Chapter 132 Teacher and Student
At Marineford, many Marines turned pale as they witnessed this scene. Their anger and the despair emanating from Zephyr's cries were uncontrollable. This was what Weevil had done, not only killing so many Marines but also broke Zephyr spirit.
And yet, despite all that, Weevil had now become one of the Shichibukai, their "comrade."
This filled them with overwhelming rage and deep helplessness, lingering in the hearts of every Marine.
This shouldn't have happened! Things shouldn't have turned out like this!... They thought as they watched the desperate Zephyr in the footage.
Garp's voice continued, "Zephyr's trainee ship for new recruits was attacked Weevil. In the end, only two recruits survived, and Zephyr himself lost his right arm."
"Afterward, the Marine scientists provided him with a weapon specially designed to eliminate Devil Fruit users. He formed a pirate guerrilla group with his surviving disciples, hunting down pirates everywhere. Even so, he remained in the Marine at that time, perhaps because he hadn't completely lost hope in our organization."
Garp sighed, "But the last hope of Zephyr, who had held on as a Marine member, eventually collapsed. The pirate who killed all his students back then became one of the Shichibukai, a force for the World Government. After that, Zephyr left the Marine and disappeared, only to reappear in the New World. Filled with hatred towards pirates and despair towards the Marine, he personally established a Neo Marine force. The harsh reality changed that man. "
In the footage, Zephyr appeared before everyone wearing sunglasses and with his hair standing on end. This was Zephyr after descending into despair and turning to extremism.
Their mood became incredibly gloomy upon seeing Zephyr reemerge before them. Why? Why did this world turn a man full of love and justice into such a mad extremist?
They wouldn't have believed it if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes. This man exuded an aura of defiance, completely different from the vibrant, gentle man he had once been.
The footage on the screen continued playing.
The scene shifted to an island, and from the situation on the island, one could immediately tell it was under Marine control.
In the next second, the transformed Zephyr engaged in battle with the Marine. The former members of the pirate guerrilla group also changed their attire, donning uniforms with the emblem of the NEO Marine—a Marine seagull logo inverted below a skull symbolizing pirates, with a sword piercing through both the seagull and the skull.
It symbolized Zephyr's dual hatred for the Marine and the pirates.
After a fierce fight, Zephyr entered the Marine's arsenal, and the camera focused on the explosive Dyna stones mentioned by Luke earlier.
The scene shifted to the appearance of Kizaru, who served as reinforcement. He engaged in a battle with Zephyr to prevent the NEO Marine from taking the explosive stones.
Both sides fought fiercely, and Zephyr demonstrated his strength as a former Admiral. Even Kizaru couldn't gain the upper hand against him. However, Zephyr was getting old. After a series of clashes, he began to experience breathing difficulties.
Seizing the opportunity, Kizaru used his Glint-Glint Fruit to create a light sword and attacked Zephyr, but Zephyr blocked the strike.
Realizing that continuing the fight would not be in his favor, Zephyr triggered the explosive dyna stone. An instant explosion engulfed the entire island, and endless volcanic lava erupted. The first island of ENDPOINT was destroyed.
Kizaru appeared again, looking at the destroyed ENDPOINT, and said in his usual exaggerated tone, "What a headache. I've been trick."
In the next scene, Aokiji, riding a bicycle, passed by in the distance, muttering, "Seriously, what is the Marine up to?"
Seeing the aftermath of ENDPOINT's destruction, people finally realized that Zephyr was planning to destroy all three ENDPOINTs, the New World, and ONE PIECE.
They couldn't imagine what the world would become if he succeeded. It would turn into a living hell.
The group of Marine officers at the Marineford looked at Zephyr, exhausted after his fight with Kizaru, and their faces showed a mix of sympathy. They didn't want to see their teacher fighting, especially in his old age and weakened state.
This scene made them even more sorrowful.
Watching Zephyr fight Kizaru while admonishing him not to rely too much on his abilities reminded them of their past as students, and it made them feel even more downhearted.
---
After the explosion, the scene shifted to a pirate ship. It was undoubtedly the Straw Hat Pirates, two years later. Luffy and his crew appeared before them.
Immediately, the Straw Hat crew rescued Zephyr, who had lost consciousness due to the blast.
Seeing this, everyone realized that a great battle was inevitable.
As expected, when Zephyr woke up and found out that pirates had saved him, he was extremely surprised. With his hatred for pirates, Zephyr attack the Straw Hat crew, and a fight happen. Even though Zephyr was heavily injured, he could still hold his own against the Straw Hats.
