"Alright."
Ian didn't refuse.
After all, it was just selling wine, so one or two more wouldn't be a problem.
The more he sold, the more he earned. Besides, the wine from the Sibia Village sold so well thanks to these two people.
With their help, it would probably be even more popular.
Thus, the three of them reached an agreement.
Zephyr would be responsible for the sales, but the area of the sea was not yet determined. He planned to sell wherever he went.
As for Garp, he would try it in the East Blue. "Hmph, this way I don't have to ask Sengoku for money anymore. He's still expecting me to go to him and lick his face? Keep dreaming."
With a new goal, Zephyr looked much more relaxed than when he arrived.
He grinned and said with anticipation, "When the time comes, I'll show that old man what my justice looks like! I was planning to fight pirates while raising funds, now I can speed things up."
"Once I make money, I'll sneak back into headquarters and see if I can get a few warships. It looks pathetic with so many people in one warship!"
He then looked at Ian.
"So, how much product do you have ready to sell this time?"
Seeing Zephyr so excited, Ian showed an awkward smile.
"You know... The island doesn't have any surplus stock yet..."
Zephyr: "...?!"
Zephyr froze in place upon hearing Ian's response. Then, with a scowl on his face, he said, "You don't have any goods, and you dare ask me to sell them for you? Are you trying to fool me, you little kid?!"
"Don't get angry."
Ian quickly soothed Zephyr and Garp, who rolled up their sleeves. "Don't worry, we're already preparing to expand production. The goods will be available soon. I'm just worried you won't be able to sell them all. And if you want to recruit new members, you can start thinking about it now."
"Where would I get a warship?"
"You don't necessarily need a warship!"
Ian looked at instructor Zephyr, whose fists were clenched so hard, and pulled something out of his pocket, saying meaningfully: "Just eat this."
"Is this... A Devil Fruit?"
…
Meanwhile, inside Marine Headquarters, at the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku was answering the Den Den Mushi with a serious expression.
"This is indeed what happened. Zephyr is planning to form his own fleet to hunt pirates."
"Don't worry, he doesn't doubt the justice of Marine Headquarters. He's just a little confused for a moment, a minor act. It won't have much impact on the situation at the sea."
"Besides, forming a fleet isn't that simple. Without funding from Marine Headquarters, even if he succeeds, it will only be a small force, utterly incapable of threatening the sea's stability."
"I'll keep an eye on him and won't let him do anything rash. Okay, I'll try to persuade him. He's just confused for the moment!"
"That Crocodile? Don't worry, we already sent someone to investigate!"
Beep! Beep! Beep!
After Den Den Mushi was disconnected, Sengoku took a deep breath and shook his head with a wry smile. "Did it alert the Five Elders?"
He sighed helplessly while gazing out the window. "I hope... It's just a minor incident! Don't make things difficult for me, Zephyr."
…
After agreeing on a partnership with Zephyr and Garp, Ian ignored them.
A few days later, another banquet was held on the island to see old Garp off.
This time, Garp was truly leaving, unlike the previous times... where he always found excuses to hold banquets but never left.
After agreeing to arrange the shipment as soon as possible, Garp headed to the East Blue the day after the banquet to visit his grandson.
During this time, Marine Headquarters kept calling him, urging him to return, but Garp kept ignoring them.
Since the Marine Headquarters wouldn't reimburse him and had docked a year's salary... What was he supposed to do this year?
He wanted to indulge himself and piss off that guy, Sengoku.
Even though Zephyr complained that Garp was mostly slacking off at Marine Headquarters and didn't do any work, Garp still confidently stated that he had shed blood and sweat for Marine Headquarters.
As for Zephyr, he wasn't so quick. Having consumed the Devil Fruit, he planned to train here for a while to master it.
He was quite delighted with the Castle-Castle Fruit that Ian had given him, even expressing his wish to give it to Ain.
But Ian, after glancing at Ain's flat stomach, explained that the Devil Fruit wasn't suitable for Ain, and after hearing the Devil Fruit's ability, Ain quickly expressed her disapproval, and Zephyr finally accepted it.
After consuming it and gaining the corresponding ability, he burst into laughter, exclaiming with a grin that this Devil Fruit was indeed suitable for him!
After explaining the name of the Castle-Castle Fruit and some of its abilities he was familiar with, Ian didn't say anything further.
Although Zephyr always urged his students not to over-rely on Devil Fruits, he believed that as the Chief Instructor at Marine Headquarters, Zephyr surely knew how to develop them properly.
Ian figured he probably knew less about Devil Fruit training than Zephyr, so there was no need to show off in front of him.
Time passed slowly.
After Crocodile called off the search for the Devil Child, the West Blue's underworld forces' enthusiasm for the search also waned considerably, which gave Ian a slight sigh of relief.
It seemed that his battle with Crocodile hadn't caused much of a stir.
Back in the Sibia Village, life continued as usual: brewing, shipping, making money, and building infrastructure.
Of course, thanks to the addition of two powerful agents, the brewery expanded again.
As for Ian, seeing Robin's belly grow larger, he knew it was almost time for the baby's birth. So Robin's work was put aside for now, allowing her to rest properly.
During this time, Ian stopped training in the back mountain and instead stayed in the front yard doing light training and weapon tempering.
Especially the weapon tempering, in the sunlight, while applying Armament Haki, the Divine Axe Rhitta shone even brighter.
As previously mentioned, from afar, it looked like the sun had fallen to the earth.
Something inside it seemed to be changing, and it felt even easier to wield.
At this moment, in the sunlight, Ian sensed someone approaching. He slowly opened his eyes to see someone walking over with a cheerful look.