Marine Headquarters.
Garp was drinking tea with Kuzan.
"Tsk tsk tsk, that Kevin fellow, he's truly ruthless. This time, he really messed with Sakazuki." Garp slapped his thigh.
He never dreamed that Kevin would pull such a stunt.
Pirates had done this before.
Even if they did.
It had little effect.
"Sakazuki just came back with a gloomy face, Kuzan, it seems you won't have to take that step." Garp looked at Kuzan.
He inwardly favored Kuzan to become the next Fleet Admiral.
But his words didn't count.
He also knew Kuzan's intentions.
"I'm afraid the Gorosei won't want me to become Fleet Admiral either." Kuzan smiled bitterly.
He knew his personality wasn't liked by the Gorosei of the World Government.
"It doesn't matter, as long as Sakazuki doesn't become Fleet Admiral."
Kuzan was not power-hungry.
His competition with Sakazuki was due to his disapproval of Sakazuki's extremist methods, unwilling for the future of the Marines to adhere to Sakazuki's ideology.
He would fight for it, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
Now that Sakazuki couldn't become Fleet Admiral, Kuzan naturally lost his desperate ambition.
"A pirate, becoming the key figure in the selection of the Fleet Admiral candidates," Kuzan couldn't help but exclaim.
It was something he had never encountered in his life: "Even Whitebeard doing this wouldn't have such an effect, would he?"
"It's because he killed Sengoku, and Sakazuki has been repeatedly defeated by him. The Gorosei utterly loathe Kevin, which is why he can influence them," Garp analyzed, sighing deeply. "For a pirate to reach Kevin's level, he's truly one of a kind."
...
Kizaru, also an Admiral, had always maintained the best mindset.
He had no interest in becoming Fleet Admiral; he didn't care who became Fleet Admiral.
Every day, he lived a leisurely life, drinking tea and slacking off.
Then, he suddenly received news.
"Pfft!"
He spat out the tea in his mouth, staring blankly at his subordinate, who was covered in his spray: "Such a thing can happen?"
His subordinate silently wiped away the saliva and quietly said, "It has already spread."
Kizaru's eye twitched.
"Sure enough, Kevin is the most unpredictable; he's someone you can't afford to provoke. From now on, I must not participate in any missions related to him. I just want to peacefully do my job."
Kizaru made up his mind.
He wouldn't participate even if he had to feign illness.
In the New World, who would dare provoke a person who could make Sakazuki vomit blood?
...
At the Navy Recruit Camp, Marine Headquarters.
Since Sengoku's death, Zephyr's face had not shown a smile after learning that Kevin was still alive.
Ain and the other students in class were as silent as cicadas in winter.
They were somewhat afraid of their current teacher, Zephyr.
"Huh? Did Teacher Zephyr just smile?"
Suddenly, Ain and the others noticed that Zephyr's expression was no longer as terrifying as before; there was a faint hint of a smile.
While Zephyr was teaching them, his mind was on another matter.
Before coming to the Navy Recruit Camp today, he had received news that the decision for the Fleet Admiral would likely be made today. Coupled with Sakazuki's early departure, Zephyr was certain that the next Fleet Admiral would be Sakazuki, his student.
The three active Admirals were all Zephyr's students, and this was his sole remaining pride.
Among the three, he was most dissatisfied with Kizaru, used to like Kuzan the most, but now liked Sakazuki the most.
"Sakazuki's tough style, once he becomes Fleet Admiral, will surely lead him to capture Kevin at all costs."
Only if Kevin could be captured would Zephyr wholeheartedly support Sakazuki becoming Fleet Admiral.
"His good days are coming soon."
Thinking of this, Zephyr couldn't help but smile.
Suddenly...
The classroom doors were pushed open, and a burly figure blocked the doorway, blocking the sunlight, and the entire classroom darkened.
"Former Fleet Admiral Kong, why are you here?"
Zephyr looked at Former Fleet Admiral Kong in surprise.
He was his former superior.
When Zephyr was an Admiral, Former Fleet Admiral Kong was his direct superior, the Fleet Admiral.
"Zephyr."
Former Fleet Admiral Kong looked at Zephyr with a look of disappointment, as if he were a piece of iron that couldn't be forged into steel.
It was all because of him.
He expelled Kevin, causing the Navy and the World Government to suffer so many losses.
Thinking of the Gorosei' order, Former Fleet Admiral Kong put aside their past camaraderie and issued an unquestionable command to Zephyr: "Zephyr, the World Government and the Fleet Admiral have unanimously decided... that you will no longer serve as the Chief Instructor of the Navy Recruit Camp after this."
"What?"
Zephyr looked at Former Fleet Admiral Kong in disbelief.
He had been the Chief Instructor of the Navy Recruit Camp at Marine Headquarters for decades.
This place had become his sole belief and sustenance.
In his dream, he would grow old and die in the Navy Recruit Camp, cultivating the next generation for the Navy until his last breath.
"Why?" Zephyr didn't understand, his eyes wide with anger: "What did I do wrong?"
"Zephyr, this is the World Government's decision," Former Fleet Admiral Kong frowned.
Do you still think you're not wrong?
Kevin is responsible for over half of this matter.
"Hahaha..." Zephyr laughed in extreme anger.
"I have trained countless Rookies for the Navy; most of the current Admirals and many Vice Admirals are my students. I have given everything for the Navy, and now you want to dismiss me, hahaha..."
Tears welled in Zephyr's eyes.
"Zephyr, wouldn't it be better to just enjoy your retirement?" Former Fleet Admiral Kong advised earnestly, trying to persuade him.
Don't make the scene too ugly.
Leave with some dignity.
"Ridiculous." Zephyr's face was somewhat contorted as he pointed at Ain and the many other students in the classroom who remained silent, saying, "You ask them if they need me. I'm not clinging to the power of the Navy Recruit Camp; I want to train the next generation for the Navy. I want to do something for justice."
"Zephyr, that's enough." Former Fleet Admiral Kong's tone hardened.
This is what the Five Elders want.
I cannot go against it.
"What will they do without me?" Zephyr looked at Ain and the others, his last hope: "You tell him, do you need me?"
Inside the classroom, all the Rookies bowed their heads.
They remained silent.
Zephyr stared blankly at his students.
His expectation turned into disappointment, and finally, into endless rage.
His eyes were wide, as if he had lost his soul.
Former Fleet Admiral Kong watched this scene.
He suddenly felt that letting Zephyr leave the Navy Recruit Camp was a good thing.
His students showed no affection for him; could such a teacher truly still produce good students?
"Zephyr, you disappoint me greatly."
Former Fleet Admiral Kong's sigh, like a sharp knife, pierced Zephyr's already fragile soul.
Dispirited, he walked out the door.
His back hunched, he walked towards the main entrance.
"Continue with the class. The new Chief Instructor will arrive soon." Former Fleet Admiral Kong glanced at the group of new students and then turned to leave.
He was temporarily acting as Fleet Admiral.
There were still many troublesome matters awaiting him.
After the important figures left, Ain and the other new students this year finally came back to their senses, and the classroom immediately became noisy.
"Aren't we being too much? Instructor Zephyr is our instructor after all."
"But Instructor Zephyr is really scary. If we make even a slight mistake, it's the strictest punishment. He always has a gloomy face and scolds us every day."
"He keeps instilling in us that we must kill Kevin, and if we don't kill Kevin, we're not worthy of being his students."
"We just enrolled; we just want a normal instructor to teach us."
A dispirited Zephyr wandered aimlessly through Navy Headquarters.
He had lost the last value in his life.
He met a dejected Akainu.
The two looked at each other...
-------------------------------
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