Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 284 Nami Who Can Never Become a Pirate

After hearing about the accident involving Chief Instructor Zephyr, Xia Zuo learned various details through Garp.

He immediately concluded that the unknown pirate was a secret agent of the World Government, whose purpose was to suppress any potential new core of the Navy.

Only the World Government would be satisfied with Zephyr's educational abilities, yet dissatisfied with his ability to unite the entire Navy's top brass as a cohesive unit.

So after the mysterious pirate defeated Zephyr, he only crippled his right arm without killing him, but instead slaughtered his students.

Anyone with eyes can see that this pirate's purpose was not pure from the beginning. He wanted to both damage Zephyr's confidence and prestige while perfectly avoiding the loss of killing the best instructor.

With power, capability, and motive combined, Xia Zuo knew that the World Government was definitely behind Zephyr's actions.

Wouldn't such a ruthless World Government, which targeted Zephyr simply because of his high reputation, also consider targeting Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp?

They definitely want to, but they can't do it, and they don't dare to.

First of all, in terms of capability, the World Government does not have the fighting power to defeat Garp and Sengoku.

They can indeed cultivate combat power at the level of a general emperor, but they can only barely reach that level. To be a being like Sengoku and Garp, who stand at the pinnacle of world combat power, one needs to reach the top in strength, will, and spirit.

The World Government has cultivated a powerful fighting force with no problem in terms of strength, and their will can be honed through life-and-death trials, but their spirit is something they simply cannot replicate.

Essentially, what the world government wants are slaves, and how can slaves possibly have great ambition?

Without the element of courage and determination, the World Government's formidable military strength will never reach its peak, and it will be unable to deal with Sengoku and Garp.

Moreover, Sengoku, Garp, Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu are the pillars supporting the Navy's combat power. If they were to fall or be injured, it would seriously affect the Navy's strength.

If the navy collapses, the world government has no way to take its place.

If the World Government's CP agency can suppress the seas, then the CP agency and the Navy will become targets of vigilance and suppression by the World Government.

However, the World Government's reluctance to act against the Navy is for the sake of the overall situation; when it comes to individuals, they don't actually have many concerns, and they don't even have any bottom line.

The reason Zephyr's will collapsed and his strength rapidly declined to the point that he had to step down as general was because his wife and children suffered inexplicably.

Apart from Zephyr, who is the most guileless, almost all of the Navy's high-ranking officers are alone.

Needless to say, all three generals were bachelors. Vice Admiral Tsuru was so beautiful, yet she never married and died alone. Sengoku only had one adopted son, who was forced to become an undercover agent.

Garp was the only exception; he was married and had a son named Dragon, but no one knew who his wife was.

Dragon inherited his father's skills and had a son, Luffy, but no one knows who Luffy's mother is.

Having lived under the World Government for thousands of years, and being so arrogant as to threaten the Celestial Dragons with violence, how could Garp not be the subject of a targeted investigation?

The result was that no clue could be found.

Even after Gol D. Roger, the first officially recognized Pirate King, was executed, the World Government still managed to investigate his life and killed all the babies in the entire kingdom.

After Ace was entrusted to Garp by Portgas D. Louch, he was not discovered by the World Government until he came of age, but his identity was exposed just a few days after he set sail.

How could Garp, who could keep secrets to such an extent, be a political idiot?

Upon hearing Xia Zuo's description, Garp immediately understood all the key points, and his face turned ashen.

Garp looked up at Shazo, confirmed that he was a trustworthy person, nodded slightly, and then turned back to his dog-headed boat.

Just a second after turning around, Garp said in a hearty voice, "Xiazo, kid, come and spar with me sometime. You're the only one in the entire East Blue who's worth my time."

Xia Zuo couldn't see Garp's face and didn't know what his expression was like, but his voice was completely normal.

But Xia Zuo understood that Kap was indicating that he trusted him, but not the entire 77th Branch, and therefore invited him to find an opportunity to talk to him alone.

Shaza couldn't help but gasp in amazement at Lieutenant General Garp's reaction speed and acting skills.

But he was no slouch either, and immediately chimed in, "Alright, it's been a long time since I've sparred with a lieutenant general. I've improved a lot during this time, and I'm sure I can defeat you."

