Chapter 147: The Justice of People

Saying this.

A group of marines quietly shivered, already tagging the pirates under Gao Wen's banner as extremely dangerous.

After all, pirates being bloodthirsty and brutal is not scary, but a person who is also cruel to himself—that is truly terrifying.

Smoker, standing aside, frowned at these pirates:

"Even the elites of the Marine Headquarters cannot achieve this... this... level of taking pleasure in it, right? Is that man's charisma really that powerful?"

Zephyr looked at these pirates and couldn't help but sigh:

"I am not curious; perhaps from the very beginning... you did not misjudge him."

"That guy is truly a special pirate."

"Even if he became the ruler of a nation, he would at least be a benevolent monarch."

Smoker was stunned, then lowered his head and fell silent.

After waking up, the only thing lingering in his mind was the scene where Gao Wen had left him speechless.

"If there is no fairness, how can there be justice?!"

"So justice should stand above all, punishing every evil existence equally; even a king has no right to arbitrarily execute commoners..."

"The so-called fair justice?"

"Teacher, I don't understand..."

Zephyr smiled slightly and sighed:

"I didn't understand before either, but after losing to that guy, coming to Raven Port, and witnessing the true face of this world, I suddenly understood."

"The Marines stand too high."

"We worship the banner of justice, the slogan of justice, the concept of justice, but what truly needs us are the living, breathing... people living under the banner of justice!"

"The justice of the Marines is not a justice of non-killing, not a justice of ruling the world, and certainly not a justice of burning, laziness, or absolute, all carrying strong personal wills."

"It should represent the justice of everyone's will, the justice of people."

"The justice of people...?"

Smoker muttered to himself, a trace of incomprehension still visible in his eyes.

Zephyr patted his shoulder and said:

"Let's go."

"Let's go see the true face of this world again."

Having said that.

The master and disciple walked side by side toward Red Longjie, where Fujitora had long been sitting by the roadside waiting, leading the two slowly into Red Longjie.

All around.

Countless passing pirates greeted Zephyr enthusiastically, clearly treating him as one of their own.

Even Smoker, who had originally been here, was not recognized by the pirates present after changing out of his Marine uniform.

Zephyr responded to each one in turn, the smile on his lips impossible to suppress.

"Old brother, have a couple of drinks?"

A figure's voice sounded behind Zephyr.

Everyone turned their heads.

They saw the headscarf pirate who had been telling stories in the bar earlier, making faces at Zephyr with an overly familiar air.

"Forget it, forget it~!"

"My old bones can't take the trouble."

Zephyr waved his hand to politely decline, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

"You're not being straightforward then, ha~"

The headscarf pirate pouted, feeling somewhat dispirited for a moment.

Ever since learning that Zephyr shared a similar experience with him—his wife and children were killed by a pirate crew, he himself was captured, and had no choice but to join a ship.

Two men with similar experiences quickly became close, already showing the signs of being bosom friends.

Seeing this, Zephyr explained:

"I have to go to the back mountain to help them clear the wasteland; if we don't move fast, we might miss the next season's wheat."

"Then you get busy first; I'll come find you tonight."

Zephyr nodded, then skillfully fetched a few farming tools from the side and led Smoker and others to the back mountain of Raven Port.

Behind Red Longjie.

lay a vast expanse of wasteland; when Jasha divided the land back then, he included this plot by the way.

The pirates remaining here to retire are mostly of an idle nature; some built small boats to fish in the nearby waters, while others turned their attention to these wastelands.

Working together, they reclaimed this land and planted fruits, flowers, and wheat.

In the fields reclaimed at this moment, many new sprouts had already emerged, reflecting the glow of new life under the sunlight.

After greeting the busy pirates around him, Zephyr casually picked up a hoe, walked into a half-reclaimed wasteland, and began working.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Accompanying the hoe falling again and again.

Zephyr's heart gradually calmed down.

"Teacher... you..."

Smoker, who had been in a daze since entering Red Longjie, finally reacted at this moment.

He looked at Zephyr, then looked at the pirates active in the surrounding area.

For a moment, he felt the scene before his eyes was somewhat unreal.

Only disciples like them, who knew Zephyr's past, understood just how deeply this man before them hated pirates, down to the very marrow of his bones.

In his forties, his wife and child died in retaliation by pirates.

In his sixties, leading a ship of trainees out to sea, he was attacked by pirates; not only did he lose an arm, but he was forced to watch as the vast majority of those on board were killed by that pirate.

The only two survivors were precisely Ain and Binz, who now follow closely at Zephyr's side.

It was for this reason.

If one were to ask who within the high command of the Marines had the lowest tolerance for pirates, aside from Akainu, it would be the Zephyr standing before them.

But now... what am I seeing?

Zephyr, who intensely hated pirates, was actually coexisting peacefully with a group of pirates?

