The wind scattered the smoke, and dust swirled through the air.
"Isn't this a fair deal, Zephyr?"
Big Mom, her long lashes framing a pair of amused eyes, giggled as she watched the former Marine Admiral panting in the distance.
"I don't want Daren's life. I just want him as my husband."
"Otherwise, you know better than anyone—if this keeps up, those four little Marine brats of yours will be slaughtered by Shiki."
"And let's be honest... Facing both me and Kaidou at the same time, you're just about at your limit, aren't you?"
She sounded supremely confident, her words laced with a strange allure that tugged at the mind.
Big Mom had no real interest in destroying Marine Headquarters. She'd only agreed to Shiki's proposal to team up because she wanted to take Daren.
What she hadn't expected was for her simple plan to be completely derailed—by Zephyr, a former Admiral.
And worse, the strength he displayed was more troublesome than she'd anticipated.
Sure, she and Kaidou would win if the fight dragged on. But it wouldn't be easy.
And if Zephyr landed a fatal counterattack before going down... she couldn't be certain that Shiki wouldn't seize the moment to turn on her.
They were once crewmates on the Rocks Pirates, supposedly "comrades" on the same ship. But who could say what kind of trust or camaraderie really existed between them?
If they had truly trusted each other, the Rocks Pirates wouldn't have fallen at God Valley.
A hot wind howled across the ravaged battlefield.
Big Mom waited, smiling.
Kaidou's expression twisted. His grip on the kanabō tightened, then loosened. Tightened again. Killing intent poured off him in waves.
But just then, Zephyr stopped panting.
His cigar had burned out long ago. He calmly pulled out another one, lit it, and placed it between his lips.
"No... what you don't understand—"
A faint smile crept across his face. Zephyr slowly raised his head and removed his cracked sunglasses, revealing a pair of eyes—weathered, but still blazing with fire.
Black Armament Haki surged once again over his arms, flowing like water.
"Monsters are called monsters... because every single one of them possesses talent and resolve that rivals yours."
He took a deep breath and stood tall. His dark-coated arms stretched wide, and the large Marine cloak behind him flared up with the sudden rise of his aura.
"Sakazuki..."
He stepped forward.
Boom!!
In the distance, a pillar of blood-red magma exploded skyward, as if answering his call.
Zephyr stepped forward again.
"Borsalino..."
A flash of golden light tore across the battlefield.
"Kuzan..."
A wave of frost crept across the land, glittering with jagged ice crystals.
With every step he took, Zephyr called a name.
And with every name, his voice grew firmer, his eyes sharper—brimming with unshakable trust.
"And Daren."
At that moment, a lone figure rose slowly from the battlefield.
His black hair fluttered in the wind. His aura burned wild and unyielding.
Zephyr's pace quickened into a sprint. He charged straight toward Big Mom and Kaidou!
Each step thundered, blasting deep craters into the ground beneath him. His momentum climbed with every stride.
He was just one man—but the force he carried felt like a legion.
"The young ones they call 'monsters'... and the new generation that fights on in the name of justice..."
Zephyr let out a booming laugh, the corner of his mouth curling into a fierce, proud grin as he bit down on his cigar.
"They were never flowers grown in a greenhouse!"
Through his Observation Haki, vivid scenes flashed through his mind—
Gion cleaving a soul monster in two with a single slash.
Tokikake dismantling his enemies with raw force.
Yamakaji wreathed in fire.
Onigumo stalking like a shadow.
Doberman attacking with unrelenting force.
Dalmatian executing flawless technique...
One by one, those young, bloodstained figures were charging forward—like the warriors before them.
Fearless, blade in hand, defending the land beneath their feet and the homes behind them.
"Every one of them is fighting. They are the future of the Marines!"
Zephyr laughed heartily.
"As their instructor... I've never once doubted their strength!"
Veins of blood quickly spread around his eyes as he grinned fiercely and growled,
"Justice... leaves no room for compromise or negotiation!!"
"I was planning to give them a proper graduation mission at sea, but it looks like I can skip that now..."
In a flash, he roared forward, charging straight at Big Mom and Kaidou. His Black Arm Haki-clad fists blasted out like cannonballs, tearing through the air and erupting into rings of purple-black shockwaves.
"This war... is their graduation exam!!"
Boom!!
A towering pillar of dust and wind exploded into the sky.
...
A quake like a landslide rumbled from the distance. The ground beneath their feet trembled.
Daren straightened up, frowning as he instinctively glanced toward Zephyr-sensei.
So the final battle was starting.
At 44, Zephyr-sensei was still at his physical and combat peak. With his formidable Armament Haki, holding off Big Mom and Kaidou for a while shouldn't be an issue.
After all, Kaidou at this point was still under 30, still climbing in power, far from the peak Yonkō he'd one day become.
"Don't just stand there. That old man's not going down easy."
A deep, hoarse voice came from Daren's left.
Sakazuki stepped slowly from the pillar of magma, his cold gaze locked on the airborne Shiki. His entire arm was bubbling, magma roiling around it.
"That bastard's our opponent."
His words cut through the air like cold nails, laced with murderous intent.
"Looks like this time... we really have to go all out."
To the right, Kuzan—half his body encased in solid ice—exhaled a breath of frost that shimmered in the air.
Gone was the usual aloofness in his eyes, replaced by something colder than the ice itself.
"Well... he is a legendary Great Pirate."
A slow, casual voice came from behind.
Borsalino's trademark smirk remained on his face, but there was an unmissable chill beneath it.
"He actually broke my calf... That's pretty terrifying."
The lower leg of his white suit was soaked in blood.
Seeing the serious expressions on all three of them, Daren blinked.
Then he smiled.
So... they're all serious now.
"Well then..."
He lifted his head and flashed a vicious grin at the Golden Lion hovering in the air. His eyes glinted with wrath.
"Congratulations, Shiki... you've officially pissed off all four of us."
Arcs of blue lightning began to crackle across the surface of the Marine Commodore's body.
"Now... Round two."