Ch283 One Piece : Twilight Of Justice

CH283. ONE PIECE : CRIPPLED NAVY

"Kuzan?"

The word hung in the air, sharp and uncertain.

Not long after, the harbor beneath the towering heights of Mary Geoise stirred with quiet tension.

Garp stood beside Aokiji, whose hands rested deep in his coat pockets. His face bore an unreadable calm, though something in his eyes flickered — a storm held back. Garp, slightly taken aback, broke the silence.

"You submitted your speech for Fleet Admiral so soon?"

Aokiji's gaze drifted toward the mist-laced Red Line in the distance. He offered a quiet, almost apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Garp... I know I didn't meet your expectations."

He paused, the weight of his words sinking.

"I just can't remain in a Navy like this. Not anymore."

Garp's deep laugh rolled out, rough and hearty.

"If you've come to this decision after thinking it through... then who am I to stop you?"

He clapped a hand on Aokiji's shoulder.

"But tell me — what now? Where will you go?"

Aokiji exhaled slowly, thoughtful.

"I don't know yet. I gave Marshal Kong my word that I'd stay with the Marines for a little longer. I need time. When I'm ready, I'll decide."

At that very moment, the stillness was broken.

A warship crept into the harbor, its hull slicing through the calm waters.

A tall figure stood at the bow, drawing their eyes immediately.

---

"Zephyr… Sensei…"

The name slipped from Aokiji's lips like a memory resurfacing.

Garp and Aokiji exchanged glances, their expressions tightening. Surprise flickered in their eyes.

They didn't need to say it aloud — both were thinking the same thing.

Is he here… for the same reason?

From the mist, a tall figure emerged onto the dock.

"Garp, Kuzan..."

The voice was calm, but it carried the weight of countless battles and heavier regrets.

He stood with presence — short purple hair, dark shades concealing his eyes, and a physique carved by years of discipline and war.

'Black Arm Zephyr'

He spotted them instantly.

"So, you two are here too," he said in a steady, even tone.

Garp stepped forward. "Zephyr, what are you doing here?"

One word.

One word that cracked through the silence like thunder.

"Resigning..."

His voice was unwavering. Not angry. Not broken. Just… tired.

Zephyr had seen too much, believed too long, and hoped too hard.

The Marines he once trusted had become unrecognizable to him.

"I've made up my mind," he continued, voice low.

"After that incident at Sabaody… I clashed hard with Sengoku. We didn't see eye to eye."

His gaze dropped for a moment.

"Then Marineford Incident happened. He died on the battlefield. That sealed it for me."

He looked out across the sea, the wind tugging gently at his coat.

"I've thought this through. I'm done."

---

He had made up his mind — the Marines, once a beacon of justice, had decayed into nothing more than a puppet of the World Government. Honor had been swallowed by politics. Justice… lost in the fog.

Zephyr's voice was firm, unwavering.

"Leave the Marines behind. They're not what they used to be. Take those students who still believe, those brave enough to follow you — and forge your own path. Build a force of real justice."

His eyes flared with conviction.

"Keep fighting the scourge. Wipe out those damn pirates. But do it your way. Uphold your own justice."

A heavy silence followed.

Aokiji stood still. No words. Just a long, thoughtful pause.

Garp finally broke the silence with a sigh and a wry smile.

"So, Aokiji not only turned down the title of Marshal… but he's actually stepping down altogether?"

Far away, high in the grandeur of Pongol Castle — an awe-inspiring structure of power and reverence — the news spread like wildfire.

Inside its cathedral-like halls, beneath the watchful eyes of the Five Elders, an urgent report echoed.

Kong, the supreme commander of the armed forces, stood before them.

"Aokiji has declined the position of Fleet Admiral… and has given his resignation."

The room chilled.

Faces turned stern. Anger, disbelief passed through their expression.

They hadn't expected this.

They never thought someone like Aokiji — calm, loyal, dependable — would walk away.

And not just him. Garp had also refused the honor of promotion.

The world was shifting. And the center of power was no longer as stable as it seemed.

---

He didn't just reject the promotion. He handed in his resignation — cold, clean, final.

To the Five Elders, it wasn't just a letter.

It was an open-handed slap across the face.

"Is this defiance?" one of them hissed. "A message to us? Or to the World Government itself?"

Another snarled. "What a fool."

The air in the chamber thickened as — narrowed his eyes with menace.

Saint Topman Warcury, with his looming figure and bristled mustache, added coldly,

"You believe the Marines will fall apart without one man?"

Kong stood before them, the weight of failure dragging in his voice.

"I've tried. Over and over. But his mind is set. I can't stop him."

Kong didn't need to say more.

The 5-Elders knew why.

The World Government had blood on its hands — the massacre at Sabaody Archipelago wasn't forgotten. Not by Aokiji and Not by the others.

And now? The cracks were showing.

What began as one man's rebellion was rippling through the ranks.

And it hit the Marines like a tidal wave.

---

If the Summit War had ended in victory, perhaps then... the World Government's crumbling prestige might have risen once more. Maybe then, the world— scarred and skeptical— will have been silenced by awe.

But the scars run deep.

The Marines still limp from the devastation left behind by the Sabaody Archipelago massacre— a wound not yet healed.

Worse still, the battle wasn't fought on some distant shore. It happened in Marineford. Their stronghold. Their home.

Once the symbol of order— now a graveyard of pride.

There, in the heart of these marines, two titans fell: Fleet Admiral Buddha Sengoku and Admiral Akainu.

Struck down before the very eyes of their comrades. Their blood staining Marineford's soil.

Unthinkable. Unprecedented. Unforgivable.

And in the chaos... voices rose.

Blood demon Ren, venom on his tongue, spread doubt like wildfire. His slander cut deeper than blades, poisoning minds.

The impact? Catastrophic.

Discontent festered among the ranks— generals who once stood firm now questioned everything.

And Kong— once the embodiment of duty— found his own resolve wavering.

Even he... could no longer deny the bitter truth:

The World Government's decisions were no longer just flawed—

They were dangerous.

---