Baltigo.

"Hey, hey, hey! Can you two at least try to be a little more careful here...?"

Dragon looked down at himself, wrapped tightly in bandages like a rice dumpling, and groaned in exasperation.

Kuma scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry… I'm just too clumsy."

He lifted a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, but suddenly staggered and collapsed to the ground, completely drained.

"Kuma, you okay?!"

Ivankov rushed over in alarm.

Kuma shook his head.

"I'm fine. Just overexerted myself a bit."

Dragon glanced at him, falling silent.

In truth, it wasn't just Kuma. After the battle on Philseque Island, even he and Ivankov were running on empty.

Only a monster like Daren could recover so quickly and immediately set off again for Marine Headquarters.

As for his reason for going back, Dragon knew it all too well.

Daren's wife, Amatsuki Toki, was still trapped in Marineford.

"But why didn't Daren-san just order the floating fleet to go back and pick up his wife?" Kuma asked, puzzled.

Dragon let out a sigh.

"Knowing him, the only explanation is that the fleet has other critical duties."

"Besides, Daren is a very smart man. And smart men tend to be suspicious."

"Amatsuki Toki is far too important to him. He wouldn't entrust her rescue to anyone else—not even the fleet he personally raised."

"...But he still chose to trust Zephyr," Ivankov suddenly said.

Dragon smiled.

"That's right. He chose to trust Zephyr-sensei."

"In fact, you could say... Zephyr-sensei is the only person in this sea whom he trusts unconditionally."

"To be honest, I was surprised too. Daren's personality is practically the opposite of Zephyr-sensei's. And yet, he trusts him this much."

The future leader of the Revolutionary Army slowly lifted his head, gazing at the snow drifting through the high, distant sky, a soft smile on his face.

"But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense."

"What do you mean?" Kuma and Ivankov asked in unison.

Dragon paused, then said slowly,

"Black Arm Zephyr is a hero who stands tall and proud."

"Even the worst scum show their highest respect and trust to a hero like that."

...

Black lightning and golden light from the Buddha form clashed and twined through the battlefield as two towering figures collided again and again, unleashing shockwaves that tore through the air.

The ground beneath them cracked and shattered without pause. Deep fissures devoured the remains of crumbling buildings around them like an earthquake ripping through the city.

The nearby Marines watched in horror as the two men, having thrown all defense aside, battled with reckless abandon. None of them dared to breathe too loudly.

They couldn't believe it—two of the most revered Marine veterans were locked in a brutal fight under these circumstances!

"Zephyr! Step aside right now! I don't want to kill you with my own hands!"

Sengoku roared, his eyes bloodshot as the golden Buddha form unleashed a massive palm strike toward Zephyr.

Boom!!

A wave of golden force erupted like a hurricane, but was abruptly stopped by a violent whirlwind whipped up by Zephyr's lone arm.

"With your level? One hand is more than enough!"

Zephyr burst into laughter, his aura continuing to surge even higher.

Facing Zephyr's overwhelming momentum, Sengoku grit his teeth and charged in head-on.

But deep down, his heart sank.

Damn it...

Zephyr's Conqueror's Haki had only just awakened. And yet Sengoku was stunned to find his opponent's presence growing more dominant with every exchange—so much so that it was gradually starting to suppress his own.

Had he not seen it for himself, Sengoku would've never believed someone's aura could rise this fast.

It made no sense.

Boom!

They collided again. Elbows clashed, bursting the rain apart in a blinding wave.

"Zephyr, you know this isn't the time to be reckless!"

Sengoku's eyes burned with a mix of desperation and fury, his pupils rimmed with blood as he locked onto Zephyr and growled in a low voice.

"If you keep this up, I won't be able to protect you either!"

He quickly scanned the battlefield.

Led by Gion and Tokikake, the cadets were already locked in a fierce clash with Sengoku's forces. The fighting was intense, with both sides locked in a bitter struggle.

"The government isn't going to let that brat Daren off the hook. He's pushed things too far this time!"

Zephyr burst out laughing.

