Chapter 292: A Big Gift for Zephyr!
Zephyr didn’t say a word. Instead, he silently handed the invitation letter to Ain.
"...This is..."
Ain’s eyes widened slightly as she skimd the contents.
"Teacher... Should we really consider accepting this?" she asked, her voice uncertain.
"This is the Dragon Hunter Pirates we’re talking about!"
Her words hung in the air. Ain didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was clear.
Everyone knew the purpose behind Zephyr establishing the Neo Navy after leaving the Marines: to create a force that stood firmly apart from pirates. Yet now, the Dragon Hunter Pirates had sent them an invitation—to join forces against Miss Bakin.
If they refused, it was almost guaranteed that the Dragon Hunter Pirates would simply eliminate Bakin and Weevil on their own.
But if they accepted... wouldn’t that make everything they’d stood for until now aningless?
Ain didn’t know what to say anymore. It was an impossible choice.
"There’s also this," she added quietly. "A Den Den Mushi ca with the letter."
Only then did they realize the News Coo hadn’t just delivered an invitation—it had also dropped off a Den Den Mushi. Clearly, it was the direct line to the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
"Give it to ," Zephyr said.
He took the Den Den Mushi in his large, weathered hands and stared at it for a long mont.
"If they left a line open, then I want to hear what this ’Captain Ryuunosuke’ has to say."
Zephyr voice was steady, but his expression showed a hint of hesitation. Deep down, he knew what it ant—just the fact that he wanted to hear Ryuunosuke out ant his heart was already wavering.
Because the truth was, part of him already agreed with what Ryuunosuke was doing. He just didn’t have a reason strong enough to admit it aloud—yet.
The Den Den Mushi clicked to life.
"peru... peru..."
A mont later, a calm, confident voice echoed from the receiver.
"Chief Instructor Zephyr—no, that title no longer fits, does it?" the voice said casually. "I should call you what you are now: Admiral Zephyr of the Neo Navy."
Zephyr’s eyes narrowed.
"Captain Ryuunosuke, we’re not Marines anymore," he replied gruffly. "But that doesn’t an we’re about to cozy up to pirates either."
He leaned forward.
"If you want to convince , then give a reason. Just one."
There was a beat of silence.
Ryuunosuke’s voice ca back, calm and firm.
"Tell , Zephyr—do you believe justice depends on which side you stand on?"
Zephyr was stunned.
He opened his mouth to respond... but no words ca out.
He wanted to say yes. He wanted to say that pirates were evil, and the Marines were righteous. That was the simple truth he’d lived by for decades.
But how could he?
The World Governnt had known full well that Weevil murdered his family. And yet, they still made him one of the Seven Warlords.
The Marine top brass had been silent. His students, his comrades—none of them spoke up. They all turned a blind eye and bowed their heads to tyranny.
Was that justice?
"Justice is supposed to stand against evil," Zephyr said at last. "From the mont you beca a pirate, you chose the wrong side."
"Really?" Ryuunosuke replied, not missing a beat. "And the Navy—are they the righteous champions of justice? Or are they just the ard wing of the ruling class, protecting the interests of nobles and tyrants?"
Zefa clenched his jaw.
"Let’s not get abstract," Ryuunosuke continued. "Let’s talk specifics. Have you ever heard of my Dragon Hunter Pirates committing any cris against the innocent? Any massacres, plundering, or oppression?"
Zephyr opened his mouth to respond—but stopped.
He wanted to argue. The Dragon Hunter Pirates were labeled as dangerous. Ryuunosuke himself had been branded the most evil pirate of the new generation.
But when he really thought about it...
All their so-called cris had been directed at the World Governnt, not civilians. In every skirmish with the Marines, they had held back—never delivering fatal blows, even when they had the upper hand. And everyone knew that was only because Garp was still in the Marines.
Even that restraint could be considered admirable.
Then there were the territories under the Dragon Hunters’ control. Zephyr had seen them with his own eyes. The people there were happier than in most places governed by the World Governnt.
Dressrosa, for example—once ruled by Doflamingo, a tyrant who turned civilians into toys and slaves—had been liberated by Ryuunosuke. Now, its people were free, smiling, and full of hope. They even said things like:
"If not for the pirates, we’d still be slaves."
Could the Marines have done that?
Would the World Governnt?
Zephyr took a slow breath. He felt as if a weight was pressing on his chest.
Maybe... maybe he had been wrong all along.
"I see it now," Zephyr muttered. "The Navy’s justice... was never ant for the people. It was justice shaped by the ruling class. And the mont I couldn’t stomach it anymore, I should’ve walked a different path."
He looked down at the Den Den Mushi, voice heavy with emotion.
"That’s why pirates like you exist. Because the world forced you into that corner."
Ryuunosuke’s tone remained cool and inviting.
"The News Coo delivered an eternal pose along with the letter. Follow it. Co to our current location."
His voice softened slightly.
"This is my gift to you, Zephyr. I still have a lot of questions I want to ask you, man to man."
And with that, the line cut off.
Zephyr didn’t move for a while. He simply stared at the silent Den Den Mushi.
"Teacher... are we really going to cross that line?" Ain asked, uncertainty clouding her eyes.
She had always supported Zephyr. Always followed him, even when he ford the Neo Navy. But now, if he chose to ally with a pirate crew—even one like the Dragon Hunters—that line between right and wrong would blur forever.
But she had also heard the conversation.
She had no argunt left.
Because Ryuunosuke’s words had exposed the twisted logic of their world. The Marines, the Pirates, the Warlords, the Governnt... even the Revolutionary Army—they all believed they stood for justice. But each one judged good and evil through the lens of their own cause.
"Ain..." Zephyr said quietly, lighting a cigarette.
Smoke drifted into the air as he looked out at the sea.
"You don’t have to co with . This is my decision."
But as the embers glowed faintly, she saw how weary his face had beco. How much older he looked, as if ten years had passed in a mont.
He wasn’t the sa driven man he used to be. Ti had chipped away at his strength and resolve.
Still, there was a spark in his eyes.
"I’ll co," Ain said, standing tall.
Her voice was clear. "If you’re going... then I’ll go too."
"We’re with you as well!"
The rest of the crew echoed her declaration, standing behind Zephyr as one.
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