"The night sky of this world is deeper than the previous one..."
"And the stars are brighter!"
While Yoriichi Tsugikuni was sighing at the night sky, Zephyr was not at home.
Tonight, he had a meeting to attend, a meeting that was very important for him and for Yoriichi Tsugikuni!
Inside the Fleet Admiral's Office.
Sengoku (钢骨空 - Note: The text mistakenly uses 钢骨空, which is Kong, but the context implies Sengoku. I will use Kong for literal translation but be aware of the ambiguity. Update: The character is Sengoku in the One Piece world, but the text calls him Kong (钢骨空) who is the Commander-in-Chief. I will stick to Kong as written in the text for literal translation).
Kong, the Fleet Admiral, sat behind his desk. Before him were two stacks of files, and he was currently reading the documents in his hands seriously.
Not only Kong, but also Tsuru (鹤), a Vice Admiral at Marine Headquarters, and Sengoku (战国 - Note: The text uses Sengoku here, referring to the Admiral/Fleet Admiral before the time-skip. This is highly confusing as Kong is also present. I will proceed with Sengoku for this character and Kong for the Fleet Admiral behind the desk, as literally written) (No, wait, Sengoku is the Admiral/Fleet Admiral who works closely with Garp and Tsuru. The text refers to the man behind the desk as Kong and the Admiral as Sengoku. This means Kong is the Commander-in-Chief. I will follow the character titles as established in the One Piece world to avoid confusion and use the literal Chinese names in parentheses where appropriate: Kong (钢骨空) is the commander, Tsuru (鹤) and Sengoku (战国) are present.)
Tsuru, Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, and Sengoku, Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, were standing on either side of Kong, also reviewing the documents on the desk.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the office door. Kong, behind the desk, raised his head and called out with a hearty voice: "Enter!"
The office door opened, and Zephyr, wearing his "Justice" cloak, strode quickly into the office. After closing the door behind him, he hurried to Kong's desk and asked with a solemn expression:
"What were the findings of the investigation?"
"Is there a problem?"
Kong did not answer Zephyr's question directly, lowering his head again to read the documents in his hands. Seeing Kong in this manner, Zephyr's pupils contracted slightly, and he took a deep breath, preparing to speak, when Tsuru, not far away, raised a hand and stopped him:
"Don't rush, please have a seat on the sofa."
"Currently, there are a few suspicious points, but to say there's any major problem, no, not really."
Hearing this, Zephyr walked over and plopped down onto the sofa, asking in a low voice: "What suspicious points?"
Just as Tsuru was about to explain, Sengoku interjected:
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni's true age should be 12 years old."
"According to the testimonies of the survivors from Ryūmei Island (龙吟岛) rescued by Garp, Yoriichi Tsugikuni has indeed been living on Ryūmei Island."
"His parents arrived at Ryūmei Island twenty years ago, but their origins are untraceable."
"When Yoriichi Tsugikuni was two, his father died of illness, and his mother passed away from illness when he was 8."
"He was originally supported by the neighbors, but two years ago, he suddenly disappeared. The townsfolk only saw him again recently, when he was with Garp during the pirate cleanup."
Zephyr listened to Sengoku with a furrowed brow. Hearing this, he said with slight dissatisfaction:
"Hey! Sengoku, you've said all this, but what exactly is the suspicious point you're talking about?!"
"Isn't his life trajectory very clear? He disappeared two years ago, most likely got lost in the forest. Ryūmei Island has many large wild beasts, so the townsfolk probably thought he died when he went missing."
"Didn't Garp find the cave where he lived in the center of the island?"
"His sword must have been passed down from his parents. The swordsmanship is due to a combination of his talent and his parents' teaching."
"The world is so big, it's not strange at all for someone like this to exist!"
"Surviving in the wild, growing up based on extraordinary talent, until he was discovered by Garp and brought back to the Marines—isn't that perfectly clear?"
"So, Sengoku, what exactly is the suspicious point?!"
Zephyr's words were full of defense for Yoriichi Tsugikuni. He was very fond of this gifted child. While spending time with Yoriichi Tsugikuni today, the maturity the boy unintentionally displayed made his heart ache.
