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Zephyr shrugged and took a swig of wine. "Ever since you were expelled from the Marines... this old man felt the Marines were boring, so I brought these kids here for special training."
He pointed towards the Marines training in the distance. "Besides training them during this period, I've had almost no contact with the outside world."
Ron was stunned. He hadn't expected Zephyr to know absolutely nothing about cell phones.
He sighed, put down his wine glass, and said seriously. "Zephyr, this is a cell phone. It can let you see every corner of the sea, hear every sound, and even communicate with people far away."
Zephyr raised his head, his eyes showing a bit of curiosity. "Is it really that amazing?"
Ron nodded, a hint of anticipation on his face. "Of course, and I can teach you how to use it. Maybe you could even become a legendary blogger on TikTok."
Zephyr was silent for a moment, a flicker of hesitation flashing in his eyes.
In the end, he still shook his head. "Ron, I'm a soldier. My duty is to train these young people and make them true Marines. TikTok... that's not my world."
Ron couldn't help but laugh wryly. This old stubborn man was indeed the same as ever: once he set his mind on something, even ten Sea Kings couldn't pull him back.
He shook his head and took out a brand new cell phone from his pocket. "Here, it's for you."
Zephyr took it suspiciously. His finger accidentally pressed the power button, and the screen suddenly lit up, scaring him so much he almost threw the phone away.
"Why did it suddenly light up? This thing is more dangerous than a cannonball!" he muttered, a hint of wariness in his eyes.
"Watch closely..." Ron leaned over and tapped the screen. "This is the camera. It can record all the embarrassing moments of those guys."
The screen switched to Carl, who was slacking off. The kid was hiding behind a coconut tree, napping.
Zephyr's eyes instantly lit up. "Interesting!" But then his face turned stern. "However, slacking off during training means twenty extra sets!"
Ron continued to demonstrate. "This is TikTok. You can see new things from all over the world."
He tapped on the trending topics list, and various popular topics instantly popped up on the screen.
#Empress's captivating glance!
#Emperor Whitebeard's sky-high bounty!
#Emperor Kaido's monthly Devil Fruit lottery!
#Medical Holy Land Master Chopper!
#New fashion trends...
A pile of TikTok trending topics dazzled Zephyr. He was very puzzled, realizing that even guys like the Emperors were already using TikTok before him!
When the video played showing Crocodile's atrocities in Alabasta, Zephyr crushed the wine glass with a "crack".
The purple wine dripped down his fingers, spreading a dark stain on the wooden floor.
"Scumbag!" Zephyr suddenly stood up, his arm slamming onto the table, shaking the wine bottles and making them wobble and fall.
Veins bulged on his forehead, and his short purple hair stood on end.
Next, he scrolled to a video of Rebecca exposing Doflamingo's crimes, and Zephyr's breathing became heavier and heavier.
When he saw the people who had been turned into toys, Zephyr's rage was beyond words. He picked up the wine bottle and drained it in one gulp to calm the anger in his heart.
"This is the 'Shichibukai' the Marines protect?!" Zephyr ripped off the cloak of Justice from his back and threw it on the ground. "Is the World Government blind?!"
His roar startled the seabirds in the forest. The Marines training in the distance stopped their actions, looking uneasily towards the direction of the hut.
Ron quietly watched his old friend vent his anger. It wasn't until Zephyr declared he would personally go to Dressrosa to capture Doflamingo that he slowly spoke. "Is such a Marine force still worth your loyalty?"
His voice carried a hint of calmness, and his eyes showed a bit of thought.
Zephyr froze in place. The anger in his eyes gradually faded as he looked at the cloak of Justice on the ground, a flicker of confusion flashing in his eyes.
Ron opened a compilation of public protests on TikTok. "Look at these voices. Form a new Marine force, use TikTok to recruit like-minded warriors..."
His finger scrolled through comment after comment filled with passion. "This is the 'true justice' that you and I believed in back then."
"But betraying the Marines..." Zephyr's voice became low, his fist clenched without thinking, and a flicker of struggle flashed in his eyes.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought about this, but leaving the Marines so suddenly after a lifetime there was still a bit hard for his heart to accept for a moment.
"Ron, can you give me some time..."
Ron, however, didn't respond to Zephyr's words. Instead, he suddenly changed the subject. "What if a pirate killed your wife and children, what if a pirate killed all the trainee crew members and cut off your arm..."
His gaze swept over Zephyr's right arm. "After you let him go, and the Marines recruited him as a Shichibukai, what would you do?"
Upon hearing this, Zephyr's eyes suddenly got very small, and his breathing became rapid. He seemed to see that nightmarish scene: his family in a pool of blood, the grinning pirate, and... the Shichibukai appointment letter from Marine Headquarters.
His breathing gradually became heavy, as if a giant boulder was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe. His eyes gradually turned bloodshot.
If that were truly the case, he would go mad!
After a long time, Zephyr let out a long sigh and heavily sat back down on the chair.
"Ron..." His rough hand patted his old friend's shoulder. "You really went to great lengths to convince me."
"If anyone in the Marines understands me best, it's you."
"Hahaha, Zephyr, back then, it was you who saved me from those terrible pirates."
"Why bring that up?" Zephyr laughed heartily. "Everyone in the Marines knows you're a lucky kid with high talent. If you hadn't been expelled from the Marines this time, the next Fleet Admiral would definitely be you."
Ron smiled without speaking. He simply refilled both their wine glasses.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the palm leaves, casting spotted light and shadow on the wooden table.
"The Neo Marines..." Zephyr suddenly raised his wine glass, clinking it against Ron's glass with a clear sound. "That's a good name."
On the sea in the distance, a bright moon was peeking out from the clouds.
The long-lost fighting spirit reignited in Zephyr's eyes, that light brighter than starlight. He knew that from tonight, this sea would welcome a brand new storm.
Ron slowly took a sip of wine. "So... Old Man," he said, shaking the phone. "Times have changed. Now you don't need battleships and cannons. One cell phone can spread the truth across the sea."
The setting sun had completely sunk below the horizon, and starlight began to dot the night sky.
Zephyr silently rubbed the phone. The light reflected from the screen lit up his firm face, and the sound of the Marines' extra training, their panting, came from the distance...
"So..." After a long time, Zephyr suddenly grinned, his white teeth gleaming in the darkness. "What did you mean by 'debut' just now?"
Ron's wine glass stopped in mid-air, and the corners of his mouth slowly lifted. "'Debut,' well, it's very simple..."