章節 296: Chapter 296
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*****
Dressrosa, New World
The dimly lit room was filled with an air of tension, made heavier by the news that had swept across the seas. Doflamingo sat at the head of the table, a wide, unsettling grin stretched across his face. His long legs crossed casually, he thumbed through the latest edition of the World Times, the newspaper crinkling as he scanned the headlines.
The front page bore the stark, terrifying image of what was once Kano Country—a massive, gaping hole in the ocean, where millions of lives had been wiped out without a trace.
"Fufufufu...! The World Government sure is ruthless," Doflamingo's voice rang out, dripping with dark amusement. "More than two million souls erased with a single stroke." He held the newspaper out in front of him, shaking it slightly as if to emphasize the gravity of the words.
"Look at that. A pit to the depths of the world where Kano once stood. It seems they've finally unleashed their little secret weapon again."
The room was silent, save for the distant sound of the sea outside, waves lapping against the walls of Dressrosa's royal palace. Aokiji, sitting stiffly across from Doflamingo, stared down at his untouched plate. The food had long since gone cold. His face, normally composed, betrayed a flicker of discomfort. His brow furrowed, lips drawn into a thin line.
Doflamingo chuckled, his eyes narrowing behind his signature shades. "Tell me, Aokiji, is what the World Government did to those souls considered 'justice'? Fufufu... It's funny, isn't it?" His mocking tone filled the room like poison, but the vice admiral remained silent, the weight of the question heavy on his mind.
Aokiji's thoughts churned. He had spent decades in the Marines, upholding a sense of justice that was slowly corroding under the weight of the government's actions. He had seen horrors in the name of that justice, but erasing an entire island, eradicating millions just to make a point? His hands clenched into fists beneath the table. He wasn't sure if he could keep defending this anymore.
Vergo, sitting calmly next to him, tore a piece of bread from the loaf before him, chewing with deliberate calmness.
"If not for your brother stirring up trouble in Kano Country," Vergo said quietly, his tone cool and almost indifferent, "maybe they wouldn't have suffered such an ending."
Doflamingo's smirk widened. "Fufufu…! You really believe that, Rear Admiral Vergo?" he asked, turning his attention toward the rumored successor of 'Black Fist'.
"What did you expect when you tried to ambush my little brother, hmm? That he would simply surrender and lay down his arms and offer his neck to be slaughtered? You think he'd just roll over and die quietly? Don't make me laugh."
Doflamingo's eyes gleamed dangerously as he leaned forward, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "The World Government just wanted someone to blame. But don't forget, Vergo, unlike your backstabbing World Government, I keep my word." He flashed a wicked grin and raised his glass of wine, taking a slow, deliberate sip.
Aokiji remained silent, the guilt gnawing at him. The Marines had stood by while millions were erased from existence. All for a show of force. His stomach twisted, and for a brief moment, he thought about what could have been done differently.
How many lives could have been saved if the Marines stayed true to their principles? If the Marines hadn't become the puppet of the World Government's twisted agenda?
As if reading his mind, Doflamingo leaned back, his mocking grin still plastered on his face. "So, Aokiji," he said with a taunting drawl, "now that you've got a bounty on your head like me, does that make you one of us? Hmm? How about it? Care to join my crew?" He laughed darkly, as though the very idea was a joke to him.
Aokiji's jaw clenched as he was being mocked by a pirate, but he didn't answer. His eyes flicked toward Vergo, who sat calmly, unaffected by Doflamingo's taunts.
The young man had always been loyal to his ideals, the ones taught to him by Zephyr, but there was something unsettling about how effortlessly Vergo could face someone like Doflamingo, how easily he seemed to accept the horrors of the Marines that were carried out in the name of justice.
Doflamingo, clearly enjoying the tension in the room, continued. "Despite the bounty on both your heads, here you are, sitting safely at my table, not a scratch on you. Doesn't that show just how noble my character is?" He laughed again, the sound sharp and cutting.
Suddenly, a loud snort broke the tense atmosphere. Reiju, sitting to Doflamingo's right, had been sipping her juice quietly, but now she choked, juice spraying out of her nose as she struggled to contain her laughter. She sputtered, coughing repeatedly, her face flushed as she tried to recover from the embarrassing display.
Doflamingo's grin faltered, his expression sour as he turned toward Reiju. "Really?" he asked, clearly annoyed at how his grand atmosphere had just been ruined.
