Chapter 31: Chapter 31: One Round? Zephyr Rages
"Who are you?" Zephyr frowned and looked warily at Lin Yan.
"Does it matter who I am, former Navy Admiral Black Arm Zephyr?" Lin Yan asked calmly.
As Zephyr examined him, he was also examining Zephyr.
Ain quickly moved behind Zephyr, speaking weakly, "Teacher, this guy just forced his way in!"
Zephyr nodded, noticing the injuries on his student's body. As a mentor, he was always protective of his students.
"Did you cause Ain's injuries?" Zephyr questioned.
"It was just a minor conflict. And let me clarify, I didn't cause her injuries," Lin Yan shook his head, denying it. It was Ain who fell for the illusion, exhausting herself. It wasn't his fault; at most, he was an accomplice.
"Why are you here?" Zephyr's tone was firm. As a former Navy Admiral, his serious demeanor emerged.
"I want to invite you to join my crew. I just established my team and am recruiting members," Lin Yan stated his purpose straightforwardly.
At his words, the room fell silent. Even the wounded Ain lifted her beautiful face. Her teacher had just resigned, and now someone was coming to recruit him?
"You came quickly!" Zephyr's tone deepened before speaking slowly. "Better early than late, don't you think, Admiral?"
Lin Yan spoke calmly, "Well, isn't it a case of coming at the right moment rather than coming early?"
"You're a pirate, aren't you?" Zephyr suddenly asked, out of nowhere.
On this vast sea, pirates and marines are on opposing sides. Having just resigned from the navy, the only ones who could invite him would be major pirate forces. Lin Yan did not respond, but neither did he deny it. Zephyr's answer was clear enough for him.
Zephyr, who had been calm and composed, suddenly exuded an escalating aura. He clenched his fist, veins popping. "Do you not know me?" he asked, his eyes turning cold.
"What do you mean?" Lin Yan responded, not understanding Zephyr's implication. While he had some impression of Zephyr, he wasn't clear on his backstory, as he had only been here for a little over a year.
Zephyr suddenly laughed bitterly, "Indeed, why should I expect a pirate to know me?"
If asked who he hated most in his life, it would be the unforgivable pirates who disturbed the sea! His wife, his child, everything around him—almost everything—had been ruined by these pirates. His hatred for pirates ran deeper than anyone's!
Upon discovering Lin Yan's identity, Zephyr roared, "Go to hell!" He lifted his mechanical arm and punched toward Lin Yan. Lin Yan's eyes narrowed, realizing the seriousness of the situation. Zephyr, once a navy admiral, struck with immense force. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Lin Yan. The power he displayed was not weaker than any division commander Lin Yan had encountered before—perhaps even stronger.
"Boom!" A tremendous shock erupted at the scene as Lin Yan vanished from his original position. Zephyr's mechanical arm struck the ground, creating a massive crater. Chaos ensued, with everything around pulverized. The large scene was in turmoil, with dust falling. In the chaos, the entire building exploded, blown to smithereens. In the smoke-filled scene, Zephyr waved his hand, clearing the dust around him.
"Your speed is not bad. I have to admit, you have some strength," Zephyr stated, staring at Lin Yan. "But... that's about it!"
Lin Yan raised his hand, signaling for calm. "I don't want to fight. If possible, could you give me a chance to negotiate?"
"You don't want to fight, but I do!" Zephyr retorted. He raised his mechanical arm again, covering it with a layer of black Armament Haki. After assessing Lin Yan's strength, which was at least on par with his own, Zephyr knew he had to go all out, especially considering Lin Yan's pirate identity. Zephyr brought out his full strength from the start.
Faced with Zephyr at full force, Lin Yan knew that negotiating was not an option. Truth be told, diplomacy was Lin Yan's weakest area. He hesitated, unsure if he could dispel Zephyr's prejudice and anger towards pirates through negotiation. Unexpectedly, Zephyr gave Lin Yan no opportunity for diplomacy, forcing him into combat. Coincidentally, fighting was Lin Yan's strongest area.
Since that was the case, if he wanted to advance further, he'd have to use his fists to speak. Sighing, he murmured, "Why force me to act?"
"Admiral Zephyr, let's make a bet!" Lin Yan dodged a punch from Zephyr and calmly spoke.
"What bet?" Zephyr responded, following up with a sweeping kick aimed at Lin Yan's face. The two fought as they conversed.
"Simple, let's bet on whether or not I can defeat you!" Lin Yan said with a smile.
