Konoha's Mission Master

As the three approached the sunken ship, they discovered many skeletal corpses on the deck. Yakumo stepped onto the slightly decayed deck, squatted down, and carefully examined the corpses on the deck.

"Of these corpses, there was only one wound on the forehead."

Yakumo addressed the two of them.

“These naval personnel were all killed in a single blow,” Mori Masako replied.

"Let's go inside the cabin and take a look."

The three of them crawled into the cabin through the hole created by the cannonball. Yakumo illuminated the surroundings with golden arcs of electricity, and the place had become a haven for the little fish.

Inside the cabin, there were numerous small silver fish, each about the length of a thumb, and several corpses could be vaguely seen in a corner, their wounds also on their foreheads.

"Was this a sudden attack?" Yukotsu asked.

"It must have been a well-planned assassination. Although the wounds are all on the head, there are differences in depth and size, which means it was not done by one person," Yakumo analyzed.

"This is the Finger Pistol from the Six Styles of the Navy. This should be a carefully planned operation to silence them, but I don't understand why they didn't cover up the wounds on these sailors."

"You mean the CP department assassinated the Navy?"

“That should be the case.” Yakumo nodded.

“I guess they know that even if they don’t cover up the wounds on these sailors, the people in charge of the investigation won’t tell the truth,” Masako Mori said.

"The CP department attacked the Navy, and then they sent the CP department to investigate the truth, successfully forming a perfect closed loop."

"Then why did the CP department send people to attack?"

"This...question, perhaps no one can answer."

The group continued toward the other cabins of the warship, where they found the remains of several children in the living quarters. The same finger gun had killed them with the same single, fatal shot.

"Children, girls, women...family members?"

"These naval protectors are the families of high-ranking naval officers whom the Five Elders despise, destroying his ambitions with the deaths of his family members?"

The fact that the navy specifically deployed warships to protect the family suggests that the person must be a high-ranking naval officer, or... a Celestial Dragon.

However, the Five Elders would not send anyone to attack the Celestial Dragons.

This could only be the family members of high-ranking naval officers.

"So, is there a deeper meaning behind sending the CP organization to silence them?"

Yakumo collected some powder from the bones and used a camera to record the scene on the seabed.

If I'm not mistaken, this thing should come in handy in the future.

The Five Elders' annihilation of the families of high-ranking Navy officials is irrefutable evidence enough to sow discord between the World Government and the Navy. Even if the Navy chooses to uphold its own sense of justice, a rift will inevitably develop between them.

This is not only provocation, but also restoring the truth to the facts.

The group carefully climbed over the walls in the residential area.

Suddenly, Masako Mori found a photo album in the gap of the cabinet.

Beneath a giant tree, a burly man with purple hair embraced his beautiful wife, his face beaming with happiness. Beside them stood his two graceful daughters and his son, who was crying.

This is an incredibly happy family. Yakumo recognizes the person in the photo album; he is Zephyr, a former admiral and instructor of the elite Marine Corps.

Yakumo revealed a cryptic smile, and under the protection of Wood Release, took out a camera to take photos as evidence.

So this is the truth: Zephyr's family was silenced by the Five Elders, and the perpetrators didn't even bother to cover their tracks. Such actions are truly infuriating.

"Yakumo, do you know this person?" Mori Masako asked.

"Former Navy Admiral Black Arm Zephyr, according to the intelligence at the time, his family was killed by pirates in retaliation, an event that shocked the entire sea."

"So it was actually the Five Elders who gave the order, and the CP department that did it?"

Masako Mori continued, somewhat puzzled.

"But why would the remains appear in the East China Sea? If this warship was guarded by a vice admiral-level force, then it would make more sense for it to be attacked in the New World, wouldn't it?"

"That makes sense. As expected of you... your thinking is so clear."

Yakumo nodded and worked even harder to take photos and collect evidence.

The group found no treasure on the warship, but for Yakumo, it was a very successful haul. To increase their chances of persuading Zephyr, Yakumo carefully retrieved the remains of several family members.

All of this is such a coincidence, yet it seems to be preordained by fate. The truth should not be hidden, and the world should not be fooled.

Zefa worked tirelessly for decades to kill the murderer who destroyed his family; he must have been filled with resentment.

In the original story, did Zephyr plan to detonate a giant volcano and flood the New World because he had discovered some truth?

Such a crazy idea must have been driven to madness by something, but... according to the current timeline, did Zephyr actually die at Kizaru's hands?

Yakumo could only hope that the truth hadn't come too late.

The three surfaced. Yakumo took out a Den Den Mushi from the cabin.

