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Zephyr's voice held a hint of sternness, but his eyes showed a touch of encouragement.
Ain quickly tidied her short hair, which had been ruffled by the wind, her eyes flashing with determination.
Binz silently adjusted his position, ensuring the Marine flag behind him was fully in frame.
Other Marines tidied their uniforms for each other, some even secretly wiping their faces, afraid that the dust on their faces would affect the picture.
Ron raised his phone, the lens glinting in the sunlight. "Three, two, one..." His finger hovered over the record button. "Neo Marines, established!"
"Justice Endures!"
The earth-shaking roar startled the seagulls perched on the cannon platform.
Zephyr stood at the front, each word sounding clearly. "From today onwards, the Neo Marines will uphold true justice!" He heavily thumped his chest with his fist, producing a dull thud.
"Justice that will not be delayed!"
The camera panned across each firm face, finally settling on everyone's confident smiles. Ron did not appear in the video at all, the reason was obvious.
"Perfect!" Ron checked the finished video with satisfaction, his finger tapping the screen to edit.
When Zephyr leaned over to look, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Ron, you're quite good at filming."
In the video, the sea breeze ruffled their collars, and the sunlight gave everyone golden edges. Even the most ordinary Marines were filmed with a heroic aura.
Ron took the phone Zephyr handed him, his fingertip hovering over the send button for a moment. After checking it again and confirming there were no issues, he tapped send.
This time, Ron did not use his authority to boost the video's visibility, but wanted to see how far it would grow if it gained popularity naturally.
As night fell, everyone gathered around the bonfire, sometimes someone couldn't help but check their phones.
Ron, however, was calmly roasting fish, the fat dripping into the fire with a "sizzling" sound.
"Don't rush," he said, flipping the grilled fish, which was giving off a rich aroma. "The real fire..." Before he finished speaking, Zephyr's phone suddenly started vibrating wildly, notification sounds coming in a torrent.
"Admiral Zephyr, it's actually Admiral Zephyr! Even you, old man, couldn't stand it anymore!"
"The corruption of the Marines is even more disgusting than the pirates! Those wolves in sheep's clothing, especially the Shichibukai!"
"Justice that will not be delayed, this is the justice in my heart!"
"I want to join the Neo Marines, Admiral, no Fleet Admiral Zephyr, can you let me join!"
"I want to join too!"
"..."
"This..." Zephyr's eyes widened as he looked at the rising view count on the screen. The flood of supportive comments in the comment section left him speechless for a moment.
Ron took a bite of the grilled fish, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction. "See, the spark of justice never needs artificial kindling."
The bonfire light shone on everyone's faces, casting a warm golden glow on their expressions of surprise, emotion, and determination.
...
Night fell, and stars dotted the night sky.
In Onigumo's dorm room, a day of training was too boring. Nothing was as relaxing as playing on his phone.
He lay on the large bed in his dorm, legs crossed, the constantly flickering phone screen lighting up his laughing face. His fingers rhythmically tapped his knee along with the dancing girl on the screen.
When the video ended, he skillfully drew a heart and quickly typed "Miss is so cool!" in the comment section.
He casually tapped the follow button, the whole sequence of actions smooth and flowing.
"Next," he chuckled, swiping his thumb upwards.
The video played for a few seconds, and his face instantly changed!
"Bang!" The phone hit his face hard, but he couldn't feel the pain.
On the screen, Zephyr's familiar face made his blood instantly run cold.
Every word that came from the video was like a heavy hammer, striking hard on the top of his head.
"Neo Marines... established immediately..."
The moment this sentence exploded, Onigumo's eyes got very small.
He sprang up from the bed, the movement so sudden that two buttons on his Marine shirt popped off with a "snap". His hand, which had held a sword for years, was now shaking like leaves, and his phone fell to the ground with a "clatter".
"What... what kind of joke is this..." He squeezed out a few broken syllables from his throat, and large beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
His mind went completely blank with a "buzz", and the only sound in his ears was the roaring of his surging blood.
The next second, this Marine Vice Admiral, who usually paid the most attention to his military appearance, rushed out of his dorm room with one bare foot.
A muffled "thump-thump-thump" echoed in the corridor. It was the sound of his bare foot hitting the marble floor.
Passing recruits stood plastered against the wall in terror, watching him sprint past like a maddened beast.
"Get out of the way! Everyone get out of the way!" His roars echoed through the corridors of Marine Headquarters.
He knocked over a stack of documents held by some soldiers at the corner, papers flying everywhere like snowflakes.
At one moment, he vaguely saw the five large characters "Appointment of Shichibukai" printed on the documents, and his stomach immediately twisted with pain.
He rushed to the door of the Fleet Admiral's office, not even knocking, and kicked it open directly.
The door slammed against the wall with a "bang", making a huge sound.
Sengoku in the office was startled by the sudden commotion. He looked up and saw Onigumo's terrified face, his heart sinking.
"Onigumo, what's wrong?"
Onigumo stumbled in, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost. His right foot had been cut at some point, leaving a glaring bloodstain on the carpet.
"Fleet... Fleet Admiral..." He was panting heavily, his voice hoarse beyond recognition. "Zephyr... Teacher Zephyr he..."
Before he finished speaking, his knees suddenly gave way, and he fell to the ground with a "thump".
Only then did he realize that his Marine cloak had somehow gotten twisted around and was now comically wrapped around his neck, looking like a noose.
"You... you should see for yourself." He handed over the phone with a shaking hand. The screen was playing the video of Zephyr leaving the Marines and the Neo Marines being established.
In the video, Zephyr's iconic purple short hair was blowing in the sea breeze. The burning sunset behind him dyed the entire scene red.
His voice was firm and powerful. "The Neo Marines will uphold true justice..."
"Clatter!" The sharp sound of a teacup hitting the floor was particularly jarring in the deathly silent conference room.
Broken porcelain pieces scraped past Sengoku's trousers, and warm tea snaked across the mahogany floor in a bizarre shape.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's quill pen snapped with a "snap", ink bleeding across the document.
"This is impossible..." Sengoku's usually steady voice now sounded like it had been rubbed with sandpaper. He instinctively gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white from the force.
In the video, Zephyr was performing a standard military salute, the very posture he had taught countless Marines, which now felt like the most glaring betrayal.