Faced with Cobra's question, Zephyr seemed unwilling to answer. Ten years was not so long ago, and the question stirred dark memories buried deep within him.
After a long silence, Zephyr finally raised his head and explained to Loa, "Yes. Back then, the World Government told us a band of criminals had reached Mary Geoise and planned to assassinate the Dragon People."
"And you just went?" Loa asked in surprise.
Frankly, Loa would never believe that Steel Bone Kong, the Fleet Admiral at the time, hadn't known the truth. He was the commander of the entire Marine force! People might call him the World Government's lapdog, but he was a husky bold enough to wrestle his master.
Steel Bone Kong definitely knew more than anyone imagined.
Zephyr nodded, making no attempt to deny it.
That genuinely caught Loa off guard, though he understood there might be reasons even Zephyr knew nothing about.
Ten years before the present was Sea Circle Calendar year 1507.
By his reckoning, that was precisely when Steel Bone Kong had been promoted to commander-in-chief of all the armed forces and Sengoku had succeeded him as Fleet Admiral. Could those appointments have had something to do with this incident?
Zephyr, already removed from the front lines at the time, didn't know the details. Perhaps even the others who had taken part in the operation didn't know.
Back then, Akainu and the others returned drenched in blood day after day, and a heavy gloom hung over Marine Headquarters. That oppressive mood soon spread across the globe. Even the great Pirates at sea lay low, afraid to show their faces.
Yet just when everyone thought the Volcano was about to erupt, Sengoku and the others suddenly received an order from the Five Elders: all operations were to be canceled.