Cruelty Is Reality!

The sky was a clear, deep blue as the rookie naval warships, heading towards the first half of the Grand Line, sailed smoothly on the water.

"Zephyr! Zephyr! I've mastered the Six Powers of Shave, now I can serve as a naval officer, right?"

The cadets dressed in naval uniforms and carrying green bamboo swords were eager to show off, making Zephyr, who was standing on the deck, burst into laughter.

"You're still far from it! Binz, it might be enough to work with your Devil Fruit, but the requirements for officers at Marine Headquarters are much higher than you imagine!"

"Honestly, all you do is pester the teacher. Aren't you annoying? If you want to reach the same level as me, you'd better learn at least half of the Six Powers!"

Not far away, a long-handed man with dark brown skin and a full beard walked over and gave a stern rebuke, which made Binz purse his lips.

"Tch, what's so great about him? He just joined the army more than ten years earlier than me and has been Professor Zephyr's assistant all this time..."

"Ah, is there something you're unhappy about? If so, let's go to the training ground and spar. I'll take you down in ten moves!"

Longarm Clan naval officer Shuzo snorted coldly, causing Binz to immediately back down and turn to leave.

If he weren't outmatched, he would have loved to teach this arrogant guy a lesson.

"All you do is fool around. When are you going to be able to stand on your own? You're supposed to be a naval officer, Shuzo!"

Among the many naval recruits, a tall, beautiful woman with flowing, sea-blue hair stepped out from the crowd, two short swords at her waist gleaming in the sunlight.

"Ain, you're just arrogant because of your Devil Fruit power..."

Even so, a hint of apprehension still flashed in Shuzo's eyes, for no other reason than that Ain's Devil Fruit ability was indeed quite troublesome.

"Alright, alright, quiet down. This time, we're sending you to the Paradise to gain practical experience so that we can better uphold the justice that the Navy is protecting."

"If even the navy, which represents justice, is embroiled in internal strife, how can it protect the people who need protection in the future?"

Zephyr reprimanded them, and all the naval cadets lowered their heads, filled with shame.

Compared to this 'non-killing' admiral who has fought his entire life and continues to train naval recruits even in semi-retirement, their actions are as laughable as children's squabbles.

However, as Zephyr glanced around, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up.

These young naval officers are the future sun of the navy. As for whether they can dispel the gloom behind the World Government's secrets, perhaps it will take the last Huo Guang of his old bones to burn out.

"Professor Zephyr, a pirate ship has been spotted at nine o'clock. It's a strange pirate ship; it's not flying any flags!"

In an instant, many marines immediately raised their guard, watching the pirate ship gradually approaching them from afar, feeling extremely strange.

"What's going on? Why aren't the pirates dodging or avoiding the Navy's warships? Is there something strange going on?"

"Who cares? It's just a pirate ship. How dare these mere pirates be so insolent in front of Professor Zephyr? I'll personally destroy it!"

A cold smile appeared on Ain's face, and the many naval officers who came to their senses turned their cannons and launched an attack on the distant ships.

At that moment, Zephyr, standing on the deck, narrowed his eyes and stared at the figure amidst the gunfire, his pupils suddenly contracting.

In the pitch-black smoke, a tall, shadowy figure holding a naginata made him look dazed.

"Could this be him? How could it be? How could he possibly be in the Paradise!"

The figure that leaped from the pirate ship the next second further confirmed Zephyr's guess.

Bang!

On the deck of the warship where many naval cadets were located, a figure suddenly appeared from the sky and was clearly visible to everyone.

He was incredibly burly, but his appearance was quite ugly, and he was also rather obese.

However, the brilliant golden hair and the slender, long, crescent-shaped white beard made Zephyr's eyes turn even colder.

"Hey you, who is Whitebeard to you?"

"You weakling, you're not allowed to mention your Pops's name!"

"Pops, I've never heard of Whitebeard having a biological son! Black Arm Short-Range Cloth!"

They couldn't agree on anything, and in just a few words, the pitch-black wrist clashed with the wielded naginata, which was swung into a full moon shape, and the black sparks that flew out were particularly dazzling.

"This is the legendary Admiral, Black Arm Zephyr. How could a mere pirate possibly be a match for Master Zephyr!"

"Stop your nonsense and subdue this guy first. There's something strange about his face and beard. It reminds me of a chilling guy, Finger Gun Ten Finger Gun!"

In the blink of an eye, ten sharp finger spears suddenly approached. The burly figure in front of him neither dodged nor avoided them, but instead pulled out a hand and slapped it hard.

Clang! Splatter! Splatter...

Until this moment, many naval rookies stood frozen in place, unable to believe the sight before them.

"How... how is this possible? The finger gun, the finger gun was actually slapped away!"

"This terrifying power is exactly the same as Edward Newgate's when he was young, you brat, state your name!"

Seeing his student injured, Zephyr was completely enraged. His Armament Haki condensed again, constantly clashing with the naginata in front of him.

Unfortunately, at the age of 65, Zephyr was no match for the young and vigorous new generation.

Half a day later, after a near-fatal battle, Zephyr fell to the ground, his right arm cleanly and decisively severed.

"Mom, there's no treasure here, just some dying sailors..."

"Tch, you're wasting my time. Move everything from the ship over here, son!"

As distant ships approached the warship, Zephyr, lying in a pool of blood, heard the somewhat familiar voice and felt it was very familiar.

"Long time no see. So many years have passed, and you've aged so much..."

"Y-you, you, you are! Run, Weevil, this guy is an enemy even your father can't handle, run!"

With a dazed look on his face, Weevil fled in a sorry state, led by an old woman dressed in gold and silver and dressed like a nouveau riche. His heavy eyelids slowly opened, and Zephyr got up and looked at her, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"How could it be you?"

"Ah, you sensed the presence of someone you knew and immediately had the ship sail this way. You're really in a sorry state, Zephyr..."

"Get out of here! I don't need the pity of pirates. Get out of my way! We are backed by justice, and you are backed by evil. Pirates and the Navy will always be at odds!"

A sudden gust of wind rose, causing the cloak behind him to flutter in the wind. His azure eyes were filled with indifference, and his tone was sarcastic.

"Justice? Evil? Don't be naive. There has never been justice or evil in this world, only cruel reality..."

"So-called justice is nothing more than taking the 'facts' that are favorable to oneself as the reason to keep living. But for the majority of the powerless people who occupy this world, the cruelty that goes against their own perception is the reality!"