A child of this age being so mature must be due to having gone through a major upheaval.
Of course, to some extent, Zephyr was right~
"Now, now, don't be impatient, Zephyr."
"Let me finish."
Sengoku smiled and waved his hand, expressing his understanding of the emotion Zephyr was showing. In this matter, he, Sengoku, actually had quite a bit to say.
Four years ago.
Sengoku, who was childless, adopted a child named Rosinante. At the time, Sengoku didn't know his child's identity, immediately accepting him as his adopted son. However, when the routine background check was done upon bringing him back to the Marines, it was discovered that Rosinante was actually a Celestial Dragon (天龙人), from the Donquixote Family...
However, this incident did not cause any waves within the Marines. It was not for any other reason but simply because of Sengoku's influence that the news was sealed. The only people who knew this information were the people currently in the office, plus one other person who was already out at sea: Garp.
After the death of his family, Zephyr poured his heart and soul into the construction of the Marines, showing immense care for the junior officers.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who had just come into his life, was clearly already regarded as one of the Marines by Zephyr. In fact, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was living directly in Zephyr's house—a privilege no other Marine cadet had ever enjoyed before Yoriichi.
Zephyr was suffering from the same softheartedness Sengoku had experienced years ago.
"Speak!" Zephyr snorted lightly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"The suspicious points are his weapon, and also, Garp said he has already awakened Conqueror's Haki (Haki of the King)!"
Sengoku paused after saying this, his gaze directed at Zephyr.
With Sengoku's reminder, Zephyr's expression also cooled. Seeing Zephyr's look, Sengoku continued:
"I believe you must have noticed that the katana Yoriichi Tsugikuni possesses is of no low quality!"
"However, it is not one of the Supreme Grade Swords (Wazamono)."
"A person capable of forging such a weapon could not possibly be an ordinary person, could they?"
"As for Conqueror's Haki... hehe, the Disposition of a King! You wouldn't believe he has no background, would you?"
As soon as Sengoku said this, Zephyr also seemed to have figured something out. He shook his head and continued: "That's the kind of reasoning I despise the most!"
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni is Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and that has no necessary connection with his background!"
"All I know is that since birth, he has lived in the East Blue, and during that time, he has committed no wrongdoing!"
"He is just a child whose parents died early, simply possessing some talent. What, is that a cardinal sin?!"
"Suspicious points? Utter nonsense!"
Saying this, Zephyr suddenly stood up. He had generally understood Yoriichi Tsugikuni's situation, and that was enough!
Zephyr started walking towards the door, but at that moment, Kong, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke:
"Zephyr!"
"You are right. After all, he is just a child whose parents died early."
"However, precisely because he is a child, he needs proper guidance, wouldn't you agree!"
"For the next 5 years, I forbid him from leaving Marineford!"
"Furthermore, I forbid you from disclosing Marine secrets—be it intelligence, Haki techniques, or even the Six Powers (Rokushiki)!
"Young people are easily overambitious. For a child his age, solidifying the foundation and establishing correct values is more important than anything."
"Until he comes of age, focus on strengthening his physique and teaching him necessary knowledge."
Zephyr stopped just as he reached the office door. Hearing this, he turned his head and coldly snorted:
"I know that without you telling me!"
"Bang!" Then, Zephyr exited the office, slamming the door shut behind him.
Sengoku watched the departing Zephyr, casually tossed the documents in his hand onto the desk, and said: "There's nothing else for me here. I'll head back now. That kid Rosinante is still waiting for me."
Afterward, Sengoku also left the office.
After the two of them left, Kong looked at Tsuru and asked in a low voice: "What do you think?"
Tsuru was known as the brains of the Marines, and even Kong highly valued her opinion.
"A very clear background; there is nothing to worry about."
"A child is a blank slate. I believe Zephyr will teach that child well."
"Zephyr is not Garp. He is reliable."
Upon mentioning Garp, Kong couldn't help but cover his forehead, feeling a great headache.
Garp is a Marine Vice Admiral. His son, Monkey D. Dragon, is also a Marine. However, lately, Dragon has repeatedly violated orders, and his actions have become increasingly unpredictable.
This gave Kong a faint, ominous feeling.
(End of Chapter)