Chapter 386: The Veteran's Funeral

Half a month later.

A pirate ship slowly docked in Raven Port.

Whoosh—!

The sea breeze blew.

Zephyr subconsciously tightened the coat around his body.

His figure had grown much thinner, his beard and hair entirely white; that once-magnificent musculature had completely vanished, and his aura had weakened to the extreme.

The ship's surgeon had repeatedly asserted that Zephyr's body was far from being as good as he had expected.

Perhaps this second, perhaps the next, he might breathe his last; what kept him holding on until now was the single obsession in his heart.

Zephyr sat in a wheelchair, gazing at the distant port.

"This place... has changed greatly."

Two years had passed, and Raven Port was now completely different from when he last visited.

Tall buildings had sprung up from the ground, countless merchant ships were docked along the way, and tourists from all over the world bustled about, converging into streams of people weaving through the entire port.

Even from a distance, the cheers emanating from the Raven Arena, located in the center of the port, were deafening!

"In these two years, Knight Gao Wen's Martial Arts Tournament has only gotten better; it is said to now cover the entire sea."

"The third Martial Arts Tournament is also about to begin."

"According to their promotions, the third Martial Arts Tournament gathers strong individuals from all over the world, and the final tournament will be held in Britannias."

Smoker stood beside Zephyr, a cigar dangling from his mouth, frowning as he looked into the distance.

Regarding these excessively luxurious or bloody things, he instinctively disliked them.

To him, combat was cruel, and cruel things should not become a form of entertainment.

"Well~"

"Perhaps it is not that simple."

Zephyr's eyes were sharp; naturally, he saw more than others:

"The greatest advantage the Navy has over other forces is the support of the World Government behind them; even after losing massive combat power, they can replenish it by conscripting soldiers worldwide."

"During several large-scale conscriptions over the past few decades, combat power at the Admiral level has also appeared."

"The Martial Arts Tournament can, to a certain extent, achieve a similar effect by different means."

"Gao Wen could not possibly have failed to think of this layer; in other words, he began laying out his plans three years ago."

Smoker's brows furrowed:

"What exactly is that fellow plotting?"

"Three years ago, when I fought him at Raven Port, I still had the strength to battle, but now..."

Smoker did not continue speaking, yet anyone could see the unwillingness and desolation in his eyes.

Zephyr was no exception and could not help but offer guidance:

"That monster's power is certainly worthy of awe, but what inspires even greater awe is his understanding of the essence of the world."

"That is the greatest gap between you and him; power is merely on the second layer."

"Previously, I never had the opportunity to ask what kind of world he truly wishes to create, but now we can use our eyes to take a look."

Smoker nodded, then ordered the sailors on the ship to lower the gangway, and he pushed Zephyr's wheelchair off the vessel.

A small pirate ship docking did not attract much attention in Raven Port.

Even the guards stationed nearby merely asked a few questions as a matter of routine before allowing them to pass.

Nowadays, Raven Port's status in the East Blue even surpassed that of the Branch Navy.

With Gao Wen's group having first slain the former king of the Goa Kingdom, then captured a former Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, and now being the world's strongest after Whitebeard,

let alone pirates, even the East Blue Navy had to keep their tails tucked when coming here.

This neutral port had already become the uncrowned king of the East Blue, naturally unconcerned about anyone causing trouble here.

However.

Watching the retreating figures of Zephyr and his party, the guard responsible for inspection rubbed his eyes, feeling that the person looked incredibly familiar.

He subconsciously looked at the wanted poster pasted on the port wall and instantly broke out in a cold sweat:

"'God-Slayer' Blackarm Zephyr, bounty... five billion Berri?!"

"Big trouble!"

"Report! Report!"

"Head to Red Longjie."

Zephyr spoke to Smoker behind him; the latter nodded, and the group followed the port's signposts, walking toward Red Longjie located at the rear of the port.

As the bustling commercial district faded into the distance, the noisy clamor gradually subsided.

Everyone felt an inexplicable calm settle within their hearts.

All around were countless passing residents, either discussing something or stopping to gaze at the distant port.

Even upon seeing outsiders like Zephyr, there was no trace of defensiveness on their faces.

There was even a bold girl who handed candy to Zephyr, saying in a childish voice:

"Here you go, grandpa~"

"Lord Gao Wen said to take care of the elderly and children~"

Zephyr reached out to pat the girl's head, then put the candy in his mouth, feeling a trace of sweetness rise from the bottom of his heart.

"This is..."

"A town ruled by pirates?!"

Ayn looked around, his heart filled with incomparable complexity.

Everything in Mary Geoise remained vividly before his eyes.

Compared to that, he was more willing to believe that the Raven Port before him was the true dwelling of the gods.

This place was simply like...

"A utopia."

Fujitora murmured, voicing the very thought in Ayn's mind.

She had never seen such a peaceful port.

Even in the most prosperous nation in this world, due to pirate raids and noble oppression, commoners mostly maintained a guarded stance toward outsiders, even actively driving them away.

The Great Pirate Era had brought too many destabilizing factors.

The existence of Raven Port was like a swimmer swimming against the torrent of the times; if there were a utopia or an Eden, it should be exactly like this.

This same thought flashed through everyone's minds simultaneously, and a hint of a smile appeared on Zephyr's lips.

The group continued deeper inside.

Very soon.

A bar appeared before their eyes.

The signboard at the entrance was somewhat dilapidated, and the neon strips were extinguished, yet Zephyr recognized it at a glance as the bar he had visited before.

Just as they reached the entrance.

A familiar voice drifted out from within the bar.

"Back then in my hometown... pah, back when Red Longjie was first established, a Navy Admiral from Headquarters visited, plowing the fields alongside us; there is even a plot of land on the back mountain of Raven Port that belongs to him!"

As soon as the words landed, they provoked a wave of mockery from the surrounding crowd.

Although Raven Port held a special status and Gao Wen bore the title of the world's strongest, pirates were ultimately pirates.

Even when facing a Warlord of the Sea, the Navy would never show a friendly face.

Let alone the visit of a high-ranking figure from Navy Headquarters?

To the drinkers present who had not experienced those events of the past, such claims were nothing short of a fairy tale.

"Keep dreaming!"

"We are pirates; how could any high-ranking Navy figure ever visit?!"

"Besides, even if such an existence arrived, they would be received by the Lord; how could they possibly come to our retirement home?!"

"Hahahahahaha~~~~"

Bursts of raucous laughter rang out from all sides.

Sitting at the bar counter, an old pirate wearing a headscarf immediately flushed red with anxiety and could not help but argue aloud:

"Everything I say is true; don't disbelieve me, his title is..."

Halfway through his sentence.

The headscarf pirate's voice gradually faded away.

The people around assumed he could not fabricate the rest, and immediately a chorus of boos erupted.