"Do you want to swing your blade at Zephyr, or do you want him to accept us?", Rosse suddenly asked this question, making Gion pause for a moment.
Before Gion could reply, Rosse went on, "Zephyr is a very simple man."
"What he considers the greatest good is to seek justice for all ordinary people. What he considers the greatest evil is only violence that harms one's family."
"Back during the Buster Calls, I would always do my best to save civilians. Though there were sacrifices, at least I tried, and it had results, so he didn't think too much about it."
"But this time is different. I'm the executor of this Buster Call. Though this operation isn't called that, from the moment we set out for Wano, Zephyr must have realized it."
"But realizing it, or tacitly allowing it in his heart, doesn't mean he can truly watch with open eyes without being shaken. If Toki is standing at the edge of collapse, Zephyr is in the midst of inner struggle."
Gion blinked twice, smiling brightly, "I think your analysis is very thorough. But my own thoughts don't matter much. If you want to swing your blade at Teacher Zephyr, I'm willing to be the villain. If you want to help him transform, I can also be the tool that strengthens his conviction."
On this matter, Gion was very willing to help.
Not just because of Rosse, but also because of her relationship with Zephyr.
It was no exaggeration to say that on her path of growth, Zephyr's help was indispensable.
Without Zephyr, she might never have even caught Rosse's eye.
But because Zephyr had shown her such kindness, she was willing to send her beloved teacher off on his final journey.
If their paths truly diverged, then for Zephyr to keep following would only be endless torment.
And since his wife and child had long been killed by pirates, he really had no ties left.
To send him off, in Gion's eyes, was a way to repay her debt of gratitude.
In this screwed-up world, death was never the end—it was a kind of release.
"Let's see what he chooses. If he recognizes the value of sacrifice, then he'll walk forward on his own. If he doesn't, he'll leave on his own. When that time comes, you make the choice yourself."
Rosse laid out both possibilities.
Most likely, Zephyr would come around and choose to keep walking this road to the end.
At present, Zephyr hadn't personally experienced the Navy's or the World Government's darkness. Rosse had blocked much of that for him.
Without the massacre of an entire ship of students, it was hard to say Zephyr would resolve to sacrifice.
But Zephyr had experienced the death of his wife and child—that was a thorn forever in his memory.
Wano was completely different from the Four Seas. This was already in the New World, a non–World Government member country, with an extremely tough and chaotic people.
The reason Rosse had brought Zephyr here first was also so he could personally experience the customs of this land, to lay the groundwork for the present.
If he still couldn't come around, Rosse would have to use the final measure.
Anyone who trusted him, Rosse would repay with the best he could give.
Zephyr didn't want to eat a fruit. But if he did, Rosse was willing to let him pick freely from his stock.
Whether the Goro Goro no Mi or one of several Mythical Zoans, as long as Zephyr wanted it, Rosse would hand it over directly.
And as for the medicines that maintained the body's functions, Rosse had never been stingy.
With current methods of preservation, even twenty years from now, Zephyr's strength wouldn't weaken too badly. At least he wouldn't end up unable to fight back against someone like Borsalino.
That was just strength improvement. When it came to material enjoyment, Rosse gave his own people the best as well.
Don't be fooled by how Gion looked the same as before. In her collection she already had over a hundred famed blades.
The swords of the Red Count and Rayleigh, as well as Roger's blade from back then, had all been gifted to her by Rosse.
Once Wano was finished, Shusui, Enma, and Ame-no-Habakiri would most likely end up in Gion's hands as well.
The reason she still carried Konpira was only because she wanted to nurture it into her own black blade.
By then, Gion would truly be one of the world's top great swordsmen, with strength surpassing even Kozuki Oden.
"Then let Teacher Zephyr figure it out for himself."
Hearing Rosse's words, Gion dropped her thoughts of interfering.
She turned to Rosse, "Do you have any new ideas this time? From your look, it seems like you want to play something more interesting."
Gion could be said to be one of the people who understood Rosse best. From his performance at the little meeting just now, she could already guess he had come up with some unique move again.
"Shiki the Golden Lion and Whitebeard will arrive in two days. Their purpose in coming to Wano is simple. They want to join with Kaido and Kozuki Oden to completely trap us here," Rosse said calmly.
With the current lineup, without outside support, they really couldn't compare with Wano's side having two reinforcements.
They only had four combatants on their side. Other than Rosse, the remaining three were all at a disadvantage.
If it were before he broke through, this lineup could fight a hundred times and never win.
Even he couldn't stand against Whitebeard plus another top powerhouse together.
And with their lineup, the others couldn't withstand being besieged by so many top fighters.
They might not even be able to hold out long enough for Sakazuki to arrive.
The reason for calling Sakazuki was first for stability, and second because Wano needed him.
In altering terrain, Mythical Zoans were no match for Logias.
And Rosse had no desire to do manual labor himself.
Since Wano was destined to belong to him, someone had to thoroughly change the geography around Wano. Otherwise it would be hard to even get people in to mine ore.
Sakazuki's fruit was perfect for reshaping terrain.
"With your current strength, how many at most can you fight?"
Gion asked a little cautiously. Though she hadn't reached that level, after hearing Rosse analyze countless times and fighting against top powerhouses herself many times, she had a good sense of it.
Against an S– martial arts fighter like Zephyr, she could entangle him with her fruit ability for a long time, until her stamina ran out and she lost.
Against an S-rank fighter like Oden or Sakazuki, she could last at most a few hours, and if the enemy were intent on killing her, she might not escape.
But facing a true top powerhouse like Whitebeard. The gap was so vast it was despair itself. Running would be a luxury; she'd hardly be able to scratch him.
Before, Rosse had been in that last category himself.
But Gion felt Rosse was completely different now.
It was as if he had already stepped into another new realm.
That thought alone startled even her.
Even Rocks back in the day had still fallen short of that realm.
And now Rosse, he was still so young.
Meeting Gion's gaze, Rosse's lips curved slightly, "Even if Whitebeard and Roger joined forces, in the end the victory would still be mine."
At this, Gion's very breath nearly stopped. She stared at Rosse in disbelief.
'He… he has really broken through to that level?'
"So…", Rosse stroked Gion's hair, his eyes glittering with a peculiar light, "This time I'll give them a chance, a chance that only looks like they can kill me. We'll see if they're willing to pay the price."
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