Starting from One Piece: Multiverse Simulation

This time, when Zephyr left the Navy Headquarters at Marineford, he was leading three large warships, one of which was fully crewed. The other two ships had only basic crew members, intended to transport the new recruits back to base.

They had sailed across most of the Grand Line, but the situation with recruiting new marines was not looking optimistic.

The reason was simple: with the increasing number of pirates on the seas, who had become exceptionally ruthless, the dangers of being a marine had skyrocketed.

Recruitment on most islands was dismal. Unless people were desperate or held deep grudges against pirates, most were unwilling to take on such a bloodthirsty job.

For those struggling to make ends meet, becoming a marine was not an attractive option; many preferred the life of a pirate or a bounty hunter.

Both roles involved risking one's neck, but the wealth that pirates amassed was far more enticing than the Navy's meager salary.

Those with a bit more of a moral compass, who didn't want to turn to piracy, often chose to become bounty hunters instead.

Both involved taking down pirates, but bounty hunters enjoyed richer rewards and greater freedom compared to the rigid structure of the Navy.

Because of this, Zephyr's recruitment mission was not going as well as he had hoped.

In particular, after what he had been through, Zephyr had strict standards for the quality of recruits. He had no interest in those who joined the Navy just to slack off.

As a result, the two empty ships intended to transport recruits were still far from full, falling well short of the targets set by Fleet Admiral Kong.

One of the accompanying vice admirals had subtly suggested to Zephyr multiple times that he lower his standards a bit. Otherwise, failing to meet Fleet Admiral Kong's expectations could lead to punishment.

However, Zephyr had no intention of following that advice and remained resolute, showing little concern about any potential repercussions.

"I was planning to resign, but I was persuaded to stay on and train the next generation of marines. If Fleet Admiral Kong is unhappy with that, he can find someone else to do this job. I was ready to quit before; why should I be afraid of punishment now? If the recruits are nothing but freeloaders with no sense of justice, I don't want to teach them anyway."

Hearing Zephyr's response, the vice admiral could only sigh in resignation, realizing that his chances of earning a bonus or a promotion this year were slim, and that he was likely the one who would face the brunt of any criticism when they returned.

Zephyr was a Navy admiral, one of the heroes of the Navy, with students spread across the entire Navy Headquarters. Combined with his unyielding personality, he had every right to be stubborn. But as a vice admiral, he didn't have that same luxury.

Just as the vice admiral was about to once again try to persuade Zephyr, a navy soldier rushed to the deck to report.

"Admiral Zephyr, Vice Admiral Kadaru, we have spotted a pirate ship at Red Leaf Island's port. Judging by the flag, it appears to belong to the 'Iron Arm Pirates,' a new crew from the South Blue. Their captain is Iron Arm Cook, a pirate with a bounty of 20 million Berries issued by Navy Headquarters."

Hearing the soldier's report, both Zephyr and Vice Admiral Kadaru were momentarily taken aback.

They had passed through the "Gate of Justice" and sailed the first half of the Grand Line for several days.

However, they had not encountered any pirate crews until now, so they were understandably intrigued by the report.

The reason they hadn't run into any other pirate crews wasn't due to a lack of pirates in the first half of the Grand Line; rather, most pirates, upon spotting three large Navy warships from a distance, chose to flee.

A large Navy warship from Headquarters wasn't something just any naval officer could command.

Typically, a base captain could command only a medium-sized warship, while large Navy warships were usually reserved for officers at least of vice admiral rank.

This was still just the first half of the Grand Line, where most of the pirates were rookies.

Seeing three large Navy warships approaching, no pirate crew in their right mind would dare come close.

Since Zephyr's mission was to recruit new marines, they wouldn't go out of their way to chase after pirate crews, preferring to stick to their course.

So, they would usually fire a few warning shots. If the pirates were hit, it was just bad luck. Once out of range, Zephyr and his crew wouldn't bother pursuing.

"Iron Arm Pirates? Never heard of them, but with a 20 million Berry bounty, they must be someone of note in the first half of the Grand Line. Inform the crew to prepare for battle, and make sure not a single one of these despicable pirates escapes.

Red Leaf Island is one of the designated locations for establishing a new Navy branch, and its redwood trees are a valuable resource. We must ensure the safety of the island's inhabitants."

Zephyr was a Navy admiral, and Kadaru was a vice admiral. For them, a pirate with a 20 million Berry bounty was too insignificant to remember.

In fact, for Zephyr, even pirates with bounties over 100 million Berries were forgettable unless they were particularly notorious.

However, regardless of whether the Iron Arm Pirates were a formidable crew, they were still pirates and thus posed a significant threat to the ordinary people on the island.

After receiving a report from a navy soldier with information from Headquarters about Iron Arm Cook's crew and their heinous crimes, Zephyr's aura became even more intimidating.

The Iron Arm Pirates were reported to be murderers and criminals who had committed atrocities across several islands in the South Blue.

Upon reading that they even harmed children and were extremely violent, Zephyr was reminded of some unpleasant memories, his expression turning dark and murderous.

"Admiral Zephyr, our priority should be to quickly eliminate the pirates on Red Leaf Island. Please issue your orders."

Seeing the frightening aura emanating from Zephyr, Vice Admiral Kadaru was surprised. Zephyr was known for his kind demeanor as a teacher, so this was the first time he had seen him so angry.

"Leave some men to guard the recruits on the ship. Another group should go and burn the pirate ship at the port. The rest will come with me to the island to execute justice!

Relay my orders to all ships within one minute. For every second you delay, an innocent islander could be brutally killed by these damned pirates."

After issuing these orders, Zephyr, much to Kadaru's astonishment, led the charge, leaping off the deck and using Geppo (Moonwalk) to rush toward Red Leaf Island on his own.