Chapter 209: The Dispute Over Justice

Several days later.

At Marine Headquarters, Marineford, a meeting was underway.

The high-ranking officers remaining at Marine Headquarters had gathered in the conference room.

Amidst swirling smoke, everyone remained silent with solemn faces, so that the only sound left in the entire conference room was that of documents being flipped.

Rustle—!

Sengoku sat in the main seat, looking at the intelligence just delivered by the CP organization and the deployment order from the World Government, his brows tightly furrowed:

"This day has finally come, hasn't it?"

"I knew it; that fellow Shiki was never a peaceful existence; stirring this sea into a chaotic mess is his specialty."

"But Jin Shizi's legs were long ago severed by his own hands during his prison break, and atop his head lies a ship's helm driven deep into his skull, yet he still possesses the combat power to easily suppress Knight Gao Wen?"

"No. It should be said, does Knight Gao Wen already possess the combat power to withdraw unscathed from under Jin Shizi's hands?!"

One must remember that half a year ago, when the name Gao Wen first appeared in Sengoku's line of sight, he was still a pirate with a bounty of only two hundred million.

Every single high-ranking Marine present could have easily subdued him.

But in merely half a year, he first slew the former Warlord of the Sea Hanafuza, then directly crushed the former Marine Admiral Zephyr.

If Sengoku could still understand matters up to that point, then the strength to fight Jin Shizi head-on was already absurd.

"Within the Marines now, those capable of suppressing Knight Gao Wen are恐怕 only a handful; such a growth rate..."

For the first time, Sengoku began to doubt whether his initial decision to let Gao Wen join the Seven Warlords of the Sea was correct.

But he knew even more clearly that given Zephyr's prestige within the Marines, under those circumstances, neither the Marines nor the World Government had any choice.

"Perhaps, in another year or two, this fellow will be able to compete on the same stage as the Four Emperors."

Having said this, Sengoku couldn't help but shake his head, feeling his own thoughts were somewhat unrealistic.

Yet the solemn expressions on the faces of the high-ranking Marines in the conference room, and the increasingly solemn atmosphere surrounding them, constantly reminded him that such a thing was by no means impossible.

"Hiss—!"

Sengoku took a deep breath and lowered his voice:

"What are your views on this matter?"

"Given Jin Shizi's danger, we absolutely cannot let him be."

Akainu's face was cold and hard, the cigar on his lips glowing red, and the entire conference room grew hot the instant he spoke:

"Twenty years ago, that fellow nearly destroyed half of Marine Headquarters."

"Speaking purely of strategic threat to the Marines, the Float-Float Fruit ranks alongside Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit!"

"Surely none of you present have forgotten, have you?"

"Back when we faced Jin Shizi's flying fleet and were beaten into a frantic retreat?"

"That was the Marines' shame!"

At these words, everyone's brows furrowed even tighter.

Those who had climbed step by step to the position of Marine Vice Admiral had mostly experienced the era of Jin Shizi and understood all too well just how much pressure that man had brought upon the Marines.

"Admiral Sakazuki is right; the threat posed by that fellow Jin Shizi must be strangled at the very first moment."

"Knight Gao Wen, Crocodile, and Jin Shizi; the convergence of these three forces in Alabasta is absolutely not mere coincidence; there must be some scheme afoot!"

"Indeed, although that nation is a member state and one of the twenty nations that originally created the world, everyone present should know that nation is an absolute outlier."

"Perhaps it hides some unspeakable purpose."

The sound of everyone's discussion gradually rose, and the conference room instantly became noisy, only to be interrupted the next moment by a sudden voice.

"I will go handle this matter myself."

"There are also some things I wish to ask Knight Gao Wen."

The moment this voice appeared, the entire conference room fell silent.

Even Kizaru, who had been looking lazy nearby, sat up straight at this moment and looked toward a corner of the conference room.

Zephyr stood at the intersection of everyone's gazes, yet his face showed not the slightest discomfort, only an indescribable calmness.

His right arm had already had the crusher removed and replaced with a lighter prosthetic limb.

He no longer possessed his previous fierce aura, yet the Haki inadvertently leaking from him made everyone present feel an indescribable shock.

This man had undergone so many hardships and had already reached a state of depressed will, old age and frailty, having lost everything.

Yet because he was captured by Knight Gao Wen, his conviction was replenished, and he radiated vigorous vitality.

What kind of magic does that man possess?

At this moment, not only the high-ranking Marines present, but even in Sengoku's heart, such a doubt arose.

