Konoha Yellow Monkey: The salary is in place, and Wukage is useless!

If Zephyr's anger was like an out-of-control volcano, then his silence under Kizaru's continuous questioning was like frozen ice.

A sense of powerlessness, an unvented frustration and anger, and an indescribable sadness filled his heart.

Even as he tried to dispel the thought, Zephyr couldn't help but recall Kizaru's final question: Was he also an accomplice in the deaths of his wife and children, and his students?

Am I myself?

Maybe!

Zephyr reflected on his decades-long military career in the Navy, in which he claimed to be righteous and had used the guise of compromise for the sake of justice to ignore the dark actions of the World Government.

Thinking of this, Zephyr revealed a somewhat desolate smile. He looked at Kizaru, his whole being exuding an aura of death.

"You may be right! In my pursuit of so-called justice, I have already made a mistake by ignoring some of the actions of the World Government. To stand by and do nothing while violence is itself a form of violence."

"teacher!"

Aokiji looked at Zephyr with some reluctance, and at the same time, he empathized with Zephyr's own experience. Then, because of Kizaru's words, he couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt.

Seeing the two men lost in their gloom, Kizaru put the cigar he was holding to his mouth, then clapped his hands together, making a crisp sound, which drew the two men out of their self-reproach.

"My question just now wasn't meant to accuse you of anything. What I wanted to see was that, under the shadow of the World Government, even the Navy, which supposedly represents some justice, has actually become an accomplice to tyranny and evil."

Therefore, the only way to change this chaotic world, constantly lashed by darkness, is to build a navy that truly fights for justice and protects civilians.

"Both of you, especially Admiral Zephyr, could certainly choose to give up, after today's conversation, rush out to sea, find a band of great pirates, and burn yourselves alive, then pay the price with your lives to atone for your guilt."

Zephyr's expression changed slightly upon hearing Kizaru's words. He had indeed had such a thought in his mind just now. He had experienced too many tragedies in his life, and he was truly exhausted.

"However, if I may be so bold, such a choice is nothing but the act of a coward. To escape pain and reality through death is the cowardly act of fleeing. A true warrior is one who dares to face difficulties head-on, and is willing to take action even knowing that failure is possible."

Admiral Zephyr, you are indeed getting on in years, but even now, if you wish, you can still contribute to justice. Aokiji's newly formed navy needs your help. Guiding the navy from darkness to light and back to the path of justice is the responsibility of you, the Navy's chief instructor, and countless other naval officers and soldiers.

As a teacher, when you see your students straying into darkness, shouldn't you do everything in your power to guide them back to righteousness?

Hearing these words, Zephyr was moved, but his decades of experience and thoughts were not so easily changed. He could feel guilty for his past actions under Kizaru's questioning, but at this moment, choosing to stand on the opposite side of his former comrades and colleagues, and completely change his stance, was still not an easy decision to make.

After a moment of silence, Zephyr asked Kizaru, "Does the Navy, supported by you and the Land of Light behind you, necessarily represent justice? Won't you become a second World Government in the future? When your orders conflict with what the Navy considers justice, can the Navy simply refuse you? Would you accept an uncontrolled Navy force?"

This time, with a change in stance, Zephyr, while disgusted with the World Government, also didn't have much trust in Kizaru and his Land of Light.

However, Kizaru had heard this question far too many times before. When he led Konoha to unify the ninja world, he heard doubts from other ninja villages, as well as from daimyo and nobles.

After the Land of Light was established and he came to the world of One Piece, he heard questions from Dragon, Aokiji, and Garp. It seemed that everyone asked similar questions.

Or, to put it another way, most experienced people with a long-term perspective believe that power and wealth are poisons that gradually corrupt people. Any progressive group or ideology, once it gains power, will inevitably, and its descendants will, fall into depravity under the corrupting influence of power.

Those who ask these questions understand this, and Kizaru himself understands this as well. The only difference between him and these people is that he can live long enough, and his moral bottom line is still high enough. Before he is completely exhausted, under his most decadent rule, the environment of the Land of Light and the living standards of its people will far surpass those of the former ninja village era and the current pirate world.

Therefore, when faced with Zephyr's question, Kizaru gave the same answer he had given Aokiji: "The Land of Light will certainly not accept an uncontrolled military force. Similarly, I cannot guarantee that the decisions made by the Land of Light represent absolute justice. I cannot even guarantee that, if the Land of Light were to overthrow the World Government and seize control of this world in the future, its high-ranking officials and their descendants would be able to maintain just governance under the corrupting influence of power and wealth over the next few decades or centuries."

