The Great Voyage Begins with the Celestial Dragons

A hint of surprise flashed in Zefa's eyes.

If that were truly the case, then sending Garp to the execution platform 100 times wouldn't be excessive at all.

Chapter 144 Zephyr's ideological shift, the lack of a usable naval admiral

"Professor Zephyr, you guessed right."

Luther gazed at the distant sea, a smile playing on his lips:

"Hiding the son of the Pirate King is not a righteous act."

"That old bastard!"

boom!

Zephyr clapped his fists together, producing a muffled thud that made the ship tremble slightly. His expression was filled with dissatisfaction towards Garp.

This is not a simple act of hoarding.

Garp knew that the Navy and the government were looking for someone, yet he hid the person and kept it a secret.

The consequence was that countless babies died tragically during those years.

Of course, most of them were in non-member states, around the area where Roger was active at the time. Those people might have become pirates even if they hadn't died, but that's not the reason Garp did it.

In particular, Karp clearly had a better way.

If he really wanted to keep it, he could have easily found a dead child and said that the descendant of the Pirate King had been executed.

With Garp's prestige, he could easily convince everyone.

But he didn't; he simply watched the tragedy unfold.

"I originally thought he and Roger were enemies, but now it seems they have a mutual respect."

Zefa sneered, still unable to calm down.

"So, Professor Zephyr, what do you think I should do?"

Luther smiled slightly and tossed the question back to Zephyr.

He had already made general plans for the future of Roger's son, Ace.

However, this arrangement requires many people to help cover it up, and the benefits can only be maximized when it is finally exposed.

As it happened, Zefa was traveling with them this time, and naturally became the first target he tried to recruit.

"Logically, he should be killed, but you probably wouldn't do that, otherwise you wouldn't have told me."

Zephyr glanced at Luther. He knew his unique Celestial Dragon student quite well; he was always the one who planned ahead.

If the goal was simply to trick Garp, they wouldn't have told him now.

"Given Roger's talent, this descendant of the Pirate King's talent will definitely not be lacking. I think Professor Zephyr would agree with that," Luther said with a smile.

“I largely agree. If you train them from a young age, reaching the general level shouldn’t be too difficult.” Zephyr nodded in agreement, arms crossed.

He personally acknowledged Roger's abilities.

"The Pirate King Roger ushered in the Great Pirate Era, forcibly accelerating the process of collapse of this world that was still functioning normally."

Luther's voice was calm, and Zephyr was unsure of his true thoughts, but he nodded subconsciously.

In terms of results, it was indeed as Luther said.

At least ten years ago, the world wasn't as chaotic as it is now.

"So, how do you feel about the ending of this great pirate era, which was started by the Pirate King, and ended by his son himself, Professor Zephyr?" Luther chuckled.

"Did the son sever his father's dream? A cruel ending, yet one that leaves no room for criticism," Zefa lamented.

From his perspective, the sooner this farce of the Great Pirate Era ends, the better.

Unfortunately, this was just his wishful thinking.

Roger's dying words, declaring that his treasure was on the final island, not only stirred the wild ambition of hot-blooded children to rush to the sea, but also ignited the hopes of all those already oppressed by a life of hardship.

Why can't I be the one who gets the Pirate King's treasure and changes my fate?

Countless people, with this in mind, ventured into the sea.

Originally, pirates could only survive on the sea, and apart from the great pirates, the rest dared not commit any crimes.

The influx of countless people has led to a severe shortage of naval personnel, making it difficult to even defend the member states.

This made many people see the prestige of becoming a pirate and the decline of the Navy, which led to even more people joining the ranks of pirates.

This vicious cycle seems endless.

If Roger's son can become the one to end this era, Zephyr is willing to do everything in his power to nurture him.

"Is this the real reason you let me come aboard the ship?"

Zefa glanced at Luther. Although it was a good thing, he was still annoyed at being outmaneuvered.

"Perhaps he's a promising martial arts talent, or even a student who can carry on your legacy?" Luther smiled.

