No one paid any attention to Tokikake, who was crouched on the ground, weeping like a lunatic.
The whole scene had fallen into dead silence.
Everyone stood frozen, eyes blank, as if they'd been struck by lightning—unable to believe what they had just heard.
They looked at the towering Great Pirate Big Mom, who stood there hungrily eyeing Daren with a massive broadsword on her back, then turned to the righteously stoic Marine Commodore beside her. Their mouths twitched uncontrollably.
The legendary Great Pirate... Big Mom Charlotte Linlin had actually set her sights on Commodore Rogers Daren!?
In that instant, countless thoughts surged through their minds in chaotic waves, colliding and tangling.
Their brains felt like they were going to overheat and explode.
Commodore Daren was a decorated war hero—skilled, resourceful, and monstrously talented. Ever since joining the Marines, whether during his early postings or after arriving at headquarters, he had displayed abilities far beyond the norm.
His brilliance had, in many ways, outshone even Rear Admirals Sakazuki and Borsalino—both considered "monsters" in their own right—as well as Captain Kuzan, his peer from the training camp.
That was common knowledge.
But what was also common knowledge was that Commodore Daren was, without question, the biggest scoundrel in Marine history!
He spent lavishly, with personal wealth far exceeding what his official income could explain.
And his appetite for women was notorious—even during his service in the North Blue, word of it had reached Marine Headquarters.
And Charlotte Linlin?
The Great Pirate who had taken over countless territories in the New World, establishing the massive domain of Totto Land—ruling through monstrous strength and a web of political marriages.
According to incomplete records, Charlotte Linlin had more than twenty-five legal husbands!
A notorious womanizer and a mature woman with more husbands than she could count...
Both possessed physiques like living tanks. If not for the fact they were enemies from opposing sides of the law, even the Marines had to admit—they kind of looked like a good match...
...Like hell they do!!
The Marines' expressions turned twisted with disbelief.
Zephyr's face darkened, his aged features drawn tight as he stared daggers at Daren. His fists clenched and unclenched over and over.
Then suddenly, Kaidou let out a thunderous roar:
"I don't give a damn! You crazy old hag! I just want to kill that damn Marine brat!!"
His eyes flared red, veins of blood surging around his irises.
The muscles in his legs exploded with power, stomping a crater into the ground as his body rocketed forward like a fired cannon shell—aimed straight at Daren.
Daren's pupils narrowed.
The surrounding Marines couldn't even register Kaidou's movement. All they felt was a tremendous gust of wind roaring past as a demonic figure appeared right in front of Daren in the blink of an eye.
Purple lightning surged from his massive kanabō. The spiked weapon, dragging Kaidou's enormous frame, came crashing down toward Daren!
"Raimei Hakke!!"
But at that exact moment—
A black military boot suddenly shot out!
With a sharp clang, it stomped down on Kaidou's kanabō with immense force!
Boom!!
The ground within a hundred-meter radius collapsed instantly, riddled with countless cracks.
Rubble flew, and the violent air blast sent the Justice cloak flaring behind him.
Everyone was stunned.
"Zephyr-sensei!!"
Zephyr had stomped down hard on Kaidou's kanabō. His fist, cloaked in pitch-black Armament Haki, rocketed toward Kaidou's gut like a meteor.
"That brat Daren might be a bastard—but he's still my student!!"
The punch tore through the air, blasting out rings of white shockwaves.
Kaidou's eyes shrank.
His body surged upward, growing a full meter in height. Sharp green dragon scales rippled across his body, and a thick dragon tail burst out from his lower spine.
Human-Beast Form—Dragon Man Transformation!
"You retired old fossil, stay out of this!!"
Kaidou roared, slashing down with his razor-sharp dragon claws.
Boom!!
Dragon claw and Black Arm clashed with explosive force, sending shockwaves roaring out.
Sparks lit up across Zephyr's sunglasses—reflected in them was a thick dragon tail swinging like a stone pillar!
But in the very next instant, that tail—cutting through the air like a whip—was caught in mid-swing by Zephyr's bare hand!
Kaidou froze. His vertical pupils narrowed into pinpoints.
His strength... was actually being overpowered!?
Impossible!
As he stared at Zephyr's arms, wrapped in black armored Haki like jagged gauntlets, an involuntary chill raced down Kaidou's spine.
"I've been off the seas too long... Seems I've been underestimated."
Zephyr raised his gaze coldly and let out a sneer.
"Kaidou, you brat... Back when I ruled the seas, you were just some little lizard scrubbing toilets on Rocks' ship!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Kaidou felt a powerful force yank at his tail—and the next instant, the world spun wildly around him.
With a furious roar, Zephyr's hair bristled as he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip. Muscles bulged along his single arm as he seized Kaidou by the tail.
In one step, he hoisted Kaidou high into the air—then hurled him with crushing force straight toward Charlotte Linlin!
"I'm Black Arm Zephyr!!"
Caught completely off guard, Big Mom didn't have time to dodge—Kaidou slammed into her head-on.
The two massive figures flew backward like wrecking balls, crashing into the ruins of a military fortress and kicking up a sky-high plume of dust.
"Kaidou and Big Mom are mine... Daren, you're in charge of the battlefield!"
Without pausing for even a breath, Zephyr charged forward, raising his arm and bellowing:
"Hold the line at Marineford... for justice!!"
His deep, powerful voice rang with a stirring force, instantly igniting the blood of everyone on the battlefield.
All eyes were fixed in shock on the figure with cropped purple hair, their blood surging as if it might boil over.
The Marine veterans who had once followed Black Arm Zephyr across the seas were even more overwhelmed—faces flushed, eyes dazed, voices trembling as they murmured:
"That's Admiral Zephyr's back... It's been so long!"
Maybe to the younger generation, Zephyr was just a cranky old drill instructor.
But to the old guard—they remembered vividly...
That man, with those black-armored fists and his unstoppable charges, had led them to victory after glorious victory!
The name "Black Arm" wasn't some empty title passed down through stories.
It was a name carved out—blow by blow—in blood and battle!
"Kill!!"
"Follow Zephyr-sensei!!"
"Advance!!"
"For justice!!"
In an instant, the Marines' roars shook the battlefield to its core.