After hearing Vice Admiral Tsuru's words, all the nearby Marines felt an involuntary chill run down their spines.
Zephyr—once the Navy's feared "Black Arm"—had completely gone rogue.
From this moment on, no one could rein him in.
What kind of chaos would erupt in the world now…?
Nobody knew.
But Zephyr just burst out laughing.
"Even if I die here today, I've got no regrets!"
"Uchiha Chiyu… That man will definitely fulfill the dream I couldn't."
"Wipe out every last pirate on the seas—and bring down the rotten Navy and corrupt World Government with them!"
Kizaru, Garp, and Tsuru all froze.
It was now obvious—Zephyr had gone fully extreme. He and Uchiha Chiyu were completely aligned.
Tsuru spoke quietly.
"Zephyr… we used to fight side by side."
"But now… I really have no choice but to put you down."
"You've chosen a completely different path. Your ideals, your methods… they're too far gone."
Zephyr laughed again.
"Come on, Tsuru, you've seen even more of the Navy's and Government's filth than I have. Has your 'pure justice' really stayed so untarnished?"
Tsuru's eyes didn't waver.
"That's exactly why I fight—to clean it all up."
"But not to destroy it outright."
"If we do that, the world will just spiral into something worse."
Zephyr snorted.
"I'd rather watch the world burn than let this sick, decaying darkness keep spreading."
"That's what I believe now."
Tsuru sighed and shook her head.
"Neither of us are the type to change our minds through words."
"Looks like this ends here."
"Garp. Kizaru. You ready?"
But clearly, the other two weren't nearly as resolved.
Kizaru scratched his head and gave his usual lazy grin.
"Yeah, but… arresting Zephyr-sensei isn't my mission."
"Mine already failed, so I guess I'll just head back for debrief."
Tsuru's expression darkened.
Seriously? Kizaru's slacking again?!
Garp chuckled.
"Tsuru, I'm exhausted too. That last fight wore me out. Gotta admit, old age's catching up with me."
Tsuru trembled with frustration.
"You two… seriously…"
Just then—
"R-report!"
"There's been a sighting—Silvers Rayleigh has appeared in the Holy District of Sabaody, where the Celestial Dragons are!"
"What?!"
Tsuru's eyes widened.
"What's he planning now?!"
Zephyr burst out laughing again.
"Looks like everyone's caught Chiyu's fever—they're all going nuts! Good! That's how it should be!"
"This is what they call a wildfire—it spreads on its own!"
The vice admiral added nervously,
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, should we go there immediately? One Celestial Dragon's death already shook the world—if anything else happens…"
Tsuru understood immediately.
Kizaru and Garp clearly weren't going to take Zephyr down, and she couldn't do it alone. There was no containing the situation anymore.
She let out a heavy breath.
"Alright. Let's move."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Garp," she said, "let's go check on the Celestial Dragons."
Garp casually picked his nose.
"What's the point? Trash is trash."
Tsuru: "…"
"Don't talk nonsense. We can't let Rayleigh do whatever he wants while the Navy stands by and watches!"
Seeing her so worked up, Garp shrugged.
"Zephyr, we're leaving you here."
Kizaru looked at Zephyr one last time and shook his head.
"This is the last time we meet as teacher and student…"
"Next time, I won't be holding back."
Zephyr laughed.
"Right back at you!"
Kizaru flashed into light and vanished.
Garp, Tsuru, and the others followed shortly after.
Ain and Binz finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Sensei, what now?"
Zephyr grinned.
"From here on out, the sky's the limit."
"My only regret? I didn't get to meet Chiyu."
Ain added,
"Sensei, they're trying to reach the New World. But with the Red Line blocked off, their only way forward is Fish-Man Island."
Zephyr's eyes lit up.
"You're right! We'll head there too!"
"Yes, Sensei!"
…
By the time Garp and Tsuru arrived at the Celestial Dragons' domain, Rayleigh had already vanished.
But Tsuru instantly understood what had happened.
He wasn't there to fight—just to buy time for Uchiha Chiyu. A classic bait-and-switch, meant to pull attention away.
And it worked. It also gave Zephyr a perfect opening to escape.
Tsuru sighed.
"Garp, there's no covering this up anymore."
