Zephyr took in Uta as his adopted daughter, openly acknowledging her as such. Unlike Kid and the others, who primarily knew Zephyr as the Man in the Mirror, Uta was known as Marine Zephyr's adopted daughter. Zephyr believed this identity would be better for Uta.
This news caused quite a stir in Marineford. After the tragic loss of his family to pirates, Zephyr had grown increasingly grim and even extreme in his hatred for pirates. His old friends like Garp, Sengoku, Kong, and Tsuru were happy about the news, hoping this little girl might return to the kind and gentle Zephyr of the past. Even Admiral Ann felt genuinely delighted for Zephyr. Young Uta quickly became the darling of Marineford.
However, Zephyr, primarily a Marine instructor now, still had to go out on missions. To prevent a repeat of the tragedy that occurred in Zephyr's family, Garp made a suggestion today.
"Why don't you let Uta grow up with my grandson in the East Blue?"
Garp patted Zephyr on the shoulder, speaking in his usual hearty manner.
Marineford, after all, wasn't the best environment for a child to grow up in, especially a young girl like Uta. Garp was concerned about the potential dangers, even in a place as secure as Marineford, which occasionally saw the presence of World Nobles.
"Forget it, Garp. The East Blue might be the weakest sea, but pirates still show up there frequently." Zephyr replied with a hint of irritation, "You should bring Luffy to Marineford!"
Luffy had just been born, and Garp had already sent him to the East Blue, which almost drove Zephyr mad. Zephyr saw Luffy as a future supernova, a beacon of hope for eradicating pirates, and naturally wanted him to grow up in Marineford's environment.
As for Luffy's father, Dragon, becoming a revolutionary, Zephyr didn't mind. After all, revolutionaries weren't pirates, and Zephyr saw it as a good thing if they gave the World Government a hard time.
Garp laughed, "You're overthinking it. Luffy needs a normal environment to grow up in, at least to have a childhood like any other kid."
"When he's older, I'll bring him here to become a strong Marine!"
Zephyr wanted to argue further but sighed, knowing Garp's stubbornness. However, Garp's words touched on something important.
Should Uta and Luffy get to know each other?
Zephyr believed he needed to keep an eye on Luffy's growth since the boy was destined for greatness.
Zephyr's understanding of the Ruler's Arcane Texts was still incomplete. While he had learned much from them, some things remained unclear, and he couldn't predict Luffy's future trajectory. He only knew that Luffy would play a pivotal role in the world's fate.
Garp's idea made sense. Keeping Uta at Marineford wasn't ideal.
Zephyr's deep hatred for pirates had influenced his every decision. Initially, he adopted Uta with a sense of utility. But spending time with her, he grew genuinely fond of her, just as he did with Kid and the other children he secretly took in.
He wanted to provide these children with a better environment in which to grow up.
Reflecting on Garp's suggestion, Zephyr finally agreed, "You're right. Uta can't stay in Marineford forever. She will be a Marine, but she deserves a normal and happy childhood first."
Garp was delighted, "Exactly! No need to be so harsh on kids!"
Zephyr glanced at Garp helplessly, "Your grandson is in a remote village in the East Blue, right? Are you sure it's safe?"
"It's definitely safe," Garp affirmed, "I regularly clean up the area."
Zephyr thought it over. Given their frequent visits, no pirate would dare venture into that territory.
Still, the memory of his family's fate left him uneasy. Those pirates targeted his wife and son, and if they knew about Uta, they might come after her for revenge.
Regrettably, the Blue Dream organisation was still in its infancy, with no one ready to be deployed for such a task.
Zephyr decided to have the Man in the Mirror secretly watch things.
With that, he felt at ease and agreed to Garp's proposal.
"Fine, I'll go with you to the East Blue in a few days."
Besides this, Zephyr also intended to visit the Music Kingdom of Elegia to investigate the secrets about the demon and the shard of the Shikon Jewel.
Meanwhile, as Zephyr considered Uta, Luffy, and Elegia, Shanks stayed in the North Blue for some time.
He was searching for the ice demon, Killgar. Shanks knew little about Killgar and his ties to the fire demon's son, Little Dragon. Killgar had even cooperated with the Marines once.
But despite finding traces of Killgar, Shanks hadn't located him yet. Confirming that Killgar was in the North Blue, Shanks remained patient, knowing he had time to find him.
With the power of the Ace of Spades, Shanks was much stronger than his original counterpart, and he quickly developed his abilities with the card's help. Even if Killgar didn't want to talk and chose to fight, Shanks felt confident enough to hold his ground.
He didn't expect that this search would take not months but years.
Moreover, before finding Killgar, he unexpectedly encountered someone he never thought he'd meet again.
Kenshin Himura!