After transforming Zephyr into a Heroic Spirit, Caelan brought him back to the Neo Navy headquarters.

"Congratulations Zephyr-sensei for returning to the top!"

Gion's eyes lit up as she immediately offered her congratulations.

Seeing Zephyr like this, she understood that he had been transformed into a Heroic Spirit.

What surprised her was that this Heroic Spirit could even regenerate severed limbs.

But then again, considering that Caelan had revived even the dead Olvia, restoring Zephyr's arm was not much of a surprise.

"Congratulations, congratulations! Now I can contribute even more to the Neo Navy!"

Zephyr smiled as he looked at Gion.

Ain and Binz were stunned when they saw Zephyr. It took them a moment to react.

"Zephyr-sensei, your, your hand!"

The two shouted in shock.

If they remembered correctly, he had been wearing a Crusher prosthetic before.

And now, Zephyr's arm had returned!

"Haha, it's all thanks to Supreme Commander Caelan. Not only has my arm been restored, but I've also returned to my peak!"

Zephyr could not hide the pride on his face.

With this strength, he could once again shield his disciples from the storm.

"Thank you, Commander!"

Ain and Binz immediately saluted Caelan.

To them, Zephyr was both a teacher and a father. Now that he had been healed by Caelan, they were deeply grateful.

"No need for such formality. Just do your jobs well from now on."

Caelan waved his hand generously.

"Yes sir!"

Ain and Binz responded in unison.

Binz secretly resolved that he must shine within the Neo Navy and never let Caelan down.

Ain also made up her mind that she would not only perform her duties as captain of the guard with excellence but would also take good care of Caelan.

After a round of pleasantries, Caelan and Gion exchanged a look before moving on to the serious matter.

"Zephyr-sensei, what do you think about Weevil joining the Shichibukai?"

Gion asked solemnly.

At the mention of this, Zephyr fell silent for a moment before saying, "This matter is a disgrace to the Navy, a decision that chills the hearts of every Marine. Weevil not only bears deep hatred toward me, but toward the Navy itself."

"For someone like him to be recruited into the Shichibukai… I can only say the Navy has rotted to its core. If not for this incident, I might not even be here now."

His expression grew heavy with anger as he spoke.

He had dedicated most of his life to the Navy. As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the harsher the disappointment. Naturally, he felt utterly let down by the Navy.

"Zephyr, I doubt you're the only one disappointed with the Navy on this matter."

Caelan smiled as he spoke.

"That's right. When I left, some of my disciples also wanted to leave." Zephyr looked at Caelan and hesitated. "You mean…"

Judging from Caelan's expression, it was clear he intended to bring his disciples over.

"That's right. Instead of letting so many heroes remain in the Navy only to be treated unjustly, it's better for them to join the Neo Navy and achieve something great!"

Caelan said it bluntly.

He didn't know exactly who had expressed such thoughts to Zephyr, but considering Zephyr's special status, they must be outstanding. Follow current novels on novèlfire.net

"This…"

Zephyr hesitated.

When he left, he had resolved not to interfere with his disciples' choices.

He had told himself that once he achieved something, he would bring them over.

But now, after only a day, his resolve wavered.

However, thinking of Caelan's special treatment toward him, as well as what he had seen and heard along the way, Zephyr's determination firmed.

The Navy was already rotten. The Neo Navy, on the other hand, was flourishing. He wanted Momonga and the others to abandon the dark and embrace the light.

This was not betrayal.

Caelan valued him highly, placing him only below himself in the Neo Navy, on equal footing with Gion.

And since Gion had once been his student, he was even slightly higher in seniority than her.

This was already a prestigious position. Asking his disciples to follow him here could not be seen as breaking his promise.

What's more, since the Navy had abandoned both him and his disciples, it was only natural they leave.

"Alright, I'll contact them. But whether they come or not depends on their own will."

After some thought, Zephyr made his decision.

He still respected his disciples' choices.

"No problem. With you as their representative and the reality of the situation in front of them, I believe they will agree."

Caelan accepted without hesitation.

If they didn't agree, it was useless to force them.

Even if they refused this time, it would soften the ground, making it easier to persuade them next time.

"But… something still feels missing."

Caelan stroked his chin, muttering to himself.

Everything was set, and Zephyr had agreed, but it felt like something was forgotten.

"Caelan, you should give Zephyr-sensei an official position."

Gion reminded him.

Since Zephyr's role hadn't been defined before, Caelan hadn't given him an official rank.

But now that Zephyr would serve as a lobbyist, he needed a proper position.

"Oh, right!" Caelan smacked his forehead and then said seriously, "Zephyr, from now on, your identity is Admiral of the Neo Navy and Chief Instructor of the Neo Navy!"

"Admiral of the Neo Navy and Chief Instructor!?"

Zephyr was visibly moved.

It wasn't about the power of the title, but the memories of his glorious youth it stirred.

Moreover, this appointment showed how much Caelan valued him, and it could serve as encouragement for Momonga and the others.

"Now that everything is ready, we can reach out to the Navy."

Caelan said with a smile.

"Yes, I understand."

Zephyr nodded firmly.

He could hardly wait to summon his disciples to build the Neo Navy together.

The only concern was… would this deal too heavy a blow to Sengoku?

Well…

To hell with that!

He wanted Sengoku to understand the price of his mistakes!

Filled with excitement, Zephyr picked up the Den Den Mushi.

(To be continued.)

***

For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves

(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)