https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-275-Teacher-You-ve-Gotten-Weaker/13536740/
Chapter 274: You're quite complex, kid
Chapter 274: You're quite complex, kid
As the warship drew closer, Kuro finally got a clear view of the figure standing at its bow—a burly elderly man with short purple hair that wasn't as spiky as Kuro remembered, wearing a pair of refined glasses. Despite his imposing physique, his right arm was replaced by a bulky mechanical prosthetic. From that arm, Kuro faintly sensed an unsettling aura.
The aura likely stemmed from embedded Seastone—considerable in quantity.
Despite the vibrant energy surrounding Zeff, Kuro keenly detected an undercurrent of weariness within.
"Is that Zeff?" Kuro asked.
Klah looked over and swallowed hard. "Truly an extraordinary individual."
His Observation Haki had recently improved, and now that Zeff was so near, while Kuro couldn't gauge his exact strength, he could tell one thing—Zeff was undeniably powerful. Powerful enough to utterly crush him.
Kuro knew Zeff's story. Both belonged to the same system—seven years ago, Zeff had led a new recruit training voyage that was ambushed by pirates. Only two recruits survived that massacre, and Zeff lost his right arm. Two years ago, they fitted him with this mechanical prosthetic, and he formed the "Pirate Guerrilla Force", hunting pirates across the seas.
Though officially part of the Navy, the guerrilla force functioned as an independent unit. After all, Zeff was a retired Admiral—his title at the Navy was merely ceremonial. No one could stop him from doing as he pleased.
The warship docked, and a wisp-like figure leaped out first.
"Ai En! Are you alright?!"
The man had a stylish pinkish hairstyle and an elongated figure marred only by his sausage-shaped lips. Wrapped in a hooded cloak, he rushed to Ai En's side with obvious concern.
"Teacher and I noticed something wrong with your life paper, so we rushed over immediately."
"I'm fine", Ai En shook her head before adding, "It was Commander Kuro who saved me."
"Commander Kuro?!"
The man looked toward Kuro and bowed deeply. "Thank you for saving Ai En. I'm Lieutenant Binz from Headquarters!"
"It's nothing—just a simple task for a colleague", Kuro waved him off.
Kuro vaguely recalled Binz—wasn't he one of the two survivors from Zeff's ill-fated new recruit voyage?
"Kuro? Lucius Kro?"
A raspy, bold voice rang out. The purple-haired elder at the ship's bow spoke, then leapt from the deck to the ground, flashing Kuro a grin. "I've heard many things about you from Kuzan. You're one of Borsalino's subordinates? Hm, you don't seem to rely on your abilities as much as he does."
"Zeff-san, your eyes are truly sharp!" Kuro grinned, giving him a thumbs-up. "I'm nothing like Gramps!"
Whoever said he resembled Lucius Kro was dead wrong. How could they possibly look alike? I'm so handsome, and Gramps is such a pervert!
"Zeff-sensei, you must be careful", Ai En warned gravely. "The pirates here are extremely powerful, and the weather is eerily unnatural. Earlier, Commander Kuro mentioned that weapons rained from the sky, annihilating the pirates in this town."
"Weapon rain? Seriously?" Binz gasped.
Zeff glanced at Kuro and shook his head with a smile. Then he looked at the pirates' corpses and murmured, "Was that action... excessive?"
"Heaven itself saw injustice and rained divine punishment", Kuro shrugged nonchalantly. "What does that have to do with me?"
Kuro studied Zeff's mechanical arm. Zeff wasn't known as a "good old man"—but he was the one who upheld "benevolent justice" most firmly in the Navy.
From the Navy's earliest days, "compassionate justice" had been the mainstream philosophy. The two most representative figures were Zeff and Togeko. Togeko adhered to this justice, rarely killing pirates. He believed pirates deserved trials through Enies Lobby's laws, with the Navy's role being solely to capture. As Togeko's mentor, Zeff was even more famous for his "no-kill" principle—he'd never taken a pirate's life. Kuro had never sensed even a trace of bloodshed from him.
"Hahaha, reprimanded by a younger generation", Zeff chuckled. He walked past Kuro toward the town, stopping before a dead pirate. Instinctively covering his mechanical arm, he murmured, "Even now, I don't regret my justice."
Turning back to Kuro, he continued, "Young, yet lacking youthful vigor—acting like an old scoundrel. You're like Borsalino in avoiding trouble, but even more so than him."
"Your sense of justice? I can't tell if it's strong or weak. Your methods remind me of Sakazuki's."
"You only targeted this town when the island has countless pirates—somewhat lazy, with a touch of Kuzan's laziness."
"Little Crane called you 'Safety's Justice'—I wonder if that's accurate. You're quite complex, young man."
The old man...
Kuro raised an eyebrow. No wonder Zeff had mentored so many renowned Navy officers—his ability to see through people was extraordinary.
Zeff stepped over a pirate corpse and looked toward the huddled, ragged civilians. His brows furrowed. "Pirates..."
"Zeff-sensei! This island faces a major crisis! Over three thousand pirates have gathered here! We must rescue the civilians immediately!" Ai En urged.
"Have you gathered any intelligence, Ai En?" Zeff asked.
"I'm sorry, Zeff-sensei. I only discovered our enemy's leader. This Pirate Alliance gathered on this island is led by their Alliance Chief, Ehrnando", Ai En lowered her head.
"Ehrnando."
Zeff froze, his pupils narrowing. "Are you certain it's Ehrnando?"
"Yes, he's called Ehrnando", Ai En confirmed firmly.
...
In a village on Pegasus Island, flames engulfed the settlement. Bodies lay strewn in pools of blood as pirates roared with cruel laughter and chaotic shouts. The crackling fire blended with their brutality.
"Alliance Chief, is this really wise?"
Atop a hill overlooking the village, several pirates watched the massacre. One pirate voiced reluctant concern.
Even pirates had differing motives. At least, he believed raiding acceptable but considered mass slaughter excessive. He was a pirate seeking freedom's dream, not some lawless monster.
At the forefront stood a golden-haired, muscular figure silently watching the carnage. His deep voice broke the tension. "Resist my rule, and this is your fate. Just one village—its loss matters little."
He unsheathed his weapon and bellowed downward. "My men!"
"Oooooooh!!"
The rampaging pirates looked up, roaring in response.
"Kill! Loot! Unleash your wildest desires! Follow your instincts! Do as you wish! This is the decree of your leader—Alliance Chief Ehrnando!"
"Long live the Alliance Chief!"
"With our Alliance Chief leading us, we'll become the most fearsome pirate crew!"
The pirates' cheers erupted.
The flames burned higher, nearly touching the sky. The muscular golden-haired man looked toward the heavens, whispering, "You should've received the news by now. Come quickly, Teacher."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
