Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 134 A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!

In Professor Zefa's courtyard.

When Bane and his group entered, Zephyr had already disassembled and put back the mechanical arm that was originally attached to him. He looked very relaxed, sitting under the shade of a tree drinking tea.

"Godfather," Bane greeted with a smile as he entered.

Zephyr nodded with satisfaction at Bane, but then his expression darkened. "I just told you not to take too many risks, and yet here you are on the battlefield, using the ferocity of war and the pressure from Kaido to put yourself in danger. Does Conqueror's Haki have to be awakened like this?"

Upon hearing this, Bane scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, then said sheepishly, "It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing."

"So many people have died because of this kind of impulsive decision!" Zephyr glared at Bane, but ultimately gave him face, saying, "Go back and reflect on your actions!"

"Understood." Bane finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Zephyr spoke up, saying, "I don't know much about the training of Conqueror's Haki. Actually, back then, I felt I had the ambition and aptitude, but..."

At this point, a look of deep sorrow returned to Zefa's eyes.

Bane knew what the story behind it was: his family was destroyed and his people died.

He didn't know how to comfort Zefa, but it was clear that Zefa didn't need anyone's comfort. He quickly adjusted his emotions and said, "That guy Sengoku is good at this. You should be shameless and go ask him whenever you have time. For my sake, he will teach you some relevant techniques."

Compared to the various naval leaders whose Conqueror's Haki might actually exist or not, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's Haki was definitely real!

He possesses the qualities of a king and the domineering aura of a conqueror!

This can be seen from the justice he upholds. This Grand Marshal appears to be gentle on the surface, but in reality, he is a very domineering person. His justice is the justice of "ruling the world"!

"Hey, that's perfect timing. He'll need to come to me again soon, so I'll just make a request to him then," Bane agreed with a smile.

Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Bane just forgot about this matter, otherwise he would have made it a request. I'm sure the Warring States Marshal wouldn't refuse such a thing. Fortunately, after returning, he still had his adoptive father's earnest advice, so he didn't miss the opportunity.

"What does Sengoku want you to do?" Zefa asked curiously, after a moment of surprise.

"It's about Impeldon, but I don't have the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit." Bane quickly told Zephyr about his 'conspiracy' with Sengoku.

After listening, Zephyr nodded in agreement, saying, "I've said it before, we should get rid of those pirates wasting food in Impel Down. Now it seems those scumbags are actually quite useful. And what Sengoku said makes a lot of sense. It's true that I've been able to rely on you for a while, but in the meantime, you'd better build up your prestige and connections as soon as possible. As the saying goes, 'Mountains crumble, people run away,' it all comes down to this."

"People must rely on themselves!" Bane replied firmly.

Zephyr was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, "That's right!"

Next, Zephyr pushed Bane aside and began to lecture them one by one, going over Zoro, Waver, and Fubuki in detail. Even Nami, who hadn't participated in the battle, was tested on her knowledge of naval navigation. Afterward, Zephyr exchanged some insights with Issho about the fierce battle with Whitebeard, helping Issho digest the benefits and experiences gained from the fight.

It must be said that Yixiao may not be weaker than Zefa in terms of strength, but Zefa is truly amazing in education. After several exchanges, Yixiao has benefited immensely.

After reciting a few words to everyone and thoroughly indulging his role as a teacher, Zefa lit a cigar and asked, "Aren't you going to rest? Is there something else you want to discuss with me?"

Bane tried several times to take away his cigar, but in the end he didn't. Oh well, let the old man enjoy himself a little longer. Anyway, he'll be going to get medical treatment soon. This is the only hobby the old man has. What can he do?

"Well, it's like this, Godfather, Marshal Sengoku just confided some 'heartfelt words' to me." Bane quickly brought up the matter of the 'General Candidate'.

"Do I have one too?" Yixiao asked excitedly upon hearing this.

