The Devastating Blow to His Spirit

"How is Zephyr?" Garp returned from the East Blue as quickly as possible after the incident.

Kuzan and Sakazuki sat outside the medical room waiting.

Two Admiral were waiting outside; only Zephyr had that qualification.

Various high-ranking naval officers have visited him in recent days, but they all have many things to attend to.

"His right arm was broken, and three classes of students were wiped out. The teacher's spirit was also severely damaged." Aokiji's lazy expression changed to a serious one.

In a daze, he seemed to have returned to the past, to the Kuzan believed in "burning justice".

For the sake of justice and for the sake of his mission, he even killed his own friend Saron without hesitation.

Zephyr was his teacher, and someone he considered like a father figure. He couldn't forgive him for such a devastating blow, and whoever it was had to pay the price.

Burning justice never forgives its enemies.

"The teacher was filled with remorse. After regaining his senses, he believed that everything was his fault. To atone for his sins, he attempted suicide three times. If he hadn't been discovered in time..." Akainu's face was cold, and his killing intent was boiling.

Despite his tragic childhood, Zephyr has always been the most important person to him, aside from the Navy and justice.

Although he did not agree with Zephyr's sense of justice, believing that he was too soft-hearted and that his attitude towards justice was completely extreme.

But no matter what, they are all from the Navy, they all represent justice, and they share the same stance.

Moreover, Zephyr was his teacher, imparting knowledge to him, and Haki.

Originally, Zephyr's blow wouldn't have been this great. However, years ago, Mostima almost wiped out an entire class of naval cadets by himself, with only a few surviving. Now, Edward Weevil has wiped out the entire naval cadet training team, including three classes of elite cadets from headquarters.

Twice in a row, the interns suffered heavy losses, both times under Zephyr's care, which dealt a tremendous blow to Zephyr.

Because they care, they grieve even more; because they are strong, their will is extremely firm, and once they have made up their minds about something, they will not change their minds.

The recruits he considered his sons and daughters were killed right before his eyes, twice in a row. Coupled with the deaths of his own family members in the past, Zephyr was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

The feeling of powerlessness filled him with utter despair.

"Maybe I'm just a piece of trash." This is a sentence that Zephyr has been repeating to himself these days. For a top-level powerhouse to say such a thing is unimaginable.

This also shows just how devastating the blow was to Zephyr.

Such an ordeal is a huge blow to the Marine Headquarters, as it's unclear when they will recover. Leaving aside the dead cadets, the Naval Academy also needs Zephyr.

The current Zephyr is simply incapable of performing his previous job.

"How are your injuries now?" Garp cautiously peeked into the medical room through the door and window, but saw nothing. He didn't want to see his old friend like this.

In the past, he would have kicked him in and then pointed at him and laughed at him.

"The physical injuries are alright, the main damage is psychological," Kuzan slightly. "Unfortunately, that arm couldn't be reattached because it wasn't done in time."

Losing an arm would significantly reduce the combat power of a top-tier powerhouse like Zephyr, especially since the right arm is far more important.

Due to his mental state, Zephyr has suffered a mental breakdown and has not yet recovered.

Physical condition is also affected to some extent, becoming weaker, and if it doesn't recover quickly, the rate of decline will accelerate.

After much hesitation, Garp finally made up his mind, gently knocked on the door twice, and slowly pushed it open to go inside.

Zephyr's eyes were lifeless; indignation, regret, and remorse filled his mind.

Even Garp didn't notice when he came in, which shows how devastating this was for Zephyr.

Sora, who was retired at headquarters, sat by the bedside, watching over Zephyr and immediately intervening to stop him if Zephyr did anything irrational.

"Zephyr."

Zephyr only focused for a moment when he heard the sound, then stared blankly at the ceiling again.

"..." Garp opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. In the current situation, Zephyr was clearly not listening to anything. Only time could heal everything.

"You should rest well first. I'll come to see you when I have time."

After Garp finished speaking, he pulled Sora away from the room.

"What exactly is going on?" Garp asked in a low voice.

"It's best not to disturb him. Zephyr isn't recovering so easily. Too much talking will only upset him. Let Zephyr rest for a while longer," Kong advised. Zephyr's condition is very dangerous right now, as evidenced by his three suicide attempts.

To prevent Zephyr from making any irrational moves, he was kept by her side at all times and monitored by surveillance cameras.

