At that moment, Kuzan's eyes were filled with confusion. As a man of ice, sweat actually beaded on his forehead under the blistering heat.
Seeing that even the Admiral said nothing, more and more Marines began to flee.
And in that instant, Zephyr finally understood.
With apprehension and disbelief in his eyes, he looked at Yemu and said,
"So this is your goal? Yemu of the Sky Pirates. Whether it was what happened at the auction house or what's happening now, you only have one objective—to split this world apart..."
As soon as Zephyr said that, the Marines who had remained all looked back and forth between him and Yemu in confusion.
Yemu finally let out a pleased laugh.
"As expected of a Marine Admiral. You finally figured it out. But I don't like your wording..."
"Compared to 'splitting the world,' I prefer the word 'awakening.'"
"Eight hundred years of World Government rule have made too many people grow used to the current order."
"Nobles ruling over commoners. The World Government ruling over the Marines. The Five Elders ruling over everything."
"And perhaps… behind the Five Elders, there's something even I don't know about."
...
At the heart of the blazing inferno, Zephyr felt a chill run through his bones.
Yemu's tone carried a trace of speculation, but the madness in his eyes made one thing clear—this pirate knew of that existence.
An existence that only those who had reached the rank of Admiral in the Marines were allowed to know.
Even Zephyr had only heard the name. He had never seen that person.
Yet this pirate, who looked barely in his teens, knew so much.
Was there some monstrous conspiracy behind all this?
"Who exactly are you? Why… do you know so much?"
For the first time, Zephyr seriously confronted the question. The pirate before him was anything but ordinary.
So young, yet possessing such strength, such calculation, an endless stream of techniques—and on top of that, knowledge of so many secrets.
The surrounding Marines—Kuzan, Borsalino, Gion, Strawberry—all stared in surprise at their teacher's shaken expression.
What did he mean by that question?
Did this man truly have some unbelievable background?
Otherwise, why would their teacher look so stunned?
Yemu didn't answer. He merely glanced in the direction of the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
That single glance made Zephyr even more certain.
Still, Yemu said nothing. He turned back instead, a trace of regret in his voice.
"To be honest, everything has gone more smoothly than I expected."
"None of the things I was worried about have happened."
"So… it's about time."
"Time to say goodbye."
"Those who are still here now should all be enemies, right, Kuzan? That doesn't count as breaking our agreement."
Everyone was startled. Zephyr stepped forward with a frown.
"You think you can just leave?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Yemu shot back, tightening his grip on the sword hilt as the flames around him flared even more violently.
"After all, I've got plenty of hostages."
As his words fell, the only opening in the Nine Dragon Divine Flames Formation sealed shut once more. Within the sea of fire, nine blazing dragons began to coil and roam, plunging deep into the ground. The flames roared higher and higher, spinning like a tornado.
Only then did Yemu look at the Marines before him and speak lightly,
"The power of nature is extraordinary. The same goes for Logia-type Devil Fruits. From now on, these nine fire dragons will automatically seek out anything they can burn, absorbing its heat. The Sabaody Archipelago is built on the roots of the Yarukiman Mangrove. In itself, it's an enormous store of fuel."
"As it burns, even without me adding more flames, the temperature of the Nine Dragon Divine Flames Formation will keep rising. Higher and higher."
As if responding to his words, everyone could feel the temperature climbing.
At the same time, thick black smoke began to rise. The damp Yarukiman Mangrove trees were burning, and the choking stench rushed into everyone's lungs.
At that point, a faint trace of regret appeared on Yemu's face.
"Though I'd love to cross hands with an Admiral and experience that kind of power, this place is still too close to Marine Headquarters."
"But that's fine. I'll be waiting for all of you in the New World..."
"For now, Admiral Zephyr, make your choice. Tell me—does your justice mean capturing me, this pirate, while letting the flames burn and watching your subordinates die one by one in the fire and smoke?"
"Or will you save your men and let me go? Once I escape, the flames—without control—will extinguish themselves."
"Which will you choose?"
After speaking, Yemu slid Tengoku back into its sheath. He glanced at Enel, then at Tiger.
"Let's go."
With that, Yemu grabbed Tiger and shot into the sky. Enel followed close behind.
Zephyr's brow tightened. The muscles in his arms bulged as he stared fixedly at Yemu rising into the heavens.
But in the end, he didn't move.
"Is this really the right call, Zephyr-sensei..."
Borsalino asked with a slight frown.
"It's fine. I'll bear all responsibility."
...
Mary Geoise.
Pangaea Castle.
The grandest, most luxurious, and most magnificent place in the world.
It was also home to the Celestial Dragons, the descendants of the Creator.
From a distance, it looked like a heavenly city suspended in paradise.
Deep within Pangaea Castle were two particularly special places.
One was the Chamber of Authority, where the five men who ruled the world resided. They were known as the Five Elders.
The other was the Room of Flowers, the location of the highest seat of power in the world—the Empty Throne.
At this moment, inside the vast and resplendent Chamber of Authority, the five figures who stood at the pinnacle of power fixed sharp gazes on the man before them: Fleet Admiral Kong.
Even in the presence of these five, Kong remained calm. His voice was cold.
"That's all the intelligence."
The Five Elders each reacted differently.
"So it's another failure? Kong, your Marines are becoming more and more useless."
"What exactly was Zephyr thinking? Why did he allow those pirates to escape?"
"This incident must be suppressed. The information concerning those kingdoms must not be leaked."
"And Morgans has grown a little too full of himself."
"The rule of the World Government is not something they can provoke."
Kong listened to the five old men with a frosty expression, then let out a quiet scoff.
"It's too late to say that now. Five months ago, I told you we couldn't let them be. And now we couldn't even stop them at Sabaody Archipelago. Once they enter the New World, what exactly do the Marines—or the World Government—have left to stop them?"
One of the Five Elders, a man with golden hair and a beard dressed in a dark red suit, cast Kong a cold glance and spoke indifferently.
"We understand. You may leave, Kong."
Veins bulged on Kong's forehead in an instant. Rage surged through him, but after giving them one last icy look, he flicked his Justice coat and strode out.
Once Kong was gone, the Five Elders exchanged glances.
"We still need to pay attention. We all know the power of the Mera Mera no Mi, but what they've displayed goes beyond what it should."
"I've heard they may have grasped a method to extract Devil Fruits from their users."
"It doesn't matter. As long as those three lights do not appear at the same time, the World Government's rule cannot be shaken."
"Still, have CP0 mobilize. The Marines are becoming increasingly unreliable. Whether it's Kong, Garp, or Zephyr, if necessary, the upper ranks of the Marines should be replaced. Sengoku would be a good choice."
"That would be acceptable."