After parting ways with Zephyr in the New World, Kizaru flew directly back to headquarters. By the time he arrived, it was almost evening.
Upon returning, Kizaru went straight to Sengoku's office.
"Oh, Borsalino, I already have a general idea of the situation," Sengoku said. "We'll discuss the rest after the meeting."
Sengoku then headed towards the meeting room, with Kizaru following behind. When Kizaru returned, he noticed that a significant number of warships had suddenly appeared at Marineford's port, primarily the vessels of elite Vice Admirals.
"They all came, huh? This is going to be a headache..." Kizaru shrugged and followed Sengoku to the meeting room.
The meeting room was already filled with several individuals, all looking serious. Tsuru was seated in the first position on the left, her hands crossed. She nodded at Sengoku and Kizaru as they entered.
Opposite her sat Garp, who was visibly serious, a stark contrast to his usual carefree demeanor in Sengoku's office. Behind him stood Sabo and Bogart in their marine uniforms.
Next to the projection Den Den Mushi stood Brannew, identifiable by his green hair and sunglasses, with his arms crossed.
"Yo," Kizaru greeted everyone as he entered, then took his seat. Soon, other Vice Admirals started arriving.
A man in a light purple striped suit, dark blue shirt, and tie, with a mohawk and a beard, both dark purple, walked in with a stern expression. He nodded to those present and sat near Tsuru. This was Vice Admiral Doberman from the G-1 branch.
Following Doberman, Vice Admirals Strawberry, Dalmatian, and Onigumo also arrived, and the large meeting room quickly filled up.
A Rear Admiral distributed prepared documents to everyone. Once most people had arrived, Sengoku signaled the marine at the door to close it. He then addressed the assembled high-ranking officers, "Brannew, since everyone's here, let's begin."
As Sengoku finished speaking, Brannew operated the projector, displaying images of the marine base previously attacked by Zephyr.
"Brannew, explain the situation," Sengoku instructed.
Clearing his throat, Brannew began, "EndPoint, the three terminal islands, are critical to the safety of the New World. Experts have concluded that if these three islands are destroyed, the resulting geological reactions could obliterate the New World."
"Zephyr attacked one of these EndPoint islands, but he didn't destroy it. Instead, he stole the highly dangerous Infernite crystal stored there. Thus, it's deduced that his primary target is the Infernite crystal."
"Additionally, through special channels, we've learned that Kaido of the Beasts, along with Bullet and a large number of dangerous individuals who escaped from Impel Down's Level 6, have formed an alliance. Their target is the final island."
"The coordinates of the final island are known only to Roger's crew. How does Kaido know?" Onigumo questioned sternly.
"We've received information about that as well," Brannew said, changing the display to show a permanent log pose in a box. "This is the permanent log pose to the final island, as displayed by Bullet."
"Didn't Bullet claim to have a permanent log pose to the final island before he was captured? Are they reusing the same ploy?" Fire Mountain asked, exhaling a puff of smoke from his cigar.
"If the intel is accurate, it's confirmed that Bullet left Roger's crew before they reached the final island. So, how did he obtain a log pose pointing to it?"
"The issue now isn't the log pose's authenticity but the intentions of Kaido and his group. The log pose's validity becomes irrelevant in light of this; the news will surely attract a swarm of sea scoundrels," Tsuru said.
…
"Alright, quiet down, everyone. Have you all finished reading?" Sengoku's voice brought an immediate hush to the meeting room.
Tsuru, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Everyone here has had some connection with Zephyr. None of you want to see him act so irrationally, right?"
Her words plunged the room into silence. Many present had been taught by Zephyr himself.
"No matter what…" Gion said, "we must retrieve the Infernite crystal. They're too dangerous."
Doberman added gravely, "Right. Whether Zephyr's target is pirates or something else, such dangerous items cannot be in the hands of anyone other than the Navy."
…
The meeting adjourned.
Borsalino sighed, stood up, and started walking out.
"Borsalino, wait a moment," Tsuru called out from behind.
"Hm?" Kizaru turned to look at her. "Tsuru? Is there something else?"
"When you reach the town, someone will contact you. Keep an eye on his movements and report any anomalies. This mission is confidential, so don't let others know."
Tsuru added meaningfully, "I'm not sure whose side you're on, but I hope you want this chaotic era to end."
"Ah, Tsuru, what are you talking about? I don't quite understand," Borsalino replied with a hint of confusion.
"It's fine if you don't understand now. You'll know when you get there." Tsuru smiled and walked away.
Watching her leave, Borsalino muttered to himself, "Could it be that my acting has flaws? That's unlikely."
"Old man, are we going to arrest Zephyr this time?" Sentomaru asked Kizaru in the captain's cabin of their warship, his large frame carrying an axe.
"We can't call him an admiral anymore... He defected from the Navy. We're not only going after Zephyr but also investigating what Kaido and Bullet are planning. Aokiji and Akainu have also set out, and we'll meet in the New World."
Kizaru crossed his arms on the table and asked, "By the way, why are you back? Weren't you supposed to be protecting Vegapunk? Did you finish the report I asked for?"
"Dr. Vegapunk is on vacation, so the World Government gave me a break too. As for the report, I delegated it to my subordinates. It should be done."
Speaking of the report, Sentomaru sounded unsure since he had handed it off immediately after being tasked with it.
"Vacation, huh?" Kizaru adjusted to a more comfortable position. "Try to finish the report soon. As much as we dislike the World Government, we still need to follow procedures."
In the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku spoke into the Den Den Mushi with a heavy voice, "Zephyr, what are you thinking!?"
The snail's expression mimicked Zephyr's somber face. "Sengoku, I'm tired…"
Zephyr's voice made both Sengoku and Tsuru, who was listening, frown.
"But didn't we agree? As long as…"
"Sengoku, do you know? At first, I kept reminding myself to consider the bigger picture. But over time, I realized that as long as those pirates at the top of the sea exist, as long as they don't feel true fear, pirates will never disappear from the seas.
In the New World, I've seen too much of the cruelty pirates inflict on ordinary people. Despite my efforts to fight them, they're like resilient cockroaches. For every batch I eliminate, another quickly appears. My sense of justice is tested daily. I can't wait any longer."
"Do you really think Infernite crystal can take down monsters like Kaido and Bullet?" Sengoku asked.
On his warship in the New World, Zephyr looked down at the Den Den Mushi and said solemnly, "I never expected to defeat such monsters with Infernite crystal. My goal is to eliminate all their followers. I want everyone to know that being a pirate leads only to death!"