Bonus chapter unlocked by your Power Stones!
...
When Arton described Kizaru as possibly being a Revolutionary Army spy, both the Marines like Gion, pirates like Smoothie, and even Revolutionaries like Belo Betty were stunned.
This was no joke—it was an admiral of the Navy.
If even an admiral could be a Revolutionary spy, then who knew how many more undercover agents might exist within the Marines?
Ulti: "Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! Akainu and Aokiji fought like their lives depended on it, while Kizaru drifted around like a salted fish. Is that really an admiral?"
Smoothie: "He could've killed Luffy instantly, yet he kicked him straight back into Whitebeard's hands. It's hard to say he wasn't showing Garp some face… or maybe he really is a Revolutionary spy?"
Kalifa: "That… shouldn't be possible, right?"
Doll: "Borsalino might slack off most of the time, but having such a secret? Arton must just be joking around."
…
Meanwhile, somewhere in the East Blue, Gion's brows furrowed as she read her diary copy.
"Was it that his Observation Haki was too poor, so he couldn't pinpoint Law's submarine and his Yasakani no Magatama missed? Or was his Observation Haki too sharp, so that his Magatama perfectly avoided the submarine while still smashing Aokiji's ice?"
"No… it has to have been coincidence. Borsalino was just slacking off, he couldn't really be a Revolutionary spy. Or maybe, he had his own reasons. Yes—that must be it. At Marineford, the Navy's true targets were Whitebeard and Ace."
"When Luffy was retreating, Whitebeard and Ace were already dead. That was already a victory for the Navy. If they killed Luffy then, it would've severed Dragon's bloodline—but it also could've enraged Garp. If Garp defected because of that, the losses to the Navy would've been catastrophic. Maybe Borsalino deliberately let Luffy go for that reason."
She exhaled deeply and shook her head. Now wasn't the time to dwell on Kizaru.
For her, the priority was capturing Arton.
Not just because of the World Government's orders—she knew that if Arton wasn't stopped now, once he drew enough rewards, no Marine force could hope to defeat him.
With Arton's hatred of the World Government, when that time came he might destroy the Government and wipe the Marines out with it.
That was an outcome Gion—and the other female Marines—could never accept.
Which was why they all desperately wanted to stop Arton.
They just never got the chance.
…
Elsewhere, aboard the Revolutionaries' ship, Belo Betty murmured to herself. "Should I ask Dragon… whether Kizaru is really one of ours?"
Even she was starting to believe Arton's words.
Beside her, Koala kept nodding. Like Betty, she too wanted Kizaru to be a Revolutionary spy.
If he was, their future operations would be much, much easier.
…
But unlike the shock of the others, Ain's heart burned with anger.
"Damn Kizaru. He could slack off at Marineford and let Luffy live. He could slack off at Sabaody. But when it came to my teacher Zephyr, why couldn't he slack off just once?!"
She clenched her fists, her eyes locked on the diary. Her resentment toward Kizaru only deepened.
But soon, she realized even that resentment wasn't enough.
[Speaking of Kizaru Borsalino and his teacher Zephyr…]
[When he fired Yasakani no Magatama at Luffy, not a single beam landed.]
[Against Whitebeard, his attacks were blocked by Marco the Phoenix.]
[Against Shanks, one swing of Shanks's sword deflected his entire barrage.]
[The truth is, Kizaru's "great move" almost never truly hit anyone.]
[Yet when he used it against Zephyr—every single shot landed, shredding what little health Zephyr had left until he was nearly finished.]
[Zephyr… compared to Luffy and Law who hadn't even grown yet, he was far stronger, wasn't he?]
[And yet, someone like him still couldn't avoid Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama.]
[That alone proves it—when Kizaru actually wants to hit someone, his Yasakani no Magatama lands just fine.]
[Could it be this time the Fleet Admiral gave him a fat enough overtime bonus that he finally put in some effort?]
Kujaku: "So that's what happened? Why would Admiral Kizaru's attacks behave like that?"
Doll: "Don't tell me… Borsalino really did let Luffy go on purpose."
Smoothie: "Heh, fascinating. Gentle to his enemies, ruthless to his teacher. That Kizaru really is amusing."
Whitey Bay: "Maybe Arton's right—give this guy a pay raise and suddenly he's twice as efficient."
Gion: "Borsalino fought Shanks too? In what circumstances did he actually use Yasakani no Magatama against him?"
Ain: "Kizaru… that bastard… wait—what is this?!"
Her eyes widened, fixed on the diary as a new entry appeared.
Not just text—a video clip.
And the label across the top made her heart skip: "Kizaru vs. Black Arm."
Everyone knew Kizaru was Admiral Borsalino's code name. And "Black Arm"—that was the title Zephyr had carried during his time as an admiral.
As his student, Ain recognized it instantly. The realization hit her like a thunderbolt.
Arton had uploaded footage of that battle—the very fight that would lead to Zephyr's death.
She forced herself to breathe, to calm down, then tapped the entry. The scene unfolded in front of her eyes in animated form. The models weren't perfect—anime recreations—but the traits were unmistakable. She knew exactly who she was watching. And even if she hadn't, the dialogue left no doubt.
["Farewell, Zephyr-sensei! Yasakani no Magatama!"]
Kizaru vaulted into the sky, hands crossed before him.
Twin beams of blinding light erupted between his palms, breaking into a storm of glowing bullets that rained down like a meteor shower.
Zephyr braced, arms crossed to shield himself, but it was hopeless. The barrage lit up his entire body, each impact sinking deep into flesh and armor.
By the end, he was riddled with light.
Smoothie: "So that's Yasakani no Magatama? Strong enough to drive even Zephyr to this state."
Custard: "Yeah, when it isn't transforming into Yasakani no Graze and whiffing every shot."
Nico Robin: "To unleash that much force on his own teacher… the admiral who never set foot on Ohara really is as cold-blooded as they come."
Koala: "That's… too cruel. He's already down, already unable to fight, and still—!"
Doll: "So it's true… Zephyr died at the hands of the Navy?"
Domino: "Collapsed from exhaustion… who would've thought this is how his end came?"
Sadi-chan: "Ain's his disciple, isn't she? If she's seeing this video… won't it break her?"
Gion: "Ain… she won't do anything reckless, will she?! I have to warn her. If she knows Zephyr's fate, she can still fight to change it."
She immediately opened her diary's interface, trying to send Ain a message.
But no matter how many times she typed and sent, nothing came back.
"Ain, what are you doing? Why won't you answer?" Gion's brows furrowed tighter, her muttering laced with unease.
...
For every 3 five-star reviews → +1 extra chapter
For every 100 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.
Read 50+ chapters ahead on Patreon! [patreon.com/METARLN]
Use code FREE2ALL for 30% OFF!