The vast conference hall suddenly turned suffocatingly tense.
Many Marine officers present wore expressions sharp enough to kill.
If not for the fact that the other party was CP0, several of them might have already drawn their weapons.
After all, most of them had been personally trained by Zephyr, their revered mentor.
—
Sengoku stood to the side, his face dark as thunder. Glaring at the smug-faced Spandine, he roared:
"Spandine, shut your mouth! This is a matter for Marine Headquarters. It has nothing to do with CP0. Get the hell out of Marineford—now! Or don't blame me for ignoring even the Five Elders' face!"
—
His voice thundered through the hall, shaking even the tightly shut windows.
The officers were stunned. It was the first time they'd seen Sengoku—usually calm and diplomatic—this furious.
And it gave them a sliver of comfort.
At least when it came to matters of justice, their Fleet Admiral still stood with them.
—
"Heh… Fleet Admiral Sengoku, still as bold as ever," Spandine sneered, unfazed. "I'm sure the Five Elders will be delighted to hear that."
—
"But they're concerned. You've dragged your feet too long. Zephyr exploited the delay, took a large portion of your forces, and now the seas are destabilizing. You know better than anyone how much influence he holds."
—
"So, we took the liberty of summoning Zephyr here—under Marine HQ's name."
"He should be arriving any moment. Let's go greet him, shall we?"
—
"You bastard!" Sengoku roared.
His dormant Conqueror's Haki exploded outward.
The shockwave shattered every window in the room.
Spandine, caught off guard, stumbled back, hastily raising his guard.
—
To outsiders, Sengoku might seem like a gentle old man.
But those who knew history understood—"Buddha" Sengoku was no saint.
He hadn't become Fleet Admiral by being soft.
—
"Fleet Admiral! Urgent news!" A Marine burst into the hall.
"Instructor Zephyr has been surrounded by CP0 agents. A conflict has broken out. You need to see this!"
—
Everyone's face changed.
As expected, CP0 had made their move.
—
"SENGOKU! GET OUT HERE!"
A furious roar echoed from the docks.
—
Sengoku's expression darkened. He didn't even spare Spandine another glance—he turned and rushed out.
—
"Garp, come with me. No matter what happens today, we must stop Zephyr. Knock him out if we have to—but he cannot leave with those men. If he does, this will spiral out of control!"
—
"Understood." Garp, unusually grim, shot Spandine a glare and followed.
—
The other officers also stormed out, casting murderous looks at CP0 as they passed.
They knew: as long as Zephyr hadn't officially defected, this was still an internal matter.
But if he escaped?
The Five Elders would have their excuse to unleash the blade—and force Marine HQ to act.
—
Marineford, harbor entrance.
Over a thousand Marines had gathered.
Hundreds of CP agents stood nearby, watching Zephyr and Shuzo land with smug expressions.
—
"Master Zephyr… was our plan leaked?" Binz asked, frowning.
"Otherwise, why would Fleet Admiral Sengoku resort to such a dirty ambush?"
—
Binz, a survivor of Weevil's massacre and one of Zephyr's most loyal students, had been the first to pledge his life when Zephyr declared his intent to confront the World Government.
He was ready to die for this cause.
But he hadn't expected to be outmaneuvered before they even began.
—
"No," Zephyr said, his face dark. "I've known Sengoku for decades. He wouldn't stoop to this."
—
Gone was the kind, smiling instructor.
His hair was now dyed purple, styled into sharp spikes. He wore black sunglasses.
He looked like a different man—fierce, untamed.
—
His hawk-like gaze swept the crowd.
—
"If I'm right, it was CP0. They used Sengoku's name to lure us here."
—
"CP0?" Shuzo and Binz exchanged grim looks.
—
They understood: if this had remained a Marine matter, it could've been resolved internally.
But now that CP0 was involved, everything had changed.
If they weren't careful, they wouldn't just be fugitives from the Navy—they'd be targets of the World Government's assassins.
Just like CP9.
—
"Zephyr," Sengoku called, landing at the dock with Garp and the other officers.
"This was CP0's doing. I wasn't targeting you, old friend."
—
Spandine and the CP0 agents followed, making no effort to hide.
—
Zephyr's expression softened slightly—but his eyes remained cold as he looked at Spandine.
—
"Sengoku, I know this isn't your fault."
"But if you still consider me your comrade, then answer me one question."
—
"Will you let Weevil go… or will you let me go?"
—
The officers froze.
They'd all been dreading this question.
They'd danced around it, hoping to delay the inevitable.
—
The Five Elders had already made their decision: Weevil would be a Warlord.
Marine HQ was just the executor.
Even Sengoku's protests hadn't changed their minds.
—
Now, Zephyr had forced the issue.
And their nerves were stretched to the breaking point.
—
Only the CP0 agents looked amused.
This was their mission: force Zephyr to defect, weaken Marine HQ, and tighten the Five Elders' control.
If they succeeded, their job was done.
—
But just as that thought formed—
A voice rang out from the distance:
—
"Master Zephyr—Weevil's not going anywhere."
—