"Okay, I'll come back to check again next time. You have high hopes for Zephyr."

"Don't worry, leave it to me." Kong nodded.

He has now lost both arms and is wearing prosthetics made for him by headquarters. He can move them, but he has no sense of touch, and his dexterity is hundreds of miles behind that of mechanical arms, making them difficult to use in combat.

There are absolutely no problems with daily life.

The use of mechanical arms created by the Night Pirates is not a problem for the lower and middle-ranking marines, not only to ensure overall combat strength but also to take morale into account.

However, the Navy's high command cannot do this, as it would undoubtedly be a compromise for the pirates, the Night Pirates, and it's a matter of face.

Moreover, Kong almost died at the hands of the Dark Emperor, and one of his arms was torn apart by Teach.

Furthermore, it's unknown whether the Night Pirates have placed any secret devices in their mechanical arms. This is something the Navy needs to be wary of, as access to important headquarters locations is generally restricted for Navy personnel with mechanical arms.

This is something that must be done.

Similarly, Zephyr did not allow the use of the mechanical arms created by the Night Pirates, even though the mechanical arms would enhance his own strength.

Unlike Sora, Zephyr still had his upper arm, so he didn't have the same difficulties as Sora, and the prosthetic he created was still operable.

The Naval Science Department will also do its best to enhance Zephyr's combat capabilities. Although they were unable to decipher the life-mechanical technology of the Night Pirates' mechanical arms, they did manage to develop some things. The intricate structure of the mechanical arms gave them some inspiration, allowing them to create better prosthetics.

Preparations have already begun.

"How are those pirates doing now?" Back in the medical room, Garp felt a surge of anger that he wanted to vent, seeing his old friend of decades in this state.

"The Marshal has organized a purge of the pirates involved, which will take some time." Sakazuki was very familiar with this kind of thing.

The day after the incident ended, Sengoku began to dispatch personnel and mobilize the navy from various branches.

The Navy must make its stance clear to the outside world regarding this incident, otherwise the situation will only become more unfavorable.

The navy is the one that will suffer; if they don't stop it, the pirates will only become more and more arrogant.

Pirates on the Grand Line are now putting pressure on the Navy.

"Where are those pirates?"

Sakazuki naturally knew what Garp was asking, and was also somewhat unwilling, "Those three pirates disappeared, decisively divided up a fortune, and disbanded their pirate crew. Our intelligence agents couldn't find any trace of them."

"However, based on some clues, these three pirates are likely backed by someone who placed them on this island. They may appear to have some conflicts, but they are actually connected in secret." As he said this, a sinister glint flashed in Sakazuki's eyes.

"It's possible that someone is secretly orchestrating this incident. The mysterious disappearance of these three pirates makes this speculation more plausible, but there's no evidence. All we can find are some undamaged stolen goods underground."

"They could even be silenced."

If Doflamingo knew about the Navy's speculation, it would be a huge injustice. Of course, he was involved in this matter no matter what.

As for silencing them, if this operation was indeed part of his plan, then there is a real possibility of silencing them, but that's not the case. He didn't intend to kill them, or he could certainly bring them greater value.

He also decided to have his three subordinates unite and form a pirate crew after arriving in the New World. With their current reputation, a pirate crew could be rebuilt quickly. If Doflamingo provided them with Devil Fruit to help them improve their strength, they would have no problem establishing themselves in a small area of New World.

Hiding them would be a waste of their talents, and hiding them under his own power would make them easy to expose. Once exposed, he would inevitably be implicated in the incident, which was something he didn't want to see.

Of course, they need to guard against attacks from the Navy, since the Navy and the World Government previously dispatched a powerful force to raid the Bondy Pirates' territory, leading to the Bondy Pirates' annihilation.

If they were shameless, they could easily do that without suffering any significant losses.

However, based on Doflamingo's understanding of the Navy, he felt the chances of it happening were slim. Once was enough; pirates have their limits, especially pirates who have grown to this extent.

What the navy can do, pirates can do as well, and even more ruthlessly.

However, just in case they suffer destruction and their own power is weakened, they still need a powerful backer.

A powerful backer that the Marine Headquarters fears, and also someone of value.

This happened later, but he had already begun planning and had chosen his targets.

