"Zephyr-sensei, where are we going next?"
After Zephyr's laughter died down, Binz excitedly asked: "Should we go get another batch of goods?"
"Not yet. Brother Martin already said that there will be more goods in a while, and we can go by then."
Zephyr pondered for a moment, shook his head, and looked up at the sea before him. "Besides, we are Marines. We're not actually here to do business. Clearing out pirates is our real goal."
He hadn't forgotten his long-held goal, which was... to eliminate the pirates!
The pirates that the Marine Headquarters didn't dare to touch, they would hunt.
The people the Marine Headquarters didn't dare confront, they would engage.
Even if they couldn't yet reach that level, he still wanted to eliminate as many pirates as he could.
Hearing this, Binz snapped back to his senses and looked ashamed. He almost forgot why he had chosen to follow Zephyr.
How embarrassing!
At that moment, Ain spoke again. "Zephyr-sensei, the headquarters called this morning. Fleet Admiral Sengoku wants us to persuade you to come back. He said he hopes you'll stop making trouble."
"He also promised they will reconsider your request. As long as you capture pirates according to headquarters' arrangements, they will approve funding for pirate suppression."
"That old man, Sengoku, got scolded by me, so now he doesn't dare call me and instead calls you two kids?"
Zephyr snorted, turning his head away toward the direction of Marine Headquarters. "Now he wants me to come back? Too late. If they won't approve funds, then forget it! I don't need it anymore! Next time that old man calls you, tell him to go to hell! Tell him I said so!"
Ain: "..."
Binz: "..."
There was no way they would dare speak to the Fleet Admiral like that!
Binz and Ain both wore bitter smiles.
"If you can't even say something like that, how do you expect to become strong? Remember, Kuzan once cursed the Fleet Admiral right to his face!"
Zephyr shook his head helplessly at their reaction, then suddenly smiled happily. "Alright, enough talking. Let's set off to the Grand Line! I heard that kid, Ian, is also heading there. Maybe we'll meet him there sometime!"
It seemed the story had unknowingly begun to shift again.
…
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, because of some old men messing around, the current Fleet Admiral, known as the Resourceful General, had been having major headaches lately.
He not only had to deal with pressure from above but also sort out piles of trouble.
Like right now, after reading the investigation report in his hand, Sengoku looked up speechlessly at Kuzan, who had just returned from the West Blue.
"So, Crocodile just happened to pass by the West Blue, then happened to arrive at the Sibia River Archipelago, then got beaten up by a righteous retired marine named Ian because he refused to pay for his drinks and tried to act like a thug?"
Was this report real?
Why did it feel so childish and perfunctory?
"Yes. That's exactly what happened."
Kuzan, legs crossed on the table, lying lazily on the couch with arms behind his head, nodded expressionlessly. "That's what my investigation found."
But seeing Kuzan's overly confident answer, Sengoku narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You didn't just skip investigating and randomly write a report to hand in, did you?"
This guy already had a history of that!
"That's... Impossible!"
Hearing Sengoku's question, Kuzan suddenly sat up a bit, his voice rising. "I worked hard on this investigation!"
"So you really didn't investigate and just submitted a random report?!"
Sengoku slammed the report on his desk, stood up, and glared at him.
"You brat, can't you let me worry less? Do you know how busy I am?! And you dare brush me off like this?!"
After roaring, he seemed to feel much better.
Seeing that Kuzan remained indifferent, still lazy and nonchalant, Sengoku rubbed his temples and sat back down.
"You're like this. Zephyr is like this. Garp is like this. And even Borsalino is like this. Not one of you can give me peace of mind. Forget it. This matter ends here."
He let out a helpless sigh. "Fortunately, it didn't cause too much trouble. Crocodile has already returned to Alabasta. Even though I don't know why that guy is staying there, as long as nothing else happens, it's fine."
As Fleet Admiral, he also didn't believe that Crocodile would obediently play the role of a hero in Alabasta.
"That kid isn't the obedient type either!"
Looking at the files in his hand, Sengoku snorted coldly. "He even founded a mafia. Does he really think he can hide behind the scenes and no one will notice?"
He shook his head and ignored the report about Ian.
For the World Government, as long as someone doesn't go out to sea, whatever chaos they create on land isn't a big deal.
Even if they go out to sea just to do some simple piracy, the World Government won't bother too much.
Unless someone embarrasses the World Government, threatens its rule, attacks affiliated nations, or researches that so-called Void Century, only then will the World Government take them seriously.
Otherwise, the Marines will not just arrest them if they happen to run into them.
"What's more important now is that old guy, Zephyr!"
Sengoku folded his hands under his chin, saying with resignation: "Those two kids are just as stubborn as Zephyr!"
He then looked at Kuzan and said, "I asked you to persuade him. How's your persuasion going? I thought things might go smoother if Zephyr's once-proud disciple stepped in."
"My appearance didn't help much."
Kuzan shrugged lazily. "And Zephyr-sensei asked me to bring you a message."
"What message?"
"Get lost. Don't bother me ever again!"
Sengoku: "...!"
Watching Kuzan imitate Zephyr so perfectly, Sengoku couldn't hold back anymore.
He slammed the table and roared: "Does that old man even know what he's doing?! Disobeying orders from the World Government and Marine Headquarters, assembling his own fleet, going out to capture pirates on his own, does he know how serious that is?!"
"Even the World Government has noticed! If I hadn't been covering for him, he'd already be thrown into Impel Down!"
He continued slamming the table in frustration. "Those two old fools! Hmph! They even secretly filmed a commercial, and I haven't even dealt with that yet! Has he no dignity as the Chief Instructor of the Marines? He's embarrassing Marine Headquarters!"
"And that old fool Garp is no better. Does he have any pride left as a Hero of the Marines? They're ruining the Marines' reputation!"
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