"Pop, pop."

"Ah, my good brother, what brings you to me so late at night?"

"It is indeed a small matter."

"I want to ask you whether former Navy Admiral Zephyr is still alive?"

"He is dead. Fleet Admiral Aokiji and Kizaru saw him off."

Monkey D. Dragon's tone was somewhat downcast. Back when he was in the Navy, his instructor was Black Arm Zephyr, and he was the strongest among that generation of new Navy personnel.

However, he came to understand the essence of the world during his mission.

We have seen clearly the ugliness of the high and mighty Creator.

Yakumo's expression softened slightly, and he secretly thought it was a pity.

This belated truth ultimately became forever delayed. Zephyr ultimately missed the truth, and the Revolutionary Army lost an extremely powerful ally.

"Brother, brother, what's wrong?"

Monkey D. Ryūmi Yakumo hadn't spoken for a long time, so he quickly asked.

"I found the remains of Zefa's family on the seabed of the East China Sea, as well as a photo of him and his family, and the wounds on his family members were gunshot wounds."

"The Five Elders' actions are truly disgusting, and it's indeed a pity that this happened." Monkey D. Dragon replied after a moment of silence, choosing to believe what Yakumo said.

Long ago, the Revolutionary Army, combining numerous clues, deduced that the deaths of the Zephyr family were not as simple as they seemed.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

"Do you know why the Five Elders attacked Zephyr's family?"

"Because of his influence, many of the Navy's strongest members were trained by Master Zephyr, and his sense of justice was too strong. Zephyr believed that kind pirates should not be wiped out in one fell swoop."

"Is that all?" Yakumo asked.

“Zeffe-sensei even despises the Celestial Dragons.”

"Shortly after that incident, Professor Zephyr resigned from his position as an instructor and formed a naval guerrilla force to hunt down pirates, thus breaking his own rule of not killing," Monkey D. Dragon replied.

“That’s quite a clever plan,” Yakumo said.

"Blaming the pirates, guiding Zephyr to break his creed of not killing, and gradually pushing him to the opposite side of the pirates, while the naval guerrilla force established by Zephyr, to some extent, consolidated the rule of the Five Elders."

This is truly a highly profitable business.

"What's your opinion?" Yakumo asked.

"If it can be confirmed that these remains are indeed those of Professor Zephyr's family, I will use the Revolutionary Army's channels to make this public. Officially, this will undermine the Navy's trust in the Five Elders. Personally, I want Professor Zephyr's fate to be dealt with justly."

Monkey D. Dragon's tone was somewhat excited, mixed with anger, and sounded very sincere.

"Justice delayed is justice denied, because the victims... can no longer see it!" The sincerity in Ryu's words resonated with Yakumo on a certain spiritual level.

Monkey D. Dragon fell silent again, and after a long while, he spoke.

"That's right, justice delayed is justice denied."

"Then let the truth come out and give the victims the truth!"

Unfortunately... the victims are already dead.

Yakumo and Ryu reached an agreement to hand over the evidence that points directly to the truth in three days.

After the two exchanged their experiences, Yakumo suddenly asked a question.

"Dragon, do you possess Conqueror's Haki?"

“On the day I defected from the Navy, I awakened Conqueror’s Haki and realized… that even those high and mighty creators can cry out and fear death.” Monkey D. Dragon answered without hesitation.

"I never expected that you had also killed a Celestial Dragon."

Monkey D. Dragon's answer contained a great deal of information.

While Yakumo had indeed mastered Conqueror's Haki, the fact that he had killed a Celestial Dragon was somewhat unexpected.

“Actually, every few years there are attacks on Celestial Dragons in this world. The reason they are not reported is to protect the face of the World Government. In fact, I have attacked Celestial Dragons twice, which is why I was defined as the most vicious criminal in the world,” Monkey D. Dragon explained with a smile.

"Your claim to be the best in the world is indeed well-deserved."

"But my title is not as prestigious as yours. I am just a mere world's best, while you are the most vicious criminal in the history of the past eight hundred years."

Monkey D. Dragon said with a slight sigh.

"Haha, that's slander, slander! I'm a good person."

Yakumo retorted seriously, while simultaneously bringing up his own sin value panel, where the black aura in front of him gradually formed words.

Name: Jing Bayun

Sin Value: -3456 (Extremely Good)

"That's right, we are all good people, partners of justice!"

Monkey D. Dragon echoed.

"That reminds me of an old friend."

A look of reminiscence crossed Yakumo's face.

"If you have the chance, you must introduce me to him. Maybe we will become good friends."

"He lost his chance; he died in the career he loved most."