"As for that Whitebeard II, headquarters has some leads about him, but his exact location cannot be confirmed. They are also on the run, and they are running very fast."

Knowing that she and Weevil were being watched by the Navy, Bakin fled overnight, specifically through uninhabited islands. She had her own connections, which she had kept hidden for years, and was very familiar with this kind of thing.

Even for the navy, finding them in a short time would be difficult.

If they really wanted to hide, they could hide for several years without being caught.

The New World was also their goal, but their approach differed from that of the three pirates.

On a Red Line near the Calm Belt, a gigantic figure is climbing ever upwards.

"Son, hang in there! When you get to the New World, you can eat whatever you want!"

Bakin sat on Weevil's shoulders, on Weevil back sat a large bag of treasure, all the products of her trade, which she was not about to easily abandon.

Fisher Tiger could traverse the 10,000-meter-high Red Line by himself, Weevil could certainly do the same, and he would be even stronger.

Traveling to the New World via Fish-Man Island is extremely difficult, and now a Marine Vice Admiral is stationed in the Sabaody Archipelago. The G1 to G3 Branch in the New World have also increased their patrols of the surrounding waters.

Several pirate crews traveling from the Grand Line through Fish-Man Island to the New World encountered the Marines, and battles ensued.

"Mom! I will try my best! Those damned navy, how dare they chase us down! Next time we encounter them, we must kill them!"

"Mom! You agree now, right?"

Weevil climbed with a furious expression. Because he hadn't been able to eat a proper meal due to being hunted by the Navy, Weevil transferred all his hatred onto the Navy.

"That's right! We're enemies now, but don't offend them easily if no one comes looking for us. Maybe we can become allies in the future." Bakin's face was cunning; after all, the title of Shichibukai was very attractive to her.

After all, legal plunder is so convenient, and you don't have to worry about being hunted down by the navy.

Currently, there are only five Shichibukai. The newly emerged Pirate Empress Boa Hancock possesses immense strength. As the Queen of Amazon Lily Amazon, she earned a bounty of 200 million Beli as soon as she set sail, demonstrating strength surpassing that of the Grand Line pirates.

With stunning beauty, formidable strength, and the potential to become a king, at only twenty-one years old, she easily defeated a Marine Vice Admiral who came to capture her, leaving the entire navy petrified.

While the title of "Pirate Empress" may be somewhat exaggerated, it does highlight her immense potential.

The World Economic News also has a section that uses the amount of the bounty to differentiate the strength of various powerful individuals, based solely on individual ability and without considering other factors.

The bounty is set based on performance and achievements, and is updated constantly. If anyone is dissatisfied, they can file a complaint and make suggestions for changes, allowing countless people to participate.

It includes not only pirates, but also the navy and strong civilians; there is no division based on faction.

Edward Weevil's bounty is a staggering 1.5 billion Beli.

Hancock, on the other hand, has a bounty of 500 million Beli.

However, the possibility is probably slim. After all, what Weevil did had too great an impact, and the Navy would never accept them as Shichibukai. This would be considered a grave offense.

In Bakin's eyes, however, it was all about self-interest. If there were enough leverage, cooperating with the navy was not a problem. Of course, he had to be wary of whether it was a trap set by the navy and whether he would be sold out.

"My fingers hurt so much!" Weevil cried out in pain, his hands raw and chafed from rock climbing.

"Don't worry, my darling son, we'll be on the Red Line soon, then you can rest properly. Don't you want to eat delicious food? I'll take you to the Combat Pyramid, where there are countless delicacies to satisfy your cravings!" Bakin tempted.

"Really!" Even Weevil's barren mind knew that the Combat Pyramid had countless delicacies, and he had even drooled while watching the videos.

"I need to get to the New World quickly!" Instantly, Weevil felt his body fill with power and quickened his climbing speed.

Bakin Jin hadn't planned to go to the New World so soon, but now he had no choice; this was the price of fame.

She set her sights on the Night Pirates. If Weevil's goal was gourmet food, then Bakin's goal was precious jewels and top-tier luxury goods from around the world, all of which were gathered on Pagila Island.

As for the Whitebeard Pirates' territory, she wouldn't go there. She knew that her purpose couldn't be hidden from Whitebeard, and she felt a little guilty and afraid of losing her foothold, which was Weevil.

She would never dare to dart around in Whitebeard 'Whitebeard territory before he died.