"Whether it's Chiyu or that madman Zephyr, they're both about to become global headlines."
"And the Navy? We'll be branded incompetent fools."
Garp didn't even flinch.
"So what? People have been saying that about us for years."
Tsuru: "You…"
"Ugh. Why is everyone around me so half-dead inside?"
And just like that, the Sabaody Archipelago Incident came to a close.
But the aftermath was immediate.
News spread like wildfire. The seas erupted in chaos.
Uchiha Chiyu had assassinated a Celestial Dragon, deserted the Navy, clashed with an admiral—and still escaped alive. His current location? Unknown.
Zephyr, once a Navy Admiral, had also gone rogue, and now stood alongside Chiyu as a global threat.
Either of those announcements alone would've shaken the world.
But both at once?
The world would forever remember it as—
The Sabaody Shock.
Kizaru and Garp returned to Marine HQ.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, upon hearing the report, was furious—but ultimately powerless.
Soon after, under pressure from the enraged Celestial Dragons, the World Government issued top-level bounties.
Both Chiyu and Zephyr were officially labeled the most dangerous criminals in the world.
Chiyu—killer of a Celestial Dragon—skyrocketed straight to the top:
2 billion Berries.
Even Zephyr, a former admiral, was only at 1.5 billion.
Neither were pirates.
They were something worse:
Traitors.
Deserters.
To the World Government, these two men were a hundred times more dangerous than any pirate could ever be.
The Celestial Dragons were outraged—especially the family of Saint Charlos.
They publicly vowed to hunt Uchiha Chiyu down at any cost—tear him limb from limb, and leave no corpse behind.
…
"Two… two billion Berries?!"
At the G-5 base in the New World—a critical strategic hub—
Rear Admiral Smoker stood staring at the newly issued bounty posters, cigar in hand.
His eyes locked on that all-too-familiar face.
Beside him, Commander Tashigi was equally stunned.
"H-How could this happen…?"
She hadn't liked Chiyu at first. Thought he was too extreme, too ruthless—not Navy material.
But now? She wasn't so sure.
After watching him clean up the East Blue… seeing those civilians build statues in his honor…
She realized she'd been wrong.
No mercy for evil is the greatest kindness to the innocent.
That was her new belief.
But now, seeing that same man labeled a world enemy? The shock hit her hard.
Smoker puffed silently, brows tight.
Their commanding officer, Vice Admiral Vergo, stood nearby—expression cold as ice.
"Smoker… wasn't this the guy you recommended to the Navy?"
Smoker didn't respond.
Vergo scoffed.
"Looks like your judgment sucks."
Tashigi stepped up.
"Sir! Uchiha Chiyu isn't what you think!"
"Yeah, his methods are rough—but he only kills pirates and scumbags. To the people around the world, he's a hero!"
Vergo's stare chilled.
"Oh? So you're saying the Celestial Dragon he killed…"
"Deserved it?"
Tashigi flinched. She wanted to say yes—but she knew what that would mean…
Smoker slammed the bounty poster onto the table.
"Vergo. Leave her alone."
"Those Celestial Dragons? Garbage. Human trash. Why even defend them?"
The room went still. Faces hardened.
"Smoker, you…"
But Smoker exhaled slowly, a faint smile on his face.
"Yeah. I brought Uchiha Chiyu into the Navy. And even now, I don't regret it one damn bit."
"Everything he's done—he's done for justice. His strength, his will—they're on another level."
"To me? He's someone I can only look up to."
"Even if the world calls him an enemy—even if one day I have to face him myself—"
"That won't change."
Tashigi's eyes welled up.
"Rear Admiral Smoker…"
Vergo snorted.
"Fine. But you'd better be ready to take responsibility for what you've said."
Smoker blew a smoke ring, unfazed.
"Whatever."
The two parted in silence.
But Tashigi's gaze lingered on the posters.
"Not just Chiyu-sama… Even Rear Admiral Hina… even Nami…"
One by one, the faces of old comrades filled her thoughts.
Hina—with her sharp pink hair, arms crossed, tough on the outside but warm within.
Nami—the mischievous little thief, always sticking out her tongue and causing trouble.
Who would've guessed that in less than a year… they'd all follow Uchiha Chiyu…
…and become enemies of the world?
"Let me see…"
"What are their bounties…?"