Zephyr: How Did Two Sneaky Bastards Set Their Sights on Me?

Listening to Shakky frantically shift the blame onto Rayleigh.

"It seems this old Rayleigh has quite the relationship with you, boss lady!"

"You're protecting him so fiercely. Is he your husband?"

Lin Yan teased with a smile.

Shakky's heart skipped a beat at his words.

Her heart began to race.

A blush rose to the charming face that had retained its allure.

Like a young girl whose secret had been exposed.

"Y-You... don't talk nonsense... What relationship could he and I possibly have..."

Her gaze darted about.

Even her speech was no longer as smooth as before.

"Hahaha, fine. Since you say so, I'd like to hear who this other person is!"

Lin Yan said to Shakky.

"Hmph!"

Shakky suddenly came to her senses and looked at the laughing Lin Yan before her.

She could not help rolling her eyes.

Today.

She had actually been teased by someone decades younger than herself.

Damn it.

Though annoyed.

Shakky composed herself and said, "Black Arm Zephyr. I trust you've heard that name before, haven't you?"

"Zephyr???"

Upon hearing that, Lin Yan abruptly raised his head.

Black Arm Zephyr.

Once one of the World Government's highest-ranking powers, a Marine Headquarters Admiral who had risen alongside Garp and Sengoku. He had earned tremendous prestige across the seas, his name spreading far and wide, pirates trembling at its mention.

Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru, and others had all been students under him.

It could be said.

Zephyr had laid a solid foundation for the Marines' current dominant position over the seas.

In terms of honor.

He was no less renowned than either Hero Garp or Fleet Admiral Sengoku.

Because of his formidable Armament Haki, he had been granted the title "Black Arm."

He had fought countless pirates throughout his life, yet had never killed a single enemy.

He was the former Marine Headquarters Admiral known as "The Unkillable."

Speaking of Zephyr.

He was a man with an exceptionally tragic fate.

His wife and child had been killed in the first half of his life, leaving him to hate pirates beyond measure.

He devoted everything to the Marines in the latter half of his life, only to suffer betrayal at the Marines' hands.

Utterly disheartened.

He resigned from his position as a Marine Admiral.

Just when everyone thought.

The life of this former Marine Admiral had likely come to an end.

He returned with the Neo Marines.

Intent on overturning the entire world!

Of course.

That was something that would happen two years later.

At present, Black Arm Zephyr had only recently left Marine Headquarters.

Lin Yan had not expected.

Shakky to know Zephyr's whereabouts.

"Looks like you're interested."

Seeing the expression on Lin Yan's face, Shakky finally let out a long breath.

"I'm a little interested. Where is he?"

Seeing Shakky's resolute attitude, Lin Yan figured that she would rather die than reveal Rayleigh's whereabouts.

Rather than hang himself from Rayleigh's tree.

He might as well seek another path.

As it happened.

Black Arm Zephyr's status and abilities were in no way inferior to Rayleigh's, and might even surpass his.

At once.

Shakky told Lin Yan everything she knew about Zephyr.

"Mm!"

As Lin Yan listened to the information about Zephyr's whereabouts, he nodded repeatedly.

Come to think of it.

Zephyr had only resigned not long ago, right?

That meant.

Zephyr was a free agent now?

A free agent?

Didn't that mean.

He had a chance to invite him aboard?

After all.

Lin Yan had three missions.

The first was to defeat an elite powerhouse.

The second was to invite an elite powerhouse.

The third was to bring the Seventeenth Division to one hundred members!

Never mind the third mission for now.

Lin Yan could tie both the first and second missions to Zephyr.

At that thought.

It was as though the clouds had parted before Lin Yan's eyes, a sharp gleam shining brilliantly within them.

Zephyr.

You really were a hot commodity!

If Zephyr knew that Lin Yan and Shakky, these two sneaky bastards, were plotting against him right now.

He would probably curse aloud in fury on the spot.

I just left the Marines, and someone's already got their eyes on me?

Don't I have any dignity?

Can't you let me brood properly for a while?

"Then it's settled, boss lady. This intelligence is good!"

"Name your price!"

Lin Yan nodded.

"Hehe, Division Commander, this is our first meeting. Let today's intelligence be my gift to you. What do you think?"

Shakky hurriedly waved her hand, unwilling to let Lin Yan pay.

"Oh? No charge?"

Lin Yan glanced at Shakky.

That completely went against the name of "Shakky's Rip-off Bar"!

The sun truly had risen in the west.

"Mr. Lin, stop looking at me. You should hurry and leave!"

Shakky now wanted Lin Yan gone as soon as possible. What if old Rayleigh came back and ran into him?

To avoid further complications.

This great Buddha should leave already!

Lin Yan naturally saw that Shakky wanted to send him away.

He shook his head with a laugh.

He no longer felt like teasing Shakky.

He immediately left the bar.

And headed toward Zephyr's current secluded residence.

At the bar counter.

Shakky watched Lin Yan leave.

Only after a long while.

Did she finally let out a long breath.

She raised a hand and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead.

She felt dizzy and drained of all strength.

She had finally sent him away!

Old Rayleigh.

I helped you avoid a huge problem.

No matter what... you have to give me some compensation, right?

At that thought.

A smile returned to Shakky's face. "I don't want much. You only need to offer yourself as payment!"

Meanwhile, Lin Yan.

Half a day later.

Lin Yan arrived at the designated location.

"Is this the place?"

Lin Yan raised his head and looked toward a thatched cottage in the distance.

After resigning from his Marine post.

Zephyr had left Marineford and come to the Sabaody Archipelago to live in seclusion.

During this time.

Zephyr spent every day in torment.

He hated it.

He was unwilling to accept it.

He had never imagined.

That the Marines, to which he had given his entire life.

Would treat him this way in the end.

Ever since Crocodile's crimes in the desert kingdom had been exposed, and Gecko Moria of Thriller Bark had been defeated by Straw Hat Luffy.

The Five Elders had increasingly come to feel.

That the Seven Warlords of the Sea truly needed to be reshuffled.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Had once been something the Marines tried to use to keep the Four Emperors in check.

Whether they could actually keep them in check aside.

At the very least.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea were legal pirates upon this Grand Line.

So legal that even when they committed acts of utter cruelty, the Marines could not easily move against them.

This had led.

Many outsiders to mock these Warlords, calling them the government's lapdogs, the scum of the Marines, and more.

And Edward Weevil.

Also known as Whitebeard Jr.

Had been listed by the Five Elders as one of the candidates for the next Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Upon learning this news.

Zephyr froze in place as though struck by lightning.

Edward Weevil.

Zephyr had fought him once many years ago.

That battle.

Every cadet aboard his ship had been slaughtered by Edward Weevil.

And Zephyr himself had lost an arm to Edward Weevil's blade.

Whenever he thought of those cadets' despairing faces,

Zephyr's hatred for Edward Weevil only grew deeper.

When he learned that this bastard could actually become one of the next Seven Warlords,

how could he not be furious?

How could he not be enraged?

He felt as though the entire world were about to collapse.

Utterly disappointed,

he resigned his Marine rank in a fit of rage!

From then on,

the former Black Arm Zephyr, once a Marine Admiral,

made a clean break with Marineford!