"Funny, I was thinking the same—except it's the government that Daren won't let off easy!"

Then he launched another punch.

Stubborn old bastard!

Sengoku cursed him silently.

"Then don't blame me for what happens next!"

Black lightning wrapped around their fists, and their admiral cloaks billowed in the wind.

They struck at the same time!

Boom!

Boom!

Their fists landed clean on each other's faces.

Both Sengoku and Zephyr were blasted back like cannonballs, slamming into the ground and carving out two massive craters.

Their faces visibly swelled, blood trickled from their mouths, and they gasped for breath.

Sengoku wiped the blood from his lips, eyes still locked on Zephyr, and raised a sharp military gesture.

Swish, swish, swish!

Hundreds of Marines raised their rifles at once, cold muzzles trained on Zephyr.

"So you've made your choice, huh? Even if it means dying, you'll stop me... Zephyr!"

Blood dripped steadily from Zephyr's severed arm. His body wavered, but his pale face lit up with a bold, unyielding smile.

"If I've made my choice, then I'll see it through... That's what a real man does."

"And besides, Sengoku..."

He took a deep breath, forcing his injured body upright, eyes blazing red.

"I was the one who gave that child his name."

Sengoku fell silent.

The rain kept falling, harsh and ceaseless, like it would never stop.

The two men stood across from each other, locked in silent confrontation.

All the surrounding Marines paused, unmoving in the storm, awaiting Sengoku's order.

"...Then we have no choice, Zephyr."

Sengoku's voice suddenly turned hoarse and heavy. His clenched fists trembled.

"A soldier's duty is to obey."

It wasn't just to convince Zephyr—it sounded like he was trying to convince himself, and the pained, conflicted Marines around him.

"To follow orders from the government without question... that's the core of our duty as Marines."

At those words, the soldiers and officers averted their gazes, their eyes red and teeth clenched hard.

The admiral's voice echoed out, colder than the storm itself.

"Former Admiral and current Chief Instructor of the Marine Academy, Zephyr... for refusing to obey government orders, I hereby issue a temporary arrest warrant in the name of the Marine Headquarters."

"Execute immediately!"

The moment the words dropped, it was as if lightning had struck the entire battlefield.

Gion staggered back, pale, murmuring, "No..."

One second...

Two...

Three...

Then the Marines began to move.

One after another, cold steel was drawn. Their sabers glinted under the freezing rain.

"We're sorry, Zephyr-sensei."

"It's an order..."

"Please forgive us..."

"I'm sorry..."

Hands trembling, the Marines stepped forward, swords gripped tight, approaching the man they respected more than anyone else.

Their faces were a storm of emotions—pain, hesitation, guilt, anger, confusion—all bleeding together until it melted into numbness beneath the rain.

No matter how much their hearts screamed in resistance, their bodies moved on their own.

Because that obedience to the World Government's authority—the submission drilled into them through years of training—was etched into their very souls.

"Good."

Looking at the faces of the students he'd trained, twisted with anguish, Zephyr suddenly smiled with pride.

If they'd chosen their path, then they had to see it through.

Even if the one standing in their way was once their own teacher.

Zephyr grinned wide and clenched his lone fist.

"Come on, then!!"

With a burst of force, he dashed forward.

"Let me teach you one final lesson!"

The Marines gritted their teeth and charged.

Just as both sides were about to collide—

Boom!

A blinding flash of energy slammed into the earth like a lightning strike, sending a massive tremor through the battlefield.

A blast of dust and debris erupted, halting both sides in their tracks, their faces filled with shock.

They stared at the rising smoke ahead—and slowly, their eyes widened.

A black blade, its surface laced with violet flame patterns, was driven deep into the ground.

Like an unscalable wall, it stood between the two forces.

"What... is that?"

"That sword..."

"Enma!!"

Gasps spread through the Marines as panic swept over their ranks. They looked around frantically, searching for a familiar presence.

"Sorry, but today's not a good day for lessons..."

A calm voice, tinged with amusement, echoed from high above Marineford.

"This final lesson will have to wait, Zephyr-sensei."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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