Zephyr became an Admiral at age 38, during Gol D. Roger and Edward Newgate's golden age. By this time, he had become very popular with his subordinates. He got married, and a year later, his son was born.
Zephyr's happiness was ended prematurely when a pirate murdered his wife and son three years later. Zephyr wanted to resign from the Marines, but he was eventually persuaded to stay as an instructor. He trained many cadets, most of whom would ascend the Marines bureaucracy in both power and status.
Twenty-three years after the death of his loved ones, Zephyr's arm was cut off by a pirate who had a Devil Fruit power, and his entire division was massacred with only Ain and Binz surviving. At age 70, Zephyr received his mechanical arm from a government scientist and began hunting down pirates with Devil Fruit powers.