The anger Zephyr had accumulated over many years completely erupted at this moment.
Amid the terrifying, almost tangible murderous intent, it felt as though something had broken within him.
Zephyr's compassionate heart began to crumble!
His belief in Marine justice started to waver!
"Teacher Zephyr!"
Sakazuki shouted loudly, unleashing his own aura, laced with a faint trace of Conqueror's Haki.
In an instant, his force broke through Zephyr's intense momentum.
Sakazuki, at the peak of his strength, was far beyond what Zephyr, hindered by asthma, could rival.
The clash of their auras quickly dissipated into the void.
The recruitment order Zephyr had been holding flew into the air, one page landing near Hibari's feet.
Hibari, resisting the oppressive force of both Zephyr and Sakazuki, glanced at the paper by her feet out of the corner of her eye.
A sudden realization struck her.
No wonder Teacher Zephyr was so furious.
The recruitment order bore an unmistakable image of a man who resembled
Whitebeard Jr., with the name "Edward Weevil" written prominently on it.
This was the pirate Zephyr loathed with all his heart—a man who had caused him unbearable pain.
Sakazuki watched him, whose red eyes gradually returned to normal, and then retracted his aura.
"Conqueror's Haki! Impressive, Sakazuki!"
Zephyr rasped, his voice hoarse and tinged with mockery.
"Teacher Zephyr, don't speak to me in that tone. This appointment comes from the Five Elders. I have no authority to change it."
Sakazuki knew exactly what was running through Zephyr's mind.
"Hah... I was impulsive."
Zephyr knew Sakazuki was right. After all, the Shichibukai system had been established by the Five Elders, and he had opposed it from the start.
But now, the pirate responsible for killing his entire crew of students and taking his arm was being appointed as a Shichibukai—a title he had always detested.
Zepyr could no longer suppress the murderous intent surging within him. His reason wavered.
At that moment, Zephyr seemed to age ten years, his shoulders heavy with grief.
Sakazuki remained silent for a long time.
He had only wanted to make this "no-kill" general abandon his unrealistic ideals.
It was cruel, forcing someone to alter their entire worldview.
But Sakazuki still said what was on his mind:
"If you don't kill this garbage, why keep it around for the New Year?"
"Sakazuki, let's go. I'm tired!"
Zephyr weakly dismissed them, signaling the end of the conversation.
But Sakazuki showed no intention of leaving.
He observed as the compassion and righteousness in Zephyr's eyes slowly faded, replaced by a growing madness and a desire for destruction.
Sakazuki knew the time had come.
"Zephyr-sensei, you're not planning to leave the Marines because of this, are you?"
Sakazuki asked casually, as if discussing something insignificant.
Although the tone was questioning, the certainty behind his words was undeniable.
Hibari, standing nearby, was taken aback.
She looked at the shock etched on Zephyr's face and realized that Sakazuki's guess had hit the mark.
"How do you know!?"
Zephyr's shock was immeasurable.
When he first saw the World Government's recruitment order for WhiteBeard Jr., the memories of his past came rushing back.
The scenes of a ship full of his students, their young faces falling one by one before his eyes.
The countless sleepless nights, haunted by the pain in his mechanical arm.
As Zephyr dwelled on these thoughts, his disappointment with the current Marines deepened.
If the Marines continued to compromise with the Shichibukai system, then he would leave.
He would form his own Marine force to stand against the Shichibukai.
Zephyr hadn't expected that this idea, only recently conceived, would be immediately discerned by Sakazuki.
Could Sakazuki possess a gift similar to Gol D. Roger's—the ability to hear the voice of all things through an advanced form of Observation Haki?
The thought made Zephyr wonder.
"Teacher Zephyr, do you plan to keep running away?" Sakazuki pressed.
"You were once the youngest Admiral in Marine history—admired and respected by countless people. But ever since pirates took your family from you..."
"Shut up!!!"
Zephyr interrupted, shouting with all his might.
His face twisted in pain as Sakazuki's words pierced his deepest wounds.
As a child, Zephyr admired heroes.
Even as a young boy, he fought against local criminals to uphold justice.
At 14, Zephyr decided to become a hero and joined the Marine Academy alongside Garp, Sengoku, and Tsuru.
He rose through the ranks, defeating countless pirates without ever taking a life.
With his unparalleled mastery of Armament Haki, he earned the nickname "Black Arm" Zephyr.
At 38, he was promoted to Admiral, known for his "Non-Killing Justice" philosophy.
But life does not reward kindness in a world filled with vicious pirates.
At 42, his family was brutally murdered by pirates.
This tragedy made him resign from his position, though the then Fleet Admiral Kong convinced him to stay as an instructor.
Believing there was still hope for the Marines, Zephyr stayed and trained countless elites, including Sakazuki, Kizaru, and Aokiji.
Later, he also trained Vice Admirals like Momonga, Doberman, Onigumo, and Stainless, as well as younger Marines like Smoker and Hina.
For a while, life seemed stable.
But misfortune struck again at 65.
Pirates attacked the trainee ship he led, killing all his students except Ain and Binz.
Hibari was not present, as Sakazuki had temporarily reassigned her for government affairs.
In the attack, Zephyr's right arm was gravely injured, and he replaced it with a mechanical one.
Although he formed the "Pirate Guerrillas" to hunt pirates, Zephyr still tried to retain some compassion, avoiding unnecessary killing.
Now 72, as Zephyr reflected on his life—one filled with highs and crushing lows—the latest recruitment of Edward Weevil as a Shichibukai shattered his last shred of hope in the Marines.
The once steadfast general, known for his "Non-Killing Justice," had completely broken.
Distrust and bitterness toward the Marines consumed him, solidifying his decision to leave.
He resolved to fight pirates worldwide on his own terms.
As memories of his tragic past overwhelmed him, tears fell from Zephyr's eyes.
This was the third time in his life he had cried—the first when his family was murdered, the second when his students were killed.
Sakazuki, seeing Zephyr's grief, sighed deeply before speaking.
"Teacher Zephyr."
"If I told you I plan to abolish the Shichibukai system and eliminate all Shichibukai, including those currently in place and any future recruits, would you believe me?"
Zephyr's head shot up at Sakazuki's words.
His tear-streaked face was filled with disbelief.