Having traversed countless realms, can you possibly be as clever as me?

The message was primarily spread to members of the Four Emperors' pirate crews, and the source of the information—besides Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom—who else could it be?

The Pirate Emperors acknowledged the existence of the 'Water Goddess'.

He also revealed the result of that wish from back then—all the Celestial Dragons lost their male and female characteristics, and even lost their anal and genital features, becoming hermaphrodites who eat and defecate with their mouths.

Actually, these kinds of messages have circulated a lot on the high seas, especially in the New World, but most of the time they were just rumors made up by pirates to attack the World Government.

After all, it sounds a bit too outrageous, doesn't it?

But now, everyone is facing the defeat of the Navy and the World Government, and that miraculous wish.

Everyone immediately believed a lot of this unofficial history!

The people of Sabaody Archipelago, in particular, seem to have suddenly gained clairvoyance!

Right, it was around thirty-eight years ago. It seems that the Celestial Dragons suddenly stopped leaving Mary Geoise almost completely. Although they have started to reappear in the last ten years or so, they spend very little time in the lower realm.

And—it seems these Celestial Dragons no longer lord it over the mortal realm!

Of course, this doesn't mean the Celestial Dragons are any better. In fact, during those thirty-eight years, they didn't become any less ruthless just because they turned into monsters who excrete through their mouths.

The gold from the sky was taken without fail, and the number of slaves transported to Mary Geoise increased significantly.

But in any case, once people pieced together this evidence, the idea that 'I'm gradually understanding everything' instantly blossomed in their minds!

Oh right! The Celestial Dragons have all turned into transvestites—yes! If that's the case, then it all makes sense!

Suddenly, this unofficial history became very convincing, and countless jokes about the Celestial Dragons and the World Government spread throughout the world!

As for the Navy, things aren't much better. Pirates have already started compiling a hundred unofficial histories about whether joining the Navy requires having your penis cut off.

All of this combined to create a situation that the Warring States period could neither withstand nor tolerate.

The Navy's prestige plummeted after this crushing defeat, morale plummeted, and pirates in various regions began to stir!

An army's ability to dominate relies not only on sheer violence, but also on its inviolable authority—the latter being the fundamental element for maintaining order most of the time!

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An army's ability to dominate relies not only on sheer violence, but also on its inviolable authority—the latter being the fundamental element for maintaining order most of the time!

Now the navy has lost these things, lost the awe-inspiring power that made the sea tremble!

The Warring States period dared not imagine how far the order on the high seas would collapse if such things were allowed to fester, and how many innocent people would die!

We must nip the problem in the bud and not let it continue to spread!

"I propose that we continue the war against Alabasta." Sengoku took a deep breath, surveyed the room, and said in a deep voice.

"What are your opinions? Garp? Tsuru? Zephyr? You tell me."

"What opinion do I have? You definitely won't like what I say." Garp crossed his arms; in this situation, he didn't continue his foolish behavior, but he also didn't express any opinion or anger.

Because, putting aside the personality clashes between him and Akainu, Garp's attitude toward Akainu's actions and death was very direct.

It's just karma.

Accepting orders from the Celestial Dragons to do the dirty work of massacring cities—regardless of your own sense of justice—is simply unacceptable to Garp.

Then it's reasonable that you failed in your city-slaughtering attempt and were killed instead—he certainly wouldn't say that to Sengoku's face, but that's roughly the gist of it.

Sengoku understood this as well, so he looked at Vice Admiral Tsuru, the naval chief strategist, who, after a moment's thought, said...

“I also support your judgment to restore the navy’s prestige, but we must be cautious in our use of force in Alabasta. The most crucial question is whether we can deal with that ‘Saintess Vivi’.”

Two admirals, plus Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr; if that's not enough, you can bring in two more admiral candidates.

To be honest, even Rocks back in the day would have been easily defeated by such power.

The idea of ​​the Warring States period was based on this—to nip the rebellion in the bud before it broke out on a large scale!

All they need to do is regain face, defeat Queen Lily, and bring Alabasta back to the World Government.

Sengoku wouldn't be as extreme as Akainu, unless this was a direct order from the Five Elders...

“I have no objection,” Kuzan said succinctly. His relationship with Akainu was so-so, and they could even be said to be somewhat incompatible due to their differing attitudes toward justice. However, he supported the revenge for his colleague.

"...I will support all your orders, Marshal." Borsalino remained silent for a long while before speaking in a calm tone unlike his usual one.

Just as Sengoku was about to make a decision, Zephyr, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up.

"Sengoku, no matter how good your plan is, what do you plan to do if the World Government, the Five Elders, and the Celestial Dragons give you orders?"

Sengoku's expression froze, and just then, as if to confirm Zephyr's words, the Den Den Mushi that Sengoku had placed on the table rang.

After the connection was established, the face that appeared on the screen was none other than that of Jaigolusia Satan, one of the Five Elders, the God of Scientific Defense.

"Sengoku, cease all acts of war against Alabasta!"

"Why? This is an absolute provocation against the Navy, I can't..." Sengoku slammed his fist on the table, exclaiming excitedly.

"There's no reason why! The Navy is just a facade for the World Government. Know yourself, Sengoku!"

Satan Saint, also appearing quite agitated or perhaps still fearful, suppressed his terror and rebuked him.

"Wait, lie low, do not provoke or start a war, and do not become enemies with those religious groups! This is our order!"