Reiju wiped her face, still chuckling softly. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it," she muttered between coughs. "You trying to act 'noble' is just too much. Master Doffy"
The rest of the room couldn't help but crack a smile at the scene, the tension momentarily broken by Reiju's unexpected outburst. Even Aokiji, lost in his inner turmoil, allowed himself a brief moment of amusement.
Doflamingo, still irritated, waved a hand dismissively. "Fufufu… Little brats these days, no sense of decorum," he muttered, but there was a hint of fondness in his voice as he glanced at Reiju, who was still trying to recover from her coughing fit.
The room fell silent again, but the mood had shifted slightly. The unease, while still present, was no longer suffocating. Aokiji finally spoke, his voice low and strained. "This… isn't justice," he said, almost to himself, his hands still clenched tightly beneath the table.
Doflamingo's grin returned, more sinister than before. "Of course it's not. But you've known that for a long time, haven't you, Aokiji?"
Doflamingo leaned back in his chair, his signature grin plastered on his face as he turned his gaze toward Queen Otohime. She sat across the table, her face pale, hands trembling slightly as she clutched the fabric of her royal gown.
The news of the World Government's recent actions—their use of an Ancient Weapon to erase Kano Country from existence—had left her shaken to her very core. This wasn't just a matter of politics anymore. The sheer ruthlessness of it all had stripped away any lingering hope she held for peaceful cooperation.
"Tell me, Queen Otohime," Doflamingo's voice cut through the heavy silence like a blade, cold and taunting. "Do you still believe that someone like the World Government would allow the Fishmen race to live as equals to humans in the world above?"
Otohime flinched at his words. She had worked tirelessly, not just in forging an alliance with the Donquixote family but also in secretly maintaining diplomatic channels with the World Government.
She believed that if she could appeal to their humanity, if she could convince them of the equality between races, they might allow Fishmen Island to rise from the depths and live alongside humans without fear or discrimination.
Though the Donquixote family was helping them build a safe haven for Queen Otohime and her people on Punk Hazard, getting the approval of World Government seemed more important to her.
But after hearing about Kano's destruction, her faith had been deeply shaken. Still, she clung to that hope—because if not, what else did her people have?
Doffy's grin only widened as he saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes. He knew her well enough to understand she hadn't completely given up on her idealistic dream. He wasn't one to let such naivety go unchecked.
"You thought I didn't know about your little efforts with the World Government, huh?" Dofflamingo's voice was laced with mockery.
"Trying to balance your alliance with me while negotiating with them on the side. Fufufu… You must think highly of yourself to believe you could play both sides. But I'll give you credit, Queen Otohime. That takes guts."
Otohime's hands tightened in her lap. She had always hoped that Doflamingo wouldn't discover her attempts to maintain peaceful ties with the World Government, even though it risked angering the Pirate Emperor.
Aokiji, sitting silently to her left, had warned her against it. Even her ministers had urged caution, knowing Doflamingo's reputation for cruelty. But she had pushed forward. She had to. For her people.
"This... this is different," Otohime stammered, trying to find her voice. "I believe... I believed that peace was possible. That equality could be reached if I appealed to their sense of—"
"Sense of what?" Doflamingo interrupted, leaning forward with a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Humanity? Justice? Fufufu...!" His laugh was harsh, cruel. "You really thought they would treat you seriously, didn't you? That they would see the Fishmen as anything more than tools or slaves? Come now, Queen Otohime, don't be so naive. Have you forgotten at whose hands most captured mermaids and fishmen end up? You think those World Nobles would give up their privileges because of your sweet words and promises? You truly believe they see you as equals?"
Otohime felt her heart sink, but she forced herself to respond. "I... I have to try. For the sake of my people."
Doflamingo scoffed, his tone turning icy. "Try all you want. But the reality is simple. The only reason Fishman Island isn't already a slave colony is because it's too far out of their reach, too deep beneath the sea. It's not worth the effort for them to control it. But make no mistake, Queen, if they could... they would. You and your entire race would end up in chains, just like so many others."
His words hit her like a hammer, but he wasn't done yet.
"Let me remind you, Queen Otohime," he continued, voice dripping with venom. "Do you know how many races have been wiped out—hunted down like animals—because they were different? Because they were 'exotic'? The Red Line was once home to dozens of races and species, some of them more powerful, more intelligent than humans. And what happened to them? Gone. Erased from existence for the sport and pleasure of the Celestial Dragons. You think your Fishmen are any different? If it weren't for your location, you'd be trophies on their bedside table."
Aokiji, who had been listening in silence, clenched his fists. As much as he despised Doflamingo, he couldn't completely refute his words. The stories of exotic races hunted to extinction by the whims of the World Nobles were all too real.
He had seen it firsthand, the brutality with which the Government operated behind the scenes. Entire species and communities enslaved or eradicated simply for being 'different or because they sought the truth.' He wanted to defend Otohime's ideals, but the reality was undeniable. The World Government would never see the Fishmen as anything other than property.
Doflamingo saw the conflict on Aokiji's face and grinned wider, like a predator who had just cornered its prey. "You know I'm right, Kuzan," he taunted. "You were part of it, weren't you? The system that turns a blind eye while entire species are slaughtered or enslaved. You really think someone like Queen Otohime stands a chance in that world?"
Aokiji's face tightened, guilt gnawing at him. He had joined the Marines with the hope of serving justice, but the longer he stayed, the more he saw the corruption that rotted the organization from within. The destruction of Kano Country, the way Otohime had been targeted by government assassins—none of it could be ignored. His silence was as good as confirmation.
Otohime, her heart heavy with despair, still tried to cling to the last vestiges of hope. "But... the people... the world can't stay like this forever," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There has to be a way to change things. To build a bridge between humans and Fishmen."
Doflamingo laughed again, his voice booming in the hall. "Fufufu...! Dream all you want, Queen. But in this world, the strong rule, and the weak are crushed. Your bridge is nothing but a fantasy. And sooner or later, the World Government will come for your island, just like they came for Kano. The only way you can truly achieve what you want is by standing at the same level, not by being subservient."
The room fell into an uneasy silence, Doflamingo's mocking laughter echoing in their ears. Otohime felt as though a pit had opened in her chest, but she refused to give up. Her people's future depended on her belief, no matter how impossible it seemed.
*****
Hidden revolutionary base, Grandline
The wind swept across the rocky shore, carrying the scent of salt and the soft hum of waves crashing in the distance. The sun had begun its descent, casting an orange glow on the horizon.
Despite the peaceful scene, there was no tranquility in Zephyr's heart as he sat on a jagged boulder by the water's edge. His mechanical arm—the cold metal and sea-stone essence replacing the flesh and blood he had lost—rested heavily in his lap. His once-proud figure, a symbol of justice for decades, seemed now like a shadow of itself.
Dragon stood a few paces behind him, watching his mentor in silence, his brow furrowed in worry. He knew that, despite the calm setting, a storm was brewing in Zephyr's soul. The events of the past few months had broken something inside the former Admiral, something that might never heal.
Sorbet Kingdom, Kano Country—both names that echoed in their hearts as reminders of the ruthless actions of the World Government. Massacres hidden under the banner of "absolute justice."
"Do you still think you should go back to the Marines, Zephyr-sensei?" Dragon finally asked, his voice cautious, filled with concern. He knew what the answer might be, but still, he had to ask.
Zephyr didn't respond right away. The gentle sea breeze ruffled his hair, but it did nothing to soothe the tempest raging inside him. After a long pause, his voice finally came, low and heavy with years of regret and bitterness.
"Tell me, Dragon," Zephyr began, his metallic fingers clenching into a fist as he gazed out at the ocean, "Was everything I dedicated my life to… just a joke? Was my pursuit of justice nothing more than a delusion? Did I waste all those years enforcing a lie?"
Dragon could hear the weight in his mentor's voice, the anguish that came from watching everything he believed in crumble before his eyes. Zephyr's heart had been forged in the fires of loyalty to the Marines, in a belief that justice was something noble and pure.
But now, after the events of Sorbet and Kano, that belief had been shattered. He could no longer reconcile the man he once was with the truth he had come to understand.
"I wish I had died back then…" Zephyr's voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible over the sound of the waves. His eyes darkened as memories flooded back—images of the Sorbet Kingdom burned into his mind.
He remembered the faces of the people, the screams, the destruction wrought by the Ancient Weapon. He should have died that day, but he hadn't. A fellow Marine, someone brave enough to sacrifice himself with his Paramecia Devil Fruit, had saved Zephyr from certain death.
But for what? So that he could live to see the true horrors of the organization he once swore to serve?
Dragon struggled to find the words to comfort him. He stepped forward, his hand reaching out but then hesitating. What could he possibly say to alleviate the pain of a man who had devoted his life to something that had betrayed him?
"Tell me honestly, Dragon," Zephyr continued, his voice suddenly sharp and piercing. He turned to face the Revolutionary leader, his black, seastone-covered face gleaming ominously in the fading light. "Was killing me at Sorbet Kingdom part of the World Government's plan? Was I nothing but a loose end to be tied up?"
Dragon flinched. He had known this question was coming, but it didn't make it any easier. Zephyr was no fool—he had risen to Admiral during the chaotic era of the Rocks Pirates, standing side by side with legends. He knew how the World Government operated. And yet, hearing the truth would be a final blow to his already fractured faith.
"I…" Dragon hesitated. He had never wanted Zephyr to bear the full burden of the truth, not after everything he had already endured. But he owed his mentor honesty.
"Sensei, yes… Sorbet Kingdom was their way of eliminating those who stood in their way. You, Shiki, Linlin… they wanted to remove you all. But you survived."
Zephyr's expression didn't change, but the bitterness in his eyes deepened. "So, all those people… the millions of lives in Sorbet… they died just to kill me. To get rid of an old soldier they no longer needed."
His voice wavered, and Dragon could see the toll it was taking on him. Zephyr had always believed in justice, but now he was realizing that the system he had upheld was built on blood and lies.
He thought back to the words of Ross, a marine turned pirate, the greatest protege that Garp ever groomed , despite the short tenure under his training, the boy had left a lasting impression on him.
"Someday, old man, you're going to realize that your justice is just another tool for the powerful. They use you, and when you're no longer useful, they'll toss you aside. Pirates like most out there… at least don't pretend to be something they're not. You're the real hypocrite."
Zephyr had brushed off those words back then, convinced that pirates were nothing but criminals. But now… now he wondered if Ross had been right all along. Was he the hypocrite? Had he spent his life upholding a system that was just as corrupt and vile as the enemies he fought against?
"You know, Dragon," Zephyr muttered, staring at the horizon. "The Zephyr who once stood for justice… that man is long dead. Maybe young Rosinante was right. I've been naive. I thought I could change the world through the Marines, but all I did was help them carry out massacres. Like it or not, their blood is on my hands."
Dragon felt a surge of helplessness. He had never seen Zephyr like this—so lost, so filled with despair. He wanted to say something, anything, to help, but he couldn't bring himself to lie. The man in front of him wasn't just his mentor; he was a broken soul.
"Sensei, you still have family. Vergo—"
"Vergo will take care of them," Zephyr cut him off, his voice hard. "He's my son. He's strong. But as for me…" He stood up, his towering figure casting a long shadow on the shore; his final hesitation was washed away.
"I'm no longer the man I was, Dragon. I don't belong in the Marines anymore. That world is gone for me."
Dragon blinked, stunned at the shift in Zephyr's tone. "What… what are you saying?"
"I'm saying," Zephyr looked directly at him, his eyes filled with a newfound resolve, "that I want to join your Revolutionaries. This world… it's rotten. And if there's any way for me to make amends for the blood on my hands, it's by helping bring down the system that caused it."
Dragon stood frozen. Zephyr—his mentor, once a proud Marine, a symbol of the very institution where Dragon honed his true ideals—was asking to join the Revolutionaries. He had never expected this. Never even dreamed of such a possibility.
But as he looked into Zephyr's eyes, he saw something he hadn't seen in a long time. Purpose. Determination. A spark of life that hadn't been there moments before.
"Are you sure, Zephyr Sensei?" Dragon asked quietly. "This is… a new path. A dangerous one. The whole world will hunt you."
Zephyr nodded. "I have no illusions, Dragon. But if there's a way to cleanse this world of its corruption, I'll take it. Let me help you… let me fight for something real."
Dragon, after a moment of silence, extended his hand. "Welcome to the revolution, Zephyr-sensei."
And with that handshake, a new era began. Zephyr, once a proud Marine Admiral, had become a revolutionary, ready to tear down the very system he once served.
*****
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[Silent_stiele]
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創作者的想法 
Silent_stiele
Silent_stiele Dear Readers,
I want to express my deepest gratitude for the constant support you have given my work. Your encouragement and feedback have been invaluable, and I am truly thankful for each one of you.
If possible, I would love to garner even more support through power stones and reviews. Each additional review helps my work reach more readers, and even a single review can make a significant difference. Your support means the world to me, and I am deeply appreciative of every effort you make to help my work grow.
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Thank you for your understanding and for being an integral part of this journey. Your presence and support are what make this all possible.
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[Silent_stiele]
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