"Arrogant!" Zephyr laughed instead of getting angry.
"Don't rush, let me finish!" Lin Yan interjected. "One round, give me one round. If I can't defeat you in one round, I'll let you dispose of me. I won't go back on my word!" Lin Yan held up one finger, speaking steadily.
"One round?" Zephyr, who had been calm until now, was taken aback. Then, he erupted, with boundless rage emanating from him. "You arrogant scoundrel!!" He slammed the table.
Nearby, Ain, who was watching, was also stunned by Lin Yan's words. Who was her teacher? He was the former Navy Admiral, Black Arm Zephyr! A Navy Admiral was among the top echelon on this sea. And who was Zephyr? He was a king from the old era! The old era and the new era were entirely different eras.
Who are the formidable ones of the new era?
Whitebeard, Shanks, Kaido, Big Mom—these are just a few of them.
What about the strong ones of the old era?
Roger, Garp, Sengoku, and Redfield were mere appetizers. The real legend was the king of the world who dominated an entire era—Rocks!
Whitebeard, Shiki, Big Mom, Kaido, and others were just subordinates under Rocks. In the old era, even a random top-tier fighter could easily sweep through the Grand Line. One could even say they were capable of dimensionality reduction strikes.
Now, this man before me, someone I've never heard of, arrogantly claims he could defeat his teacher in one move. Defeat Zephyr, who fought his way through the old era. Do you even realize the gravity of your words?
"You have such audacity!" Ain said with a grim face. Both Zephyr and Ain were angered! But Lin Yan remained unfazed, calmly saying, "Let's begin."
Neither Zephyr nor Ain cared. They thought, even Roger, Whitebeard, or Rocks in his prime couldn't claim they could defeat a naval admiral in one move. Zephyr didn't know where Lin Yan got the confidence to boast like this. Young people can be proud, but not arrogant. Being overly arrogant comes at a price!
"Smashing Tornado!" Zephyr's mechanical arm's parts began to rotate rapidly. With added kinetic energy, Zephyr's power instantly rose to a new level. He aimed a crushing punch at Lin Yan.
Lin Yan calmly blocked it with one hand, effortlessly intercepting Zephyr's charged attack.
"Destructive Death Beam!!" Zephyr unleashed his power again, his mechanical arm shining brightly. Despite his efforts, he couldn't achieve his goal as Lin Yan blocked everything. Seeing Lin Yan intercepting his attacks time and again, Zephyr's brow furrowed. Lin Yan was giving him a lot of pressure. Who exactly was this guy?
Before he could ponder further, Lin Yan unleashed his Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability: "My turn!"
"Zzzzz!" In an instant, lightning flashed, with serpentine bolts surrounding Lin Yan. The mighty lightning crackled like tearing the sky, reaching the clouds, and striking the heavens. It was blindingly dazzling.
"Thunder Dragon!" With the mighty lightning, a Thunder Dragon appeared out of thin air. The Thunder Dragon coiled around Lin Yan, making him look like a thunder god, his figure appearing majestic. Then, Lin Yan pointed at Zephyr.
The most powerful Thunder Dragon roared, emitting intense sonic vibrations, surrounded by endless lightning, rushing toward Zephyr. At this moment, the entire world lost its color, and time seemed frozen.
"What powerful strength!" Feeling the terror of the lightning, Zephyr's expression changed slightly. He quickly activated his strongest defense, trying to withstand Lin Yan's attack.
At this moment, Lin Yan's eyes revealed mysterious tomoe. The Mangekyou Sharingan was activated, glowing brilliantly.
"Genjutsu!" He directly imprinted the illusion into Zephyr's pupils. While Genjutsu can be quite a "bug," especially effective against people like Ain, Zephyr was a naval admiral and had endured the trials of the sea! His strength and willpower were unmatched. Even Lin Yan's Genjutsu could only slow him for a second or two.
A second or two might seem short, but for a strong fighter, especially a top-tier like Lin Yan, it was enough to turn the tide! As Zephyr hesitated, the Thunder Dragon hit him without any defense.
"Poof!" A piercing sound echoed as the intense lightning struck Zephyr. Even he couldn't withstand the Thunder Dragon's impact. The Thunder Dragon pierced through Zephyr, shattering several mountains behind him, creating a thoroughfare. The scene was so massive that the entire Sabaody Archipelago shook violently!
