"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a Marine Admiral. I've been working hard all these years too."
Zephyr wore a sly expression, a stark contrast to the solemn demeanor expected of an old Marine.
Shanks nodded blankly. Marine Admirals had intelligence networks this formidable?
"Go on."
"Oh, right."
Shanks composed himself. Though he did not know why he felt like a student in front of Zephyr, he was technically a junior, so it was only natural.
"Where should I start? Maybe before the World Government was founded."
"As early as eight hundred years ago, there were legends of Sun God Nika. Some said he was a warrior who brought liberation, while others said he was a warrior who brought destruction. He once fought the War God of the Giants, so let's call him First Nika for now."
"In short, First Nika was incredibly strong—so strong that nearly all legends from that era revolved around him."
"Later, for reasons unknown, Nika became a Devil Fruit: the Nika Fruit."
"Eight hundred years ago, there was a man called Joy Boy. He was the Nika Fruit's user and the greatest enemy of the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. He nearly overturned the Celestial Dragons' rule, but ultimately failed."
"That so-called One Piece was actually a gift Joy Boy left behind."
"Of course, Captain Roger told me that. I've never seen the One Piece myself, so I truly don't know what it is."
"In any case, over these eight hundred years, the World Government had been searching for the Nika Fruit. Yet that fruit seemed to possess a will of its own and had never been found."
"Apparently, in order to conceal itself, the Nika Fruit only possessed the Rubber Ability before awakening. Only after awakening could it reveal its true form."
"Captain Roger said that when they reached the One Piece, they had arrived too early. I don't know whether that 'too early' referred to the Nika Fruit or something else."
"In short, Joy Boy's legacy was there at the One Piece."
At that point, Shanks paused. Garp's brows had already knitted tightly together, while Zephyr's expression remained hidden behind his sunglasses.
The Nika Fruit was considered Captain Roger's final wish. He had wanted his child to see the scenery he himself had never seen.
But that was only a wish. Captain Roger hoped his child would obtain the One Piece, but hope did not mean there was only one possibility.
With a single call to go and search for it, Roger had given every pirate a goal.
Shanks had merely wanted to lend his captain a hand and see whether his captain's child—his "younger brother"—was that person.
But now, Shanks had never expected that person to be Garp!
It was strangely reasonable, though. After all, Garp and Captain Roger had fought each other for a lifetime.
It was said that when they retreated back then, Captain Roger and the others had not forgotten to bring Garp along with them.
Since that was the case, Shanks was willing to share some intelligence with these two senior figures.
After all, Garp had already eaten the Nika Fruit. Even if he wanted to keep acting shamelessly, the World Government would no longer tolerate him.
Shanks had his own little calculations as well.
He had become a pirate because he inherited Captain Roger's freedom, but what Shanks truly wanted was to escape the "bloodline" within him.
"Enemies understand each other best, so by chance, I infiltrated Mary Geoise, obtained information on the Nika Fruit, and escaped."
"Originally, I planned to let the captain's son try it. I never expected it to be you, Mr. Garp."
Shanks shook his head, his final words carrying a faint melancholy.
Meanwhile, Garp had nearly been overwhelmed by the flood of information and was completely dazed.
"Hey, Zephyr, what did this kid just say? Why can't I really understand any of it?"
"He said that the One Piece Roger found was left behind by Joy Boy, a former enemy of the World Government. Joy Boy was the previous user of the Nika Fruit, and now you have obtained Joy Boy's Devil Fruit power."
"Uh..."
Garp blinked blankly, only then realizing the severity of the situation.
By that logic... he was now the World Government's great enemy!?
"Puhahahaha!" Garp burst into laughter. "Interesting! This is really interesting!"
Zephyr smiled. "It is indeed interesting. I truly never expected something like this to happen when I was planning to break away from the World Government."
"What!" Shanks became alert.
"Break away from the World Government!?" Garp's laughter abruptly vanished as he looked at Zephyr. "Hey, Zephyr, could it be that you..."
"Garp, the World Government cannot uphold the banner of justice. Since that is the case, why can't we truly uphold justice ourselves?"
Zephyr's words immediately silenced Garp, leaving him speechless and deep in thought.
"Justice... justice..."
Shanks blinked in confusion, looking at Garp and then Zephyr. Wild delight surged within him before he forcefully suppressed it.
"Senior gentlemen, are you planning to sail out and become pirates?"
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely not!"
Garp and Zephyr refuted him at once, spraying Shanks with saliva.
"Ahaha." Shanks awkwardly wiped his face. What a pity...
"What I want to form is a new Marine force—the Neo Marines. A force that can truly carry out justice across these seas and bring all evil to justice."
"Originally, I planned to work on it myself first and tell you once I had achieved something. But now seems to be the right time."
"Garp, do you want to do something big with me? Your identity is rather hard to explain now~"
Zephyr's teasing made Garp grind his teeth.
"Zephyr, you bastard... Let me think about it for a few days."
"Fine." Zephyr nodded. It was not easy to abandon convictions he had held for decades. If only Garp could see the future as well.
Wait, this seemed to...
Zephyr had an idea, then turned his gaze toward the still somewhat awkward Shanks.
"Hey, kid. Are you interested in becoming a member of the Neo Marines?"
"Huh? Me?"
Shanks pointed at himself in confusion.
"Um, Mr. Zephyr, I'm a pirate."
"I know. But I also know that pirates differ from pirates, and Marines differ from Marines."
"Someone once told me that it was necessary to unite every force that could be united."
"Besides, why did you become a pirate?"
"Uh, freedom?"
Shanks answered weakly. In truth, he did not dislike the idea of justice. After all, he had inherited one principle from Captain Roger—never harm civilians.
"Then what freedom does a pirate who cannot become a Marine have?"
Zephyr's words sent Shanks's mind racing.
He thought and thought again, but Shanks still could not quite understand what those words meant.
"Mr. Zephyr, could you say that again?"
"How can a pirate who cannot become a Marine be considered free?"
Shanks fell silent. He thought again, fell silent again, and then said nothing for a long while.
"Wait!"
But after hearing Zephyr's words, Garp suddenly had an idea.
"Zephyr, you mean I can be a Marine and also be part of the Neo Marines, right?"
"Of course."
Zephyr nodded with a smile. His old friend was remarkably quick-witted when it came to this sort of thing.
"Then there's no problem. Zephyr, I'll join your Neo Marines."
Garp's familiar laughter returned. Wouldn't it have been enough to say so from the start?
Then the two old men turned their eyes toward Shanks.
"Kid, what do you say now?"
"Uh." Shanks raised his hands in surrender. "Let's make this clear first. I can still be a pirate and then join the Neo Marines, right?"
Zephyr nodded. "For now, yes. But in the future, so-called pirates might need a different title."
"I see..." Shanks smiled, then quickly nodded. "All right, then."
"If I don't do it, you might beat me up badly, right?"
Shanks looked slightly troubled, but he did not particularly resist. After all, what Zephyr wanted to do more or less aligned with his own intentions.
Zephyr nodded. This kid was not stupid either.
"Now there's only one thing left. Red-Haired kid, you said you wanted Roger's son to try the Nika Fruit, so why did you come to Foosha Village? Isn't this Garp's hometown?"
Though he appeared to be questioning Shanks, Zephyr's gaze was fixed on Garp.
Garp froze, instantly breaking out in a cold sweat.
Oh no!
Before you continue