He had always wanted to achieve a higher position in the navy, and that so-called naval captain was simply a joke; of course, he didn't approve of it.

The reason he wanted to seek a high position was not because he was a power-hungry person, but because he had always had an ambition in his heart: to abolish the Seven Warlords system!

This matter cannot be accomplished by strength alone; it requires a certain level of power and status to support it, which is why Yixiao was somewhat agitated.

At this point in time, Yixiao doesn't actually think he can become a general overnight. Without the World Government launching the "World Conscription," such thoughts are just "wishful thinking" and completely unrealistic.

He was actually quite satisfied with becoming a vice admiral and being ranked as a candidate for admiral.

We can try harder on the rest!

"So what are your thoughts?" Zephyr asked softly after slowly exhaling a puff of smoke.

Bane was genuinely hesitant at this moment. He frowned and said, "Well, I'm tempted, but..."

Who is Zefa?

That was true world-weariness. The moment Bane wore that expression, he immediately guessed what was going on, and his tone turned serious as he asked, "What future have you seen this time?"

Everyone present was one of their own. Although Zephyr didn't know that Bane could travel between worlds, he did know that Bane had some ability to see certain fragments of the future, something Bane had told him before.

So Bane didn't hide anything. He glanced at Yixiao and immediately released his powerful Observation Haki to survey the surroundings before nodding and saying, "It's alright."

Bane then spoke, "It's like this. From some of the footage I've seen, our navy has paid a heavy price in this war, and given the need to launch operations against the New World, in the not-too-distant future, probably within a year or six months, the World Government will order the Navy Headquarters to begin a global draft. This time, the situation is somewhat special; the global draft can provide two admiral positions. In other words, if we wait until the global draft to join the navy, after some competition and contestation, it's very likely we can directly become an admiral!"

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

Zephyr was stunned by these words and asked in astonishment, "Two generals? Why are there two generals? Even if Sengoku has retired, there should only be one general's position vacant!"

It's obvious that Zephyr knew about Sengoku's intention to retire.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku hoped to nominate Kuzan as the new Fleet Admiral, but Mary Geoise preferred Admiral Sakazuki. Neither admiral was willing to yield on this matter, so a great battle broke out over the Fleet Admiral's position. The final result was that Kuzan withdrew from the Navy," Bane said after considering the matter.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present fell silent.

Zefa's expression was so complex that it was hard to describe.

On the one hand, the fact that the two admirals had caused such a scene, with one of them even running away from home, made him feel quite ashamed, especially since both of them were his apprentices.

On the other hand, Zephyr is secretly contacting and winning over some of his old subordinates, and he already has plans to "rise up in rebellion". Now he heard that Kuzan will also leave the Navy later, and he is really tempted!

"This is truly beyond my expectations," Zephyr finally sighed.

Bane sighed slightly, then asked, "So, teacher, what should I do?"

"What's the point of making a decision?!" Zefa slammed his fist on the table. "You really don't remember anything I told you before? You've only grown muscles and not your brains, haven't you? Didn't I tell you that the future can't be completely controlled by anyone? As the saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. What you catch is real; everything else is just a 'possibility.' Let me ask you, can you really be sure that this future situation will definitely happen?"

To be honest, Bane certainly understood these principles, but sometimes, understanding doesn't mean you can make a decision quickly or be determined.

Everyone knows that studying hard and making progress every day is beneficial for entering society in the future, but what is the result?

Especially since Bane is indeed a bit unreliable. You could say he's smart, sometimes he's as smart as a devil, but sometimes he can be blinded by temporary gains and losses. After all, he's just a young man in his early twenties, so it's normal for him to have these shortcomings.

Zefa felt better after yelling at him.

Actually, he wasn't sure before either. After the Battle of Marineford turned out like this, with such drastic changes, would the World Military Conscription really proceed as he predicted?

It's impossible to be sure, so Zephyr is right.

A bird in the hand is worth more than a thousand birds in the forest!

(End of this chapter)