Seeing this, Ain, who didn't believe Lin Yan could defeat her teacher in one move, was shocked! Her teacher, Black Arm Zephyr, though now retired from the navy, was nearly eighty, and his strength had declined. But fundamentally, he was once a naval admiral!
A camel starved is still bigger than a horse. Across this sea, who could claim they could defeat her teacher in one move? Even Whitebeard would be in awe.
Ain's mouth formed an "O" shape, staring in disbelief at the man standing amidst the lightning. How... how did he do it?
"Not bad power." Lin Yan waved his hand, dispersing the lightning around him. With his strength, even against the real top-level admirals, he wouldn't flinch.
The person in front of him, Zephyr, had fallen out of the ranks of admirals. Though Zephyr had been defeated, he was still clinging to life, with only a breath left. As someone who was involved in the events, he was the best judge of Lin Yan's strength.
How old was Lin Yan? He appeared to be just in his early twenties. In his early twenties, he already possessed admiral-level strength! Even Zephyr, Garp, Roger, and other top-tier figures of their time had only barely reached this level in their thirties or forties.
Weakly, Zephyr spoke in disbelief, "How... how did you achieve this kind of strength in your early twenties?"
Lin Yan, with an air of maturity, clasped his hands behind his back and said in a resonant voice, "Through diligence and hard work!"
Diligence? Hard work? Could you really reach admiral-level strength in your early twenties through just a bit more diligence and hard work? If this statement were made about someone else, people might have believed it. But who was Zephyr? He was the one who trained several admirals, the man who supplied fresh blood to the Navy and laid its foundation. He knew how hard it was to achieve such an accomplishment.
"You must be kidding me!" Zephyr thought. Even Ace, who carried Roger's bloodline, was only barely reaching vice-admiral-level strength in his early twenties, just shy of admiral level.
For Lin Yan, hard work had paid off. His current strength and position were closely related to his diligence and sweat, his terrifying comprehension, and his extraordinary talent. Each aspect made him a top-tier figure on the Grand Line. To put it bluntly, the reason Lin Yan reached his current heights was because of his unyielding willpower, which surpassed ordinary people, and led him to the pinnacle of the New World.
So, enough said, he was going fishing!
"Who are you, really?" Zephyr asked, wanting to know Lin Yan's identity.
"Lin Yan, Captain of the 17th Division of the Whitebeard Pirates!" Lin Yan replied calmly. Upon learning that Lin Yan was from the Whitebeard Pirates, and the captain who recently made headlines, Zephyr remembered, "So it's you!"
"The 17th Division was just established and is lacking members, so we're recruiting fresh blood. How about it, former Admiral? Let's talk?" Lin Yan smiled.
After this battle, the two were considered acquaintances who met through fighting. As for Zephyr, Lin Yan had a favorable impression of him. At this moment, the system also congratulated him. Lin Yan had completed a task!
"Ding, congratulations to the host, task three is completed. Task Three: Defeat a top-tier Grand Line powerhouse! Current Progress: Defeated former Admiral Black Arm Zephyr. Reward: 30 bait."
Seeing a task completed, Lin Yan was in a great mood, and his enthusiasm for inviting Zephyr grew.
"Admiral, the Navy doesn't want you, but I do! The Navy may have wronged you, but I won't! Join my 17th Division!"
Upon learning that Lin Yan was from the Whitebeard Pirates, Zephyr's eyes flickered. However, his hatred for pirates persisted to this day. To join the pirates and fight alongside them was completely out of the question.
"Don't try to persuade me anymore," Zephyr said sternly. "Your strength is impressive; I admit I'm no match for you. But that is not a reason for me to join pirates! Give up, I will not join your pirate crew!"
Zephyr's face was quite pale as he spoke. "Such a harsh rejection?" Lin Yan was slightly disappointed.
"Of course, there's one possibility!" Zephyr glanced at Lin Yan.
"Oh? What possibility?" Lin Yan asked curiously.
"Kill me!" Zephyr said firmly.
"..." Lin Yan was speechless for a while.
Seeing Zephyr refuse stubbornly, Lin Yan stood up, "Fine, fine! I don't like forcing people, so if you're unwilling..."
Hearing Lin Yan's words, Ain asked, "So you're leaving?"
Lin Yan smiled at Ain, "I'll be back tomorrow!"
And just like that, Lin Yan left. Watching Lin Yan leave, Ain covered her forehead with one hand, thinking, "Why did I say anything?"
