Meanwhile, in the Women Marines' Group Chat…
[Hina:] Ain, calm down!
Kujaku:] Yes, best to stay calm for now, Ain.
[Ain:] Calm? How am I supposed to calm down?! Arton just said that for the sake of a Warlord, the Marines and the World Government intend to abandon Zephyr-sensei—the man who gave his entire life to the Navy! Haha! How absurd… This is the Navy's justice? What's the point of me staying in the Marines anymore? Hina, you're also one of Zephyr-sensei's disciples, right? In a situation like this, can you stay calm?!
[Hina:] …
[Hibari:] Even the legendary Instructor Zephyr ends up like this? Then what about other Marines? If they ever face a similar situation, would they also be tossed aside just as easily?
[Tashigi]: How could the future turn out like this…?
Compared to most of the female pirates who were merely watching Arton's revelations as if it were a show, the Diary Copy holders within the Marines were anything but calm.
Tashigi and Hibari began to question their choice of becoming Marines, and even Hina—usually known for her composure—felt unsettled upon learning about Zephyr's tragic fate. Let alone Ain, who was the most emotional among all the female Marines; after all, she had once been saved by Zephyr at the cost of his own life.
[Gion]: Ain, everyone, please stay calm! The future Arton mentioned isn't necessarily set in stone!
Watching Ain's near-breakdown—she had even mentioned leaving the Marines—Gion hastily tried to dissuade her. Gion knew that if Ain really left, she might become a powerful enemy of the Marines. After all, Ain was also a Diary Copy holder; if she decided to go all-in to please Arton to gain power and prevent the future he described, she could grow incredibly strong.
Not only that, but Ain's departure might set a bad precedent. Gion was well aware that Hibari, Tashigi, and other next-generation Marines were already wavering in their faith in Marine justice because of Arton's diary entries.
If Ain left, Hibari and Tashigi might be influenced by her example. Then the ranks of the Women Marines Group Chat would gradually thin, and they would gain more adversaries than allies.
However, Gion's words didn't calm Ain; in fact, they only made her more agitated.
[Ain]: Gion-san, do you really believe what you're saying? If Arton's talked about this future, then that's the real future. Sure, you might be a candidate for Admiral, but do you really have the power to stop it? And even if you could—what good would it do? The Marines and World Government are already willing to sacrifice Zephyr-sensei just to achieve some goal. Even if we thwart Whitebeard Jr. now, isn't it likely that another situation exactly like this will crop up? By then, Zephyr-sensei could still be discarded, right?
Seeing Ain's message, the other Marines felt a wave of sadness. They all knew that while Ain was upset, she was also correct. If the Navy and the World Government could throw away Zephyr for the sake of Whitebeard Jr., then tomorrow, or the next day, they could just as easily do it all over again for yet another "Whitebeard Jr."
Gion herself knew that all too well. It was a dead-end situation. Unless…
[Gion]: Ain, I believe the future can be changed. As long as we change it enough, that awful ending for Zephyr will never happen. Think about it, if we succeed in recruiting Arton, we'll keep growing stronger. By then, the Marines and the World Government won't need Whitebeard Jr.'s strength. And consider you personally—if you become powerful enough, the higher-ups wouldn't think to trade you and Zephyr-sensei for the sake of Whitebeard Jr. As for me, I'm going to do my best to become even stronger, aiming for the Fleet Admiral's seat. If I can become Fleet Admiral, I promise you that Zephyr's fate won't ever occur!
[Sadi]: So that's it… If Gion becomes the Fleet Admiral, she'd gain enough authority to make decisions.
[Hina]: Indeed, if she managed that, it might be possible to stop Zephyr-sensei's tragic future.
[Ain]: Fleet Admiral… But the Fleet Admiral still has to obey the Five Elders, right? Still… Gion-san, you have a point. If I can become strong enough and stand beside Zephyr-sensei, then maybe those Five Elders will do the math. Does it profit them more to gain one Whitebeard Jr. or to lose both me and Zephyr-sensei?
Gion saw Ain's words—barely hiding her desire to leave the Marines—and sighed once more. She could understand Ain's reaction, but reading such cold words still pained her.
'Arton, you really are putting us on the spot,' Gion thought sadly. 'Not only your power, but also these glimpses of the future you keep exposing…'
'Indeed, I need to stop you as soon as possible,' Gion thought, looking in the direction of the island where Cocoyasi Village lay. 'I hope we can harness your power for the Navy.'
…
Meanwhile, aboard Zephyr's Marine battleship.
After Ain converted her thoughts into text through her Diary Copy and sent them to the group chat, she stood up and looked at Zephyr's busy figure from behind.
Ain clenched her fists and thought to herself.
'Yes, in this world, power is everything. The Navy and the World Government can abandon Zephyr-sensei because they see greater power in that bastard they're turning into a Warlord. But if Zephyr-sensei still had the strength of his younger days, they'd never dare do it.'
'Power… I have to become much stronger, no matter what. Unfortunately, I can't get to Cocoyasi Village right now. I just hope Hina, Vice Admiral Gion, and the others can successfully recruit Arton to the Navy's side.'
She let out a long sigh.
Zephyr had served in the Navy his whole life, placing all his faith in it. Unless absolutely necessary, Ain didn't want to become a pirate just to gain power—even if doing so might better position her to help Zephyr in the future.
But just as Ain decided to remain a Marine for now, the newest update in Arton's diary caused her entire body to tremble.
"What kind of sick joke is this? Zephyr-sensei… actually gets killed by Admiral Kizaru?! How could that possibly happen?!"
She pressed her lips together, utterly baffled. Then, uncontrollable anger welled up inside her.
***
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