Startled by the sudden burst of black-and-red lightning, Zephyr's heart trembled. Shock filled his expression.
The man before him actually possessed the bearing of a king?
"Is this… Conqueror's Haki?" Zephyr's voice trembled slightly as he stared at Mo Wu in disbelief. "How… did you come to wield this kind of power?"
It wasn't that Zephyr lacked experience.
Although Conqueror's Haki was extremely rare—perhaps one in several million possessed it—in the latter half of the Grand Line, where powerful figures gathered like clouds, those who possessed it were hardly uncommon.
But without exception, those with Conqueror's Haki were people of extraordinary nature.
Either they carried immense ambition, like Roger.
Or they were born leaders, like Whitebeard.
Their personalities and life experiences destined them to stand above others.
At the very least, there were cases like Sengoku—after eating the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Buddha, the fruit's power elevated his spirit and will to extraordinary heights.
As for Conqueror's Haki itself, Sengoku had managed to grasp its power within just a few days of consuming the fruit.
But the young man standing before him had, until today, been nothing more than a Marine branch major!
How could such talent have been buried in a branch base for so many years?
That brat Milenko… could he have hidden something from me?
"Ahem."
Mo Wu coughed lightly, withdrawing the crackling black-red lightning back into his body. Wearing an earnest expression, he met Zephyr's suspicious gaze.
"Mr. Zephyr, you know me."
"I've always been timid and cautious. A few days ago, when Shiki frightened me like that, this power just burst out on its own."
Born with it?
Could it be a power hidden within his bloodline?
A sudden thought appeared in Zephyr's mind. He slowly removed his sunglasses and stared at Mo Wu with puzzled eyes.
In the letters Milenko had sent him, he seemed to have repeatedly emphasized Mo Wu's deep hatred toward Roger.
But Zephyr had never heard of the Will of D turning against itself.
Wait…
Didn't Garp's family constantly fight among themselves?
Realization dawned in his mind, but Zephyr's tone remained uncertain.
"Kid… your name wouldn't happen to be Mo · D · Wu, would it?"
"…"
"Mr. Zephyr, you're joking."
Mo Wu's lips twitched slightly. He hadn't expected Zephyr to connect things in that direction.
"You brat."
Zephyr suddenly remembered something. When he had returned from the sea earlier, he had encountered Rosinante among the ruins.
When Rosinante mentioned Mo Wu, the admiration in his eyes had been impossible to hide.
A smile of approval spread across Zephyr's face as he slapped Mo Wu's shoulder heavily with his large hand.
"And you say you're timid? Rosinante told me everything. You actually drew your blade and went straight to fight Shiki."
"For someone like you, it would be stranger if you didn't possess Conqueror's Haki."
"It's just that your awakening was so sudden that it caught me off guard."
Zephyr sighed softly.
"You should know that every person who possesses Conqueror's Haki is a hidden dragon waiting beneath the abyss."
Scratching his head, Mo Wu felt both honored and helpless in the face of Zephyr's praise.
"Admiral Zephyr, I simply did what I believed was right."
He had always known that his sense of justice was never entirely pure.
"Enough of that."
Zephyr's expression hardened as he returned to the main topic.
"Mo Wu, regarding Roger's execution—I advise you not to serve as the executioner."
"I know you bear deep hatred toward Roger, but I can tell you this much: someone above intends to push you into the spotlight."
"Perhaps as early as tomorrow morning, the news that you killed Golden Lion and were promoted to Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters will spread across the entire world."
"Many will fear you—but even more will set their eyes on you."
As if recalling something painful, sorrow flickered in Zephyr's eyes.
"Even justice can arrive too late… unable to protect the people it should have protected."
So he sees his own shadow in me.
Mo Wu understood the sadness in Zephyr's gaze. Thinking of the hardships this man had endured in his life, he fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"Admiral, Shiki said something to me before he died."
"Only faith and will can stand above everything."
Black-and-red lightning crackled violently around Mo Wu's body. The rubble scattered across the ground trembled.
A pressure like a towering tidal wave surged forward, crashing down upon Zephyr.
"Justice that arrives late is not justice at all."
Mo Wu clenched his fist and looked directly into Zephyr's eyes without a trace of hesitation.
"And I will never allow justice to arrive too late."
"That's why I drew my blade against the lion."
"Justice that arrives too late… isn't justice…"
Zephyr's voice turned hoarse as memories of his lost family and the pirates he had once spared resurfaced in his mind.
"Perhaps… I've been wrong all along."
When he looked at Mo Wu again, his expression carried relief and approval.
Zephyr laughed at himself.
"I underestimated you."
Young people these days… truly remarkable.
His mindset shifting slightly, Zephyr put his sunglasses back on and prepared to leave.
But after taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned back, eyeing Mo Wu suspiciously.
Did Shiki really die after being talked to death by this brat?
Zephyr: (expressionless)
Though the black sunglasses hid his eyes, Mo Wu still felt uncomfortable being stared at like that.
"Admiral, is there something else?"
Just as Mo Wu was beginning to feel uneasy, Zephyr finally burst into hearty laughter.
"From now on, call me Teacher Zephyr. 'Admiral' sounds too distant, Vice Admiral Cease War."
"When you have time, come by the training camp. I can help you improve your strength—at least a little."
Waving his hand, Zephyr strode across the ruins toward the nearby Marines, preparing to help Vice Admiral Momonga share some of the burden.
"Phew…"
Letting out a breath, Mo Wu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
At least he had managed to pass Zephyr's test.
Still… why did the codename Cease War feel a little strange?
Whatever. It was still far better than Thunderfire Sword.
Thinking about the rather ridiculous nickname pirates had given him, Mo Wu felt a headache coming on.
Even though people in this world didn't understand what those words meant, the tiny shred of embarrassment he still possessed couldn't handle that kind of humiliation.
If the World Government moved quickly…
Then by tomorrow morning, the name Cease War would probably spread throughout the Four Seas.
"Mo Wu… no, I should call you Vice Admiral Cease War now."
A familiar voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Without Mo Wu sensing anything at all, a figure had appeared silently behind him, watching him quietly.
"Rosinante. Your Devil Fruit ability is truly terrifying."
Turning around with a sigh, Mo Wu looked at the young man whose eyes still carried traces of gloom and punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"We avenged them, didn't we?"
Hearing that, the bitterness in Rosinante's heart surfaced in his forced smile.
"You were the one who avenged them. All I did was hide nearby with the little girl. I couldn't even follow you."
"Even worse… my Devil Fruit ability didn't help at all."
Clenching his fists, Rosinante remembered how his ability had suddenly failed not long after Mo Wu left.
A flash of hatred appeared on his normally gentle face.
"I shouldn't have done that for that man… I shouldn't have stopped him from eating that fruit!"
So the undercover plan is about to begin.
Mo Wu caught the key words instantly. His brows slowly furrowed.
He held genuine goodwill toward the man standing before him.
More importantly…
Mo Wu knew the future fate of Corazon—Rosinante.
And he did not want this gentle man to die ten years later in that snow-covered tragedy.
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