In the Grand Line, a group of pirates was joyfully celebrating a feast.
They were reveling in their recent success; they had intercepted a massive merchant ship laden with treasures, enough to last them a long while.
This was the first half of the Grand Line, where money made it a paradise for pirates.
"We must thank our captain for making it so easy to seize all these treasures!"
At the banquet, the pirates drank heavily, their faces flushed with alcohol. As everyone was getting merry, a pirate suddenly stood up and excitedly exclaimed.
His words made the pirate captain, sitting at the highest place, laugh heartily, "In this world, as long as you have strength, it's heaven! Follow me, and you'll all become great pirates known across the world!"
"Indeed, Captain! Your bounty is over eighty million with the Navy! With your strength, entering the New World won't be a problem at all!"
They flattered their captain, who, feeling intoxicated and elated, stuck out his tongue and shouted, "Good! After enjoying this money for a while, we'll head to the New World! I've heard it's filled with gold and women, the ultimate paradise for pirates!"
His words further excited his crew. They devoured food and drink, venting their inner excitement, as if a wonderful life was just within reach, as if they'd be rich by tomorrow.
But at that moment, a pirate's panicked voice came from afar, "B-B-Boss!! A ship is approaching!"
?
His words made the partying pirates dissatisfied, especially the captain, who had been basking in their flattery. He angrily asked, "What kind of ship? Navy or pirate?"
The subordinate replied, "I don't know! It's not a Navy warship, and it's not flying a pirate flag, just an ordinary small boat."
"Bastard!" The captain roared in anger, "Even a small boat dares to ruin our mood? I should feed you to the fish!"
But his first mate, still somewhat rational, leaned in and whispered, "On the Grand Line, there are no fools. It might be a disguised pirate ship. Pirates use all kinds of tricks."
His words finally cleared the captain's head a bit. He was right; pirates had no sense of honor and could be using a small boat to lower their guard.
Reluctantly, the captain said, "Prepare for battle!"
But just as he finished speaking, another calm, low voice, yet loud enough to overshadow his roar, reached everyone's ears.
"No need."
Simple as those three words were, they carried an undeniable authority. At first, no one knew where the voice came from, and they were gripped by fear, as if it rose from the depths of their souls.
Then, a figure appeared in their sight, as if he had been there all along. A man in black stood at the bow of the ship, hands behind his back, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's, just looking at them brought a heavy pressure, like a mountain weighing down on them.
"…" The captain looked at the figure, as if staring into an endless ocean, seeing no end. In his memory, even the most powerful pirate he had met, with a bounty of hundreds of millions, had never given him such a feeling.
It was as if…
He instinctively felt inferior, lower, lesser!
"Who are… you?"
He trembled as he spoke, devoid of confidence.
"The Man in the Mirror."
The man replied, his simple words exerting immense pressure on everyone present, freezing them in place.
They all knew the weight of those words. To pirates, the name "The Man in the Mirror" was akin to a demon, the embodiment of fear!
In the New World, many great pirates had died under this name, and now, this demonic figure stood on their ship?!
"You've got to be kidding… shouldn't you be in the New World dealing with those monsters?!"
"There is no distinction of strength; all pirates must die." Zephyr's cold eyes scanned them. He had been looking for the girl the stars had led him to, but she wasn't among the pirates celebrating. She was still alive.
With that assurance, Zephyr raised a hand. In the next moment, all the pirates' bodies started convulsing, water flowing from their mouths…
Water!
Yes, in an instant, all the water in the pirates' bodies was drawn out by a special force, regardless of their strength.
Whether it was the captain or the lowest deckhand, water gushed from their mouths, their bodies rapidly shriveling, turning grotesque.
They emitted painful groans but couldn't move or resist because their opponent was…
Like a god, it was Zephyr!
Zephyr, who held a deathly grudge against pirates!
Zephyr stepped forward, and with each step, more pirates fell, their bodies completely dehydrated.
When he followed the celestial guidance into the treasure hold the pirates had looted, all the pirates had fallen, their faces frozen in fear, as if they had seen something horrific. Their shriveled bodies were terrifying to behold.
One by one, they fell, their corpses piling up to form three words.
'The Man in the Mirror'
Zephyr looked at the treasure chests and walked directly to a closed one.
Yes, she was here.
Zephyr felt a tinge of excitement. He knew this girl would greatly further his plans.
Not only in dealing with the great demon of the music kingdom but also due to her innate talent. She would help him achieve the Blue Dream.
He opened the treasure chest and found the girl, barely one or two years old, peacefully sleeping.
Inside the chest was a note with her name.
'Uta'
"Uta…"
Zephyr softly spoke her name, which seemed to wake her. She opened her sleepy eyes, and upon seeing Zephyr, did not cry, just looked at him quietly.
"From now on, you are my daughter, the daughter of Zephyr."
Zephyr said gently.
Fate is strange. Zephyr's conversation with Shanks led Shanks to the North Blue while Zephyr, guided by the stars, found Uta and adopted her as his daughter.