NOVEL NEXT Chapter 329: You, Why Are You Here?
Boom...
A series of dull, earth-shaking rumbles echoed from somewhere far across the island.
Zephyr, who had been studying a map in his bedroom, flinched at the sound. His eyebrows rose as he turned to look out the window, gaze fixed on the direction of the coast.
Seeing golden sword light repeatedly shooting into the night sky, he paused for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Gion really has a temper. Daren's leaving tomorrow, and she's still not letting him off tonight..."
As Gion's teacher, Zephyr had practically watched her grow up. He knew her personality all too well.
Once she got mad, there was no holding her back.
"I almost feel bad for that brat Daren..."
With a sigh, Zephyr closed the window and quietly returned to studying the map.
About half an hour later, Zephyr stretched his back and rose from his chair, thinking he might step outside to get some fresh air.
It had been years since he'd operated at sea. After retiring from the front lines, now he was planning to build a military force from scratch—an uphill task by any standard.
This world map was just the beginning.
Navigation, troop recruitment, training new soldiers, global politics...
Even though Zephyr was already intimately familiar with all of it as a chief instructor at the military academy, he still reexamined everything with meticulous care.
As the leader of a brand-new army, he wasn't just responsible for his own life—he also carried the responsibility for every subordinate who chose to follow him.
So, he had to be cautious about everything.
Lost in thought, Zephyr stepped out of the mansion courtyard.
The moment he exited the doorway, he spotted a figure emerging from the jungle.
It was Gion.
Her hair was disheveled, and her steps were weak, almost unsteady.
"Gion?"
Gion froze for a second, clearly not expecting to run into Zephyr. She panicked slightly.
"Z-Zephyr-sensei."
Zephyr frowned as he took in her unstable posture.
"Are you hurt?" he asked with concern.
In the dim light, a blush spread across Gion's delicate face.
"Y-Yeah... just a little. I twisted my ankle."
She stammered.
The darkness masked the red hue on her face, and Zephyr didn't catch her expression.
Instead, he scowled and said with a hint of irritation,
"That brat Daren... even if it's training, he should know to hold back! How could he go so hard on you?"
At the mention of "training," Gion seemed to recall something—her ears instantly turned crimson, red enough to drip.
"Don't worry, I'll give him a good lesson later!"
When Gion didn't respond, Zephyr assumed she was feeling upset. He patted his chest and said in a deep voice,
"I'll take care of it."
"I-It's fine, Zephyr-sensei."
Gion pressed her lips together, avoiding his gaze.
"I'm going to rest now."
She staggered past him, heading deeper into the courtyard.
Zephyr watched her back, and a flash of helplessness passed through his weathered eyes.
"She really is too strong-willed..."
Even if she wanted to catch up to that brat's pace, she didn't have to push herself so hard.
After all, not everyone was a monster like Daren.
Zephyr shook his head and turned, intending to continue his walk—
Only to see another figure emerge from the jungle.
"Daren?"
He stared at the young man leaning against a tree trunk, his steps unsteady, and asked in confusion,
"You hurt too?"
Daren: ???
…
Two days later.
New World, Wano Country.
Onigashima, Research Institute.
"Don't lose weight, don't lose weight, this is my funk style!"
"As long as that bastard Daren isn't around, my life is paradise!"
Wearing black-and-white suspenders, the fat man Queen hummed a cheerful rap, grinning as he tinkered with dozens of test tubes on the lab table.
"Kaidou-san went on patrol, so I didn't get beat up today!"
As he mixed the reagents, bubbles began to rise furiously in the glass tubes.
When he hit a line he liked, his butt started to sway in rhythm as he broke into a little dance.
Behind him, pirates in gas masks and protective suits chuckled as they chimed in.
"Queen-sama seems to be in a great mood!"
"Of course! The Ice Oni Virus is about to see a major breakthrough!"
"Its infectivity and destructive power have increased by at least 30% compared to before!"
"Queen-sama is the most brilliant scientist in the world!"
"..."
Their enthusiastic praise made Queen feel like he was floating on air.
"Damn right! Do you guys even know who I am?"
Queen laughed, raising a test tube of glowing blue liquid, puffing out his belly, and exhaling cigar smoke from his nostrils.
"This stuff? It'd kill a dragon on the spot, let alone a human!"
"I bet even Kaidou-san couldn't handle this enhanced Ice Oni Virus!"
"Hahahahaha!"
He burst into smug laughter—
But quickly realized he was the only one laughing.
"Why aren't you laughing?"
He glared at the crew in front of him—
Only to see all of them staring dead ahead, eyes fixed behind him, faces drained of color, trembling uncontrollably.
"Oh? The virus has been enhanced? Mind if I give it a try?"
A deep, calm voice tinged with amusement suddenly echoed through the lab.
Queen's pupils shrank to pinpricks. It was like a bolt of lightning struck his brain.
In an instant, nightmarish images—countless terrifying scenes—rushed back into his mind, making the fat on his face tremble like jelly.
"No... no, this can't be real..."
Right in front of his stunned subordinates—
Smack!
He suddenly slapped himself hard across the face.
Pain.
Queen jolted back to reality.
This wasn't a dream!
"You—what the hell are you doing here!?"
He let out a shrill cry and spun around.
But all he caught was a blur—
And the next thing he knew, the test tube of bubbling blue liquid was gone from his hand.
Queen's eyes widened.
That black-haired young man from his nightmares—Daren—was standing there, unscrewing the test tube with a fiery gleam in his eyes.
Then, without hesitation, he tilted his head back and downed it all in one gulp.
Again!?
Daren chugged the virus, let out a satisfied burp, and frowned slightly as he muttered to himself:
"Doesn't really hit that hard... not even as strong as Magellan's poison."
He smacked his lips.
Twin streams of purple-blue gas hissed from his nostrils.
Then he grinned at the dumbfounded, suspender-wearing Queen.
"Got anything stronger?"
The other pirates saw that demonic smile and shuddered in unison, backing away step by step.
"N-No, that's all!"
They all spoke in unison, heads shaking like rattles.
Queen, who had also backed away a step, flushed red.
"Why the hell are you here, you bastard!?"
But the moment the words left his mouth, he realized something was off—
His subordinates were staring straight at him.
So—
Queen abruptly pointed in a random direction.
"Kaidou-sama is patrolling the Kuri region!
You'd better get lost right now, and I'll pretend I didn't see anything!
Otherwise... I won't go easy on you!"
...
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