One Piece: With Sign-in System

"That's good," Zephyr nodded at him, looking at Ron's young face.

Gazing into Ron's clear, calm eyes, Zephyr glanced over at a photograph on the desk.

In the photo, a woman held an infant in swaddling clothes, smiling brightly.

"Ron, have you ever killed someone?" Zephyr suddenly asked.

Ron nodded slightly.

"They call me 'Zephyr the Non-Killer,' even though I've fought countless pirates in my life. Ironically, my family was killed by pirates," Zephyr said in a low voice. "I despise pirates!"

Ron remained silent.

"I'm not as young as I used to be, and taking down pirates has become more of a struggle. Nowadays, the seas are overrun with pirates who are more powerful and ruthless than ever. Their crimes could fill the ocean!"

Zephyr clenched his fists, his voice full of hatred toward pirates and bitterness toward his own aging.

He took off his sunglasses, fixing Ron with a serious look.

"Ron, your potential is unmatched by anyone I've seen," Zephyr said gravely. "If you choose to join the Marines, I'd teach you everything I know. Within five years, you could become ten times stronger than you are now! In ten years, you might even become the youngest admiral in Marine history!"

Ron shook his head.

"I'm not ready to think about that right now."

Zephyr's face darkened as he abruptly stood up.

He put his sunglasses back on and looked down at Ron.

Immediately.

A powerful pressure bore down on Ron's shoulders.

"Then I'll make sure you fully understand the evil of pirates, and you can decide later."

Zephyr strode out of the room.

Before long.

The battleship left the harbor, setting sail from Marineford.

In the Marine Headquarters building.

Sengoku and Tsuru stood by the railing, watching the departing battleship.

"Zephyr's methods toward pirates have become too extreme these past years. I hope it doesn't cause any trouble," Tsuru said with some concern.

"Zephyr may be older and not as strong as he once was, but he's still Black Arm Zephyr, the former admiral of the Marines. No pirate would dare challenge him… I hope," Sengoku said, folding his arms.

"Hopefully."

…

Zephyr's battleship sailed away from Marineford, traversing the vast sea.

The Marine recruits performed their duties, maintaining order.

Some of them trained on the deck, sparring with each other.

After her loss, Ain sought Ron out for a rematch.

Ron, eager to continue practicing Shave, Moonwalk, and Tempest Kick, welcomed the opportunity to train with a skilled and attractive sparring partner.

Seven days later.

Ron had fully mastered Shave and Tempest Kick, and even began to grasp Moonwalk.

Soon after.

The battleship arrived at an island dominated by a pirate crew.

"This is the Devil's Hand Pirate Crew. The captain, Devil's Hand, is a Devil Fruit user with a bounty of 37 million Berries."

Zephyr addressed the gathered Marine recruits, including Ain, Binz, and Shuuji.

"Your mission is to completely eradicate the Devil's Hand Pirate Crew! Don't let a single pirate escape! Understood?"

"Yes, Instructor Zephyr!" the recruits responded sternly.

"Good! Move out! Ron, you're coming too."

Ain and the Marine recruits, armed and ready, disembarked first.

Zephyr followed with Ron and several lieutenants.

A garrison of soldiers stayed behind on the battleship.

[System Alert: Detected host location: Segrel Island. Sign-in possible. Proceed with sign-in?]

"Sign in."

[Sign-in Successful: Received Reward - Vitality +10].

With Ain and the others' combat skills and weaponry, dealing with a 37-million-Beli pirate crew was hardly a challenge.

Zephyr led Ron into the heart of the island under the pirates' control without needing to lift a finger.

There, countless impoverished, emaciated civilians labored in the mines. The women were treated like livestock, some of them no older than teenage girls, their skin bruised and lifeless.

"This is what you wanted me to see?" Ron's cold voice sounded behind Zephyr.

"This is only part of it," Zephyr replied, gesturing further ahead.

The pirates, realizing they were cornered, launched a frenzied attack.

The captain, Devil's Hand, used his Devil Fruit powers, his hands transforming into demonic claws. After Ain's Tempest Kick slashed him, he seized a nearby comrade, ignoring the man's desperate pleas, plunging his claws into him and draining his blood to heal himself.

"Betrayal, cruelty, cold-bloodedness, madness… This is what pirates are. This is the evil in this world," Zephyr said icily, his voice filled with contempt.

Ron observed the battlefield, then glanced around at the hopeless, numb civilians. His gaze settled on Zephyr's tall, imposing figure as he said in a detached tone:

"I've indeed seen the pirates' evil, but I've also seen the Marines' incompetence."

Zephyr slowly turned to stare at Ron.

"Incompetence… of the Marines?"

"If the Marines weren't incompetent, why would pirates like these be able to run amok on this island for so long?" Ron replied bluntly. "Don't the Marines call themselves the world's justice? So why do these people suffer in despair and numbness? Isn't it because they've been let down time and time again?"

"Don't give me any excuses about 'not knowing the situation.' If the Marines can't even protect the basic lives of common people on a small island, what else would you call it but incompetence? Or, did the Marines know about this and simply turned a blind eye, deeming this small island and its few hundred civilians unworthy of mobilizing ships and soldiers?"

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T/N:

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