After a brief silence, everyone's gaze instead concentrated on Sengoku, causing him to suddenly clench the documents in his hand tightly.

Since being captured by Gao Wen last time, Zephyr's attitude toward both the Marines and pirates had undergone an astonishing change.

He no longer avoided contending with Sengoku for authority, and even proposed many opinions opposite to his.

He appeared increasingly sharp-edged, as if living a second life.

Sengoku did not know whether this was good or bad, but the emergence of a second voice within the Marines would inevitably lead to a decline in cohesion.

Consequently, the degree of control over the Four Seas and Paradise would rapidly decline.

Before Sengoku could speak, Zephyr continued:

"Sengoku, I have told you before that the World Government's orders are not necessarily correct, nor do they necessarily represent justice."

"To truly understand what justice is, we must first understand what evil is."

"Is it pirates that created this era, or is it this era that created pirates? What exactly is it that causes countless common people to be unable to survive—!"

Snap!

The documents in Zhan Guo's hand slammed onto the table, cutting off Zephyr's words mid-sentence, and a barely concealed fury had already surfaced in his eyes:

"Zephyr, do you even know what you're saying?"

Zephyr did not yield an inch, rising straight to his feet:

"Then what are you afraid of?"

Zhan Guo's breath caught, his expression darkening to the extreme — yet not because of Zephyr's defiance.

He knew Zephyr's past, and knew all too well what this man had given up for the Marines, for justice.

But precisely because he understood, it made him hesitate again and again when handling Zephyr's situation.

Yet the words Zephyr had blurted out today were already shaking the very foundations of the Marines — something he could not tolerate.

The problems Zephyr had come to know, the dark side of the World Government — how could he himself not be aware of them?

But in this world there has never been such a thing as absolute justice!

A direct confrontation with the World Government would, in the end, drag this world back into the quagmire of war — and that is the only outcome it could produce.

The number of people who would die because of it would be astronomical; compared to that, the tiny sacrifices of today would be utterly insignificant!

Preserving the balance of the greater picture, and reducing as much as possible the civilians sacrificed because of it — that is the only way out!

Thinking this far, Zhan Guo's eyes had already turned a deep crimson, and two cold words burst from his lips:

"Get out!"

"Zhan Guo!"

Tsuru suddenly spoke, but in the end was a step too late.

Zephyr, in the corner, did not hesitate for a single moment, turning and leaving without pause.

Creak~!

The office door swung open.

Blinding sunlight poured in, falling on Zephyr and casting a tall silhouette that shrouded everyone in the conference room.

Zhan Guo watched this scene, his heart filled with an inexpressible guilt — yet in the very next instant, he steadied himself again.

This was for the greater good!

The greater good of the Marines!

"Now, let the meeting continue!"

The moment Zhan Guo finished speaking, Aokiji rose to his feet, scratched his head with one hand, his voice still as languid as ever:

"Ara~"

"I'll go keep an eye on Instructor Zephyr, make sure he doesn't do anything rash in the heat of the moment."

Zhan Guo gave a curt nod.

Seeing this, Aokiji did not linger either, turning to follow Zephyr's silhouette out.

Bang!

The conference room door closed.

The dim yellow lamplight fell across the faces of those present, illuminating a variety of expressions.

Zhan Guo drew a deep breath, forced down the tangled emotions inside him, and said coldly:

"Borsalino, the matter of Alabasta — you go handle it."

"The Glint-Glint Fruit grants the ability to fly and to suppress wide swathes of a battlefield; it was prepared precisely to deal with ability users like Jin Shizi."

"Now is the time to put it to use."

Kizaru nodded, replying listlessly:

"Understood, Fleet Admiral, my lord~"

……

Marine Corps Officer Academy.

The teaching building.

Zephyr stood on the rooftop, looking down at the spirited new recruits below, his gaze calm and indifferent.

He had once made the cultivation of the Marines' next generation his life's work.

But now, at this point, he had realized that something was rotten at the root of the Marines — and if that could not be changed, no matter how much he did, it would all be in vain.

"Instructor Zephyr!"

Aokiji caught up, and seeing that Zephyr had no intention of turning back, did as he always did — proactively offering a bottle of sherry.

Zephyr glanced at the bottle, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint smile, then pulled out the cork and took a long, hard swig:

"Tssh — ha!"

"Decades and it still hasn't changed — still that same taste. Pure."

