Zephyr was somewhat emotional at this point. He had always Admiral Who Does Not Kill and had released quite a few pirates, but very few of them had truly reformed. He greatly admired Mantis's actions.
"Oh! I didn't expect Mantis to have this side to him. People really do grow, huh? Vic did a great job, he's just like me in that respect—he can tell right from wrong. I wasn't wrong about him, hahaha!"
The Hero of the Marines was also pleased to hear this; although his son had not inherited the naval justice, someone else had.
"Have some shame! You've only beaten him up once, never taught him anything. What does his sense of justice have to do with you? Don't try to glorify yourself. Vic was trained by me, Zephyr. He's my disciple. You're just Vic's introducer!" Zephyr said angrily.
" Zephyr, don't mind him, your disciple is still your disciple. Then I'll just take Vic as my grandson, hahaha!" A loud, unrestrained voice came from the Den Den Mushi, and the Den Den Mushi was even spitting tears!
" Garp, stop with the nonsense and get to the point!" Zephyr suppressed his anger; that old bastard Garp was trying to take advantage of him even on the phone.
"Oh, tell Vic not to bother Sakazuki anymore. I've already vented my anger on him. Sakazuki is about to be promoted to Admiral. If he gets defeated by a junior, the Navy will lose face too, hahaha!" Garp finally got down to business, but it still felt a little unserious!
"I'll pass on the message to him, but whether he listens or not is none of my concern; he has his own judgment!"
Zephyr guessed that Sengoku might have spoken to Garp about this matter; otherwise, Garp wouldn't normally concern himself with such things.
"Okay, that's settled then. I need to keep breaking the senbei record. You're busy." After saying that, the Den Den Mushi made chewing sounds again. Zephyr couldn't stand it anymore and hung up on the Den Den Mushi.
He called the messenger over and handed him Den Den Mushi Zephyr continued to gaze at the mountainous island.
Just then, someone else came to report.
" Zephyr, a pirate ship is heading towards this island. What should we do?"
"Oh, where is it? Show me."
"Over there, in that direction, you can only see a tiny dot with the naked eye right now."
"Okay, go and relay my orders: have the warships sail to the other side of this island, and make sure the pirate ships don't spot us. Be quick!"
"Yes!"
The warship quickly started moving and disappeared from the dock before the pirate ship could get close. Zephyr stood on the warship with a meaningful smile on his face.
Just as Zephyr and Garp, several voices emanated from the Room of Authority of Mary Geoise on the Red Line, discussing the deeper implications of Akainu's defeat and making a crucial decision that would influence the situation on the high seas for the next decade or so.
"What do you guys think about Sakazuki getting a beating from Garp at the G-1 Branch?"
"The intelligence says it's because of a trainee recruit Garp brought to headquarters. He's quite talented; he's so young and already able to hold his own against Sakazuki!"
"We could try to get him to serve on the CP side. The Navy doesn't need that many powerful forces; it would disrupt the balance!"
"This is probably going to be very difficult. Garp probably won't give up, and the people Garp chooses are all very subjective about their sense of justice!"
" Sakazuki is one of our top picks, and he's supposed to lead the Navy to serve us in the future. Getting beaten by Garp this time will affect his reputation!"
If Garp weren't Hero of the Marines recognized by all the Marines for saving so many Celestial Dragons in God Valley, he wouldn't deserve such a high position just because he's a member of the D. Clan!
"Don't worry about Garp. He's always on the side of justice and can't cause any trouble. He's already been Assimilation by the justice the Navy promotes!"
"But what I saw was another side. Sakazuki was about to be promoted to Admiral, but he was no match for Garp."
Does this mean that their generation is no match for the older generation of powerful figures? In other words, are Sakazuki and his group no match for Newgate, Linlin, and Kaido?
However, there are still so many top-tier pirates on the high seas. If another one were to rise from among them, the Navy's top-tier combat power would not be enough!
"This matter is indeed very important, and we need to consider it in advance. All we want is a balance in the ocean; maintaining that is enough. We don't need a one-sided power."
"Our government's top combat power certainly won't become a balancing force. We can't easily reveal our strength, otherwise the navy will come knocking on our door if something happens in the future."
