The Answer  

"Big brother, why did you save me?"

Sitting beside Zavia, Arthur's hair fluttered gently in the sea breeze as they both gazed at the vast expanse of the ocean.

"Why... huh..." Zavia glanced at Arthur, noticing a tinge of sadness in the child's eyes. "It's nothing. I just saw myself in you."

This simple statement surprised Arthur. "Big brother, were you also captured and made a slave like me?"

"...No, I was luckier than you, but also very unfortunate. I wasn't a slave, but I lived a life no different from one." As soon as he spoke, scenes from his past life on Earth flashed before Zavia's eyes.

Scenes of domestic abuse and mistreatment by his biological father at home.

Scenes of relentless bullying and being framed by others at school.

Scenes of encountering thugs on the street who extorted and blackmailed him, even forcing him to crawl and bark like a dog.

...

Memories filled with sorrow and anger surfaced in Zavia's mind, causing him to frown.

(Tch, every time I talk about the past, these memories come back.)

He shook his head slightly, trying to clear his mind of those haunting images.

"I see... Then, big brother, are we considered kindred spirits?"

"Something like that. It depends on how you look at it."

"..."

***

"What did you say!!??"

A loud shout echoed through Commander Tokuzo's office in the Sabaody Archipelago branch base.

"Uh, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I'm telling the truth."

Tokuzo's ears rang from the yell. He shook his head, trying to regain his composure.

"Ahem, then do you know what this person looks like?"

Sengoku coughed twice, seemingly realizing his outburst was inappropriate, and then inquired further.

"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. According to Saint Charlos' description, the culprit wore a blue trench coat, had white hair, and wore a strange clown mask. He also carried a long sword!" Tokuzo replied.

"..."

Sengoku fell into deep thought upon hearing Tokuzo's words, leaving the commander to wait patiently.

"Alright, I understand. You are to immediately gather your men and search for this criminal. The search area is the entire island!" Five minutes later, Sengoku's cold voice finally came through.

"Yes sir!"

Click~

"I didn't expect Fleet Admiral Sengoku to be so angry this time. It seems this criminal has really stepped on a landmine."

Tokuzo hung up the Den Den Mushi, a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes, before leaving his office to lead the search for Zavia.

…

Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.

"Hey, Sengoku, is this true?"

"I think... it's probably true."

"But why..."

"I don't know."

Sengoku sat in his office chair, his fists pressed against his forehead, a heavy expression on his face. On the sofa nearby, Garp also looked grim, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

"Although I didn't explicitly say it was him, I don't think this matter can be kept hidden for long, especially since the Celestial Dragons are already aware." Sengoku sighed heavily, his heart filled with confusion and worry.

"Indeed. But if it was him, considering his personality, why didn't he kill that Celestial Dragon, Charlos, on the spot?" Garp agreed with Sengoku's assessment but then suddenly thought of something, looking towards the Fleet Admiral.

"That's also what I find puzzling. Given his personality, if he encountered a Celestial Dragon, he would definitely kill them on the spot. I don't believe he's someone who shows mercy." Sengoku shared Garp's confusion.

"Maybe he didn't want to cause trouble for us. After all, if he harmed a Celestial Dragon, we would immediately dispatch an Admiral. I'm sure he understands that."

"Perhaps. Anyway, let's go find Zephyr. I think he needs to know about this."

"Yeah, I think so too."

…

Southeast of Sabaody Archipelago, far out at sea.

"That's the island, Arthur. Get ready to disembark." From the bow of the ship, Zavia spotted the silhouette of an island in the distance.

"Okay, big brother." Arthur stood beside Zavia, nodding in agreement.

After sailing for nearly three hours, they had reached the nearest island to Sabaody Archipelago.

Under normal circumstances, it would take at least two weeks to reach this island from Sabaody.

But that was relying on natural means. Now, with Arthur's magic controlling the ship, it was as if the vessel had two wheels, sailing straight towards its destination.

The duration of control mainly depended on the caster's stamina and the size of the object being manipulated.

This made Zavia look at Arthur with newfound respect. Who would have thought that an eight-year-old child could control a ship at sea for three hours straight? And considering Arthur had mentioned not exceeding three hours, it meant he could control the ship for at least five hours!