Even the atmosphere emanating between them... it was simply... simply no different from friends?!

"What exactly happened?"

Zephyr did not answer Smoker's words; he simply threw a hoe at him, then pointed to the land beside them, his meaning obvious enough.

Although Smoker was somewhat reluctant, at this moment he cared only about Zephyr's sudden change, fearing some psychological issue had arisen, so he could only steel himself, roll up his trouser legs, step into the field, and begin reclaiming the wasteland before them alongside Zephyr.

Working together, master and disciple reclaimed the land far faster than expected; in just a single afternoon, they had cleared most of the wasteland, drawing clicks of amazement from the crowd of pirates.

Only Smoker repeatedly turned his head to look at Zephyr, his eyes filled with confusion and unease.

He was now increasingly curious about what exactly had caused this old man before him to undergo such a massive shift in his attitude toward pirates so suddenly.

"Teacher..."

"Have you ever truly understood pirates?"

Zephyr suddenly asked, then without waiting for Smoker to reply, continued on his own:

"Even if you have some understanding, your attention has likely been focused on those figures with bounties on their heads, correct?"

Smoker remained silent, because what Zephyr said was indeed the truth; indeed, nearly everyone within the Marines was the same.

"But what proportion do those people occupy within the group known as pirates?"

"I fear it is not even one in a thousand or one in a hundred; those who truly make up the vast majority are precisely the pirates standing around you and me right now."

"They may have their own shortcomings, their own little schemes, and may have even committed unforgivable sins; even now, I believe they should face judgment."

"But I have hunted pirates for several decades, and only now have I discovered what a true pirate actually is."

Speaking thus, Zephyr paused, stood up to rub his lower back, then bent down again to continue:

"I will not tell you this answer; during this time, you will stay by my side and find it yourself."

"Wait until the day the Marine ship arrives, and then tell me your answer."

"Consider this the final lesson I give you."

"Smoker, within you, I see the future of the Marines."

Smoker was slightly stunned, feeling as though something had suddenly been placed upon his shoulders.

His gaze swept around the surroundings, seeing only the distinct smiles on the faces of the pirates, their simple honesty resembling exactly those commoners he had once saved.

Yet these people were clearly pirates!

Pirates who killed and plundered upon the seas!

The moment this thought arose, Smoker's heart became burdened with increasing doubts.

Those words Gao Wen had once spoken floated before his eyes once again.

So much so that he subconsciously opened his mouth to ask:

"Does that knight Gao Wen know the answer?"

"Of course he knows."

A trace of self-mockery appeared on Zephyr's face:

"That a pirate's understanding of justice should be deeper than that of a Marine who bears the weight of justice—this is truly the greatest joke I have ever heard in my life."

"Hahahahaha~"

Within the fields.

Zephyr's laughter grew louder and louder, until it drew the gazes of everyone surrounding them.

Although no one knew why he was laughing, unconsciously a hint of a smile appeared on their faces as well.

In the days that followed.

Smoker settled his mind, staying by Zephyr's side, and together they witnessed the myriad lives within the Gao Wen Pirates in Red Longjie of Raven Port.

For the first time, he experienced the lives of the vast majority of pirates, their joys and angers, their sorrows and happiness, and their beliefs.

He and Zephyr reclaimed wasteland together, sowed wheat together, drank with the crowd together in the bar, listening to the pirates' stories and past experiences.

He also listened to what image the Marines held in the hearts of pirates.

The master and disciple pair even extended their steps into other areas within Raven Port, to listen and witness the stories of commoners, and the image of the Marines in the eyes of commoners.

Smoker even saw with his own eyes the wheat he had planted sprout, brimming with the breath of life.

As time passed, Smoker gradually understood everything before him; he had found his own justice.

Within his heart, he inexplicably felt a trace of apology toward Gao Wen, and as time passed, this sense of apology grew increasingly heavy.

It is I who am in the wrong, not that man.

No.

It is this world that is in the wrong.

……

Time flew by, and a week passed.

Several warships slowly docked at Raven Port; the marines aboard were fully armed, adopting a posture of extreme tension.

Inside the cabin.

Aine subconsciously gripped the long sword at his waist and instructed:

"This is the stronghold of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

"Stay vigilant!"

"Pirates are never trustworthy; with these villains, one can never be too careful!"

On the deck.

The marines swallowed hard, gripping their long spears tightly; even the cannons on several warships were primed and ready to fire.

"Our opponent is a Seven Warlord of the Sea; even Instructor Zephyr was defeated by him—he is an absolute monster!"

"Damn it! Why did the World Government establish an organization like the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

"Are we about to witness firsthand the tragedies created by pirates?"

All that floated in their minds were the horrific tragedies recorded in past Marine case files, and the common people struggling to survive under pirate rule.

(End of Chapter)