Before this, no one could have imagined that the Navy, currently at its peak, was approaching the twilight of its glory days.
But there was still a lingering afterglow. Despite three of the four top figures stepping into the background, only Zehp was officially retiring for now.
The day after the Navy issued Robin's bounty at the behest of the Five Elders, Zehp stepped down.
Officially, Zehp became the Navy's chief instructor. In reality, he spent most of his time observing celestial phenomena.
The Huangji Jingshi scripture was cryptic and profound, containing astonishing wisdom. Even grasping a fraction of it made Zehp feel incredibly enlightened.
Through years of practice, Zehp observed the celestial signs and predicted that a dozen exceptionally gifted individuals would emerge.
Some were already born, while others were yet to be. Zehp believed these individuals were destined to converge, marking the dawn of a new era. By controlling these individuals, he could control the future.
Zehp ostensibly searched for new Navy recruits after stepping down from his Admiral position. In truth, he travelled to the South Blue, sensing a new-era powerhouse there.
Though this individual was only a few years old, Zehp felt he was ideally suited to study the Huangji Jingshi scripture's manipulation of magnetism.
In his journey, Zehp experienced a moment of divine inspiration. He dubbed these future powerhouses "Supernovas"—bright stars poised to guide the world into a new era.
Within the Black Order, Zehp had already identified two such Supernovas. Makima had been planning far ahead, more so than he had. He knew of a prodigy within CP who had been chosen as a right-hand member of the Holy Knights at a very young age. However, compared to Zehp's Supernovas, these individuals were already quite old.
Zehp's newly discovered Supernova was barely three years old.
His name was Eustass Kid. Through Kid, Zehp also recruited a boy named Killer and a girl named Hiltrun Delunayka.
Killer was four years older than Kid. When Zehp found them, they struggled to survive in a small town.
Zehp didn't bring them to the Navy because he was disillusioned. He believed the Navy could no longer cleanse the world of pirates. After obtaining the Huangji Jingshi scripture, Zehp felt only he could eliminate pirates.
He planned to form his organisation, with these future Supernovas helping him achieve his dream. He would no longer rely on the Navy but instead on his chosen ones to eradicate all pirates.
Besides Kid, Killer, and Hiltrun, Zehp adopted many other orphans. He established his organisation on a lonely island in the South Blue called "Blue Dream."
The name symbolised his dream of a blue sea, free of pirates. He aimed to restore the sea to its original purity by ensuring all pirates perished.
This ideal couldn't be achieved quickly, so he started training children. Zehp believed that by the time the new era arrived, he would have the power to realise his dream.
While searching for other Supernovas, Zehp discovered a child whose potential surpassed Kid's. This child was destined to be born the following year and would be ten times stronger than Kid.
Though he needed to find other Supernovas, this child became his primary focus.
Meanwhile, Anne checked Robin's hideout but found it empty, as expected.
Robin, not fully trusting Anne, had taken the supplies and left.
Anne wasn't overly concerned. Despite the many searching for the demon child, she believed Robin would avoid capture.
Shifting focus from Robin, Anne rigorously trained Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino. As the next Fleet Admiral, she needed them to be capable Admirals.
All factions were now in a developmental phase.
Roger had ignited the Great Pirate Era, prompting each faction to update and prepare for the new era with maximum strength.
Even Genichi was waiting.
Luffy was about to be born, and Genichi knew the world's will would send Luffy against him. He needed the emotional energy from these destined individuals to grow stronger quickly. Hence, the world as a whole was in a state of anticipation.
Several months I was passed in this waiting period.
By the following May, Zehp pinpointed the exceptional child's birth location. When he calculated the identity, he was stunned.
According to the celestial predictions of the Huangji Jingshi scripture, the child ten times brighter than Kid was none other than Garp's grandson!
This revelation put Zehp in a difficult position. Garp was one of his few remaining friends. As comrades who had risen through the ranks together, Zehp was reluctant to exploit him.
"Never mind. As Garp's grandson, he's bound to become a Navy officer. We'll share the same ideals," Zehp sighed, abandoning the idea of bringing Luffy into Blue Dream.
After all, that child was Garp's grandson…
"Father, why are you sighing?"
Killer's young voice interrupted Zehp's thoughts. A few years older than Kid, Killer was the oldest among Zehp's adopted children and naturally became their leader.