Chapter 77: Impersonating Zephyr
"Where? Where?!"
Sengoku burst out of his house, eyes darting across the sky.
White clouds floated high above—but one had descended unnaturally low before drifting away.
A cloud that falls from the sky? Impossible.
He narrowed his eyes. If such a thing existed, it had to be the work of someone with a Devil Fruit power.
Though still young, Sengoku was already enlisted in the South Blue Naval Branch. Known for both his sharp mind and his disciplined strength, he was slated for transfer to the Naval Academy in Marineford by year's end.
"Of course it flew away, you idiot! You took too long coming out!" a friend shouted, throwing an arm around Sengoku's shoulders, laughing.
Sengoku's expression didn't budge. His stern face immediately ruined the joke's energy.
"Tch. You should just go to Marineford already—you're no fun!" his friend groaned as he walked off.
Sengoku ignored him. He crouched, then leapt lightly onto a nearby rooftop, scanning the horizon.
If that cloud wasn't natural, it could mean pirates.
From above, he spotted a woman and a young boy walking down a street nearby, holding hands and laughing. The boy hugged something round in his arms—perhaps a strange pet?
A peaceful scene. Definitely not pirates.
Still, Sengoku kept watching for a long while, but nothing else unusual appeared.
"This is strange," he muttered. "I should report this to the base commander."
He jumped down from the roof and ran toward the naval outpost.
---
Roy, completely unaware, had simply sent Horus down to find an island to restock food supplies.
By coincidence, it happened to be Sengoku's hometown.
At this point, Sengoku had already earned the title of junior officer and had undergone strict Navy indoctrination in the virtue of "justice."
Even if Roy met him, it wouldn't matter. Sengoku was the type who'd recite a moral lecture instead of share a drink.
Roy wasn't interested in that kind of company.
"Curing Linlin's food cravings won't be easy," Roy mused.
Those doctors she'd taken aboard would likely send her to the one island known for its medical libraries—the Kingdom of Torino.
Along the way, Roy had gathered information of his own—rumors even the Drum Kingdom had never heard.
Once, in the South Blue, there had been a great medical nation, far more advanced than Drum Kingdom. Its scholars not only possessed vast collections of medical texts but also the ability to craft sophisticated medical tools and even precision weapons.
But that nation fell—not to war, but to itself.
Two factions tore it apart: one believed in peace and healing; the other in strength and defense. The "peace" faction sought to dismantle their military entirely, while the "war" faction insisted that a world without weapons was a fantasy.
The result? Civil war—and annihilation.
Only a handful of surviving doctors and soldiers escaped, taking their books and weapons to rebuild elsewhere. That new kingdom would eventually be called Torino.
"I didn't expect the Kingdom of Torino to have such a history," Toki said softly, eyes wide with surprise.
"But if they had all that knowledge, why didn't they ever rise again?" Pandora asked curiously, floating in Roy's arms.
"With that many books, they could easily become the next Drum Kingdom!" Horus added excitedly.
Toki handed Roy a drink, which he took with a quiet nod.
"Because," Roy said calmly, "they only copy. They don't create."
A new voice cut in from nearby.
"Exactly."
A young man with a short afro and a Marine uniform approached, sitting down across from Roy and Toki.
It was Sengoku.
He was in a foul mood.
He'd thought a dangerous pirate had landed on the island, but when he reported it, the base commander's reaction shocked him.
The commander had nearly jumped for joy.
According to intelligence from the Grand Line, the cloud that flew over was likely a Homie—a living creation made from a soul.
And there were only two people in the world known to possess a Thundercloud Homie.
Charlotte Linlin of the Big Mom Pirates—and Harold Roy, the mysterious boy from Elbaf.
The Navy suspected that Roy's Homie had originally belonged to Linlin before being gifted to him.
Not long ago, reports confirmed Linlin had been sighted again in the first half of the Grand Line—meaning the Homie spotted over the South Blue could only belong to Roy.
The base commander was thrilled.
Ever since Tsuru's psychological report had reached headquarters, the Navy believed Roy wasn't truly anti-justice—just lazy and disinterested in authority.
In their minds, he could still be convinced to join.
So the commander came up with a new plan: send young Sengoku to befriend him.
And maybe, just maybe, send Tsuru later to "reason with him emotionally."
Of course, Kong had already abandoned his pursuit of Linlin and was now heading straight for this area.
Which meant Sengoku had no choice but to meet the very pirate he'd dismissed earlier.
Now, sitting across from Roy, Sengoku's jaw twitched in irritation.
This kid… was the pirate I thought was harmless?
After a long sigh, he extended his hand.
"Hello. My name is Sengoku. I'm a new recruit with this naval branch," he said evenly.
Roy smiled, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Zephyr."
Sengoku froze.
If he hadn't already seen Roy's file, he might've believed him.
Little brat…
"So, Zephyr," Sengoku said slowly, "are you heading to the Kingdom of Torino?"
Roy shrugged casually. "Just curious about it. I don't actually plan to go there." He grinned mischievously. "I'm naturally inclined to be a bad guy."
He leaned back, smirking.
"I, Zephyr, am the man destined to become the Pirate King."
He stared straight into Sengoku's eyes.
"So, Navy boy—still want to chat?"
Sengoku's eye twitched again.
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