137 Chapter 136 The Fifth Option: Resurrection
Meanwhile, the Marines at Marineford also heard the contents of First Reward and simultaneously learned about the disappearance of the Explosive Dyna stones from the arsenal.
All eyes were fixed on Zephyr, filled with a desperate hope that he wouldn't choose this reward, or else the future they saw would become a reality.
The situation on the marine ship was also restless.
Zephyr looked at Luke with a strange expression when he heard about the reward. He felt a hint of malicious intent in it, as if he was being encouraged to destroy the Endpoint.
In the past, he might have chosen this reward, but now his thoughts had changed. Even if he destroyed the New World, killed all the pirates, and destroyed One Piece, it would be meaningless.
Because the people of the New World would be dead, the ones he wanted to protect would be dead. Did justice still hold any value?
So he had already made up his mind to embark on another path, a path he had always insisted on but had lost his way. He would train young Marines, believe in them, believe in the next generation, believe in the future, and uphold his beliefs.
He believed that one day, the future Marines would inherit his ideals and truly bring peace to the world, eradicating pirates from this world.
He wouldn't have any regrets anymore, and he didn't want his students to mourn or cry for him.
As their teacher, he would be their umbrella of protection.
This time, they were not fighting for him but fighting alongside him for a common belief — justice.
Behind Zephyr, the members of the Pirate guerrilla Organization looked at him with concern when they heard that the reward was Explosive Dyna stones. Smoker furrowed his brow, afraid that Zephyr would repeat his past mistakes.
"Teacher Zephyr..." Smoker began to speak.
But Zephyr interrupted him, "Smoker, you don't need to worry."
Zephyr looked at Luke and said, "I won't choose this option. I won't do such things anymore. Please continue with the other rewards."
Zephyr's answer made many people who heard his words breathe a sigh of relief.
Luke continued, "Now for the second reward: five bottles of Healing Potion. It can heal any illness and injuries. Considering your current physical condition, it can help restore your health. Moreover, the Healing Potion has no usage limit. Although they have the same effect, they can be used repeatedly."
The Pirate guerrilla Organization members' eyes brightened at this reward. As Zephyr grew older, the accumulated injuries and illnesses from his youth worsened, and his health deteriorated.
He needed recuperation, but even after suffering a tremendous blow, Zephyr still chose to set sail. At this rate, Zephyr wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer, and the students had been worried about it.
They had thought about healing Zephyr's illness before, but chronic injuries were not easily treatable. Even Ain's Back-Back Fruit ability had no effect. Zephyr's body was already like a withered tree, rotten from within.
Moreover, the Back-Back Fruit's ability was limited. Although it could temporarily restore Zephyr's youth, any injuries sustained with a young body would worsen once Ain's ability disappeared. It was just a temporary solution.
So when they heard about the Healing Potion, they all became excited. It was the reward that Zephyr needed most at the moment, the reward they had always wanted to give him.
"Teacher Zephyr!" Binz, Ainz, and the others exclaimed excitedly.
Zephyr nodded. "Don't worry, let's finish hearing the rest first."
Finally, a smile appeared on Zephyr's face. Even without the Life Potion, with the Healing Potion, he could gain more time to pursue what he wanted to do. He could let go and do what he desired.
Luke continued, "The third reward: one bottle of Enhanced Healing Potion. Its effect is stronger than the regular version. It can not only heal injuries and illnesses but also regenerate severed limbs. Even if there's only a single head left, you can be saved."
"Not only that, it can even rejuvenate the body and extend one's lifespan. Although the effect is not as potent as the Life Potion, it can add around ten more years."
When the third reward was announced, the entire ship became excited. The Pirate guerrilla Organization saw a glimmer of hope.
Regenerating severed limbs and extending lifespan—what did that mean? Everyone understood.
Black Arm Zephyr was about to come back!
Zephyr clenched his prosthetic arm, feeling incredibly excited. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way. If he could truly regenerate his right arm and have another ten years, he had confidence that he could create a Neo Marine for this world, forging a brand-new future!
Compared to the excitement of Zephyr and his group, the faces of the Five Elder in Mariejois suddenly changed.
