Chapter 179.5 – Zephyr’s future

[Z (Zephyr)—the former Marine Admiral candidate, Marine Chief Instructor, and Commander of the Marine G-Unit. In the midst of the Warlords' shake-up, he's the one who was cruelly betrayed by both the Marines and the World Government.]

Ain: "That's impossible! Master Zephyr? There's no way!"

Hina: "Zephyr-sensei… So it really is him. But why? What happens to him in the future?!"

Kujaku: "Vice Admiral Tsuru's old friend Zephyr? That makes no sense—how would the shifting of the Warlords affect him?"

Gion: "Zephyr…what in the world happens later on?"

Tashigi: "Why would the Marines and the World Government betray Zephyr, of all people? He's an absolute legend!"

Hibari: "Am I seeing things? That man truly embodies the word 'justice.' If the Marines and the World Government betray Zephyr, doesn't that mean they've also betrayed justice itself?"

Whitey Bay: "So it really is Zephyr—the 'non-killing Admiral.' And he's betrayed by the Marines and the World Government?"

Smoothie: "It just keeps getting more interesting."

Belo Betty: "Zephyr suffers heavily during the Warlord transition, too? If we know the future, maybe the Revolutionary Army could recruit him!"

[After the Summit War, the original Seven Warlords undergo a massive shake-up.

Aside from Blackbeard—who became a Warlord just before the war—Buggy ends up joining, known as the 'Thousand-Beri Clown,' with a bunch of powerful escaped Impel Down followers by his side.]

[Then there's that "Surgeon of Death," who turns in the hearts of several dangerous pirates to the Marines and becomes a Warlord.]

[None of that alone would really affect Zephyr, but the Marines and World Government ultimately invite the one who cut off Zephyr's arm and slaughtered almost an entire ship of his recruits—'Whitebeard Jr.'—to become a Warlord.]

[The Marines and World Government sure know how to twist the knife. Guess they think Zephyr's grown too old and useless—so they're dumping him and bringing in Whitebeard Jr., who's far more valuable to them.]

[Heh, I really wonder what goes on in their heads. Do they not care about the effect on Marine morale?]

[Sure, Whitebeard Jr. is handy in battle, but there must be other candidates out there they could have chosen for a new Warlord, right? Feels like they're blatantly driving Zephyr to leave the Marines.]

Whitey Bay: "Whitebeard Jr.? Does such a person even exist on these seas? Maybe someone from the Whitebeard Pirates? But if they have that title… could it be Pop's actual bloodline?"

Whitey Bay: "But Pops is apparently fighting a war against Marine Headquarters called the Summit War. If this Whitebeard Jr. is really his biological child, how could he become a Warlord of the Sea?"

Smoothie: "Does Whitebeard actually have any children? Either way, if he made it into the Seven Warlords, this Whitebeard Jr. must be pretty strong."

Black Maria: "Interesting! There's a Summit War in which Whitebeard himself might meet his end, yet his child goes on to become the lapdog of the Marines and the World Government? Still, what intrigues me more is that 'Non-Killing Admiral'—Zephyr! For the Marines to invite the pirate who cut off Zephyr's arm and slaughtered his recruits to join the Warlords…

Black Maria: "They really are living up to that phrase Arton used—killing the donkey when the grinding is done fufu."

Ulti: "But if the pirate who severed Zephyr's arm is Whitebeard's son or daughter, the world ought to know about it. No rumor like that has ever circulated. Then is this so-called Whitebeard Jr. really Whitebeard's kid?"

Galette: "Hehe, either way, the Marines' reaction will be priceless, right? Imagine how those female Marines—who've just learned that Zephyr will be backstabbed by the Marines and Government—will take it."

Boa Hancock: "Among those female Marines Arton mentioned, at least one or two must be Zephyr's disciples. Either way, it seems the Warlord transition doesn't affect me directly. All the same, I need to track down Arton quickly, before he reveals what lies behind me… But how am I supposed to stop a man who can defeat Dracule Mihawk? Well…as long as he's so enamored with women, my abilities might just work on him!"

Even though Boa Hancock had always despised Arton's attitude toward women, at this moment she actually felt a touch of relief that Arton was so fixated on the female form. As long as he was interested in women, no matter how strong he was, Hancock's Love-Love Fruit power should be effective on him.

"Arton, you might have some resistance when it comes to other enemy women," Hancock mused, "but don't think for a moment you can resist me."

Standing on the deck of the Kuja Pirate Ship, Hancock glanced at Arton's Diary Copy floating beside her, gazing off into the distance.

"If you really do reveal that…"

She pictured how everything would unravel if the fact that she and her sisters had once been Celestial Dragon slaves was exposed. Her fists clenched involuntarily.

"Then everyone who learns our secret… Everyone holding a Diary Copy… Will have to die!"

At that moment, Hancock failed to notice the figure up in the Kuja crew's crow's nest—Ran, the sniper, who happened to spot a faint, glimmering reflection she recognized all too well. Lowering her gaze, she blinked—and then her eyes widened in shock.

"That's… Arton's Diary Copy?!"

Ran's heart thumped in alarm.

***

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