"You..." Zephyr looked at Kizaru, who had suddenly appeared, his expression complicated. At his age and with his strength, he naturally wasn't going to be shocked or furious just because Kizaru had shown up without warning.
Zephyr scrutinized Kizaru, then glanced at the composed Aokiji. In his heart, he had already come to believe—or rather, accept—the fact that the World Government had betrayed him and the dead students he had lost.
Along with his anger, he felt an even deeper sorrow.
He couldn't accept the World Government's betrayal. Even harder to accept was the silence from Marine Headquarters.
Even an outsider like Kizaru knew about it. Could Sengoku and the others at Marine Headquarters, along with his first disciples, Akainu and Kizaru, really have heard nothing?
Even now, he hadn't received a single notice from Marine Headquarters. He had taught so many students—was there not one person willing to tell their teacher?
Did no one care about the dead naval recruits aboard that ship, those vibrant lives snuffed out?
That was what truly filled Zephyr with grief and rage. He had never placed his hopes in the World Government, but the Marines—the only family he had ever known, to which he had devoted his entire life—had betrayed him too. It was as if a sharp blade had plunged into his already shattered heart.
After suffering the greatest betrayal, Zephyr fell silent. His utterly broken heart became fuel for a blazing fire, propping up his body, which had been nearing its end. He raised his head and looked at Kizaru again. His sunglasses couldn't hide the sharp gleam in his eyes. "I'm grateful for the information you brought me, but I don't have the energy to take part in Aokiji's proposal. I have only one goal now: revenge against the pirates!"