Zephyr shrugged and took a swig of wine.
"Ever since you were expelled from the Marines... this old man's felt like the Navy's gotten boring. So I brought these kids here for some special training."
He pointed toward the Marines training in the distance.
"Besides training them during this time, I've barely had any contact with the outside world."
Ron was stunned.
He hadn't expected Zephyr to know absolutely nothing about smartphones.
He sighed, set down his wine glass, and said seriously, "Zephyr, this isn't an ordinary Den Den Mushi. It's a smartphone. It can show you every corner of the sea, let you hear every sound, and even talk to people across the world."
Zephyr looked up, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"It's really that impressive?"
Ron nodded. "Of course. And I can teach you how to use it. Who knows, maybe you'll become a legendary blogger on TikTok."
Zephyr was silent for a moment. A trace of hesitation crossed his eyes.
But in the end, he shook his head.
"Ron, I'm a soldier. My job is to train these kids and make them real Marines. TikTok... that's not my world."
Ron let out a dry laugh.
This old mule was still as stubborn as ever. Once he set his mind on something, not even ten Sea Kings could change it.
He shook his head and pulled a brand-new smartphone from his pocket.
"Here. It's yours."
Zephyr accepted it cautiously. His finger accidentally hit the power button, and the screen lit up—making him flinch like it was a cannon blast.
"Why the hell did it just light up?! This thing's more dangerous than a cannonball!" he muttered, wariness in his eyes.
"Watch closely..."
Ron leaned over and tapped the screen.
"This is the camera. It can capture all the embarrassing moments of those slackers."
The screen switched to Carl, who was snoozing behind a coconut tree.
Zephyr's eyes lit up.
"Interesting!" But then his face hardened.
"Slacking off during training? That's twenty extra sets!"
Ron kept going. "This is TikTok. You can see new things from all over the world."
He tapped on the trending tab, and a storm of hot topics instantly lit up the screen:
#Empress's Captivating Glare!
#Four Emperors: Whitebeard's Sky-High Bounty!
#Kaido's Monthly Devil Fruit Giveaway!
#Medical Holy Land: Dr. Chopper's Miracle Clinic!
#New Navy Uniform Trend Drops!
One trend after another dazzled Zephyr's eyes.
Even Kaido was using TikTok?
Was he already behind?!
Then the video played showing Crocodile's atrocities in Alabasta.
CRACK.
The wine glass in Zephyr's hand shattered.
Purple wine trickled between his fingers, staining the wooden floor a dark red.
"Bastard!"
Zephyr leapt to his feet, slamming his arm down on the table. Bottles clattered and toppled.
Veins bulged across his forehead. His short purple hair stood on end.
He scrolled again—this time to Rebecca's video exposing Doflamingo's crimes.
Zephyr's breathing became heavy.
And when he saw the footage of people turned into toys…
He couldn't even speak.
He grabbed the wine bottle and downed it in one gulp, trying to drown the fire in his chest.
"This is the kind of Shichibukai the Marines are protecting?!"
Zephyr tore off his Justice cloak and threw it to the ground.
"Is the World Government blind?!"
His roar startled seabirds from the trees.
Even the recruits stopped their training, looking nervously toward the hut.
Ron watched quietly, letting his old friend vent.
Zephyr finally declared he would go to Dressrosa himself to bring Doflamingo to justice.
That's when Ron spoke, his tone calm, eyes sharp with meaning.
"Is this kind of Marine... still worth your loyalty?"
Zephyr froze.
The fire in his eyes dimmed. He stared at the Justice cloak on the ground, confusion creeping into his expression.
Ron opened a TikTok compilation of protest videos.
"Look at these voices. Form a New Marines. Use TikTok to recruit people who believe in real justice…"
He scrolled through waves of passionate comments.
"This is the justice you and I once believed in."
Zephyr's voice dropped low.
"But betraying the Marines..."
His fist clenched. Conflict flickered in his eyes.
It wasn't like he hadn't thought about it. But walking away from a lifetime of service wasn't easy.
"Ron... can you give me some time—"
Ron didn't answer. Instead, he suddenly changed the subject.
"What if... a pirate killed your wife and child? What if he slaughtered every last one of your trainees and chopped off your arm?"
He paused, gaze dropping to Zephyr's right arm.
"And then... the Navy turned around and recruited him as a Shichibukai. What would you do?"
At those words.
Zephyr's pupils shrank.
His breathing hitched.
That memory hit like a punch to the gut.
The blood.
The pirate's grinning face.
The letter of appointment from Marine Headquarters...
His chest tightened. It felt like a boulder was crushing him. His eyes turned red.
He didn't answer for a long time.
Finally, Zephyr let out a deep sigh and collapsed into the chair.
"Ron…"
His rough hand landed on Ron's shoulder.
"You really pulled out all the stops to convince me."
"If anyone in the Marines knows me best, it's you."
"Hahaha! Zephyr, back then, you saved me from those monsters."
"Don't bring that up." Zephyr laughed loudly.
"Everyone in the Navy knew you were a lucky brat with crazy potential. If you hadn't been expelled, the next Fleet Admiral would've been you."
Ron just smiled and silently topped off both their wine glasses.
Moonlight filtered through the palm leaves, casting dappled shadows across the wooden table.
Zephyr suddenly lifted his glass.
"The Neo Marines..."
Clink!
He tapped his glass to Ron's.
"That's a good name."
Out at sea, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds.
And in Zephyr's eyes, that long-dormant fire flared up again—brighter than starlight.
He knew that starting tonight, a new storm would sweep across the sea.
Ron sipped his wine slowly.
"So, old man," he said, shaking the phone,
"Times have changed. You don't need battleships and cannons anymore. One smartphone can spread the truth across the ocean."
The sun had long dipped beneath the waves.
Stars glittered in the dark sky.
Zephyr rubbed the phone slowly.
The glow from the screen reflected off his hardened face.
In the distance, the sound of heavy breathing echoed—his trainees doing extra reps under the stars.
After a long silence, Zephyr grinned.
His white teeth flashed in the darkness.
"So... what did you mean by 'debut' earlier?"
Ron paused mid-sip. A mischievous smile crept across his face.
"'Debut'? Oh, that's simple..."
(To be continued.)