The next day, Lin Yan returned and eagerly asked, "Admiral, after a day's consideration, have you made a decision?"
Zephyr was now fully bandaged but still sternly refused. On the third day, Lin Yan visited again. On the fourth day, he was rejected. On the fifth day, he was still rejected.
On the sixth day, Ain got angry, "That's enough! The teacher already hates you pirates, and you keep hovering around. Do you have no end?"
Lin Yan didn't care about Ain's thoughts, "Grown-ups are talking, children shouldn't interrupt!"
Child?
Listening to Lin Yan's words, Ain chuckled with exasperation, "Aren't you younger than me?"
Lin Yan paused for a second, his gaze falling on Ain. Then, his eyes moved downward. Seeing her ample chest, he touched his chin and said, "To be fair, you're definitely bigger than me!"
Ain blushed, gritting her teeth, "Pervert!"
After persistent efforts, Lin Yan learned about Zephyr's inner conflict. The name Edward Weevil echoed in Lin Yan's ears. When he heard the title "Whitebeard Junior," some of his forgotten memories began to resurface.
He remembered now. Zephyr's arm was cut off by Whitebeard Junior, and almost the entire ship of cadets was wiped out by him!
The crucial point was that Whitebeard Junior was considered one of the candidates for the Seven Warlords of the Sea, which Zephyr couldn't accept. In anger, he left the Navy.
"How about this, Zephyr, let's make a deal. I'll help you take out Whitebeard Junior, and you join my pirate crew. What do you think?" Lin Yan suddenly proposed.
Hearing Lin Yan's words, Zephyr slowly raised his head, "Do you know how strong Whitebeard Junior is?"
Talking about Whitebeard Junior brought back nightmare-like memories to Zephyr. At that time, he was already aging, and his strength had declined, although he no longer had the power of an admiral.
But as previously stated, a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. Zephyr had the foundation of an admiral. Even so, he still lost an arm to Whitebeard Junior. This proved that Whitebeard Junior indeed had the potential to become a Seven Warlord of the Sea!
"How strong he is doesn't matter to me. I only care about one thing!"
As he spoke, Lin Yan looked at Zephyr, "I simply want to invite you to join my crew!"
Lin Yan's words were sincere and passionate. His fervent words touched Zephyr's cold heart.
Before he knew it, the previously unwavering Zephyr began to waver. Without realizing it, Zephyr glanced at Lin Yan, "Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead!" Lin Yan gestured for Zephyr to ask freely.
"Why are you so determined to invite me to join your Seventeenth Division?" Zephyr was curious about this.
"Do I need a reason? If I must say something... Seeing eye to eye counts as one. Your former admiral status counts as one. The Seventeenth Division is newly established and needs talent, that counts as one." Lin Yan answered straightforwardly.
Zephyr fell silent. He suddenly realized that his hatred for pirates was one-sided. Whether it was Roger's pirate crew or Whitebeard's pirate crew, these people were just adventurers wearing pirate masks.
"Alright, if you can deal with Whitebeard Junior, I'll agree." Zephyr's inner conflict was resolved, and he suddenly smiled.
"It's decided then. I was waiting for you to say that!" Lin Yan was overjoyed.
After saying this, he left!
Meanwhile, at Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
"Welcome... AHHHHH!!"
"Why are you back??"
As soon as Lin Yan entered the bar, Shakky screamed. She looked like a startled cat, uncomfortable all over.
"Stop screaming, people might think I'm molesting you! Just to clarify, I'm not interested in an old woman!" Lin Yan said.
Shakky's intelligence was invaluable; finding Whitebeard Junior's trail was best done through her.
"Kid, who are you calling an old woman!" Shakky's forehead throbbed as she clenched her fists in anger.
"I'm here to ask you about someone!" Ignoring Shakky's anger, Lin Yan got straight to the point.
"Anyone but Rayleigh!" Shakky was adamant about not revealing Rayleigh's whereabouts.
"Whitebeard Junior, you know him!" Lin Yan asked.
"Why are you looking for Whitebeard Junior?"
Given Lin Yan's stance, he must have found former admiral Black Arm Zephyr. But why was he asking about Whitebeard Junior?
"As an information broker, you're not doing your job well!" Lin Yan replied slowly.
"Alright, I shouldn't have asked!"
After a while, Shakky gathered information about Whitebeard Junior's whereabouts, "He's in Marineford!"
Hearing "Marineford," Lin Yan was stunned. Then he lowered his head.
"This time... it's going to be tough!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone