One Piece: Buggy the Clown Who Fell From Grace

As the sun slowly sets, the colors of the sky gradually soften.

It started as orange-red, gradually transitioned to deep purple, and finally blended into the night.

The pirate guerrillas' mood had also sunk into the night.

On the warship facing them stood an old man with gray hair, wearing floral shorts, a goatee, and squinting eyes behind round glasses, looking unruly and unrestrained.

But anyone who sees it will be startled.

This is the former marshal, the Buddha of Warring States.

He was known for his wisdom and strategic acumen.

They were a unit preparing to defect from the navy.

You can imagine how uneasy she felt.

However, things took a turn for the better than they expected.

An old man with a white beard stood beside his dear friend, who, despite being outdated by the times, still insisted on stirring up trouble, and shared the freshly opened rice crackers with his friend.

If it were Garp, Sengoku would have hidden the senbei even better.

That guy just kept eating.

He can eat while sleeping; the senbei stored in the Warring States period simply wasn't enough for him to make.

Fortunately, Zephyr wasn't Garp; he was restrained. The two of them ate their senbei one after the other, sitting on the deck at the bow of the ship.

"I really thought a fight was about to break out."

Binz let out a long sigh. He was dressed in a brightly colored ninja outfit, and his limbs were as thin as bamboo poles.

They all thought their target had been discovered by the navy, especially since the former admiral suddenly appeared at that moment.

"Lord Sengoku's temper seems to have improved a lot."

"Since I'm also a comrade-in-arms with my teacher, perhaps there won't be so many troubles."

Ai Yin followed up with a comment.

When he was a marshal, Sengoku always had a stern expression, giving people a sense of authority without anger.

But now, sitting with Zefa, they are laughing and chatting, eating senbei as if it were a shot of shochu, almost no different from an ordinary retired old man.

When the two warships approached, the expected conflict did not occur at all. Zephyr and Sengoku were comrades-in-arms who had fought together for many years.

Along with Tsuru and Garp, these four were the face of the Navy in the old era.

However, after becoming a marshal in the Warring States period, they gradually drifted apart.

The two sat together and reminisced about their glorious youth and the pressure they faced when confronting the Rocks Pirates.

However, they all tacitly avoided mentioning the question of Whitebeard Jr., and Sengoku only asked indirectly.

"You're not happy about it, are you?"

He narrowed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips.

"I have no complaints."

Zefa took out a rice cracker and shook his head.

"I just feel that it shouldn't be like this."

"That can't be done either."

"If you can't do it, then I'll have to do it myself."

"I have always trusted you."

He tilted his head back, the rice cracker was crisp and crunchy, making a satisfying pop.

Zephyr has never trusted the World Government. Years ago, after the training ship was attacked and massacred, he became utterly disillusioned with the so-called World Government.

The reason he agreed to stay in the navy was because of his trust in his old friend.

Trust that they can accomplish what I couldn't, and achieve true justice.

"Trust...that justice that reigns supreme in the world."

Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, and Zephyr himself all joined the Navy at the same time and were among the few who stood out from their peers.

They are actually quite aware of their own sense of justice.

Zephyr knew this a long time ago.

The so-called "justice reigning supreme" pursued during the Warring States period did not mean that the ruler himself represented justice and reigned supreme, but rather that justice should reign supreme.

Let justice be above the World Government, above the Celestial Dragons.

Not subject to the control of any party.

The reason they kept compromising with the dark side of the World Government, accepting the Celestial Dragons' absurd and immoral privileges and that extremely ugly game was because...

This goal accounts for a large part of the reason.

Zephyr's determination this time includes Whitebeard Jr. becoming a Shichibukai as part of his resolve, but Sengoku's abdication is the fundamental reason.

This signifies that the efforts of these older naval personnel have utterly failed.

Justice does not reside above humankind.

Instead, they became tools of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.

"But that justice no longer exists."

"Justice no longer exists in the Navy."

It seems a young person once said that too.

Sengoku stuffed five senbei into his mouth and chewed them in one go. Since he had already abdicated, he didn't need to care about his image anymore.

However, he also understood Zephyr's meaning, and he understood that this tragic naval admiral had been suppressing his resentment all along, all for their common goal.

justice.

Now, my old friend can no longer see justice in the Navy.

The answer is obvious.

The sound of chewing on the rice crackers continued.

I have no idea how Garp managed to eat so many donuts at the same time.

"...We're all getting old."

"Sending away opponents like Roger and Whitebeard, who were our rivals, has already consumed most of my energy."

He had no choice but to accept this outcome.

Their generation failed to ensure that justice reigns supreme.

"Fortunately, this ocean has not been allowed to slide into a worse future."

"Whitebeard said that there are no ships left to carry them in the new era, and aren't we the same?"

"There is no place for us in this era."

Zefa discovered that his comrades had indeed grown old.

The old have forgotten their original aspirations, daring only to cling to the outdated order and fearing change.

"I'm getting old too."

He grinned, and the triangular sunglasses made him seem somewhat arrogant.

"However, there are still some things I haven't done."

"Even if I set aside justice, freedom, and all things heroic and glorious, there is still a responsibility I cannot abandon."

"There is a group of children who may die in the future in battles with pirates, in the unpredictable waves of the sea, or from disease or accidents."

"Including dying... from the revenge brought about by the heroic dreams of an incompetent person."

“I can accept all of these.”

The bag of senbei was almost empty. Sengoku rummaged around in the bag a few times and only managed to squeeze out a few crumbs.

"The only thing I cannot accept is that they died under the protection of an incompetent person when they were still young and inexperienced."

"This is a responsibility I can never shirk!"

The wind at sea was strong, blowing Zefa's hair backwards, creating a messy yet reckless and crazy look.

"The Joker... is not a good partner."

"Dynamic rock is not a good choice either."

"The reason why the Navy never uses this weapon and never reveals its existence..."

Sengoku turned the bag of senbei over, shook it, and couldn't believe that he had finished the bag of senbei he had just opened so quickly.

He then patted Zefa on the shoulder.

Lower your voice.

"This concerns the Celestial Dragons."

"Hahaha, it seems my stash is all gone!"

The Warring States period was marked by a hearty laugh.

"We need to get some supplies, otherwise Garp will definitely complain when he gets back. Speaking of which, which island is nearby..."

"Ugo, do you have any suggestions?"

Ugo, the adjutant on the warship, rushed over upon hearing the call.

"But, Lord Sengoku, we didn't intend to..."

He glanced at Zephyr.

Wasn't the headquarters' requirement for them to replace Mr. Zephyr and escort the transport ships...?

"Have you forgotten, Ugo?"

Zhan Guo stood up, stretched, and said, "I've already retired. There are no more essential tasks in this new era."