As he fled, Reid suddenly remembered someone.
"I recall there was a guy dressed in a swan-decorated ballet costume... I think his name was something like Bon Clay? That guy could transform into other people's appearances. Ah, right—Mr. 2 Bon Clay. Haha, just thinking about him makes me laugh."
Reid couldn’t help but chuckle. He also thought of Mr. 3—both of them were pretty ridiculous.
Zephyr, chasing behind him, thought Reid was mocking him and roared, "Brat, are you laughing at me?!"
Hearing Zephyr’s words, Reid realized his laughter had been too loud and caused a misunderstanding.
"Teacher Zephyr, I just remembered something funny and couldn’t hold back. It wasn’t directed at you, don’t misunderstand."
"Then tell me what it was. Otherwise, I’ll have to teach you a lesson today. Do you know why they call me ‘Black Arm’ Zephyr? It’s because of this—Tekkai!"
Zephyr hardened his arm with Busoshoku Haki.
"See this? If you don’t explain properly, I’ll give you a preview of how I discipline my students."
This Zephyr is really hung up on his pride. He knows he can’t catch me, yet he still puts on this tough act.
Reid grumbled inwardly. He was already certain Zephyr couldn’t capture him—otherwise, this chase wouldn’t have dragged on so long.
"Teacher Zephyr, how about you stop chasing me? Let’s take a break, alright?"
Reid really didn’t want to keep running. Even though his physical and mental stamina had improved, it was still exhausting.
Zephyr halted.
"Hmph, then you’d better explain clearly. Otherwise, as a Navy Admiral, I won’t let you off easy."
"Understood, understood."
Reid nodded. Zephyr’s meaning was obvious—he was a Marine, and Reid was a pirate. With both sides locked in battle, as a Navy Admiral, Zephyr couldn’t just stand by without a good reason.
"Quit stalling. Spit it out, or I won’t go easy on you."
Zephyr shook his hardened fist.
Such a prideful old man.
Reid found it amusing. Even though Zephyr couldn’t defeat him, he still talked big.
"Alright, Teacher Zephyr, do you know if there’s a Devil Fruit that can change a person’s appearance?"
"Oh? Change a person’s appearance?"
"Yeah, I mean completely altering someone’s physical form, not just their face."
Reid nodded, testing the waters. If this world didn’t have such a fruit, things would get awkward.
Zephyr thought for a moment.
"Changing a person’s appearance... Then it’d have to be the Mane Mane no Mi, a Paramecia-type fruit. Brat, why bring this up? What’s so funny about it?"
So it does exist. Hehe.
Reid was relieved. Now his plan could work.
"You still haven’t told me what you were laughing about earlier."
Zephyr pretended to glare, though he also suspected Reid was scheming something.
"Well... it’s just that I thought about how someone with that ability could transform into the opposite sex."
Zephyr froze for a second, then his face reddened slightly.
Ahem. He coughed into his fist and scowled. "You damn brat, always thinking about useless things. I ought to punish you with 500 laps around the deck!"
"Ah, Teacher Zephyr, I’m not your student! Why are you back to this again..."
Reid was speechless. This old man was relentless.
"HAHAHAHA!" Zephyr burst into laughter, looking at Reid. "Fine, I’ll stop. I can’t beat you anyway. Let’s just wait here and see how things play out."
"Teacher Zephyr... are you serious?"
Reid was stunned. Was this really something a Navy Admiral would say? It sounded downright irresponsible.
"Hmph, did you think I was just chasing you for no reason?" Zephyr said coldly. "Look at them—none of the fights have been decided. At this rate, we’ll probably return empty-handed."
Following Zephyr’s gaze, Reid saw the other battles raging fiercely, yet neither side had gained the upper hand.
"Teacher Zephyr, should we at least put on a show? Keep chasing me, or else Sengoku might snitch on you when we get back."
"Snitch? HAHAHA, you really have a way with words. When two people are evenly matched, it can take days, even months, to determine a winner."
Zephyr paused, then continued.
"Originally, sending Garp alone should’ve been enough. But I didn’t expect Roger to be this strong. Garp actually couldn’t suppress him this time."
He glanced toward the battle between Roger and Garp, feeling a mix of emotions. In the past, Roger had always been on the defensive against Garp.
"That’s true."
Reid nodded.
"Teacher Zephyr, do you know who ate the Mane Mane no Mi?"
"Of course. A woman named Kurozumi Semimaru."
Kurozumi Semimaru? That old hag beside Kurozumi Orochi? Right, she had the Mane Mane no Mi—she’s the one who tricked Oden!
Reid was shocked. He had almost forgotten about that old witch.
"Oh? Who is Kurozumi Semimaru?"
In Reid's memory, he only knew that Kurozumi Semimaru could transform into other people's appearances, but he didn’t know much about her. Today was a good opportunity to learn more.
"That woman is from the Kurozumi family, whose sworn enemies are the Kozuki family."
"The Kozuki family?"
Reid deliberately feigned ignorance.
"Mmm, the Kozuki family is also an ancient clan from a place called Wano Country."
So that’s how it is. Looks like I need to get Roger and the others to Wano as soon as possible. Who knows if history will change? If that blockhead Oden gets boiled a few years early, it’s all over.
For some reason, Reid’s mind was now filled with the image of that old hag Kurozumi Semimaru’s sinister, scheming grin.
An uneasy feeling settled in Reid’s heart. Kozuki Oden was naive and foolish, the type to trust others too easily.
"Teacher Zephyr, which family is stronger—the Kurozumi or the Kozuki?"
"Of course, the Kozuki family. The Kurozumi are just a minor clan, nothing more than servants to the Kozuki in the past."
I see...