One Piece: A Warlord's Path-Chapter 665: The Birth of a New Warlord, The Departure of "Black Arm" Zephyr
"The Man Claimed to be Whitebeard Jr., Warlord of the Sea Edward Weevil!!"
"Whitebeard Jr.? The Man Calling Himself Whitebeard’s Son!!"
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea are At Full Capacity—New Member: Edward Weevil!!"
"Multiple Pirate Fleets Under the Whitebeard Remnants Annihilated; The Culprit is Whitebeard’s Son?!"
The Seven Warlords of the Sea are great pirates recognized by the World Government, each possessing catastrophically immense power, a fact that was demonstrated to its fullest during the Paramount War at Marineford.
There was "Golden Ring" Aeridar, who clashed head-on with Whitebeard himself!
The world’s greatest swordsman, "Hawk-Eyes" Mihawk, who could cleave icebergs with a casual swing of his blade!
The "Heavenly Yaksha" Donquixote Doflamingo, who toyed with the Division Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates as if they were marionettes!
The "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock, whose prowess rivaled even that of the legendary great pirate, Don Chinjao!
And "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma, who crippled Little Oars Jr. with a single blow!
Even those stripped of their Warlord titles—"First Son of the Sea" Jinbe, "Sir" Crocodile, and Gecko Moriah—had showcased extraordinary strength.
Even the most recent addition, "Clown" Buggy, was a former member of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger’s crew and a man with close ties to the Yonko "Red-Haired" Shanks.
Essentially, every single one of them had proven their overwhelming might.
Consequently, this new man appointed to the Warlord position immediately drew the world’s gaze. His terrifying moniker and his record of single-handedly wiping out several pirate crews under Whitebeard’s banner made his name ring out louder than ever.
Some believed, some doubted; some laughed, and others sneered... a myriad of reactions rippled through the public.
Of course, there was a hidden achievement: he was the one who had severed the arm of former Admiral Zephyr. However, the World Government suppressed this fact. Only those with far-reaching influence who walked both the light and dark paths, like Aeridar and Doflamingo, knew the truth.
The World Government sent envoys to invite Aeridar to a Reverie-period Shichibukai meeting. Aeridar didn’t go, but he didn’t oppose Edward Weevil’s induction either.
Inside, Aeridar was mocking the World Government’s stupidity. To grant a Warlord seat to a pirate who had cut off a former Admiral’s arm and slaughtered an entire ship of Marine cadets—did they truly think they had total control over the Navy? Did they think "Black Arm" Zephyr had no pride left?
Laughable. This move by the World Government would only strain the relationship between the Marines and the Government, driving a wedge of resentment between the high-ranking officers and their superiors.
...
Marineford. Marine Headquarters Fortress.
Fleet Admiral’s Office.
SLAM!
Zephyr’s face was flushed with rage as he slammed his palm onto the desk, causing the solid wood to shudder.
"Why didn’t you tell me you found that guy?! Why let him join the Warlords?! Don’t you know he killed nearly every single one of my beloved students?! The youngest was only fourteen! Where is your ’Justice’ now, Sakazuki?!"
Zephyr roared at the man before him. His thunderous voice was so loud that even the soundproof walls of the Fleet Admiral’s office couldn’t contain it.
Zephyr’s heart was heavy with grief and a profound sense of betrayal. He had fought his entire life for this, sacrificing his youth, his family, and everything else to the Marines. Marine Justice was the faith in his heart; one could even say the Navy was his second home.
Yet, in the end, the Navy had betrayed him. It was as if they had ignored his sacrifices and the blood he had shed for the sake of Justice.
Sakazuki sat there with a cigar in his mouth, his expression unreadable behind a veil of white smoke. He didn’t know what to say. He, too, had opposed the Gorosei’s decision, but faced with their pressure and the so-called "big picture," he had fallen silent.
Great Staff Officer Tsuru, sitting on a nearby sofa, spoke calmly. "Zephyr, this was a decision from the World Government’s side. You should know that our opposition is futile; the power to decide is not in our hands."
"So you all just stayed silent?" Zephyr turned his head, his gaze icy.
"You are questioning the Marines. You no longer trust us," Vice Admiral Tsuru noted flatly.
"That’s right. I question it. I don’t trust it," Zephyr replied bluntly.
Tsuru said nothing more, merely meeting Zephyr’s gaze.
After a long silence, the light in Zephyr’s eyes dimmed, as if his very spirit had been drained away. Without a word, he walked out of the office, leaving behind Sakazuki and Tsuru, whose expressions were equally grim.
Neither of them wanted this to happen, but now that it had, there was no turning back.
Silence reigned in the office for a long while, punctuated only by the drifting smoke of the cigar.
Tsuru slowly looked up at Sakazuki. "Preparations at G-1 are almost complete. Now we just need to finish things here at Marineford."
"Three months. We swap in three months," Sakazuki said, his voice still devoid of emotion.
"That’s enough time," Tsuru nodded.
...
A week later, a piece of news began to circulate within the Marines.
Former Marine Admiral and current Chief Instructor of the Marine Academy, "Black Arm" Zephyr, has resigned from the Navy to form the ’Neo Marines’—an organization dedicated to the total annihilation of all pirates worldwide!
Simultaneously, a massive wave of elite soldiers and officers resigned alongside him. This included former Commodore Shuzo, former Captain Ain, and former Captain Binz. In total, over six thousand Marines of various ranks left to join the Neo Marines.
This was the largest mass resignation in the history of the Navy. The world was in an uproar. Rumors flew wildly, the most prominent being that the Navy had become so corrupt and dark that even a former Admiral like Zephyr couldn’t stomach it anymore, leading him to leave with thousands of disillusioned subordinates.
Countless reporters, like mosquitoes sensing blood, swarmed Marineford, demanding interviews and seeking the hidden truth.
However, the Marines had immediately issued a gag order to all who knew the facts: any disclosure of information detrimental to the Navy would be treated as collusion with pirates. Thus, no matter how hard the reporters pushed, they gained nothing.
But the World Government was under immense pressure. Envoys from various affiliated nations arrived to demand an explanation.
First, a sitting Admiral had left (Aokiji). If that could be explained away as a political fallout over the Fleet Admiral position, what about this? Now, a former Admiral had vanished mysteriously, taking thousands of elite troops with him.
Was the Navy too incompetent? Could they still uphold Justice? Could they still protect the interests of the affiliated nations?
The World Government was reeling under the questioning, yet they dared not speak the truth. If the truth got out, the whole world would know by the next morning. If that happened, no one would ever trust the World Government or the Marines again.
If they could disregard the feelings of an old veteran who had given his life to the service, how would they treat anyone else? It would be a devastating blow to their credibility.
