Chapter 27: In That Case, Sign Me Up!
The Symbol of Justice.
Coming from Zephyr's mouth, these words carried immense weight.
Who could become the Symbol of Justice?
Needless to say—at the very least an Admiral, or perhaps even...
"Fleet Admiral?"
Smoker felt a mix of awe and complexity.
"Does Instructor Zephyr really see that much potential in Roy?"
He exhaled a cloud of smoke, looking at his friend with a newfound sense of respect.
Then, he saw Roy winking at him furiously.
'Bro! You trained with Zephyr, right? What's this "true essence" he's talking about? Is it awesome?'
What annoyed Smoker the most was that after years of knowing Roy, he could perfectly translate every single one of those facial twitches.
"..."
Smoker chewed on his cigar, speechless.
This guy is going to be Fleet Admiral?
The Marines are doomed... No, the whole world is doomed.
While cursing internally, Smoker was also puzzled.
He had trained in Taijutsu under Zephyr—actually, countless Marines had. He considered his own progress rapid. But he had never heard Zephyr or any senior officer mention a "true essence."
"Stingy bastard. Won't even tell me that much?"
Roy, having received no useful intel from Smoker, silently noted a grudge in his mental ledger.
Then, he turned to Zephyr.
Under the shocked gazes of Smoker and Binz, he said softly, "I'm sorry, Admiral Zephyr. But I don't want to leave the Detention Unit."
Becoming Zephyr's disciple and learning his true martial arts sounded tempting.
But for Roy, Devil Fruits were everything.
Learning martial arts was great—he wanted to get stronger. But if it meant giving up the safety, stability, and access to Devil Fruits that the Detention Unit provided...
He wouldn't accept it.
"Why!?"
Binz couldn't accept it either.
As Zephyr's closest student, he had a vague idea of what Zephyr's 'true essence' entailed. And he knew Zephyr had been searching for a successor for a long time.
"Major Roy, you should think carefully before you answer..."
But before Binz could finish, Zephyr raised a hand to stop him.
The former Admiral looked at Roy. He wanted to know the reason too.
"If you're worried about Viroth, I'll speak to him personally."
"If you're reluctant to leave your subordinates and comrades, I can transfer them all over."
"If you desire a higher rank, I will recommend you to Sengoku in the future... With your talent, you will become an Admiral within twenty years."
He spoke deeply, countering every possible reason Roy could have.
But clearly...
"It's not because of those reasons, Admiral Zephyr."
Roy shook his head.
Of course, he couldn't say, 'I need Devil Fruits, so the Detention Unit is my buffet' or 'Can you arrange for me to study abroad in Impel Down?'
So, after a moment's thought, he put on his most righteous face and began his performance.
"I'm staying for the sake of the Detention Unit itself!"
He looked Zephyr in the eye.
"You know the status of the Detention Unit within the Marines. The discipline is lax, the morale is low."
"But I believe... after capturing a criminal, escorting them back to face the judgment of Justice is the most critical step."
His voice rang with conviction. "Only through the judgment of law and justice can righteousness be truly upheld."
Roy was getting into the groove now.
"So I will stay in the Detention Unit. And one day, I will become its Commander. I will change the status quo of the unit in my own way—that is far more valuable than simply capturing criminals or my own personal status!"
The words fell, and the training ground went silent.
Binz looked at Roy with incredulity, which slowly turned into respect.
He hadn't expected Roy to have such ambition. After seeing Roy's power, he was amazed that such a person would willingly stay in a low-status, slow-promotion department for the sake of reform.
Binz suddenly felt his earlier attitude toward Roy had been disrespectful.
"..."
Smoker was also shaken, though he felt a strange sense of dissonance.
It was hard to connect these noble words with the image of Roy chugging cola and slacking off.
But the most affected was Zephyr.
The former Admiral was visibly moved.
Roy's words had struck a chord deep within him.
Zephyr's life was legendary, but tragic. His family killed by pirates, his students massacred, his arm severed.
Yet, in his countless battles, Zephyr had never personally killed a pirate. That was why he was known as 'Black Arm' Zephyr, but also 'Don't Kill' Zephyr.
Not because he didn't hate pirates.
But because, as Roy said, he firmly believed that evil must be judged by the law to uphold true Justice. Using overwhelming power to kill was just fighting violence with violence.
Roy's declaration—that he would give up power and status to ensure evil faced judgment—resonated with Zephyr's core beliefs.
"That old bastard Viroth... he really found a gem."
Zephyr sighed internally.
He looked at Roy's 'determined' eyes.
"Good kid... I underestimated you."
He sighed, but his mind was made up.
"In that case, I've changed my mind."
"You can stay in the Detention Unit. I won't force you to transfer to my command."
"And in the future, I will recommend you to Sengoku to become the Commander of the Detention Unit. How does that sound?"
Roy was genuinely surprised.
How badly does this old man want me as a student? He's actually accommodating me this much?
But after a split second of surprise, Roy recovered.
"If that's the case... then I would be honored to become your disciple."
You've already said that much. What else is there to say? Sign me up!