"Hahaha, Xia Zuo, you've got some big talk. I hope your fists are as hard as your mouth when the time comes!"

"Hmph, I won't let you down, Lieutenant General."

The two warships passed each other, and the navies on both sides threw each other their most precious food and wine while exchanging various profanities, and then burst into inexplicable laughter.

After days and nights of sailing, seeing fellow naval comrades makes you realize how crazy and bored the marines are.

Actually, this should be considered a kind of happiness.

Only when sailing in the peaceful East China Sea can one completely escape the pressure of danger.

Because they are free from pressure, the marines experience endless boredom. When boredom reaches its extreme, they vent their emotions in a childlike way.

A few days later, Xia Zuo and his group returned to the 77th branch.

Xia Zuo, the branch leader, disembarked on his own. After two years of adjustment and training, his daily tasks were now handled by designated personnel, and he didn't have to worry about anything.

Lieutenant Commander Faye, who was in charge of the ship's captain, handed over the reins to Lieutenant Bellmer, who was in charge of base logistics management.

The current 77th branch is more than ten times larger than it was two years ago when Brigadier General Pudding Pudding served as the branch leader, and the total number of officers and soldiers has also increased tenfold.

To strengthen the base's management, Shazo specifically recruited retired naval personnel to serve as officers at various levels, including Lieutenant Bellmer.

She was a very energetic female officer, and despite being 33 years old and having two adopted daughters, she still became the target of pursuit for the branch officers.

For example, Lieutenant Commander Faye, the captain, was one of Bellemere's most ardent suitors. He used his position as captain to drive away the first mate and personally handed over the navigation records to Bellemere.

Bellemere also seemed to have feelings for Faye, otherwise the smile in her eyes wouldn't be so sweet.

Xia Zuo had no opinion on this, neither encouraging nor opposing it.

Lieutenant Colonel Faye has limited qualifications and is too old. At most, he can be promoted to colonel and succeed me as the branch chief of the 77th branch. It is impossible for him to go to headquarters with me.

If he can get married and settle down, that would certainly not be a bad thing.

What influence can a lowly officer, who isn't even a general, have on the navy?

What Xia Zuo was more concerned about was Bellemere's second adopted daughter, Nami, who would never again have the nickname "Cat Burglar".

As the female protagonist in the early stages, Nami showed amazing sailing talent at the age of 11.

Not only could she read nautical charts without a teacher, but she also figured out the techniques for drawing them herself. She could accurately guide the way on the vast ocean and accurately predict weather changes.

Xia Zuo believes that Nami, as one of the main characters, must have the luck to turn bad luck into good, but this also means that danger is likely to be attracted to her.

Two years ago, as one of the first batch of retired marines to be forcibly conscripted, Bellemere brought Nami and Nojiko to the 77th Branch. For the next year, the 77th Branch was in constant turmoil.

Pirates throughout the East Blue seemed to be possessed, desperately challenging the 77th Marine Branch and launching repeated attacks in an attempt to destroy this branch responsible for unifying the entire East Blue's naval forces.

Xia Zuo greeted the pirates with his most magnificent moves. Sometimes he froze the sea, and sometimes he stirred up towering waves, sending all the pirates who interfered and provoked him to the bottom of the sea.

Afterwards, Xia Zuo used the clues he found on the pirate ship to launch a revenge attack on the nobles involved, killing them indiscriminately regardless of age or gender.

The blood ties among the nobles of the East Sea are complex and intertwined, so much so that even they themselves cannot explain them clearly.

Xia Zuo's cruel revenge naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of the nobles, and the pirate crews' attacks became even more frenzied, with pirates from the West Blue and South Blue even traveling thousands of miles to launch attacks.

Then all the pirates turned into skeletons on the seabed, and many more nobles lost their heads.

For a full year, the East China Sea reshaped its order amidst bloodshed.

Xia Zuo's rules are the Navy's rules, and the Navy's rules are the East Blue's rules. Those who disobey will die!

The last nobleman to die was the Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Goa, who was also the first unfortunate nobleman whose entire family was wiped out.

The massacre that wiped out entire families and clans finally terrified the nobles, forcing them to lower their proud heads and submit to the navy.

Often, the thoughts and ideas of nobles do not represent their own, but rather the will of the entire family.

