Boom, boom, boom, boom...
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
"Fire!"
"Full sail, chase them down!"
"Don't let those pirates escape!"
"..."
On the vast, boundless sea, intense cannon fire roared as a Marine warship and a pirate ship engaged in a high-stakes chase, a pursuit of speed and passion, of pursuit and escape.
"Haaah—" Cross rubbed his eyes wearily, letting out a long yawn. He then looked at the busy crew on deck and couldn't help but say, "We've been chasing them for nearly a day now, Zephyr-sensei. Are you sure you don't need my help?"
"They need to get used to battles like this!" Zephyr sat calmly beneath the main mast, gazing at the fleeing pirate ship several hundred meters away. He slowly explained, "After all, Devil Fruit users like you are rare. These types of sea chases are the norm!"
No matter how fast a sailing ship traveled, it couldn't outrun a bird with wings.
If Cross dispatched flying Enlivened creatures to intercept the enemy ship from the air and destroy its sails, no pirate ship could escape.
However, doing so would prevent the other students from truly learning conventional sea chase tactics, which would be detrimental to their future.
"Alright!" Cross pouted dismissively.
The students in the elite class received individualized instruction. So, on the entire ship, Cross was the only one who didn't need to participate in this kind of conventional sea chase training; even Smoker had to join.
Although Smoker could fly, due to the nature of his Devil Fruit ability, his long-distance flight speed wasn't particularly fast, and he was susceptible to strong winds. If he encountered severe gusts, it was safer for Smoker to remain on the ship.
Suddenly, Zephyr changed the subject and asked, "By the way, you know about the topic discussed at the World Summit. What are your thoughts on completing the roster of the Warlords of the Sea and the Warlord system itself?"
"I think completing the Warlords of the Sea roster is fine, and as for the Warlord system… I think it's pretty good too!" Cross squinted slightly, thought for a couple of seconds, and then expressed his positive view of the system.
Zephyr frowned, saying, "Tell me more specifically, why do you favor the Warlord system?"
"It's simple. Ever since the execution in Loguetown, the Great Pirate Era began, and the pirate forces have grown rapidly, putting the Marines at a disadvantage!" Cross spread his hands, speaking fluently. "If this continues long-term, once the balance of power shifts, the Marines will inevitably be unable to protect the safety and order of the entire sea. So, being able to recruit some powerful pirates can, to a certain extent, curb the growth of pirate forces and strengthen the Marines' power, thereby keeping the peace!"
"But don't you think recruiting pirates goes against justice?" Zephyr said with some displeasure.
"The very existence of the Celestial Dragons goes against justice. Moreover, the Marines still have to protect the Celestial Dragons, which is an even greater desecration of the word 'justice' itself!" Cross scoffed derisively.
"You know, these two things aren't comparable!" Zephyr frowned deeply, saying in a low voice.
"No, in my opinion, there's no difference between the two!" Cross shook his head, saying, "Although I don't know why the Marines must obey the World Government's orders to protect the Celestial Dragons, I do know that if the Marines don't protect them, it will certainly cause conflict between the Marines and the World Government, thereby affecting the stability and order of the entire world. Therefore, the Marines recruiting pirates is also to maintain the order and stability of the sea. There isn't much difference between the two!"
Zephyr's gaze flickered as he remained silent for a long time. As a former Admiral, he knew many secrets of the World Government and the Marines, but he didn't reveal them. Besides, he understood that what Cross said made sense; he just couldn't bring himself to accept allying with pirates.
"Zephyr-sensei, completing the Warlords of the Sea is an inevitable trend because the Marines need this power to maintain balance in the sea. However, the Warlords of the Sea also need to be regulated; otherwise, some malicious individuals who become Warlords of the Sea will cause major problems!" Cross slowly said, gazing at the distant sea.
"Then do you have any ideas?" Zephyr looked at Cross with surprise, asking in a hushed voice.
"Not yet, for now!" Cross shook his head, laughing, "And I'm just a small fry right now. Such a major issue like the Warlords of the Sea is something that the higher-ups in the Marines and World Government should be considering!"
Zephyr frowned, staring at Cross for a long time without speaking.
Although Cross was currently just a Marine Academy cadet, the higher-ups in the Marines had long since determined that Cross would undoubtedly become one of the most important pillars of the Marines in the future.
Therefore, if Cross had any good suggestions to submit to Marine Headquarters, they might very well be approved by the Marine leadership.
This meant that Cross's silence now might truly be because he hadn't thought of any good suggestions, or perhaps… he was intentionally holding back his true abilities?!
At this moment, Cross noticed Zephyr's gaze was very peculiar, and he couldn't help but realize something inwardly.
Woah, woah, woah~ Don't jump to conclusions! I really haven't thought of any effective suggestions! If I had a good idea, I would definitely submit it.
Not only would it increase my prestige and merits, but it would also prevent 'pirate nation-stealing incidents' like those in the Alabasta Kingdom and Dressrosa Kingdom, reducing countless civilian sacrifices…
But in my previous life, I was just an ordinary person with limited intelligence. In this life, I've only strengthened my muscles, not my mind. Don't overestimate me!
Just then, the warship's triple-barreled main cannons fired a volley. One of the cannonballs coincidentally struck the enemy pirate ship's main mast, breaking the nearly thirty-meter-high mast in half instantly. This caused the rapidly sailing pirate ship to lose several knots of speed.
"They hit the main mast!"
"Look, their ship's speed has dropped!"
"Third squad, grab your weapons, prepare for boarding tactics!"
"Close in quickly, First Deck artillery, load all cannons with grapeshot, prepare for close-range firing!"
"..."
Immediately, the morale of everyone on the warship soared. They all cheered in unison. A portion of the reserve gunners grabbed their muskets, cutlasses, and longswords, eager to charge onto the enemy ship and display their might.
"Oh~ It seems this cat-and-mouse game is finally coming to an end!" Seeing this, Cross quickly changed the subject.
Zephyr gave Cross a deep look, then stood up, took a monocular telescope from his pocket, and observed the pirate ship's reaction ahead.
After the World Summit concluded, the Germa 66 battleships arrived to pick up Judge, so Zephyr was no longer bothered with escort duties.
He formally led the Marine Academy cadets on a practical combat training journey to combat pirates. The pirate ship ahead was one of their targets.