An Enhanced Healing Potion was given to Zephyr as a reward. Did that not mean another Whitebeard would appear?
No, this was even more dangerous than Whitebeard because, in the end, Whitebeard was just a pirate who couldn't shake the world government's control.
However, Zephyr, this guy, wanted to do something that would shake the world government's control. In other words, he was another Dragon, and even more dangerous than Dragon.
Given ten years to Dragon, the Revolutionary Army didn't cause much of a stir. But if Zephyr were given ten years, he might really create a Neo Marine, and then the position of the world government's Marine wouldn't be guaranteed!
This was bad. The situation was already slipping out of their control.
They thought Zephyr was in the twilight of his life, and disposing of him wouldn't be a big deal. But now it seemed like they had stirred up a hornet's nest.
No!
Zephyr must be eliminated immediately. If they let him escape, it would be troublesome to deal with him later.
Moreover, the biggest threat to Zephyr's existence was that he was the teacher of the current high-ranking Marines. If he pulled together a Neo Marine, the Five Elder couldn't guarantee that these guys wouldn't defect.
That would be a huge problem.
They were wary of Zephyr's influence on the Marines, and that's why they wanted to get rid of him. Now, it seemed like their concerns were justified. This guy's influence was indeed troublesome!
Under the orders of the Five Elder, a CP0 team set sail to capture Zephyr. Meanwhile, Kizaru and Akainu remained behind. They, along with Mariejois's Cipher Pol members, were searching for the Explosive Dyna Stones.
They didn't want to let Luke distract them and let Mariejois get blown up.
While the Five Elder wore unpleasant expressions, the mood among the Marines was more complex. On one hand, they were happy that their teacher had a chance to recover, but on the other hand, they were worried about how this would end.
Sengoku looked sternly at Zephyr on the screen. If Zephyr regained his health and his right arm, he definitely wouldn't surrender. He would leave the Marines.
In the future, Zephyr's Neo Marine would undoubtedly clash with the World Government, and their Marine would become enemies with Zephyr's Marine.
Sengoku couldn't figure out what to do now.
If Zephyr successfully left, perhaps he could establish a Marine with a true sense of justice, one that wasn't controlled by the World Government. In that case, Sengoku would be happy for Zephyr and the world.
He hoped that Zephyr wouldn't repeat his past mistakes. One experience with grief was enough; there was no need to relive it in reality.
...
Zephyr suppressed his excitement, almost choosing the third option right away. However, he was curious about what came next.
He had plenty of time to make a choice; he wasn't in a hurry.
Luke continued, "The fourth reward option is the use the Pluton for one hour, just like before."
When they heard "Pluton," many people's eyes lit up.
But for Zephyr, it wasn't what he wanted.
Zephyr continued to look at Luke, waiting for the fifth answer.
"The last option, you can choose to resurrect a person related to you."
As soon as these words were spoken, they caused a sensation worldwide.
It wasn't the first time they had heard about resurrection from Luke's mouth. They had even witnessed Ace's mother being resurrected by Luke.
This event had left them greatly shocked.
Many people wanted to participate in the QnA live stream to resurrect their loved ones, friends, and lovers...
During Robin's QnA live stream, they had expected resurrection to be one of the rewards, but it didn't appear. Instead, the option of using the Pluton was presented.
They didn't expect it to appear this time.
Zephyr could choose to resurrect someone related to him.
The world had seen Zephyr's past through questions and images, and countless people felt sorrow for the hardships he had endured. If it weren't for these hardships, this man wouldn't have ended up in such a situation.
And the two biggest blows in his life were the deaths of his wife and children and the tragic deaths of his students.
If there was a chance to resurrect them, even if it was just one of them, it would surely bring some comfort to this man's heart.
However, they suddenly noticed a blind spot in Luke's words.
Choosing to resurrect one person seemed different from the previous reward given to Whitebeard.
They remembered that last time it was said to randomly resurrect one person, but this time, the word "random" seemed to be missing. Did Luke overlook it?
People looked at Luke with some confusion.
At this moment, when Zephyr heard that he could resurrect someone related to him, his heart trembled. The faces of his wife, children, and students flashed before his eyes.
He didn't have much time to reminisce, but he also noticed Luke's wording.