Seeing Zephyr acting as though he cared nothing at all about what had just happened, Aokiji felt considerably reassured — yet he could not help being intensely curious about everything Zephyr had experienced during the time he was held captive by Gao Wen:

"Instructor Zephyr, during that time at Raven Harbor, what exactly did you go through?"

"To produce such a change in you?"

Zephyr set the bottle beside him, his gaze still resting on the new recruits below, and said lightly:

"You know what?"

"I chased pirates for decades, arrested countless pirates, and always believed with all my heart that what I was doing was right."

"But it wasn't until I heard Knight Gao Wen's words that I realized I had never truly understood pirates as a group."

"I didn't know why they set out to sea, didn't know what they had been through — I just blindly chased after the false justice painted on the Marines' flag."

The languid look in Aokiji's eyes vanished at once — only by understanding Zephyr's change could there be any hope of loosening the knot in Zephyr's heart:

"What words?"

"If given a choice, apart from the very few pirates like Shi Ji and Rocks, who would willingly become a pirate?"

"..."

Aokiji fell silent for a moment.

He recalled what the World Government had done at Ohara, and also remembered the countless times he had been tasked with escorting the Celestial Gold.

At this very moment.

Aokiji suddenly realized that the one harboring a knot in their heart might not be Zephyr, but himself, and indeed the entire Navy.

Before Aokiji could speak, Zephyr turned and asked:

"And what about you?"

"Have you ever looked into these matters?"

"Or are you, just as in the past, unable to find the right direction, still wandering like a living corpse?"

"Oh my, oh my~"

The corner of Aokiji's mouth twitched, and he said helplessly:

"I only chased you out because I was worried about you; you truly haven't changed a bit from before, speaking without the slightest regard for your student's feelings."

"Hahahaha~"

Zephyr's hearty laughter immediately rang out across the rooftop.

Yet as Zephyr laughed, tiny crystal teardrops gathered in the corners of his eyes:

"How could I not know Sengoku's thoughts?"

"But those sacrificed to maintain overall stability, are they destined by birth to become fodder for the continuation of the world?"

"Who has ever cared about their feelings?"

"What difference is there between peace forged through the involuntary sacrifice of certain people and bread stained with blood?"

Aokiji froze for a moment, then turned to look down at the innocent-looking recruits below, feeling a blockage in his heart.

Zephyr raised his hand and patted Aokiji on the shoulder:

"To eradicate evil and uphold justice, one must at least first understand what exactly constitutes evil."

"Kuzan, open your eyes and take a look at the true appearance of this world."

"A confused fist cannot lead you to find your own path."

Aokiji nodded, yet in his heart he could not help but feel immense curiosity toward the knight Gao Wen who had enlightened Zephyr:

"What kind of person is that fellow?"

Zephyr naturally knew whom Aokiji was referring to; after pondering for a moment, he gave his answer:

"As a pirate, he is undoubtedly unqualified."

"But if he were to become a king, even setting aside his level of governance, he would be a good king; after all, a pirate capable of empathizing with the suffering of the lowest classes is the only one I have ever encountered in my life."

"How about it, do you want to go meet him?"

Aokiji was stunned:

"Didn't Fleet Admiral Sengoku just say..."

"What he says does not count."

Zephyr grabbed Aokiji's hand and pressed it against Aokiji's chest:

"Only what is said here counts."

The wind on the rooftop suddenly began to blow, fluttering the cape on Aokiji's shoulders.

The two characters for 'Justice' appeared exceptionally glaring at this moment.

Inside the conference room.

As Sengoku issued his deployments, the various high-ranking Navy officers dispersed one by one, leaving only Sengoku and Tsuru sitting in their seats.

"You should not have spoken that way just now."

"Zephyr has sacrificed too much for the Navy and for justice; even in a debate over greater righteousness, one should at least not have hurt his heart."

Facing Tsuru's questioning, Sengoku closed his eyes and remained silent; though his heart was filled with immense guilt, he felt no regret.

After several breaths.

Sengoku spoke:

"Did we not once harbor such thoughts ourselves back then?"

"But the world is ultimately not a fairy tale."

"War, slaughter, and plunder—these things born from the darkness of the human heart can never be completely eradicated."

"Justice has never been omnipotent."

"All we can do is compress turmoil within the smallest possible scope to the greatest extent."

"Zephyr... he is too naive."

"Sigh."

With Tsuru's sigh, silence once again fell upon the conference room.

Yet inexplicably, a premonition arose in her heart that the dispute during today's meeting might merely be the beginning.

The Navy.

Was about to undergo a change of heavens.

(End of Chapter)