Human ambition and desire are things that cannot be controlled, even by me. But I can guarantee that, at least for the first few decades or centuries while we are still here, the rule of the Land of Light will allow the people of this sea to live the life they dream of.

This period may only last a hundred years, but at least in this hundred years, people will be able to live a happy life. In this hundred years, those who should have died will be able to live on; those elderly people who might have been abandoned will be able to die peacefully; and those children who might have been aborted or abandoned will not be abandoned by their parents who can no longer live.

With your efforts, and with Aokiji's efforts, we can build at least a century of prosperity and save the lives of hundreds of millions of people.

The future is too distant for us to leave to our descendants, but in the present, our generation should do our part and strive to pass on a peaceful, prosperous era, one that upholds the rule of law and the principles of equality, to our representatives.

Even if future generations are all spendthrifts, at least they can squander for a while longer. The people can at least live a few more years with the savings of their ancestors. At least they know that there was such a prosperous and peaceful era, an era with the rule of law and the spirit of equality!

Then I believe that among future generations, there will naturally be heroes and great men who will lead the people on the road to rebuilding a prosperous era!

After Kizaru finished speaking, his tone remained calm, but both Aokiji and Zephyr were captivated by the world and future he described, and their hearts couldn't help but flutter.

If such a world were truly built by their own hands, what a magnificent undertaking it would be, and how many people would benefit from it. For those who stand atop the ocean, mere power and wealth cannot attract them; only the grand undertaking described by Kizaru is the truly inspiring and abundant reward.

As heroes of the sea, they naturally have their own ambitions!
Aokiji chose to join the Land of Light because of Kizaru's words, and Zephyr was also captivated by Kizaru's story. Kizaru knew that Zephyr was just one step away from victory.

Therefore, Kizaru said what he had said to many people before: "Admiral Zephyr, before you make a serious decision, I would like to invite you to the East Blue, to the Land of Light, to see for yourself the living conditions of the people under the rule of the Land of Light. I think facts speak louder than words. No matter how much I explain, it is better for you to see for yourself."

Faced with this request, Zephyr would most likely have refused in the past, but after listening to Kizaru's description of the magnificent undertaking, he hesitated for a moment, but followed his excitement and curiosity and agreed: "Okay, I'll go and see!"

Upon hearing this, Aokiji knew the world was safe, and Kizaru seized the opportunity to unleash his second trump card, a promise he had once made to Rayleigh: "There's no time like the present. Once your fleet is repaired, set sail! You can sail through the East Blue first and see how it has changed. When you reach Vice Admiral Garp's hometown, Windmill Village, I will personally welcome you to the Land of Light. There, perhaps a gift awaits you."

"A gift? I don't need anything valuable." Zephyr thought Kizaru was observing some noble etiquette and refused directly. He had never been the type to pursue pleasure.

Kizaru smiled and shook his head, then revealed a gift that was enough to shake Zephyr's mind: "In the Land of Light, the study of the soul is already very advanced. Our scientists have long since cracked some of the mysteries between life and death. For those scientists, bringing people back to life may be very difficult, as it would require a huge price to pay. However, if we use spirit communication to allow the spirits of the dead to return to the mortal world in another form, to stay with their loved ones for a period of time, it is a mature technology."

Upon hearing this, Zephyr immediately stood up excitedly, "Are you telling the truth? You really possess such technology?"

Kizaru stood calmly on the wooden chair and continued, "This technology has been perfected in the Land of Light, but if we want to transplant it to other areas of the sea, or other islands, it will require some time to verify. The most crucial point is whether the soul of the deceased has remained intact. After all, if even the soul has been broken and disappeared, then even we are powerless to help."

So I originally intended to give this gift as a surprise, and only tell you about it after the experiment is completed.

But I've changed my mind now. I think a good person like you deserves a chance.

I have already sent personnel to conduct related research experiments in the East China Sea. Perhaps by the time you sail to the East China Sea, we will have already obtained good results.

Kizaru's words rekindled hope in Zephyr's eyes. His broken heart, now glued back together under the dawn of hope, began to beat again.

If Zephyr was a walking corpse driven by hatred before, then after communicating with Kizaru, he found a new motivation, but it was only a motivation to keep him alive; his heart was still dead.

Only at the very end, upon hearing Kizaru's final words, did Zephyr truly come back to life. (End of Chapter)