"I..." Kuzan's face flushed red as he opened his mouth to speak.
"Shut up."
Sakazuki and Daren cut him off coldly, in unison.
Kuzan looked genuinely aggrieved and pointed indignantly at Daren.
"What does this have to do with me?! Didn't you hear them? They're all here for you!"
Daren: "..."
He had no comeback for that.
But before he could say anything, Kuzan suddenly froze, realization dawning as he trembled slightly.
"All three of the legendary Great Pirates... and they're all after Daren..."
Daren's eye twitched.
Sure enough, Kuzan's eyes lit up like stars. He stared at Daren, his face full of awe and excitement.
"You really are my 'lifelong rival'... This is seriously cool!"
With that thought, an intense fighting spirit surged in Kuzan's chest, burning like wildfire.
"In that case... I've got to step up too."
He muttered under his breath, then suddenly raised his arm and pointed at the three monstrous figures looming in the sky. His voice rang out loud and bold:
"Come at us, Great Pirates!"
"Today, the four of us—Marine Headquarters' 'monsters'—are standing here! The noble justice we carry burns like fire... and evil like you will never prevail!"
Daren groaned and covered his forehead with a hand.
Please... can you not make things worse?
"Jihahahaha! You clueless Marine brats!"
Kuzan's taunt hit the mark. Shiki burst into a twisted laugh, rage dancing in his eyes.
He floated higher into the sky, gripping both blades tightly as he prepared to strike.
But Kaidou moved faster.
No—he was even more eager.
"Wororororo! Then try and block this, if you can!!"
The massive dragon soaring above let out a roar like rumbling thunder. Its mountain-sized head rose, jaws stretching wide in a feral snarl.
With a deep inhale—
Air visibly rushed into its belly, swirling like a vortex.
A terrifying, destructive energy built rapidly in its mouth. Amidst the howling winds and flashing lightning, a blood-red glow began to gather, radiating a murderous intensity.
This is...
Daren's pupils shrank.
That move!
"Daren!! Today, I'm going to kill you!!"
Kaidou bellowed, his icy killing intent pouring out in waves. The gathered flame in his mouth surged to its peak, then blasted forward in an explosive jet.
"Bolo Breath!!"
A roaring pillar of fire surged down from the heavens like a crimson river of destruction. The sheer heat warped the air around it.
The dark red blaze lit up the stormy sky, painting everything in shades of blood.
The overwhelming torrent of flame reflected in the eyes of Daren and the others, growing larger by the second. The scorching wave of heat slammed into them like a wall, searing their skin and leaving their throats parched.
Chapter 246: I Will Protect Him
"Dahahahaha! It's fire! You underestimate us too much!"
Kuzan laughed indifferently.
"Daren, you agree, right?"
"We are Marines who fight for justice, how can we retreat?"
His body began to emit extreme cold, instantly cooling the scorching air around him.
"Whoever retreats is a low-ranking Marine!"
Kuzan proudly threw down a sentence and took a step forward.
But just then, he seemed to sense something wrong.
Just as the flames were about to spread—
Daren wrapped his arm around Amatsuki Toki's waist with one hand and quickly flew backward.
Borsalino grinned, his figure suddenly scattered into countless photons, turning into a streak of golden light and leaping into the sky.
Sakazuki glanced at Kuzan expressionlessly, then disappeared from the spot with a whoosh using Soru.
Only Kuzan was left standing there, facing the fiery pillars shooting toward him, frozen in place.
...
The smile on Kuzan's face suddenly froze.
He was ice, and although he could suppress flames to a certain extent, flames could also hurt him.
With such a large area of fiery breath, he alone would not be enough!
Just then—
Clack!
A steady and powerful footstep suddenly echoed behind him.
Before Kuzan could react, a broad and burly figure had already appeared in front of him.
His wild purple hair whipped in the heatwave, and the thick white cloak on his back—emblazoned with the black kanji for "Justice"—flapped like a raging dragon.
Kuzan's eyes widened.
That figure stepped forward, standing firm in the face of the devastating flames pouring down from above.
Jet-black Armament Haki flowed across his muscular arms like a living liquid.
He clenched his fist.
Then hurled a thunderous punch straight upward—
"Black Arm: Meteor!"
BOOM!!
The erupting shockwave shot into the sky like a meteor launched in reverse, like the Milky Way crashing upward, colliding head-on with Kaidou's Bolo Breath.
A massive explosion tore through the air, and within a hundred meters, the ground was heaved like waves beneath a storm.
Flames consumed entire buildings, ripping them from their foundations.
Marines clung to nearby structures with all their strength, staring in awe at the figure who shattered the dragon's attack with one blow.
A powerful sense of reassurance washed over them.
As long as that towering back was there—
Victory felt possible.
The wind howled. Flaming debris fell across the base, burning and scattering.
The man spread one arm wide, extinguished the lingering flames and embers before him, then turned to Kuzan with a grin.
"Kuzan, how many times have I told you—think before you act?"
"Zephyr-sensei..."
Kuzan stared in a daze at Zephyr, eyes sparkling with admiration.
"That was so cool!"
Zephyr: "..."
Figures.
Like talking to a wall.
He sighed and shook his head, muttering in irritation.
"Took a bit longer than expected to gather our forces."
...
At that moment, figures arrived swiftly from all directions.
Clad in uniform, armed with sabers, their faces set with grim determination, they fell in behind Zephyr.
"Vice Admiral Davos, Marine Headquarters, reporting to Zephyr-san!"
"Rear Admiral Novi, Marine Headquarters, reporting to Zephyr-san!"
"Commodore Snyder, Marine Headquarters... reporting to Zephyr-san!"
...
More and more Marine officers arrived from nearby fortresses.
Their gazes locked onto Zephyr's back, brimming with reverence and resolve.
Each one gripped their blade tightly.
"Davos, Novi, Snyder..."
Zephyr scanned each familiar face, one by one. A bold smile curled his lips.
"It's been a long time since you last fought alongside me, hasn't it?"
Dozens of officers straightened in unison, their eyes burning with determination as they shouted aloud:
"Five years!"
"Yes... five years..."
Zephyr murmured softly, a trace of emotion flickering in his eyes.
These were the subordinates who had once fought beside him.
"I never thought an old man like me, long retired, would return to the battlefield."
"Really... with Kong and Sengoku gone, there's no one left to protect Marineford but me."
He clenched his fists, then raised his head toward the sky.
The three Yonkō glared down, their expressions dark.
And Zephyr grinned fiercely.
"Today, let me lead you... into battle once again!"