First Crew Member, Former Admiral Black Arm Zephyr

Sabaody Archipelago.

News of Whitebeard Jr.'s recent death at Marineford.

Had already spread throughout the entire world.

Naturally, Zephyr had seen the headline in the newspaper.

Without a doubt.

Lin Yan had been behind all of it.

"He actually did it!"

Zephyr lay back in his chair with mixed emotions, his gaze quietly fixed on the blinds.

At this moment.

After learning of Whitebeard Jr.'s death.

It felt as though an enormous burden had been lifted from his heart.

He could finally let out a long breath.

"Perhaps leaving the Marines really was a wise choice!"

"At least, I met you at the Sabaody Archipelago!"

Leaning against the wall, Zephyr slowly raised his head.

Back then, he had left Marineford only because he had been utterly disappointed in the Marines.

Yet not much time had passed.

And such an earth-shaking turn of events had occurred.

Leaving even Zephyr slightly dazed.

Creak!

At that moment.

Their door was pushed open.

The instant it opened, sunlight streamed in and fell upon Lin Yan.

At that moment, he looked utterly dazzling.

"I'm here!"

Lin Yan walked in from outside.

"Have a seat!"

Rather than immediately driving Lin Yan away as he had before, Zephyr invited him to sit first.

At the side, Ain obediently brought a chair before Lin Yan.

At the same time.

She looked at him gently and said softly, "Thank you!"

Regarding Zephyr losing his arm.

Ain was one of the few survivors.

She could understand Zephyr's present feelings and regrets.

Likewise.

She was deeply grateful to Lin Yan.

"Hey, where did that fierce little tigress attitude from before go?"

Lin Yan asked with an amused smile.

Surprisingly.

Ain did not retort this time.

She continued softly, "What happened back then has always been a knot in both my teacher's and my heart. Thank you for helping us!"

Hearing Ain's heavy words.

"It's nothing."

Lin Yan no longer felt like teasing her.

He nodded slightly.

"Lin Yan, you killed Edward Weevil at Marine Headquarters—the Seven Warlords of the Sea personally appointed by them. The Marines have been utterly humiliated!"

"Aren't you afraid they'll retaliate against you?"

Zephyr put down the book in his hand and asked Lin Yan.

"Hold a grudge?"

"Rather than holding a grudge, I think the Marines simply fail to recognize talent!"

"Who is Black Arm Zephyr? He's the man who laid the Marines' solid foundation, yet they abandoned an admiral because of one Whitebeard Jr."

"In that regard, the Marines have terrible judgment!"

Lin Yan said.

As for Whitebeard Jr.

He vaguely recalled quite a few memories as well.

After the Marineford War.

Whitebeard had died, and Ace had died.

Seven out of every ten of their men had been lost.

The Whitebeard Pirates had never recovered from that point onward.

However.

An even greater danger still lay ahead.

Besides the suppression by the Marines and the Blackbeard Pirates.

Whitebeard Jr. had also been one of the chief culprits behind the destruction of the Whitebeard Pirates.

This time, Lin Yan had killed him without hesitation.

First, it was for Zephyr.

Second, it was to spare the Whitebeard Pirates from this threat in the future.

Upon hearing this.

Zephyr gradually lowered his head.

That was true.

He had devoted himself wholeheartedly for his entire life.

Yet he could not compare to Whitebeard Jr.'s mere handful of days.

How tragic was that?

"Since the Marines have such poor judgment, there's someone standing before you who has been hoping every moment for you to join his crew."

"So, have you made up your mind?"

"Join my pirate crew!"

Lin Yan once again extended an invitation to Zephyr.

A rare smile appeared on Zephyr's weathered face.

Even many of his wrinkles seemed to ease.

In fact.

Ever since Lin Yan had offered to help him deal with Whitebeard Jr.

Zephyr had already made his decision.

Under Lin Yan's expectant gaze.

Zephyr's answer was only one word: "Okay!"

"Teacher..."

Tears welled in Ain's eyes as well.

After setting down his burden.

Zephyr said to Ain, "Ain, notify everyone. Put aside the idea of establishing the Neo Marines for now. The Neo Marines are a dangerous idea, and sooner or later they'll face condemnation and siege from all sides. It isn't a good path."

"Also, if you want to leave, your teacher will not stop you!"

Ain firmly shook her head. "No, I will always follow you, Teacher!"

Just like that.

With Zephyr's agreement.

Lin Yan had successfully completed this matter!

From this moment onward.

Former Marine admiral Black Arm Zephyr became a member of Lin Yan's Seventeenth Division.

However.

Zephyr also put forward several conditions. "Before I join, we need to lay down some ground rules. I have a few conditions, and you must agree to them!"

"Since you put it that way, let me add something!"

Lin Yan shook his head and first signaled that Zephyr did not need to state his conditions. "My addition is that I approve all of your conditions!"

"You're... being far too careless!"

Zephyr could not help but sigh.

"Hahahaha!"

Lin Yan laughed joyfully. Since establishing the Seventeenth Division.

This was his happiest day.

"By the way, how many people are in your Seventeenth Division?"

Ain glanced sideways at him, very curious about this matter.

"You've come to the right person!"

"Before Zephyr joined, the Seventeenth Division had only me!"

Lin Yan said with a proud look on his face.

"Only one..."

Ain was instantly speechless. What was with that proud expression on his face?

A one-man division.

And he was proud of it?

"You have to eat one bite at a time. See? Zephyr and you have joined now, so there are three of us!"

Lin Yan said.

When Zephyr left Marine Headquarters.

Several hundred people had followed him in leaving the Marines.

They were all Zephyr's students.

Just like Ain.

They all regarded Teacher Zephyr as the person they respected most.

Now.

Upon learning that Teacher Zephyr had abandoned the plan to form the Neo Marines.

This group immediately came to find Zephyr and get to the bottom of it.

When they learned that Zephyr had joined the Seventeenth Division.

The many students were initially confused. Didn't their teacher hate pirates the most?

Why then...

Soon.

When they learned.

That the news of Whitebeard Jr.'s death, which had dominated the headlines these past two days, was because Lin Yan had killed him.

Especially when he had killed him right under the noses of Marine Headquarters at Marineford.

An enormous storm surged directly through the hearts of the many students.

Every gaze fell upon Lin Yan.

Right in front of the Marines.

He had killed one of their Seven Warlords of the Sea!

This...

How could the students not know of their teacher's inner knot?

But Whitebeard Jr.'s strength was right there for all to see.

They had the will but lacked the power.

However.

Once it came to Lin Yan.

For the sake of inviting their teacher aboard.

He killed Seven Warlord Whitebeard Jr. just like that.

Decisive and swift, utterly resolute in his actions.

Wasn't that too terrifying?

Was this the strength of the Whitebeard Pirates' Seventeenth Division commander?

The way everyone looked at Lin Yan.

Had also turned reverent.

Afterward.

Since they had originally left the Marines together with Zephyr.

And planned to establish the Neo Marines.

Now that Zephyr had joined the Seventeenth Division.

What reason did they have to leave now?

There were over two hundred people present.

All of them followed Zephyr and joined the Seventeenth Division!

"From now on, you are our division commander!"