Chapter 61: The Dilemma of Justice

Marineford Military Academy, dormitory building.

The moment Sephiroth opened his dormitory door, he noticed the air inside was thick with the heavy scent of cigars, white smoke billowing and obscuring his vision. Amidst the plumes of smoke, Smoker lay sprawled on his bed, two cigars dangling from his mouth, looking like a salted fish that had been seasoned—limp and helpless. On the bedside table, the ashtray was overflowing with cigar butts, even spilling onto the cabinet.

"You didn't just lie in bed and do nothing this whole holiday, did you?" Sephiroth said, his tone a mix of amusement and slight weariness, as he walked to the window and pushed it wide open. A gust of cold wind mixed with white snowflakes immediately blew into the room. Unbeknownst to him, Marineford had transitioned from summer to winter, with the year's end drawing closer.

"What else would I do?" Smoker replied without opening his eyes, his voice muffled by the cigars. "The holiday is only a month, it's not like I can go back to my hometown in East Blue, right?"

"That's true," Sephiroth agreed, glancing at the chaotic state of the room.

"You don't have a new sword? Why don't you throw away that broken sword on the table? Are you planning to keep using it?" Smoker finally opened his eyes, pointing at the worn-looking Autumn Leaf Blade.

Hearing this, Sephiroth looked at the Autumn Leaf Blade he had placed on the sword stand on his desk. He reached out and gently caressed its hilt, as if stroking an old friend, sighing softly: "After all, this is the first famous sword I ever used, and I've used it for so long, so it's hard not to feel attached... Even though I can't use it to fight anymore, it feels a bit wasteful to throw it away." There was a trace of sadness in his voice.

"Then you can consider discarding the rusted part and making it into a short sword. Then you can continue to use it." Smoker suggested, his eyes still closed.

"Short sword... What would I need that for? To cut cigars?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, looking at him with amusement.

"That's an option!" Smoker propped up his upper body lazily, took the two almost-finished cigars from his mouth, and reached for the cigar box on the bedside table to grab two more, but found the box empty. A small expression of annoyance appeared on his face.

"I bought some high-quality ones in the Sabaody Archipelago. Want to try them? Ten thousand Berries a box." As he spoke, Sephiroth placed a beautifully packaged bag on the bedside table.

"Ten thousand Berries? That's almost my monthly salary," Smoker grumbled, yet his hands didn't hesitate. He immediately tore open the exquisite packaging, took out two cigars with a richer aroma, lit them, and put them in his mouth. He exhaled in relief.

"Just catch a few pirates. Isn't it easy to crush those small pirates with your Logia ability?" Sephiroth smirked.

"If it's just for money, I'd rather be a bounty hunter," Smoker began, cigar smoke billowing from his mouth, his tone now more serious. "Actually... Lately, I've been thinking, should I stay in the Marines... Upholding justice...? Then why should we Marines be dogs for the Celestial Dragons? Even Marineford's highest combat power, the three Admirals, have to take turns being stationed at Mary Geoise for long periods to protect those people... Besides, what those Celestial Dragons do is truly disgusting..." There was a clear tone of frustration in his voice, a dilemma that often haunted true soldiers of the Navy.

After casually tossing his suitcase under the bed, Sephiroth pulled up a chair, sat down, and lit a cigar for himself, joining in the smoking.

"That's a decision you have to make yourself..." Smoker stared at the ceiling, his eyes distant. "The Marines are an organization under the World Government. It's natural for them to prioritize the interests of the Celestial Dragons. It's like you're a Boss, you hire a bodyguard who has a lot of money, but that bodyguard doesn't listen to you, would you still employ him? However, the Marines aren't entirely useless. They maintain order at sea, capture pirates, and protect civilians... Everything has two sides, how you see and accept it is up to you." Smoker said nothing more, but a serious expression appeared on his face, as if contemplating the core of the "justice" they upheld.

"It's boring just staying in the dormitory, want to go to the training ground and exercise..." Sephiroth tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

"No, not interested!" Smoker refused without thinking, his voice firm. He still lay on the bed smoking, with no intention of getting up whatsoever.

"Alright! Then you keep doing nothing..." Sephiroth shrugged. He took out low-purity Seastone shackles from his locker and put them on his left wrist. After changing into a short-sleeved summer Marine uniform—a stark contrast to the cold weather—he casually left the dormitory building and walked towards the training ground.

During his round trip to Water 7, apart from his daily sword training, he basically hadn't exercised properly. This was especially true when he was with the Boa Sisters—a time that was both energy-draining and memorable. Therefore, he had recently felt his body's reactions become a little slower, something he had to fix immediately.

At the Marine Academy training ground, white snowflakes fell from the sky, covering the entire world with a silent silver blanket.

"932!" "933!" "934!"