"Hmph, Maria is enough. I don't just take students based on their birth. Back when I joined the Navy, no one expected me to become an admiral."

Zephyr spoke proudly, his naval experience was truly legendary.

At the age of 14, he joined the Navy along with Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru, who were around 18 years old at the same time.

He was not promoted to the rank of Junior Corpse until he was 28 years old, when he was qualified to practice the Six Forms.

In just six years, at the age of 34, he became a monster of general level through continuous efforts, and at the age of 38, he was promoted to general.

Compared to true geniuses, he is a representative of those who achieve great things later in life.

Actually, his talent wasn't that great; he was nowhere near as good as Sengoku or Garp.

But relying on his unwavering pursuit of physical skills and domineering presence, he never fell behind in chasing after them.

"Yes, yes, it's just a pity that you only served as a general for 4 years, and we Celestial Dragons didn't even have time to give you a proper role."

Luther's lips curled slightly, his words carrying a hint of teasing.

"Ha, no matter how many years I've served, my rank will always be higher than that old man Garp's!"

Zefa laughed heartily, his eyes filled with nostalgia for the past.

If his family hadn't been murdered, he might still be a general now.

However, with so much time having passed and the Den Den Mushi Luther had given him, he gradually emerged from that sad past.

People always have to look forward; he has to give an explanation to the dead.

Luther once said something to him that he now finds very true.

'You can't wait until you die to see your wife and children and tell them you did nothing.'

He is 54 years old this year, at the peak of his strength, and he is confident that he can even go toe-to-toe with Whitebeard.

If we don't do something now, we'll only be left with regret later.

Seeing Zefa's current mental state, Luther smiled knowingly.

At least his efforts were not in vain.

This person's strength is at its peak, and he is a top-tier physical fighter without a Devil Fruit. Neither Akainu nor Kizaru can contend with him now.

Even if he were to face Whitebeard head-on, he would at most be slightly weaker.

Of course, Luther values ​​Zephyr's training ability more than his direct combat power.

The continuous production of general-level powerhouses is far more terrifying than a single peak general.

......

Naval Headquarters, Conference Room.

Marshal Sengoku sat at the head of the table, holding a document in his hand, which he tossed to Sakazuki.

"This is the ninth edition of the Seven Warlords of the Sea list. It's yours now, Sakazuki."

As he handed over the document, Sengoku rubbed his temples.

He gets a headache whenever he thinks about the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

It's been almost a year since the plan was established, and it's still just an empty shell.

He shouldn't have agreed to let Sakaski do the recruiting.

Every time they talked, the talks would fall apart after a short while, and then Sakazuki would throw the boat and the people into the sea.

"Another bunch of useless trash."

Sakazuki glanced at it and disdainfully tossed the file to Kizaru next to him.

Because he needed to temporarily help oversee the Sabaody Archipelago, Kizaru still occasionally participated in naval meetings.

Titles like 'Shark' and 'Sea Dragon' were ignored by Kizaru.

Looking at the whole thing, he did see a few familiar names:

"Hey, isn't that Mihawk and Crocodile? How terrifying! The Supernovas from a few years ago are already this powerful."

"These two best fit the criteria for the Seven Warlords of the Sea."

Sitting to the side, Chief of Staff He spoke up, saying that she had compiled the list and would also be responsible for explaining it:

"Mihawk has entered the New World with just himself, his ship, and his sword, showing signs of becoming the world's greatest swordsman in the future. Although Crocodile failed to challenge Whitebeard, he is still famous and strong enough."

"Actually, Moriah and Big-Mom are also suitable candidates, but unfortunately they have already gained influence and are unlikely to accept the government's invitation."

"The world's greatest swordsman... what an incredible title!" Kizaru exclaimed in amazement.

"Go ahead and recruit me this time, Borsalino!"

Sakazuki leaned back in his chair, looking completely uninterested.

He had grown tired of recruiting the Seven Warlords of the Sea after several rounds of recruitment.

Instead of personally recruiting these junkies, it's better to make your demands directly to them after you've identified them.

Instead of wasting this time, why not train Jack?