Where the Heart Finds Peace Is Home

Long Yi knew Marine Headquarters would send someone to bring him back, but he never imagined it would be Zephyr.

As a former Navy Admiral and the current chief instructor of the naval academy, Zephyr held no lowly position within the Navy. By all rights, such a task should never have fallen to him.

Zephyr did not hide the reason. He told Long Yi outright that Karp had asked him to come to North Blue. Though the old man was casual about it, hearing him call Karp "that old bastard" again and again made Long Yi's eye twitch.

Long Yi felt a little awkward. He wanted to symbolically defend his teacher's dignity before Zephyr, but the moment he remembered Karp's usual lack of seriousness, the thought quietly vanished.

"Master Karp, it's not that I don't respect you. It's just that I can't beat him yet. Please don't blame me."

After silently repeating those words to comfort himself, Long Yi cast aside his distractions and steadied his mind. He began to carefully examine this old Navy soldier, whose achievements were no less than Karp's.

As Long Yi looked at Zephyr, Zephyr happened to be carefully studying Long Yi as well.

The old man and the youth said nothing, simply staring at each other for a long while.

Ain wore a helpless expression. She gently sheathed her sword and did not disturb the old man and the youth. Instead, she turned her attention to Fujitora, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground.

At first, Ain had not paid much attention to the silent blind swordsman. But after taking a closer look, her graceful body involuntarily shivered.

"So strong!"

The silent Fujitora was like a dormant volcano. His sharpness was usually hidden, but once he erupted, it would shatter stone and split the earth!

"Hello."

Sensing the gaze upon him, Fujitora smiled in Ain's direction, his reserved manner carrying a faint trace of distance.

"Hello, Master Swordsman."

Ain herself was a rare female master swordsman and was exceptionally sensitive to the aura of the strong.

Fujitora had concealed himself well. Ordinary people could not sense what kind of power he held within him, but someone as capable as her could feel it clearly.

This was someone even stronger than Teacher Zephyr.

"But how could someone this strong be hanging around with that brat?"

Thinking of this, Ain secretly glanced at Long Yi, who was still locked in a staring contest with Zephyr. She suddenly became curious about just how many secrets that boy was hiding.

Having grasped part of Observation Haki, Long Yi was extremely sensitive to others' gazes. Sensing Ain's covert look, something stirred in his heart. He suddenly turned and smiled at her, his reaction looking remarkably like Fujitora's earlier.

Caught by Long Yi's gaze, Ain panicked for no reason. A moment later, she forcefully suppressed her turbulent emotions and muttered softly.

"One big and one small—both monsters."

After more than half a year, Long Yi boarded Zephyr's ship and left North Blue with a fearsome reputation.

Resisting mountain bandits in Crocker Town, hunting pirates in Ulabia City, and fighting desperately outside Guya Village all seemed like nothing more than a dream. If not for the blood he had shed and the tangible scars on his body, even Long Yi would not have imagined that he had done so much in half a year.

The Navy flag fluttered in the wind. Tightening the collar of his uniform, Long Yi stared blankly at the azure sea.

To him, North Blue was only the beginning.

"What? Can't bear to leave?"

Fujitora came up beside Long Yi, sensing the youth's emotions through Observation Haki as he spoke.

"Of course not. What is there for me to miss? My home and village were gone long ago, and I've already had my revenge. There's nothing left in North Blue for me to worry about."

Long Yi spoke calmly, but Fujitora heard a trace of inexplicable sorrow.

"Where the heart finds peace, there lies home."

As though moved by something, Fujitora gently stroked his cane sword and murmured under the sea breeze.

Long Yi lightly shook his head and did not respond. He merely looked silently at the broad-built, desolate-looking blind man, the corners of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile.

"Still, I didn't expect you to come along, Uncle Fujitora."

Hearing Long Yi's words, Fujitora laughed heartily, and the bleakness around him vanished completely. He gazed freely into the distance, then gave Long Yi a light knock on the head as he laughed and scolded him.

"Stop testing me. I'm not a deeply scheming brat like you. I've always gone wherever life takes me. Traveling with you is simply because our fate has not yet run its course."

Long Yi rolled his eyes speechlessly, but he was genuinely happy. He joked, "Then let it remain unfinished. With the friendship between us, why stand on ceremony? With you backing me up, Uncle Fujitora, I wouldn't be afraid even if we went to Marineford—let alone the holy land of Mary Geoise."

Though he was joking, how could Long Yi not understand what this uncle, who had drifted through life for most of his years, was thinking? Long Yi had merely stirred something in Fujitora, making him develop the desire to fulfill his ambitions and uphold the justice in his heart years earlier.

Originally, Fujitora would not have joined the Navy through the worldwide conscription until after the Marineford War. Although Long Yi's appearance had altered the course of his fate and caused that idea to arise several years early, it would only benefit the Navy's side.

After all, one could never have too much Admiral-level combat power.

"Mary Geoise... We'll see. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to protect you completely."

It had only been a joke, but Fujitora took it seriously. Frowning, he answered in a rather solemn tone.

Seeing Fujitora's reaction, Long Yi could not help curling his lips. He quickly waved his hand.

"Alright, alright, I was just saying. Even if I go to Mary Geoise in the future, it'll be to learn swordsmanship and reap some benefits. If a random wall collapsed in that damned place, it could crush seven or eight Celestial Dragons to death. I'm timid—I wouldn't dare go looking for trouble."

After hearing Long Yi's words, the furrow between Fujitora's brows eased, though his expression became faintly amused.

"Is that so? Not necessarily."

As Fujitora chatted with Long Yi on the deck, Ain, standing some distance away, grew increasingly uneasy.

Long Yi was one thing. No matter how ruthless he was, he was only a fledgling brat with limited strength. At the end of the day, he was the disciple of Navy hero Karp and one of the Navy.

But Fujitora was different. He was someone even Teacher Zephyr might not be able to handle. Powerful people of unknown origins were the most dangerous!

"Don't worry, Ain."

Leaning against the warship's railing with a cigar between his teeth, Zephyr looked relaxed and at ease, showing no sign of regarding Fujitora as a threat.

"Teacher Zephyr! He's an Admiral-level powerhouse!"

Ain wanted to say more, but Zephyr raised a hand to stop her.

He smiled at Long Yi with the expression of someone who had found a treasure. Taking a satisfied puff of his cigar, the purple-gray-haired old man seemed to be asking Ain beside him, yet also speaking to himself.

"That brat has already learned Observation Haki. The only thing I can offer him is Armament Haki."