisive clash, they will absolutely not allow other forces to survive in the cracks between them. And you, who have left the World Government..."
Zephyr suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed tightly on Issho.
Issho returned a rather gentle smile.
In 1520, the news that former Marine Headquarters admiral, founder of the Neo Marines, "Black Arm" Zephyr had joined the Raijin Pirates quickly spread throughout the entire world!
...
"Zephyr, you bastard! Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office in Marineford, Sengoku let out a furious roar through the Transponder Snail.
When he received the news that Zephyr had joined the Raijin Pirates, Sengoku's first reaction was absurd disbelief, followed by an extraordinary mixture of anger and heartache.
"Sengoku, I can only apologize to you. The next time we meet, when I fight the Marines and the World Government, I won't hold back! I believe that day is not far away."
Zephyr laughed broadly and gave a vague wave of his hand.
"Do you even know what you're doing right now?!"
Sengoku suppressed his anger and growled. His fury had already made him lose some of his reason, and he did not grasp the deeper meaning in Zephyr's words.
"Of course I know. Joining the Raijin Pirates is something I decided after careful consideration. The next time we meet, we'll be enemies!"
"Bastard! Zephyr, what kind of joke is this? Were you bewitched by pirates?"
Over Marineford, a suffocating pressure began to spread, making the Marine soldiers training in the plaza feel as if they could not breathe.
Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral Trafalgar Law and Rosinante, who was also a rear admiral, could not help shrinking their necks on the training ground.
(End of Chapter)
[200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]