Sengoku's expression twisted several times as he clenched his teeth, making a clicking sound. His fingernails even dug deep into his palms, dripping blood.

"...I understand." Sengoku suppressed his humiliation and responded in a low voice.

The Den Den Mushi hung up abruptly, and the office fell into a deathly silence.

"Hmph, I knew it would turn out this way."

Zefa snorted coldly. He had already anticipated this outcome, so without any hesitation, he turned and left.

The word "Justice" on the white cloak fluttering behind him now looked so glaringly ridiculous.

After all, it's a kind of justice written for others to see, but one that one can never see oneself.

Shortly after Zephyr walked out, a figure silently approached him.

"So, everything is as I said." Tsugumi, dressed in a naval uniform, walked beside the former admiral who had spared no one's life, and said with a light laugh.

"You cannot wage war against Alabasta, even if they are already so agitated."

"How can a dog that is tied up and led on a leash know the way of strife?"

Zefa stopped in his tracks, looking at the figure that had been appearing before him intermittently for the past few days—a figure he couldn't touch, couldn't dispel, and couldn't defeat.

He certainly recognized the other person—the messenger of the gods.

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"Our navy remains the righteous force on the high seas!"

“Yes, everything has to be compared.” Tsugumi didn’t deny Zephyr’s words, but instead smiled and said in agreement.

"That's why I chose you and took a liking to you."

"Admiral Zephyr, don't you want the Navy to become something else entirely?"

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677. Zephyr and Buggy's Wish

What is etched on Zephyr, the former admiral and now a naval instructor, is the most tragic and dark side of the navy as a whole.

He became an admiral at the age of thirty-nine, and his family was killed by pirates when he was forty-two—this was actually orchestrated by the World Government.

After all, who could believe that a few low-level pirates could sneak up to the officers' family quarters in Marineford and kill the admiral's family members?

This was because he had participated in the crackdown on the slave trade in the Sabaody Archipelago on more than one occasion, using the Navy's law enforcement authority to try to stop those enslaved by the World Government.

It was precisely because he was such an eyesore that he was hated by the World Government, which led them to lure a few low-level pirates into the officers' family quarters in Marineford and kill his wife and children.

He began to hate pirates, but also guessed the problem behind it, so he became disheartened and wanted to resign. If it weren't for the former Fleet Admiral Kong's persuasion, he would have left the Navy long ago.

He later became an instructor, focusing on training the next generation of marines. Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru were all his students, and even most of the current vice admirals were trained by him.

And so, as if by fate, the training ship he was leading at the age of sixty-five was suddenly attacked by a pirate. The pirate, as if he had prior knowledge, used his asthma to capture his students and eventually killed almost all of them in front of him, and cut off his right arm.

The pirate's name is Edward Weevil, who will join the Seven Warlords of the Sea after the Marineford War and gain judicial immunity.

He dedicated his life to justice, only to end up with his family destroyed and his life cut short. He devoted himself to nurturing the next generation of naval personnel, only to be betrayed.

Zefa's life was so tragic, and it proved to everyone how pathetic it is to place your hopes on a corrupt collective to reform itself.

So, Tsurugi found him and extended an olive branch to him.

"You don't need to pretend, nor do you need to say any high-sounding words." Tsugumi looked at Zefa, who wanted to refute her, and shook her head with a smile.

"I came here precisely because I sensed your competitive spirit. You have a burning desire to reform the Navy, especially a yearning to sever ties with the World Government and make the Navy's justice pure, right?"

"So what if it is?" Zephyr dropped the pretense and asked bluntly.

"But I will never associate with a villain who killed my student!"

"You're wrong about one thing," Tsugumi said teasingly, raising a finger.

“Not all who serve the god of conflict are his followers, and even if they are all his followers, they are not necessarily his friends and comrades.”

Conflict is the gateway; He never proclaims victory, He only asks: "Now, do you understand who you are better?"

"As I have said, in the path of conflict there are no permanent friends, only temporary positions. For oneself, for friends, for family, for justice, the struggle will never cease."

"If words fail, then fists and feet; if fists and feet fail, then swords and knives—a never-ending struggle against perceived injustice; this is the path of conflict!"

Seeing Zephyr's furrowed brows, Tsugumi sighed, somewhat helplessly.

The spread of Axis beliefs across the seas was much faster than his.

Strangely enough—although the doctrines sounded like a jumbled mess made up by a child—the general public was clearly more receptive to Aqua's teachings.

In contrast, there are the scriptures of Dongjiang, the god of strife.

Unlike directly copying Aqua's doctrines, Tsugumi put a lot of effort into fabricating (or fabricating) her own doctrines.

For example, he wrote a whole bunch of seemingly profound but actually incomprehensible maxims.

[Conflict is the gateway. The river never proclaims victory; it only asks, "Now, do you understand who you are better?"]

A granite boundary marker stands at a three-way intersection. One side is inscribed with "This road leads to truth," while the other reads "This road leads to delusion." Dongjiang stands within its fissure, smiling silently.

You don't remember when this wound was inflicted, only that it always throbs when the image of your reflection appears in the mirror. As Tsuruga said, 'Remember who you lost to, but more importantly, remember why you lost.'

[In the courtyard of the Tsurugi River, sword duels are forbidden. Instead, both sides must engage in a debate in their respective mother tongues about 'what is right.' The victor gains truth, the loser gains wisdom. But regardless of victory or defeat, He gains a good show.]