The various relatives surrounding him, for their own benefit, would encourage, praise, and flatter the nobleman, and take advantage of his success to guide him in making various decisions.

For example, they could mobilize a pirate crew raised by their family to attack the navy, cut off transportation, and ensure that a certain relative's trade becomes a monopoly, thereby obtaining a hundredfold return.

Most of the time, it wasn't that nobles couldn't bow their heads, but rather that countless hands were supporting their chins, holding their foreheads, and pulling their hair, preventing them from lowering their heads.

Those who owned those hands thought: what is the head of a nobleman more important than their own interests? Even if someone loses their head, someone else can take their place and continue to be a nobleman.

So they chanted in unison, "Don't bow your head, or your crown will fall!"

But when Chazor wielded his sword and slaughtered the nobleman and all his relatives, the situation changed drastically.

To save his own life, the nobleman's relative turned his hands, which were on the nobleman's head, chin, and hair, around and forcefully pulled his head off.

At that moment, they thought: What is the face of a nobleman more important than their own heads?

So after Xia Zuo massacred the entire clan of the Finance Minister of the Goa Kingdom, the entire East Sea suddenly became quiet, calm, and harmonious.

Only a pirate with a screw loose like Alvida would think of provoking the Navy, massacring villages, and enhancing her reputation.

And just as everyone predicted, she reached her peak right from the start, and was beheaded by Brigadier General Xia Zuo.

The various challenges that the 77th Branch has faced in the past two years have all had reasonable explanations, but Xia Zuo just feels that they are related to Nami's joining.

Having endured such great suffering, one cannot help but reap the benefits.

Starting last year, Xia Zuo hired renowned teachers to establish a school within the base to provide education for all the children of military families. Naturally, the "genius" Nami was selected and sent to a professional school to receive navigator training.

In just six months, 10-year-old Nami graduated from school and obtained her navigator's license, leaving countless people speechless.

As a result, Shazo naturally recruited Nami into the Marine Corps, making her a glorious reserve Marine who began to receive more formal training and education.

Not only the 77th Branch, but the entire East Blue knows that Nami is a genius navigator chosen by Natsume and a female Marine who is expected to become a general in the future.

Nami's adoptive mother, Bellemere, was extremely pleased with this, while her older sister, Nojiko, was both happy and envious, planting a seed of determination in the girl's heart that she must become a Marine.

Now, 11-year-old Nami's dream is not to earn 1 million Berries, but to become a vice admiral in the Navy, just like Vice Admiral Tsuru, who can lead the high command of the Navy.

Xia Zuo, without making a sound or taking any initiative, brought the top navigator of the East China Sea under his command.

At the same time, he severed Nami's original destiny, cutting off her possibility of becoming a pirate.

However, that's not necessarily true.

If Shazo can no longer stay in the Navy and decides to join forces with Admiral Zephyr to establish a new Navy, Nami will have no choice but to go to sea with him and become a "pirate" for a period of time.

Not only Nami, but also Lieutenant Bellemere, Major Borg, Lieutenant Commander Faye, and even the entire Marines of the 77th Division, had no choice but to go to sea with Shazo if they didn't want to die in prison.

Even the spy sent by Admiral Akainu to infiltrate Division 77, Colonel Mers, a naval intelligence officer who had just been promoted to major, had to betray Akainu and become Shaza's pawn.

There's no way around it; the World Government is just that brutal, killing people indiscriminately without any regard for right or wrong.

A few days after returning to the 77th branch, Vice Admiral Garp personally arrived aboard the dog-headed giant ship.

The old man grabbed Xia Zuo and dragged him away, yelling in his loud voice, "Xia Zuo, kid, I'm here to fight you!"

Neither the 77th Division's navy nor the headquarters navy on the dog-headed warship dared to get close enough to witness the duel between the two admirals.

They all stayed obediently in the 77th branch, crowding the rooftops of various buildings or the masts of warships, gazing at the reefs near the horizon outside the naval port.

It used to be an uninhabited island, and it used to have trees, and lush coconut trees at that.

After Lieutenant General Garp visited the 77th Branch twice, the island was left with only a group of broken reefs.

The marines held their breath, awaiting the earth-shattering collision.