In an instant, two swords clashed, and their fierce battle drew attention from afar.
"Hmm? This makes it harder to determine who the Drive is."
At the edge of the North Blue, Zephyr stood on a Marine warship with his hands behind his back.
He looked up, observing the entangled auras in the distance, representing the duel between two of the world's top swordsmen.
After his deal with the Drive, Zephyr planned to use the information to identify the Drive's real-world identity. Zephyr believed that the Twilight Hermit Society would dominate the future world, so preparing to counter them was necessary.
Especially since...
There might be pirates within the Twilight Hermit Society!
Zephyr wouldn't hold back just because they were fellow members. If any of them were pirates, he would kill them!
"The Marine Hunter and Red-Haired Shanks, huh? No matter who the Drive is, they won't escape death today."
Zephyr said coldly.
He didn't go directly to the Music Kingdom, preferring to send a mirror image for reconnaissance. Doing it openly might expose his identity in the Mirror.
But recently, he wasn't too worried because he could now use magnetic force to alter some of his appearance.
He wasn't sure if the Drive had such a capability, but he certainly did.
Using the ice demon's information in the North Blue to lure the Drive, he aimed to identify them.
Unexpectedly, two individuals showed up—Red-Haired Shanks and Dracule Mihawk. Both were pirates, meaning they both deserved to die!
Even if one of them was a fellow member of the Twilight Hermit Society, it didn't matter. Adam never mentioned that internal strife wasn't allowed within the Society.
Killing them, could he obtain their Hermit Cards?
If one of them was the Drive, would Adam reclaim the card or take it from Zephyr?
Acquiring the Drive Card would undoubtedly enhance his power significantly.
Just like the Mirror Card, the powerful energy within the Hermit Cards had aided him immensely. What would happen if he obtained more cards?
Gaining these cards would bring him closer to his dream of eradicating all pirates.
The battle...
Continued.
From the signs in the sky, this duel would last a long time.
Zephyr hadn't expected two pirates to duel. Initially, he came to confirm the Drive's identity, believing he could handle it if the Drive were a pirate.
But with the identities still unknown, Shanks and Mihawk were already fighting. He would have called for more high-ranking Marines if he had known this would happen.
Even if not the Admirals Ann and Axing, at least Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino should be here.
In the New World, pirates were rampant, and the Marines had little control over them. But in the Four Seas...
The Marines held significant power.
Unfortunately, it was too late to call for reinforcements now.
"No matter. If it's just the two of them, I can handle it alone."
Zephyr was now...
Very strong!
Although he had been sad for a while, joining the Twilight Hermit Society and acquiring the Mirror Card and the Huangji Classic of Astrology significantly boosted his power. His Armament Haki was insignificant compared to the magnetic forces in the Huangji Classic.
But both were forms of life energy and with his existing foundation, his mastery of magnetic forces progressed rapidly.
Now, he was far more potent than in his prime.
However, upon arriving at the island, as indicated by the celestial signs, he realised he was wrong.
Completely wrong...
"Whitebeard..."
Zephyr frowned, seeing the pirate flag flying. He frowned deeply.
Why was Whitebeard here?
Currently, the strongest pirate on the seas was Whitebeard.
When Roger was alive, he dominated the era, suppressing pirates and even the Marines.
But beneath Roger, there were several great pirates.
After Roger's death, these pirates became the new symbols of piracy.
One of them was Whitebeard.
"Damn it! What are those idiots at headquarters doing?!" Zephyr was furious, shouting at the nearby Marines. "Whitebeard's in the North Blue, and the headquarters knows nothing?!"
The Marines trembled, but tracking these great pirates wasn't typically a priority. Unless they were meeting other great pirates, their movements in the Four Seas were mainly ignored.
Zephyr understood this but couldn't contain his anger. This was a perfect opportunity to eliminate two great pirates, likely to be ruined by Whitebeard's presence.
He doubted Whitebeard was there just to watch Shanks and Mihawk's duel.
Regardless, Zephyr suppressed his anger and leapt towards Whitebeard's ship.
He was calculating his chances against Whitebeard.
(Whitebeard has rarely fought in recent years. He isn't a threat if he only has the Gura Gura no Mi. But he obtained a piece of the Four Soul Jade early on. How much has he progressed since?)
Whitebeard was among the first to acquire a piece of the Four Soul Jade. Zephyr knew that these pieces attracted each other, or those who had them could sense others.
After so many years, did Whitebeard still only have one piece?
Zephyr hated pirates but wasn't blinded by his hatred.
He flew to Whitebeard's ship, unsure of his intentions but ready to test his strength.
Landing on the ship, he saw Whitebeard waiting as if expecting him.
"Zephyr, long time no see. You've changed a lot."
Seeing Zephyr, Whitebeard was somewhat nostalgic.
Since Roger's death, he rarely saw the old generation.
Whitebeard was quite reflective of Zephyr's transformation.