One Piece: With Sign-in System

Just as Ron was about to respond, Zephyr had already reached out and taken the bottle from his hand.

"No need to answer. I already know you're not interested in that throne. I was just speaking my thoughts out loud."

As he spoke, he casually crushed the bottle's neck and poured the liquor straight into his mouth.

Zephyr's voice turned heavy. "Ron, you should know better than anyone how much I despise pirates."

Ron naturally understood. Zephyr's family… his students… they had all been slaughtered at the hands of pirates.

"Among pirates, there are countless scumbags—those who cling to the strong while preying on the weak. They're everywhere."

Zephyr's expression darkened. "Even if you become a powerful pirate and do nothing at all, countless others will still look up to you and rally under your banner. Whether you acknowledge them or not, they will use your name as an excuse to commit atrocities. Because pirates… are the very embodiment of evil upon these seas. A gathering of criminals. False reputations will inevitably attract real malice, and before you even realize it, seeds of darkness will take root and bloom into wickedness in places you never expected."

"Even if you do nothing, innocent people could still suffer catastrophes beyond their ability to bear."

Zephyr took another large gulp of Wine and muttered as if speaking to himself:

"This… this is fine. So long as you remain a traveler, I can accept even your attacks on Marineford and Mary Geoise. Even if you've become one of the world government's most wanted criminals… I'm not disappointed in you, nor am I angry."

"Just… don't become a pirate."

Ron took a sip of his own drink, silently mulling over Zephyr's words.

A hero is someone who saves others in times of peril.

Protecting the World Government had never been Zephyr's priority. It was the common people—the weak and helpless—whom he had always cared about.

In his eyes, most pirates were nothing but disasters waiting to happen. Even if a handful of them were exceptions, it didn't change the overall nature of the group.

Large pirate crews inevitably attracted hordes of smaller ones. Even if the leaders refrained from committing atrocities, what about those who followed them? A single crew like the Arlong Pirates had been enough to terrorize the East Blue. If dozens of such crews latched onto the banner of a powerful pirate, what kind of horrors would they unleash?

The name 'pirate' itself was synonymous with evil. And the more powerful a pirate became, the more their existence would instill fear in the hearts of ordinary people. At the same time, those harboring dark intentions would feel emboldened, using the chaos as a cover to commit crimes without restraint.

This… was something Zephyr could never accept.

To him, it didn't matter if a pirate was good or evil, weak or strong. If they were pirates, they were his enemies.

And that was why he had come to see Ron today.

A heavy silence settled between them as they continued drinking.

Then, out of nowhere, Ain's expression changed. She suddenly looked at Ron and said urgently:

"Ron, you should leave this place immediately! The news of your presence in these waters has already spread. The Marines will act soon—there's a good chance they're already on their way!"

Zephyr's gaze sharpened. He turned to Ron and nodded. "This time, they're serious. Both Aokiji and Kizaru have been deployed."

"Two Admirals, huh…"

Ron's brows furrowed slightly. Without hesitation, he unleashed his Observation Haki, spreading his awareness across tens of kilometers.

In an instant, he sensed them—several Marine warships rapidly closing in.

"They're already here."

Zephyr and Ain stiffened at his words.

Zephyr immediately activated his own Observation Haki… but sensed nothing.

He frowned and turned to Ron. "Brat, just how far does your Observation Haki extend?"

Ron took another sip of his drink and casually replied:

"Roughly sixty kilometers."

"!!"

Zephyr and Ain's eyes widened in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Sixty kilometers?! Are you even human?!"

"That's… absurd!"

Ron simply smirked and raised his glass.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"If the Marines are already here, you should leave quickly, use your Float-Float Fruit ability and just drift away through the sky," Ain urged, snapping back to reality.

Ron pondered for a few seconds before responding, "Since the Marines are aware of my abilities yet still chose to launch a siege, sending two admirals no less, they must have some countermeasures in place. The skies may not be as safe as you think."

Zephyr, draped in his black coat, looked at him and asked, "Then what do you plan to do?"

"I can leave first and divert their attention. Their primary target is most likely me," Ron replied while checking the system's sea chart with his mind. After confirming his location, his gaze landed on a certain island's name. He was momentarily stunned before a smirk slowly formed at the corner of his lips.

"Zephyr, how about joining me for a little trip?"

Zephyr narrowed his eyes. "Where to?"

"Dressrosa."

The moment that name was spoken, Ain's pupils shrank sharply.

Even Zephyr's expression darkened, and a murderous aura unconsciously radiated from his body.

His grip tightened around the bottle in his hand, producing an audible creak, as he gritted his teeth and spat out a name filled with hatred—

"Doflamingo…"

Ain, whose eyes were equally brimming with anger and resentment, turned to look at Ron with an extremely serious expression.

"Ron, what exactly do you intend to do in Dressrosa?"

Ron calmly placed his hand on the hilt of his black blade, his voice unwavering.

"What else? Naturally, I'm going to settle an old score with that bastard, Doflamingo."

Zephyr locked eyes with him and spoke in a deep tone, "Settling scores with him is my duty. I'm the one who should deal with him."

He took a step forward and continued, "But despite all these years, I haven't made a move against him. Do you know why?"

"It's not because I cherish this old life of mine." Zephyr's voice turned solemn. "It's because Doflamingo is not so easily dealt with. The forces and influence tied to him run deep. There's a massive shadow behind him, far beyond just being one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Right now, he's even the King of Dressrosa. If we make a move on him, the entire country will be thrown into chaos."

Ron remained unfazed, his eyes closed as he slowly stood up. His tone remained indifferent.

"I know all of that."

Zephyr was momentarily taken aback before realization dawned on him.

The young man standing before him was the same lunatic who dared to attack Mary Geoise!

A man who did whatever he wanted—if something couldn't be done now, he simply waited until he could.

Would someone like that even care about the consequences?

All the concerns and hesitations he had harbored over the years… in Ron's eyes, they were probably nothing more than trivial details.

What a reckless and insane brat…

But at the same time… Zephyr's lips curled into a grin.

His long-standing hesitation suddenly vanished.

"Fine. I'll go with you to Dressrosa and settle this old score with Doflamingo once and for all."

"I'm going too!" Ain declared firmly, her eyes burning with determination.

She had waited for this day for far too long.

That tragic day… she had never once forgotten it!

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