"Teacher Zephyr, the Kozuki family of Wano Country—are they particularly skilled at deciphering the Poneglyphs? Were the ancient stone inscriptions carved by the Kozuki clan?"
Hearing this, Zephyr was surprised and looked at Reid with newfound respect.
"Kid, you don’t seem that old. How do you know these things?"
"Uh… well… I heard it from Roger and the others."
"So that’s it. Roger really has been to Wano. No wonder he reached that place—he must have had someone from Wano on his crew."
Zephyr adjusted his purple sunglasses and nodded.
"Correct. The Kozuki clan is also known as master stonemasons. But that very skill brings them trouble."
"Teacher Zephyr, what do you mean by that?"
Reid was eager to know—Wano’s isolationist policy must be connected to the Kozuki clan’s ability to read the Poneglyphs.
"Kid, I’m a Navy Admiral. Why would I tell a pirate everything?"
Zephyr raised an eyebrow, realizing he had said too much. He also found it amusing—here he was, a Navy Admiral sent to capture pirates, yet he was chatting peacefully with Reid.
"Come on, Teacher Zephyr, Roger already told me a lot. I just want to understand more. Why is Wano so determined to isolate itself? I refuse to believe it’s just because its people are xenophobic."
"Hmph. If you agree to join the Navy, I won’t just tell you classified information—I’ll even train you properly. Your Devil Fruit ability development is downright pathetic."
Reid sighed in frustration. Zephyr clearly wasn’t going to say more, and Reid couldn’t help feeling a little indignant—after all, he did have a Devil Fruit power, whereas Zephyr was the weakest Admiral.
"Fine, keep your secrets. Let’s just wait here then."
Zephyr brushed off his leather coat and smirked at Reid.
"Kid, can you tell me where you got your Devil Fruit?"
Reid was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected Zephyr to ask this, and he wasn’t sure how to answer.
"Uh… well… I don’t really remember. Maybe it was mixed in with some fruit, and I accidentally ate it without realizing."
"You expect me to believe that? With that shifty look of yours, you’re clearly no honest man."
Zephyr’s eyes were full of disdain. Having trained so many students, he could spot a lie instantly.
"Teacher Zephyr, I’m telling the truth."
"Hmph, suit yourself. But remember this, kid—defying the World Government never ends well. Pirates are pirates at heart. If you were truly a good man, you’d never have become one."
Zephyr’s tone was stern. He genuinely saw potential in Reid—with such a powerful Devil Fruit, he could have been a valuable asset to the Navy. Instead, he was wasting his future as a pirate.
"Thank you, Teacher Zephyr. But I have my own path. And I’ll say it again—I’ll never harm innocent civilians."
"Do as you please. Just don’t regret it later."
With that, Zephyr ignored Reid and began plotting.
This kid has the same power as Sengoku—the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu. That’s beyond rare. I can’t just leave him with the pirates. If he grows stronger, he’ll become a major threat.
Behind his sunglasses, Zephyr’s eyes narrowed.
His defense is insane—even my Armament Haki can’t break through. Maybe I should help the others first. If we win, we can take him back to headquarters.
He glanced at the other battles and had an idea.
Sengoku is the best one to deal with this brat. He’d know exactly how to counter another Buddha user. There’s no way this kid can beat him.
Reid, lost in thought about Wano, didn’t notice Zephyr had disappeared.
The Kozuki can read the Poneglyphs… Did the World Government force Wano to close its borders to suppress the truth? Or was it Kaido, trying to control the Kozuki to become the next Joy Boy?
His head was spinning—everything was too complicated.
"Huh? Where’d Zephyr go? That old man didn’t even say goodbye."
Reid leaped into the air and saw Zephyr joining Sengoku in the fight against Rayleigh.
"Damn it! He snuck off to help Sengoku!"
Reid sprinted over, each step shaking the ground as he pumped his arms.
"Zephyr, you shameless bastard! And you call yourself a teacher? Attacking from behind?"
Rayleigh cursed loudly, though his expression showed he wasn’t too bothered.
"Dark King Rayleigh, since when do pirates get to complain about fairness? I’m a Navy Admiral—don’t make me laugh."
"Zephyr, where’s that kid?" Sengoku asked.
"ZEPHYR!"
Before Zephyr could answer, Reid’s voice boomed across the battlefield.
"Hm?" Sengoku turned and saw a massive golden figure charging toward them.
"Reid!"
Rayleigh grinned, pride flashing across his face at Reid’s fearless approach.
Reid skidded to a stop beside Rayleigh, panting, then pointed at Zephyr and yelled:
"Zephyr, you old bastard! We had a deal to watch the show together!"
"You actually took advantage of my distraction to gang up on him two against one!"
As soon as Reid said this, the others frowned slightly—what exactly did "old bastard" mean?
But Zephyr could tell it wasn't a compliment.
"Hmph, brat, you should learn some respect for your elders, got it? And you need to adapt to changing situations—this was a tactical decision."
Zephyr crossed his arms and, imitating Garp, dug his finger into his nose.
"Admiral Zephyr..."
Sengoku's brow furrowed, a dark expression on his face. He found this whole situation embarrassing.
"Sengoku, I’ll leave this kid to you. You should know his weaknesses better than anyone."
Zephyr pointed at Reid, grinning smugly as if to say, Let’s see how you handle this now.
"Understood."
Sengoku studied Reid. Seeing someone else in the same form as his own still felt bizarre. As a man of high intellect, he couldn’t fathom where Reid had obtained this Devil Fruit.
Reid suddenly realized—Zephyr wanted Sengoku to deal with him.
Sengoku’s a veteran Admiral, completely mastered his Devil Fruit powers. I’m definitely no match for him. Plus, I still haven’t...