Although Zephyr had long since left the front lines and stepped down from his position as an Admiral of the Headquarters, he still kept a close watch on legendary pirates like Roger, Whitebeard, and Shiki.
After all, Zephyr had fought them numerous times and knew just how dangerous they were to the seas.
"Are you sure they're meeting?"
Zephyr's brows furrowed deeply, his expression grave.
Unlike the ambitious Shiki, Roger and Whitebeard had no desire to conquer the world. After the Battle of God Valley, the two clashed on multiple occasions. Each confrontation was overwhelmingly destructive—shattering landmasses and even sinking small islands.
Even so, most of those battles were sparked on a whim—out of rivalry or curiosity—not because of any deep-seated hatred. That made the relationship between their crews strangely delicate.
In fact, Roger and Whitebeard seemed to have a certain mutual respect, even admiration.
If Roger met Shiki, it'd likely be a battle to the death. But if it was Whitebeard… things weren't so clear.
If those two ever came to an understanding and joined forces...
Sengoku pinched his temples, mulling it over.
"We don't know the exact details yet, but that's what the navigational paths suggest... The government's already on alert."
"Ever since the Battle of God Valley, Roger's been wandering the world. The Five Elders are beginning to suspect that he knows something—or is searching for something."
As he spoke, a glint of sharp light flashed across the lenses of Sengoku's black-rimmed glasses.
"So, Zephyr… you understand. I need to go to the New World myself and link up with Garp."
"Even if the chance of Roger and Whitebeard forming an alliance is low, if something unexpected does happen, I can't leave Garp isolated."
"Garp alone can't face both of those maniacs at once."
Zephyr was silent for a while, then shook his head.
"The odds of them teaming up are slim. If Roger really is searching for something, Whitebeard definitely wouldn't get involved in that mess."
"I've crossed blades with Whitebeard more times than I can count. That guy... doesn't have much ambition."
"He just wants to protect his 'family'."
Sengoku glanced at Zephyr and sighed.
"Let's hope it's a false alarm. But no matter what, I need to prepare for the worst."
"I'll be taking most of our available fighting strength—including Borsalino. If I had any other choice, I wouldn't even consider asking Daren to take on such a dangerous mission."
"That's all for now. I need to get going."
With that, Sengoku stood up and made his way toward the door.
But just as he was about to leave the office, he paused.
"Zephyr, I meant what I said last time."
With his back to Zephyr, the dark "Justice" on his white Marine cloak felt especially heavy.
"This era isn't giving us much time."
"And in times like this... I really need my comrades by my side—fighting alongside me."
Zephyr stared quietly at Sengoku's weary back, at that snow-white, sacred cloak. After a long silence, he shook his head and smiled.
"Sengoku, haven't I always been fighting alongside you?"
Sengoku froze, then realized what Zephyr meant.
He said nothing more.
He simply strode out the door.
As he walked down the path to the military port, the blazing sunlight poured down, and Sengoku felt the weight in his heart grow heavier.
Zephyr... are you really content like this?
The once-famous "Black Arm" shouldn't be buried in that rundown academy building, right?
I get it, really.
You want to spend your remaining years at the military academy—putting your hope in the next generation...
That's your answer to "justice." That's your answer to the Marines.
It's also how you fight alongside your comrades.
Even if you're not at my or Garp's side.
But...
Sengoku exhaled slowly, lifting his head as the sunlight stung his eyes.
His fists clenched tightly.
"I really want to see you again—spirited and fierce—leading the Marines into battle..." he murmured.
…
The warship cut steadily through the waves, leaving a long white trail across the vast, endless sea.
On the deck, Sakazuki stood at the bow with his arms crossed, a grim look in his eyes as he stared toward the distant horizon where sea and sky met. A lit cigar hung from his mouth, its smoke whisked away by the ocean breeze, blending into the flutter of his Justice cloak.
"So, what's the objective of this mission?"
Daren walked over slowly, coming to stand beside Sakazuki. He lit a cigar of his own.
Sakazuki took an intelligence file from a young Marine and handed it to him.
"Half a month ago, something major happened in Galzburg on the Grand Line."
His tone was cold and sharp.
"In that war-torn country, tens of thousands of soldiers were wiped out overnight. The entire nation was reduced to ashes—nobles, civilians... no one survived."
"When the World Government heard the news, they were stunned. At first, they suspected it was the work of a Great Pirate, someone like Byrnndi World, the World Destroyer. After all, the power to annihilate a country usually belongs to a large pirate crew."
"But after a Marine investigation, we uncovered a shocking truth."
A cold smile tugged at the corner of Sakazuki's mouth.
"The one who destroyed that military nation wasn't a monstrous pirate or some underworld power—it was a soldier."
"A soldier from the very army of Galzburg."
Daren exhaled slowly, watching the smoke drift upward as his eyes settled on the photo in the file—a young man in uniform with long blond hair.
He narrowed his gaze and finished Sakazuki's sentence.
"Douglas Bullet."
So he was right.
A man with destructive power on par with Byrnndi World, someone both Sengoku and Sakazuki regarded with caution, appearing at this particular time...
It could only be Douglas Bullet.
A former member of Roger's crew in the original story, said to have fought the Dark King Rayleigh to a standstill—the "Demon Heir."
What he wondered now was... just how strong this man really is right now.
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
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