Black Arm Zephyr

"That is..."

A group of pirates was landing at Sabaody Harbor, just about to enter the city and have some fun, when they suddenly discovered, to their horror, a solemn-looking squad of Marines on the shore. Ordinary Marines would not have caught their attention, but among them stood a tall, powerfully built middle-aged man.

He looked around fifty, broad-shouldered and imposing, with a cold expression and a pair of sunglasses on his face. The muscles on his chest bulged fiercely, sharply defined and as hard as iron ore. His short purple hair was striking, his beard bristled like steel needles, and he wore the cape of justice reserved for Marine admirals.

"Not good... It's Admiral Black Arm Zephyr! Why is he here?"

Having just passed through the trials of the first half of the Grand Line, those pirates had seen their share of the world and recognized Admiral Zephyr at a glance.

"Teacher, another group of pirates has arrived. Let me handle them." A young man and woman stood beside Zephyr, but it was the blue-haired girl who spoke. Her blue hair flowed gracefully, and her deep, captivating eyes were large and red. She lightly tapped her toe against the ground. "Soru!"

A light gust suddenly swirled beneath her feet. Her figure flashed, and she leaped into the air like a rushing gale. Before the pirates could react, she had already drifted down into their midst. She gently pressed her right hand to the ground, and strange peach-colored flames flew from her palm. The once-solid stone ground collapsed as though it had suddenly melted. Scorching magma erupted from underground, and within a radius of several dozen meters, the ground was instantly consumed by molten lava. Many pirates failed to evade in time and fell into the magma amid rising flames. Before long, miserable screams rang out.

A cold glint flashed through the girl's eyes as she darted swiftly through the crowd like a dancing butterfly. Many people she struck with her hand miraculously shrank. A pirate in his twenties suddenly became a crying child, while a teenage apprentice turned into a wailing infant. Everyone touched by the girl instantly regressed by more than a decade.

"Who are you? What kind of power is this?"

The girl looked back with a smile, her bright eyes gleaming with the enchanting luster of autumn waters. "I'm Ain, a Return-Return Fruit user. Pleased to meet you!"

"The Return-Return Fruit?" The pirates were all scared senseless. Ain's ability was utterly unnatural. Not only could she reverse a person's age, but even rocks and trees could be controlled by her. Ain turned and walked toward a pirate who had become a child, then gave him a light pat with her hand. Smack... The pirate vanished into thin air.

"What exactly did you do? Where is Nancy?"

"He was just turned into a five-year-old. Each touch from my power regresses someone by twelve years. Do you think he can still remain in this world?"

With a giggle, Ain saw that none of the pirates had escaped and hurriedly waved to the Marines on shore. "Arrest all of them at once."

"Ain, haven't I told you before? No killing." Zephyr sighed and spoke to Ain gently.

Ain brushed back her windblown blue hair, two dimples appearing shyly at the corners of her mouth. "Teacher, I didn't kill him. I just accidentally touched him."

As she spoke, Ain deliberately made a face at Binz beside her. Still young, she had yet to develop that sort of calm composure in dangerous situations. Zephyr shook his head. "The mission comes first. I heard the one who attacked a Celestial Dragon was a boy about your age, though he should be quite skilled. Send people across the island to search for him immediately. Even if you have to dig up every inch of the place, you must capture that evil brat."

Zephyr's expression suddenly darkened, and his voice became much sterner. No one dared to delay as they hurried into the island to search. Ain glanced at Binz and muttered with a frown, "That brat has some nerve, daring to attack a Celestial Dragon. I have to catch him."

Around noon, Rayleigh returned to the bar from outside. Not only was Shakky surprised, but Ye Chen also asked Rayleigh in confusion, "Uncle Rayleigh, you're acting a little strange today. Whenever you went out before, you wouldn't come back for days, and every time you returned, you'd be completely drunk. What's going on today?"

Everyone stared at Rayleigh as though he were some kind of monster. Rayleigh's face darkened, but he unusually gave Ye Chen a serious warning. "Ye Chen, remember this: do not leave this bar. You are not allowed to go anywhere. An admiral has arrived! They're searching the island for you."

"Who came? Sengoku?" Shakky hurriedly asked in concern. It seemed that among the Marine's three admirals, Sengoku was clearly the one she feared most.

"Not Sengoku. Fleet Admiral Kong sent Black Arm Zephyr this time, the man known as 'The Man Who Never Kills.'"

"The Marines are really making a mountain out of a molehill. They sent an admiral over a single brat." Hearing Zephyr's name, Shakky relaxed slightly. Although Zephyr was also an admiral, he was obviously somewhat inferior to Sengoku. Moreover, as Sabaody's information broker, Shakky had learned that Zephyr had recently been considering becoming an instructor. He would likely step down from his position as admiral soon.

Rayleigh and Shakky kept a close eye on Ye Chen and would not let him leave the bar even for a single step, afraid the Marines would discover him. However, Zephyr had always been meticulous and stern in his work. He went door to door across the island, questioning and searching, and in less than two days, he arrived at Shakky's bar with his men.

"I heard a woman rescued that brat halfway through." Outside Shakky's bar, Zephyr casually glanced at the words on the sign. A flash of light suddenly gleamed across the lenses of his sunglasses, and his words clearly carried a hidden meaning.

"Binz, go knock on the door," Zephyr ordered.

Binz swayed his lanky frame as he hurried to the bar's entrance. He had only knocked once when the door abruptly swung open, sending him stumbling backward. A woman leaned against the doorway, smiling at him. Yet beneath that smile was a chill of irritated anger, frightening Binz into retreating several steps.

"Sorry to disturb you. I'm Marine Admiral Zephyr. We need to come in and conduct a search. We're pursuing a brat, so I hope you'll cooperate." Zephyr studied Shakky for a moment, then walked over with a mild expression.

Just as Zephyr was about to enter, Shakky stretched out her hand and stopped him.

Traces of anger flashed across Shakky's face. "My man isn't home. Isn't it a little improper for a group of grown men to barge in so presumptuously? I've heard the Marines haven't exactly had a good reputation lately."

"What do you mean? Move aside at once. Do you think any of us would behave improperly toward you?"

Zephyr was nearly furious, but Shakky covered her mouth and smiled. "Who can say? The Marines have always called themselves righteous, but only a ghost would believe that. Haven't you bullied enough people already?"

Ye Chen was inside, so naturally Shakky would not allow Zephyr to enter no matter what. Yet the more she acted this way, the more suspicious Zephyr became.