Sephiroth did push-ups, his hands firmly planted on the ground, one after another. Sweat dripped from the tip of his nose onto the ground, slowly melting small holes in the accumulated snow. Plumes of white mist billowed from his body, a sign of his drastically increased body temperature. Under long-term "devilish" training, his body was no longer weak as before. Beneath his Marine uniform lay well-formed muscles, full of explosive power and the beauty of strength, yet not looking bloated or cumbersome.

After wearing them for this period, he had gradually adapted to the physical suppression of the low-purity Seastone shackles. Next, he considered whether to switch to high-purity Seastone shackles—a significant challenge. The stronger a Devil Fruit user's power, the less effective Seastone suppression becomes, to the point where they can even ignore the weakening of their stamina. Otherwise, the Queen of the Beasts Pirates wouldn't have bothered injecting a hundred doses of super anesthetic after putting high-purity Seastone shackles on Big Mom Charlotte Linlin...

Therefore, Sephiroth set a long-term goal for himself. He wanted to train his physique until he could use Busoshoku Haki even if he wore Seastone shackles—an ambition almost impossible for most people! Of course, this was a distant goal, and whether it could be achieved was still unknown, but his determination burned brightly.

Tap, tap! Tap, tap! Tap, tap!...

The sound of black high heels stepping on accumulated snow appeared in the silver-haired youth's line of sight. He propped himself up with his hands and looked up, seeing a pair of beautiful, slender legs, and a spider tattoo on the outer side of her right thigh, visible beneath her black shorts. Gion, also known as Momousagi, with a sword hanging at her waist, chuckled softly:

"Hehehe! Little brother Sephiroth, long time no see! Where have you been playing these days?" Her voice was gentle, yet full of authority.

"Back to my hometown, Water 7," Sephiroth replied, not stopping his movements and continuing his push-ups, wanting to show his dedication.

"I heard... you took the Butcher's Blade from Admiral Kong! Are you used to using this sword?" Gion's gaze subconsciously fell on the black-sheathed sword placed in the snow beside the silver-haired youth, a sword that radiated a terrifying aura. She had actually known about this sword for a long time.

When she acquired military service and was promoted to Sergeant, Vice Admiral Tsuru recommended her to the Marine high command, believing that even though she was a woman, she possessed the strength of a Sword Master at a young age and was highly valuable for development. So, Vice Admiral Tsuru took her to the Marine armory so she could choose a famous sword from among many to be her weapon. At that time, Gion's intuition as a swordswoman immediately made her notice the Butcher's Blade which radiated a fierce and ominous aura.

After learning of the Butcher's Blade's unusual nature—a cursed sword that drained its user's vitality—it wasn't that she hadn't thought of trying to tame and control the sword. It was just... When her Busoshoku Haki-coated hand touched the hilt of the sword, the terrifying speed of life force absorption made her instantly give up on using this sword. No matter how great a sword was, in the end it was merely a weapon in the hands of a swordsman! Gion, who considered herself talented and had already become a Sword Master at that time, felt no need to sacrifice her own lifespan to forcibly use that cursed sword and take a shortcut to becoming a Great Swordsman. Even if the sword was comparable to a Supreme Grade Sword!

Vice Admiral Tsuru once told Gion that the last swordsman who could completely control this sword was a Great Swordsman who used two swords decades ago. He clearly had the strength to contend for the title of the World's Greatest Swordsman, but eventually didn't become famous and quickly disappeared in that era! Presumably, that great swordsman who wielded two swords at once was most likely killed by this cursed sword, draining his vitality too quickly.

"This sword is very strong... I haven't fully adapted to it yet," Sephiroth admitted, his breath ragged. After completing a thousand push-ups, he finally let out a long breath, casually picked up the Butcher's Blade from the ground, and stood up. Finally, he clapped his hands, shaking off the dust and snow.

"Listen to your big sister's advice, this cursed sword is too fierce. After you find a replacement, return it to Admiral Kong!" Gion said, her tone full of concern, like an older sister.

"No! I really like this sword... So, I have no intention of returning it," Sephiroth refused firmly, a flash of determination in his eyes.

"Oh dear! ...To become a Great Swordsman, you do need a good sword... But it's no use sacrificing your life to use a cursed sword," Gion sighed, trying to persuade him.

"You're right... You're very reasonable!" Sephiroth nodded in agreement, clearly very receptive to her point of view—in theory.

Hearing this, Gion put her hand to her forehead and sighed softly, defeat in her voice. "Then why don't you hurry and exchange the sword with Admiral Kong..."

"There are many principles in the world... But I don't have to obey all of them!" After speaking, Sephiroth smiled freely, his smile implying a charming rebelliousness. He sheathed the Butcher's Blade at his waist, and turned to leave, clearly not wanting to discuss this matter further with the long-legged old woman who actually cared for him deeply.

"Oh dear! ...Forget it, have it your way!" Gion put her hands on her hips, shaking her head gently. As a friend, she had said what needed to be said. Good advice was hard to give to those determined to destroy themselves... Let him be! Gion thought, though there was a hint of worry in her heart.