《One Piece: Rising》Chapter 21: Zephyr: He Will Be an Outstanding Leader!

As Xayuki departed, the conference hall rapidly emptied until only Sengoku and Sakazuki remained.

"Sakazuki, tell me what truly drives your decision."

Sengoku spoke without turning, his back still to the Admiral as if he had anticipated this private moment. "Consider carefully—Xayuki's ambitions extend far beyond the Fleet Admiral's position. Are you prepared to follow this path to its conclusion, wherever it may lead?"

Sakazuki nodded with characteristic decisiveness. "Before entering this room, I harbored doubts. But after learning about Imu—this shadow ruler hidden within the Holy Land—I'm convinced my choice is correct."

Sengoku's brow furrowed deeply. "Imu's existence remains merely Xayuki's assertion. It's premature to accept such claims as fact."

Without hesitation, Sakazuki replied firmly: "I believe him."

With that declaration, he turned and strode toward the exit. At the threshold, he paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Even if Imu were merely a fabrication, my decision would stand unchanged. Xayuki has given me something the Marines never could—the chance to fulfill my filial duty and experience the joy of my mother's presence in her final years."

At this revelation, Sengoku spun around, his eyes widening. "The elderly woman Xayuki has been caring for these past three years... she's your mother?"

Sakazuki offered no response. Without another word, he stepped through the doorway and was gone.

Watching the Admiral's retreating figure, Sengoku shook his head with a bitter smile. "What masterful strategy, Xayuki. You identified Sakazuki's sole vulnerability and exploited it perfectly."

After a contemplative pause, Sengoku surveyed the empty conference hall before walking deliberately to the window. From this vantage point, he gazed down upon Marineford Plaza, brilliantly illuminated despite the late hour.

The plaza had fallen silent. Thousands of Marines stood in disciplined formation, awaiting the arrival of their new commander.

Just then, Xayuki emerged from headquarters with his entourage. Flanked by Gion and his other supporters, the young officer moved with purpose toward the assembled forces.

As Sengoku observed the distant figure, an unexpected sentiment stirred within him—a reluctant curiosity about how far this exceptional young man might rise. If the Holy Land chose pragmatism over pride and recognized Xayuki's authority, perhaps he could indeed secure greater autonomy for the Marines. Perhaps he could free their concept of justice from the constraints that had bound it for centuries.

As Fleet Admiral, Sengoku understood all too well that the World Government had strayed from its founding principles. The Celestial Dragons, self-proclaimed descendants of the creators, had grown increasingly corrupt and tyrannical. Their "divine privileges" had become license for unconscionable acts—casual murder, abduction, enslavement—all conducted with absolute impunity.

When such atrocities occurred, the Marines were expected not only to ensure the Dragons' safety but to abandon any notion of protecting their victims. Justice became a hollow concept when applied selectively.

As Xayuki had so boldly stated, true justice could never flourish while the Celestial Dragons maintained their stranglehold over the World Government.

Sengoku understood this truth intimately. Yet he had never found the courage to challenge the established order.

Such defiance would inevitably trigger catastrophic upheaval throughout the world. More importantly, the World Government's eight-century reign suggested deeper foundations than mere tyranny. Sengoku had always believed his duty was to work within the system, extending the reach of justice as far as possible without shattering the fragile global equilibrium.

As Xayuki and his followers disappeared into the night, Sengoku sighed softly. "Throughout history, glory has always belonged to the young. I, too, once burned with such ambition..."

Before he could complete his thought, Sengoku's expression shifted abruptly. He turned sharply toward the entrance.

Three figures stood silhouetted in the doorway.

At their fore was none other than former Marine Admiral Zephyr, once known throughout the seas as "Black Arm."

Behind him stood two younger officers—one male, one female.

The young man was Binz, clad in his distinctive eccentric attire, a user of the Grow-Grow Fruit and Zephyr's trusted protégé.

The woman was Ain, her blue cape contrasting with her sharp black heels, her eyes carrying a profound melancholy, as though she had recently witnessed something that had shaken her to her core.

"Zephyr?"

Surprised by this unexpected appearance, Sengoku moved quickly to greet them, concern evident in his voice. "Why have you come? Your arm—"

His gaze instinctively dropped to Zephyr's right side, where his arm had once been.

Zephyr raised his remaining hand to touch the empty sleeve and spoke with resigned calm. "Don't worry yourself. Three years is ample time to adjust to such things. Though I wouldn't object if you urged the Science Division to expedite that mechanical prosthesis they've been promising."

Sengoku hesitated, words failing him.

Seeming to read Sengoku's thoughts, Zephyr walked directly to the conference table, pulled out a chair, and seated himself. Looking up at his former colleague, he added with subtle irony, "Ah, but I've forgotten—you're no longer in a position to issue such orders. Still, even without your title, the Science Division might accommodate an old friend's request."

"What?"

Sengoku's eyes narrowed as realization dawned. "You show no surprise at tonight's events. Did you—did you know about Xayuki's coup in advance?"

Zephyr smiled faintly and nodded. "He was my student, after all."

At this confirmation, Sengoku shook his head in resignation. "So you've truly abandoned all faith in the Marines."

"Yes."

Zephyr glanced toward his two students standing silently by the door, his voice carrying an undercurrent of long-harbored resentment. "If not for Xayuki, I might have already established my own vision of what the Marines should be."

"The incident three years ago—when pirates attacked our training vessel and dozens of promising young officers were slaughtered—extinguished my last hope for this institution."

Sengoku's expression tightened as he quickly interjected, "I haven't forgotten that tragedy."

"Haven't forgotten?" Zephyr surged to his feet, emotion breaking through his composure. "Dozens of young Marines—the future of our organization—perished at sea! As Fleet Admiral, your duty was clear: deploy every available resource to hunt down the perpetrators and execute them publicly. Only such decisive action could deter those who would target Marines, honor the fallen, and reassure the living that their sacrifice in the name of justice would never be in vain!"

His voice rose with each word. "But you did nothing! And in these three years of inaction, it wasn't my heart you betrayed—"

Zephyr gestured toward Ain and Binz. "It was theirs. And the hearts of every young officer who still believed the Marines stood for something greater than political expediency!"

Sensing his emotions threatening to overwhelm him, Zephyr paused, drew a steadying breath, and lowered himself back into his seat. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter but no less intense. "Sengoku, you've grown old. We both have. Perhaps too old to remember what it means to fight for true justice."

Sengoku remained silent, his expression a complex mixture of guilt and resignation.

The attack on the training vessel three years prior—a massacre that had claimed dozens of promising young officers—was indeed seared into his memory. He had assigned resources to tracking the perpetrators, but never with the urgency or scale that Zephyr had demanded.

He offered no defense. As Fleet Admiral, his responsibilities extended far beyond avenging a single attack, no matter how heinous. The deployment of Admirals required strategic consideration of global threats, not emotional responses to personal vendettas.

Yet Zephyr's accusation struck at a painful truth. The failure to deliver justice for those fallen officers represented a significant failure of leadership—one that had driven a wedge between Sengoku and one of the Marines' greatest heroes.

"I know what you're thinking."

Observing Sengoku's silence, Zephyr continued, "You assume I support Xayuki because he promised to bring the perpetrators to justice. Let me be clear—Xayuki made no such explicit promise. But I trust that he won't disappoint me."

Turning toward his two loyal students, Zephyr spoke with quiet authority. "Ain, Binz. The die is cast. From this night forward, you will follow Xayuki. He will prove himself an exceptional leader."

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