Only Ian chuckled.
Sitting calmly on Hachinosu Island, he burst into hearty laughter the moment he read the article.
He had seen this coming from the beginning.
Although the timeline had shifted and the details differed, the story had not changed.
Black Arm Zephyr... No matter how the world changed, he still walked this path.
It was fate.
Ian leaned back, his eyes glinting with interest.
"The world's getting a little crowded, isn't it?"
With Zephyr entering the New World under his new banner, things were bound to get chaotic.
The Whitebeard Pirates.
Two of Kaido's Beast divisions.
The Charlotte Family of Totto Land.
The Cross Guild rising fast from the shadows.
The Red-Haired Pirates growing bolder each day.
And now, the NEO Marines—Zephyr's new faction.
The balance of power in the New World had been shattered.
Meanwhile, at the holy land of Mary Geoise, the Five Elders were seething.
Inside their sacred chamber, the headline sat on the table—taunting them.
"That bastard!!"
The elder in the red suit, Peter, slammed his cane against the floor.
Just days ago, they had approved the expansion of Zephyr's Marine Guerrilla Unit, giving him full authority and resources.
And now?
He had taken everything they gave him... and turned it against them.
"Zephyr dares to do this?!" another elder hissed. "A former admiral betraying the World Government—this has never happened in history!"
"He must not be forgiven."
Silence fell, thick and dangerous.
War was brewing.
And it had begun with a man the world once called a hero.
"This opening must never be allowed! Otherwise, how will the Navy manage things in the future? We must concentrate our forces and eliminate the NEO Navy in the shortest time possible!"
At that moment, the big-bearded Saturn spoke softly, "So, does that mean the Cross Guild will be set aside again?"
A sudden silence fell among the great powers.
The other Five Elders suddenly remembered something.
At first, they were wary of the Beasts Pirates, but when the Revolutionary Army attacked Mary Geoise, their focus shifted to the Revolutionaries.
The campaign against the Revolutionaries had yet to yield results when Crocodile and Moria attacked Impel Down and formed the Cross Guild, so the troops originally assigned to suppress the Revolutionaries were recalled to hunt down the Cross Guild.
Now, Zephyr openly rebelled. Traitors should be destroyed even more than enemies, so all forces had to focus on taking down Zephyr.
It seemed the government had recently fallen into a strange cycle.
Could it be that before the NEO Navy was dealt with, some new bizarre threat would immediately appear and draw their attention again?
"One thing at a time!" Warcury said in a low voice. "Whether it's the NEO Navy, the Cross Guild, the Revolutionary Army, or Ian, anyone daring to oppose the government must die!"
At Navy Headquarters.
"Zephyr…"
Garp stood by the marshal's office balcony railing, gazing at the endless sea. "So, you've finally made your decision?"
"He will never come back."
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat in his office chair, absentmindedly stroking a small white lamb. "Zephyr has completely lost hope in the Navy and the government."
"We have failed him."
"Is there any point in saying that now?"
Sitting calmly on the sofa, Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Navy's chief strategist, spoke quietly, "A former Admiral, five Rear Admirals including Gion, Binz, the former G-5 base commander, plus 20,000 Navy soldiers and ten top-class warships."
"With such a force assembled, what exactly does Zephyr intend to do?"
"Hahaha! Tsuru! You're so cold!" Garp laughed heartily. "Our friend may never come back."
Even the usually calm Vice Admiral Tsuru couldn't help but show a hint of sorrow in her eyes.
Zephyr was no insignificant person — he was her dear friend, a comrade who had fought alongside her for decades.
Her face remained calm.
"If we all waver, then who will protect justice?" she asked quietly.
"Justice..."
Vice Admiral Garp's smile faded slightly as he considered her words.
"Yes, justice," he said finally.
The World Government represents the majority of the world's population, and that is the source of its legitimacy.
To protect the World Government is, of course, to uphold justice.
"So, Zephyr," Garp asked, his voice steady but filled with concern, "what will you do?"
"Will you let your burning anger reduce the world's order to ashes?"
"Or do you already have a new plan?"
At that moment, Zephyr had indeed begun to act.
Everyone believed that after boldly announcing his defection, Zephyr would lie low for a while.
But just as the newspapers reported his declaration, the NEO Navy immediately began their operation.
The location was a naval base in the New World, and the hour was near midnight.
A warship silently emerged from the darkness, charging relentlessly toward the naval base.
On its sail was not the Navy's iconic seagull clutching scales, but an inverted seagull pierced from above by a sharp sword—a menacing symbol.
Zephyr stood at the prow, arms crossed, coldly gazing at the island drawing nearer.
"Zephyr-sensei," Gion said, standing beside him, "Are you sure about this? That thing is incredibly dangerous."
"Our strength is still too weak," Gion added cautiously.
Zephyr's voice was calm but resolute. "To defeat a monster like Ian, to overthrow a colossal force like the World Government, we need greater power."
He pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead, eyes serious.
"It is indeed dangerous, but danger or safety depends on how we use it. Now, let it serve us!"
"Understood!"
Gion nodded seriously.
Since Zephyr-sensei had already made up his mind, she didn't say a word more.
And so, the attack began.
Zephyr and Gion personally set out; this completely unprepared Navy base naturally stood no chance of fighting back.
In less than half an hour, the entire base was already taken over.
Zephyr and Gion had directly reached the deepest part of the base — standing before a huge metal door.
"Ha!"
Zephyr stepped forward and smashed his right fist directly against the door.
The internal destruction-level Armament Haki instantly surged, blasting through the heavy door from the inside.
The door was blown open with a hole in it, and Zephyr strode inside.
Inside was a bright room, with three walls covered in small compartments, each with a handle in the center.
Zephyr reached out and grabbed one handle, pulling it back to reveal a glass jar.
Inside the jar was a purple liquid, enclosing a stone shaped like an egg, slightly larger than a human fist.
The stone had a crescent-shaped crack, with strange red light flickering inside the crack.
"Unimaginable," Gion studied the stone carefully, "such a small piece of rock can unleash a power that destroys everything as soon as it touches air!"
"Now," Zephyr's lips curled into a smile, "there's nothing left to fear!!"
...
"Dyna Stone?"
Ian received the news early the next morning. Stussy personally came to deliver this top-secret information.
"The mineral said to rival the ancient weapons?"
Ian frowned, "That thing really exists?"
"This is the first time I've heard of it too."
Stussy smiled bitterly, "It's an absolute secret of the World Government. Only high-ranking figures, Admirals and above, have the clearance to know."
"Even the Navy guarding those stones don't know what they're protecting."
"Is that so?"
Ian twitched the corner of his mouth.
So that means End Point really exists, right?
Three islands with magma reservoirs at their base — if those three islands were destroyed, the entire New World would be engulfed in flames.
Tch, what will that Zephyr guy do?
Will he try to destroy the entire New World like in the original story?
Really, can't I have a little peace and quiet for once?
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24