At that moment, the NEO Pirates also arrived, and a battle ensued. The Straw Hat Pirates were overwhelmed by NEO's firepower and combat strength, and they were on the brink of annihilation. However, their ship emitted exhaust from the stern, allowing them to escape the range of the NEO Marine's attacks.
But this battle also caused heavy losses for the Straw Hat Pirates. Their ship was damaged, and some of their crew members were turned into children due to the effects of Devil Fruit abilities. So, Luffy and his crew wanted to seek revenge against Zephyr and his group.
With the first ENDPOINT destroyed, Admiral Akainu, the fleet admiral of the Marine, called for an emergency meeting, intending to stop Zephyr's actions. Thus, the battle to protect the second ENDPOINT began.
Zephyr alone ascended the island and faced numerous Marine ambushes. However, they were no match for him. Zephyr triggered an explosion in the volcano, and it wouldn't take long for the island to be completely destroyed. Just then, the Straw Hat Pirates arrived, and a battle between Luffy and Zephyr ensued... but they failed, and Zephyr took Luffy's straw hat.
Ultimately, before the second island was completely destroyed, Aokiji froze the volcano, buying time to evacuate the island's residents.
Aokiji's behavior here refreshed people's view of him and earned him considerable goodwill. Despite his abuse of authority, he still seemed like a good person.
After the second battle, Zephyr and his group arrived at a resting place near an island. Despite destroying two ENDPOINTs, there was no sign of joy on the NEO Marine's ship. Each person wore a worried expression, including Zephyr's two closest disciples, Ain and Binz. Even Zephyr himself had an indelible sense of melancholy on his face.
At this moment, a man's singing voice echoed through the silent morning, carrying a faint touch of sadness.
Zephyr woke up from his rest and disembarked from the marine vessel, refusing Ain and the others' company. He walked alone onto the island...
At this point, people finally saw clearly who the singing man was. It was Ex-Admiral Aokiji.
Aokiji had already appeared multiple times before this, even helping to prevent the eruption of the volcano on the second island, saving countless lives. It was apparent that Aokiji had been paying attention to this matter for a long time.
Could it be that he wanted to stop his own teacher from going down the wrong path?
---
In the image, on the edge of a cliff, there was a solitary grave before Aokiji. There were no tombstones, only a collection of swords, indicating that it was a new grave constructed from the remains of fallen Marine soldiers during the destruction of the second ENDPOINT.
Zephyr walked alone towards Aokiji, stopping several meters away. Along with his pause, Aokiji's singing voice also stopped.
Aokiji seemed to know that it was Zephyr who had come, and without turning his head, he said, "I really hate this song, Teacher. Singing in praise of the fallen Marine, it's not fun at all."
As he spoke, Aokiji tossed a bottle of alcohol toward Zephyr, and Zephyr caught it.
"This is a drink you really like, right?"
"Yeah, this drink is the most badass," Zephyr replied.
"I've been drinking it too, trying to become a cool man like you."
As soon as Aokiji's words fell in the image, the sound of sobbing echoed through the Marineford. Aokiji had said exactly what they wanted to say. When they were young, they all aspired to become cool men like Zephyr.
But why... why did things have to develop to this extent?
Zephyr had taken things to the extreme, and yet they still had to face each other in battle!
---
"Are you here to lecture the stubborn old men?" Zephyr looked at Aokiji. "Sorry, I won't stop."
"Do you want to die?" Aokiji asked.
"If it really comes to that, I can't do anything about it. It's all for the sake of eradicating the evil pirates. The Marine cannot uphold true justice."
"Sorry, I'm busy right now. Let's have a drink together next time we meet. Alright, let's go. I don't want to kill you," Zephyr said to Aokiji.
"Same here, Teacher Zephyr," Aokiji sighed, and frost covered his arm.
As they saw a battle about to unfold, Aokiji looked at Zephyr for a long time. His clenched fist gradually relaxed, and the frost disappeared.
Silently, Aokiji walked past Zephyr.
In the end, he couldn't bring himself to attack.
Seeing Aokiji's departing figure, no one was surprised. Compared to the other two admirals, this man was too sentimental and too softhearted.
He was a good person but couldn't be considered a competent Marine officer.
As they watched the two figures part ways, an indescribable sadness lingered in everyone's hearts.
In reality, Aokiji watched this scene in silence. At the same time, Sengoku shook his head helplessly and turned to Garp.