Rumble...
A chain of earth-shaking booms rolled in from the far edge of the island.
Zephyr, who had been studying a world map in his bedroom, stiffened at the sound. His brow rose slightly as he glanced out the window toward the coast.
He froze for a moment, then sighed when he saw golden sword light stabbing up through the night sky again and again.
"Gion's temper really is something," he muttered with a wry smile. "Darren's leaving tomorrow, and she still won't let him off easy tonight…"
As her mentor, Zephyr had watched Gion grow up. No one knew her personality better than he did. Once that girl's temper flared, almost no one could withstand it.
"Poor Darren…" he sighed, closing the window and returning to his map.
Over half an hour later, he finally stretched out his shoulders and rose from his chair. It was time to step outside and take in some fresh air.
It had been years since he'd truly moved on the open sea; he'd been relegated to the sidelines for far too long. Now, trying to build an army from scratch felt like an impossible task.
This world map was merely the first step.
Navigation, recruitment, training, world politics… As the former Chief Instructor of the Marine Academy, Zephyr knew these subjects like the back of his hand. Even so, he carefully reviewed them again, line by line, refusing to let a single detail slip past.
As the commander of a new army, he would be responsible not just for his own life, but for all those who chose to follow him. There was no such thing as being "too cautious."
Lost in thought, Zephyr stepped out through the courtyard gate.
He had barely set foot outside when he saw Gion stepping out of the nearby jungle, hair tousled, gait unsteady.
"Gion?"
She jumped at the sound of his voice, clearly not expecting anyone to be there. "Z–Zephyr-sensei!" she blurted out, flustered.
Zephyr frowned, immediately noticing the way she was struggling to stand straight. "You're hurt?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice.
In the dim light, a faint blush bloomed across Gion's delicate face. "J-just a little," she mumbled. "I… accidentally twisted my ankle."
The darkness hid the color in her cheeks, but Zephyr's expression hardened anyway.
"Tch." His tone was full of disapproval. "That brat Darren. Even if it's training, he should know when to hold back! How could he go that hard on you?!"
At the word "training," Gion's mind flashed back to something a little too vivid. The tips of her ears burned scarlet.
"Don't worry, I'll chew him out later!" Zephyr boomed, pounding his chest when she didn't answer, assuming she was swallowing her resentment.
"I-it's fine, Zephyr-sensei," Gion said hurriedly, eyes darting away. "I'll just go get some rest."
She stumbled past him and hurried deeper into the courtyard.
Watching her retreating back, a hint of helplessness flickered across Zephyr's weathered face. He sighed softly.
"She's just too stubborn…"
Even if she wanted to catch up to that brat's level, she couldn't push herself like this.
Not everyone was a monster like Darren.
Shaking his head, Zephyr turned to continue his walk—then stopped dead.
Another figure was emerging from the grove.
"Darren?"
He stared blankly at the young man leaning weakly against a tree, legs wobbling.
"Are you injured too?" he asked, thoroughly confused.
Darren: ???
---
Two days later.
The New World, Wano Country.
Onigashima – Research Institute.
"No dieting, no dieting—this is my funky style!"
"Since that bastard Darren left, my life is pure heaven!"
Wearing his black-and-white overalls, Queen hummed a ridiculous rap as he grinned and fussed with a dozen test tubes on the lab bench.
"Boss Kaido's out patrolling—no fat beatings today!"
As he mixed reagents together, the liquids began to bubble furiously in the glass tubes. When the beat in his head hit a high point, his huge rear started to wiggle in time, and he broke into a smug little dance.
Behind him, pirates in gas masks and protective suits laughed and bragged:
"Boss Queen's in a great mood today!"
"Of course! The Ice Oni Virus is about to reach a new breakthrough!"
"Compared to before, both the infectivity and the destructive power have increased by at least thirty percent!"
"Boss Queen is the greatest scientist in the world!"
"..."
Their sycophantic flattery pushed Queen into full-blown self-admiration.
"That's right! What else would you expect from me?!"
He chuckled smugly, raising a vial filled with blue liquid. He puffed out his massive stomach and blew cigar smoke from his nostrils.
"This stuff… won't just kill people. Even a dragon would drop on the spot!"
"I bet… even Boss Kaido couldn't withstand this enhanced Ice Oni Virus!"
"Hahahahaha!"
He burst into triumphant laughter—then realized no one else was laughing.
"Why aren't you laughing?"
He glared at his men, only to see all of them staring past him, eyes bulging, bodies trembling like leaves in a storm.
"Oh? The virus is 'enhanced' now? Why don't I give it a try?"
A low, almost amused voice suddenly cut across the lab.
Queen's pupils shrank to pinpoints. A cold jolt shot up his spine.
Hazy, nightmarish memories surged into his mind, making the fat on his face tremble uncontrollably.
"No way… this can't be real…"
In front of his stunned subordinates—
Slap!
He suddenly swung his hand and smacked himself hard across the face.
The sting of pain snapped him fully awake.
It's not a dream!
"Y-you! How did you get here?!"
He let out a sharp, panicked cry and spun around.
Before he could do anything, the test tube of churning blue liquid was plucked neatly from his hand.
Queen's eyes almost popped out of his skull.
He watched the black-haired youth from his nightmares twist the cap off the vial with terrifying focus—then lift his head and pour the contents straight down his throat.
Not again?!
Darren downed the entire bottle of virus in one long gulp, then gave a satisfied burp. He frowned slightly, as if lost in thought, and muttered:
"This stuff isn't even that strong… nowhere near Magellan's venom…"
Twin plumes of purplish-blue toxic vapor puffed from his nostrils as he turned, grinning, to face the Overalls Fatso.
"Got anything stronger?"
The other pirates were shaking so hard their knees nearly knocked together. They scrambled backward, faces pale.
"N-no! Nothing else!" they chorused, heads snapping side to side like rattles.
Queen, who had also shuffled back a few steps, flushed bright red and bellowed:
"You bastard! Why did you have to show up?!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized how that sounded. His subordinates were all staring at him, stunned.
So—
Queen abruptly jabbed a finger toward a random direction.
"Boss Kaido is patrolling the Kuri region right now! If you scram this instant, the great me will pretend I never saw you!"
"Otherwise, I'll have to get rough with you!"
To be continued...