One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 249: Foolish, but a good person!

Zefa bowed ninety degrees to Chenye.

This old man, a man of unyielding integrity and a renowned "black arm," lowered his proud head, a head that had never bowed to pirates.

He waved his hand!

"Alright, straighten up, old man."

Chen Ye put his hands in his pockets and spoke.

"Besides, there's no need for thanks. I saved you not so that you would owe me a favor, nor did I do it to hear a word of thanks."

Zefa straightened up as instructed.

Chen Ye looked directly into Zefa's eyes, his gaze sharp.

"What you did this time was stupid; it was the act of a madman blinded by hatred."

Zefa's old face turned bright red.

Chen Ye didn't give him a chance to speak at all, and his tone suddenly changed, his voice steady.

"But ultimately, you're still a good person. The principle of 'not killing admirals' is so rare in this already rotten navy. So rare that it would be a shame to destroy it."

Zefa froze.

All the words of rebuttal stuck in his throat, ultimately turning into a heavy breath.

"A good person...?"

Zefa's mouth tasted bitter.

How ironic. The one who brought about the world's devastating crisis was this "good guy." The one who stopped it all and saved him was the "villain" in the eyes of the world.

Chen Ye took two steps closer, his tone softening.

"I don't want a man like you to die here meaninglessly because of a moment of impulsiveness, becoming a cold line of news in the newspaper."

"Alright, stop giving me that death-ready look. It makes it seem like I'm going to eat you alive."

"You and Aokiji will both be of great use to me in the future."

"Very useful?"

Zefa frowned.

We'll discuss the specifics later.

Chen Ye didn't explain much, turned around and left, his trench coat fluttering in the sea breeze.

"Come with me first, this is not the place to talk."

Aokiji watched from the side and reached out to pat Zephyr's broad shoulder. What he felt in his palm was no longer cold and stiff, but warm, vibrant muscle.

"Let's go, teacher."

Aokiji scratched his head, a rare relaxed smile on his lips.

"That guy may have a harsh tongue, but he always has a good eye for talent."

The three of them, one in front and two behind, traversed the frozen jungle and scorched earth.

Zefa walked last.

Each step he took on solid ground gave him a long-lost sense of reality, the feedback from his feet bringing a surge of power within him. He subconsciously gripped his newly grown arms, a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

Finally, the three of them made their way through the thick fog and arrived at the port.

The Straw Hat crew had long since disappeared.

Along with Zephyr's students Ein and Binz, as well as the NEO Navy soldiers who fanatically followed him, they all disappeared without a trace.

The port was deserted.

Zefa stared at the empty sea, his entire body slumping. He let out a long sigh.

"They're gone... Taken away by the Straw Hat Pirates... That's fine. Following an old madman like me who's always looking for death would only mean endless danger and despair."

Chen Ye stopped, turned his back to the sea, and spoke.

"Don't worry, your students are safe with Luffy and Ace. They're even safer with you than with them. On that ship are the freest people on this high seas."

Zefa turned to look at Chenye, his eyes probing, before giving a wry smile.

"You have a high opinion of Garp and Roger's descendants?"

As someone with god-like combat power in this era, would you value two greenhorns who are just starting out?

Chen Ye nodded, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the sea met the sky.

"You've fought them before, so you should be able to tell. Ace and Luffy are completely different from ordinary pirates."

Zefa remained silent.

Luffy's clear eyes popped out again. After shattering his own mechanical arm, he clearly had the chance to kill himself, yet he withdrew his fist.

"I don't hate you, old man! Your dream shouldn't be to destroy the world!"

The Straw Hat Boy's roar still echoed in my ears.

"really……"

Zefa acknowledged after a moment, his tone less hostile and more wistful.

"Those two kids, even though they're pirates, they have the passion of youth and a strange kind of mercy. They clearly had the power to kill me, but they held back in the end... It's infuriating and frustratingly naive."

Chen Ye's lips curled into a smile.

"This isn't naivety, it's 'capacity.' They possess the rarest quality in this sea. It's not strength, but the 'qualities' that make people willing to follow. If the two of them joined the Navy, given time, their achievements would definitely surpass Akainu, Kizaru, and even you and Kuzan."

This comment prompted Aokiji to chime in, his tone laced with teasing.

"Oh my, such high praise? Surpassing me is one thing, but surpassing that monster Sakazuki is no easy feat. But..."

Aokiji paused, the image of Luffy transforming into Nika during the Marineford War flashing through his mind, and admiration filled his eyes.

"Those two kids are indeed incredibly talented, especially their indomitable spirit, which is exactly like Mr. Garp's when he was young."

"Is this the magic of the D clan...?"

Zefa muttered to himself, looking at his hands.

"Perhaps this is why Roger started the Great Pirate Era, while Garp became a Marine hero. What flows in their blood is destined to be extraordinary."

Just then.

The wind stopped.

"This feeling..."

Zefa looked up, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints, and every newly formed muscle in his body tensed up.

On the distant horizon, the thick fog was violently torn apart by an invisible force.

A massive pirate ship with a whale's head pierced the mist, its towering form heading towards the island. The crescent-shaped skull emblem on its enormous white sails was glaringly conspicuous.

Moby Dick.

Zefa stared intently at the ship.

"Whitebeard... Edward Newgate!"

Zefa's jaw clenched so hard it cracked, and every word he uttered was filled with hostility.

Chen Ye glanced at him sideways and chuckled.

"Don't be so nervous, Mr. Zephyr. He's here to pick us up for drinks."

"drink wine?"

"On this vast ocean, stances may change, but the mutual respect between the strong remains constant. And..."

A glint of light flashed in Chen Ye's eyes.

"You'll soon discover that, compared to those high and mighty 'gods' who treat human life like dirt, these pirates who roam the seas with such swagger are perhaps more human."

As soon as he finished speaking, the massive shadow of the Moby Dick loomed over the harbor.

The massive anchor chain crashed into the water, creating towering waves.

On the deck, a tall figure walked to the ship's side. He held the Supreme Grade Sword "Murakumogiri," wore a white coat, and the crisscrossing scars on his chest were the badges of a strongman.

The white-bearded man looked down at the three people on the dock, his gaze lingering on Chen Ye for a moment before sweeping over Zefa.

The air freezes.

Two remnants of the old era, separated by decades of grudges and the absolute antagonism between the navy and pirates, face each other once again in the port of this deserted island.