PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

"Teacher Zephyr, Weevil's not going anywhere!"

A sharp voice suddenly rang out from afar.

Everyone on the dock turned pale instantly.

At such a dangerously tense moment, not even Fleet Admiral Sengoku dared to utter such provocative words. Yet someone had done just that, openly and without hesitation. If this wasn't an attempt to force Zephyr to defect, then what else could it be?

The faces of the Marine officers darkened further. Tension reached its peak.

Only Spandine and his CP0 agents seemed utterly delighted. Their expressions grew more amused by the second—this was exactly what they had been hoping for.

If they could pressure Zephyr into betraying the Navy right now, they could then manipulate Sengoku and the others into carrying out a public purge, a brutal spectacle of loyalty versus rebellion.

The crowd's thoughts buzzed, and all eyes turned toward the source of the voice.

And the moment they saw the figure hurrying toward them, many gasped—pupils contracting in disbelief.

"Ain… What did you just say?! Are you insane?!"

"Have you forgotten who saved us from Weevil's massacre? It was Teacher Zephyr, who gave up an arm for us!"

"And now you choose to protect the man who did that to him?! How can your conscience bear that?!"

Binz, flushed with fury, shouted with uncontainable rage.

In his mind, Ain—who had also been spared during that massacre—should have stood united with them. And yet her answer now shattered everything he believed.

"Binz, shut up!"

Zephyr extended his hand, blocking Binz. His expression flickered rapidly before collapsing into weary solemnity, like a balloon slowly deflating.

"Ain, as your teacher, I respect your choice.""But I want to know—why? Have I done something wrong?"

Ain's voice trembled but grew stronger with every word:

"Sensei… I just feel like this world has become unjust. It's allowed justice to be disgraced."

Her voice, heavy with conviction, echoed across the harbor.

By the time she reached the end, no matter how hard she tried to stay composed, her tone had already risen—full of fury and sorrow.

Many Marine officers trembled slightly. Shame and helplessness clouded their expressions.

Of course, if given the choice, many would have stood beside Zephyr.

But did they really have a choice?

As the atmosphere shifted, Spandine's smirk deepened. He seized the moment.

"Heh… Zephyr, don't forget—the Navy is just the executive arm of the World Government, meant to carry out the will of the Five Elders."

"In that sense, this little soldier of yours clearly has more… 'awareness' than you."

"Recruit Ain, kindly repeat what you said—louder, for your teacher's benefit. Who is it that cannot leave?"

All eyes locked onto Ain, even Sengoku and Garp looked anxious.

If she misstepped here, things would truly spiral beyond control.

Ain, breathless from her run, hadn't had time to properly explain herself to anyone after receiving Binz's urgent letter. And now she realized, too late, how her words could be taken out of context.

Quickly, she clarified:

"No! Sensei, you misunderstood—Weevil really can't leave. He's physically unable to!"

…Can't leave?

Everyone froze.

The first time she said it, it had seemed like betrayal.

But the second time, with her emphasis… anyone with a working brain could understand what she truly meant.

Especially when they remembered who had been sent on that mission—Luo Yu, the newly appointed Admiral Taiote, infamous for his unpredictability.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Had he… done something outrageous again?

Spandine's smile faltered slightly, his voice turning cold:

"What nonsense are you spouting, Ain?"

"Weevil is the Five Elders' handpicked Warlord. Why wouldn't he be able to leave?"

"You accompanied that arrogant brat to deliver the summons. So where is Weevil now?"

All eyes turned sharply to the nearby battleship docked at the pier.

When they saw what was being unloaded, every pair of eyes widened in shock.

In that instant, the meaning behind Ain's words became chillingly clear.

How could Weevil "leave"…

…when he had no legs?

Lying on a stretcher, wrapped entirely in bandages like a mummy, the new Warlord of the Sea—Weevil—was missing both legs.

Complete silence.

The crowd stood dumbfounded.

Just moments ago, Spandine had loudly proclaimed Weevil's terrifying power. That he was the one who had massacred Marines and maimed Zephyr. That he was the Five Elders' chosen warrior.

And yet… here he was.

Delivered to Marineford on a stretcher.

The contrast was simply too much to take in.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"

Miss Bakkin, also swaddled in bandages and hobbling on a cane, burst into tears as she wailed:

"You must deliver justice! Weevil is just a child! He was just joking with Admiral Luo Yu, and now look at him!"

"This is a clear violation of the agreement between the Warlords and the World Government!"

"If you let this slide, who will ever take the Seven Warlords seriously again?!"

The scene descended into chaos.

Spandine finally regained his voice, his fury now uncontainable:

"You damn rookie admiral!"

"How dare you harm someone personally chosen by the Five Elders?!"

"Are you spitting on the authority of the Warlords system? Of the World Government itself?!"

"If you don't give us a proper explanation today—don't blame us for taking action!"

But just then, a figure leapt from the warship.

Admiral Luo Yu, bottle in hand, took a swig of wine before calmly replying:

"Ah… the one who impersonated CP0 last time."

"You said I'm new, right? I don't really know all the rules yet."

"When I arrived at Usse Island, I hadn't even shown the invitation before Weevil attacked me."

"So what I did was clearly before he officially became a Warlord."

"Besides… isn't he a kid? You all saw—I never laid a finger on him."

"How can I be guilty of assault if I never attacked?"

At that moment, Vice Admiral Momonga stepped forward:

"I can testify on Admiral Luo Yu's behalf."

"When Weevil went berserk and attacked, Admiral Luo Yu never moved from his position."

"If Weevil ended up like this, well… maybe he just tripped. Very, very hard."

Silence.

Then chaos.