"How about recruiting a few high-level fighters from the pirates to help balance this sea?"
"Pirates won't easily submit without profit; otherwise, we might as well legalize their plundering."
The navy doesn't need to capture them; the two sides can become partners. In case of major incidents, just get those pirates to side with the navy. If the fighting strength is unbalanced, just recruit more until it's balanced."
"That's a good idea. Let's discuss the details further..."
Vic and his group had arrived at the foot of the mountain while walking and talking. The hot springs were located in the town at the foot of the mountain. The town was built based on the various hot springs gathered here, and also to better serve guests who came from afar.
There are quite a few bathhouses in the town, some large and some small. It is said that the hot springs are all the same, but the scale and services are different, catering to different tourists.
Barnett led the group to a bathhouse called "The Cleaner," which was the one they had learned was the most suitable for them during their inquiry.
" Rebecca, I'm leaving Ain in your care. She's still a child with superpowers, so don't drown her, and don't let her out of your sight!"
Vic put Ain down and said to Rebecca, "Although Ain is reluctant to leave Vic's embrace, we have arrived at our destination, and it is impossible for us to bathe together this time."
"Okay, I understand. I'll take good care of her," Rebecca said, ignoring Ain's struggles, and pulled her close to her chest as they walked towards the women's bath.
"Let's go too, we want to see this amazing hot spring."
Vic led Barnett and Frodeku towards the men's bath, where they changed into bathrobes under the guidance of the staff and placed their valuables in their respective lockers.
Of course, Vic didn't do that. He had a spatial ring, so he put all three knives from his waist into the spatial ring, along with his clothes and other items. His storage cabinet was empty. Of course, he did all this secretly by himself. These kinds of items are not suitable for public display, not even to his companions.
This is the world of pirates, not a society governed by law. If something is stolen or robbed, you have to go find it yourself, which is a hassle. Vic doesn't want to do something so thankless, so Vic still trusts his Dimensional Space.
"Dear guests, is this your first time enjoying a hot spring here? Let me give you a detailed introduction. I am Kurosawa, the lobby manager. Nice to meet you!"
After Vic and his two companions left the changing room, a middle-aged man with fair skin and green hair stood at the door and introduced himself.
"Hmm, not bad. This is indeed our first time here. We've heard your hot springs are very good. Are they really that good?"
Vic smiled. He knew this world was a magical one, and it wouldn't be surprising if something strange or unusual happened.
He quickly accepted treasures like his Divine Staff and the Alternate Dimensional Space, not to mention that the Pure Gold in this world could stop people from growing, granting them a kind of alternative immortality.
"Of course, it will be even better than I've heard. Please!" Kurosawa said confidently, gesturing for the way. He certainly looked the part.
Vic and his two companions followed Kurosawa out of the building area and arrived at the hot spring area behind the buildings.
Vic's eyes immediately fell upon the misty green mountains, a distant view behind the bathhouse. In the foreground were hot springs of various sizes, clustered together, emitting white steam in a beautiful array of colors.
A few people were soaking in the hot spring. The hot spring behind the building was divided into two large areas, separated by a high wooden wall to distinguish between the men's and women's areas.
"Gentlemen, these are our signature hot springs. Each color of hot spring offers a different experience."
For example, soaking in this green hot spring can bring joy and pleasure to the body and mind, making people feel happy!
"Take this red hot spring, for example. Soaking in it can calm one's endless anger and make one peaceful and easygoing!" Kurosawa said with a smug look on his face.
"Oh, so does that mean if I beat you up now and push you into this red hot spring, you won't be angry anymore?"
Vic smiled. He didn't doubt the effects of the hot spring, but he couldn't help wondering how it was done.
"Please don't joke around, sir. We're all cultured people, so let's not talk about fighting and killing!"
The Kurozoku's face darkened. This customer wasn't playing by the rules. Did he think he was funny?
Barnett was speechless. With your strength and Kurosawa's physique, could he withstand a single punch from you? After you beat Kurosawa, Mrs. Kurosawa would definitely come after you! Frodeku, on the other hand, believed that Vic had a deeper meaning behind his actions, but ordinary people just couldn't see it.