This was no ordinary feat for a child. But then again, Arthur was different from Zavia. He wasn't from Zavia's blue planet with its various limitations, but from a world in another realm.

Stamina, intelligence, education, and other aspects couldn't be judged based on Zavia's previous understanding. In other words, perhaps this was the normal capability of an eight-year-old child in Arthur's world.

Yes, perhaps...

About twenty minutes later, Zavia's ship arrived at the island's port.

Docking openly, Zavia crafted a similar but smaller cloak for Arthur before disembarking with him.

Walking down the streets, they weaved through the crowds, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares filling the air.

Zavia's eyes darted left and right, seemingly searching for something.

"Big brother, what are you looking for?"

"A clothing store. Your clothes are too worn out. Since you've decided to follow me, I need to at least get you some decent clothes."

Answering Arthur's question, Zavia continued his search for a clothing store. But after walking around for a while, Zavia realized this was a food street, with almost every shop selling food.

After buying some snacks and food for Arthur, Zavia decided to head to the next street. He had asked a vendor selling taiyaki, who informed him that the next street was a shopping district.

This reassured Zavia. This was just an ordinary island filled with happiness. The people here were kind and didn't show any disgust even towards strangers.

"Let's go, to the shopping district."

"Okay, big brother."

…

Marine Headquarters, Zephyr's office.

"I see... Zavia, he..."

Sengoku, Garp, and Zephyr were gathered, their faces etched with concern.

"Zephyr, about this matter..." Sengoku looked at Zephyr, seemingly about to say something, but Zephyr raised his hand, interrupting him.

"Although I don't know why my student has become like this, I believe he must have his reasons."

"That... Although I want to believe that too, but..." Sengoku's expression grew even more troubled. He seemed to want to agree with Zephyr, but as the Fleet Admiral, he couldn't think that way. It would be seen as shielding a criminal, damaging the Marines' reputation.

"Then should we dispatch the Marines to capture Zavia?" Garp offered his suggestion.

"...No, not yet. I have Zavia's Den Den Mushi number. I gave it to him myself. It was originally intended for him to contact Marine Headquarters if he ever got into trouble, but I didn't expect..." Sengoku decided to hold off on Garp's suggestion until he understood Zavia's intentions.

"Alright, then let's do as you say." Garp nodded. Zephyr remained silent but also nodded slightly.

After confirming Zephyr's stance, Sengoku took out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket and dialed a number.

Brrr brrr brrr~ Brrr brrr brrr~ Brrr~ Click~

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku? What can I do for you?" Zavia's lazy voice came through after the Den Den Mushi was connected.

"Zavia, is there something you need to tell us?" Sengoku didn't get straight to the point, choosing a more subtle approach.

"Something to tell you? What could I possibly have to say?"

"Stop pretending. Tell me honestly, was the incident at the Sabaody Archipelago auction house your doing?"

"...Yes, it was me." After a brief silence, Zavia spoke up, directly admitting his actions.

He knew it would be discovered sooner or later, so he might as well confess now. Besides, it didn't make any difference to him when he admitted it.

Although, for Zavia, the sooner the better.

"Why? You're not usually so impulsive."

A hint of sadness flashed in Sengoku's eyes. He couldn't understand why Zavia would do this. Dealing with the slavers was one thing, but why kill his own fellow marines? This was something Sengoku couldn't comprehend.

"Hmm, because along the way, I've seen many things, including the actions of both the Marines and pirates. This journey has made me question which side is right and which side is wrong." Zavia spoke calmly.

"..."

Sengoku fell silent, and the other two also looked troubled.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, is the Marines' justice truly justice? Are all pirates criminals? I've been pondering this question for a long time."

"Then, what is your answer?"

"The answer is... strength."

"Strength?"

"Yes, strength. Only strength determines everything. With strength, one can naturally protect many. With strength, one will not be oppressed or sold. With strength, one can define what is right and wrong. The strong make the rules, and the weak obey them."

Zavia's tone remained calm, his words devoid of any emotional fluctuation, like the stillness of a lake's surface.

"..."

The atmosphere fell silent once more after hearing Zavia's words.

After a long while, Sengoku finally spoke.