"Hahahahaha! So you're Xie Wen?!"
After boarding the Toot Toot Forward, Zephyr laughed and clapped Xie Wen on the shoulder. "When I found out those pirates were after you, I wasn't going to bother with them anymore. But then I thought it over-this was a perfect chance to come meet you!"
After two devastating blows had completely changed his outlook, Zephyr was very taken with Xie Wen, who was likewise ruthless in killing pirates.
"I'd been thinking of inviting you to join my Pirate Guerrilla Unit if I got the chance, but now that you've joined the Shichibukai, that's not bad either," Zephyr continued. "I've always had plenty of objections to the establishment of the Shichibukai, but from the looks of it, the World Government can occasionally do something good!"
The corner of Xie Wen's mouth twitched slightly. Hopefully, you'll still think that a few years from now.
Then something suddenly occurred to him-
There was still a vacancy among the Shichibukai, so... could Edward Weevil end up becoming a Shichibukai ahead of schedule?
At that thought, a trace of pity unconsciously crept into Xie Wen's gaze as he looked at Zephyr.
"Hmph! I don't need pity from a kid like you!"
Catching that trace of pity in Xie Wen's eyes, Zephyr's expression changed, and he snorted coldly.
Clearly, he had mistakenly assumed that Xie Wen had heard about his past from someone else and was pitying him because of it...
Strictly speaking, it wasn't exactly a misunderstanding. The reason was just slightly different.
Xie Wen couldn't very well explain further, either. He could only rub the back of his head with an awkward smile and say, "Sorry, that was rude of me."
"Forget it..." Zephyr waved a hand listlessly. "You meant well."
Meanwhile, the Palicoes, led by Klee Meow