"Z? That guy disappeared for nearly two months, then came back right after the rebellion ended. What does that mean?"
"He has the nerve to show his face."
"All hands, weapons alert! The Captain could issue an attack order at any moment."
"Although he took care of me once, the situation is completely different now..."
Zephyr, leading his several thousand Trash Disposal Unit members, strode toward Alucard's castle inside the island, his face grim. He paid no mind to the discussions and whispers of the surrounding pirates.
Ain and Binz, walking on either side of Zephyr, looked at him with complex expressions. Although Zephyr hadn't explicitly stated his purpose for returning, his two disciples had subtly guessed something.
What highlighted the issue was that the first thing Zephyr did upon returning was not to find Dr. Indigo for a medical check-up, but to head straight for Alucard's castle, confirming their suspicions.
They walked for several hours, a journey that should have been annoying, yet Ain and the others wished the time would stretch out so they could look at their Sensei's back a little longer.
Even the longest road eventually ends. The dark castle was finally in sight.
"Wait here."
Zephyr left this single command for his students and, with his back to them, stepped into the castle's interior. His figure vanished into the endless darkness, and it was uncertain if he would ever see the light of day again.
"Long time no see, Alucard."
Zephyr stood on the inner hall steps and greeted Alucard.
"How was your discussion with Dragon?" Alucard asked, crossing his legs.
"You guessed it, after all."
Zephyr sighed, his expression tense. "I haven't been able to sleep since meeting Dragon two months ago. I did choose to cooperate with you to overthrow the Government, but his appearance brought back memories and guilt over my dead students."
Veins were faintly visible on Zephyr's forehead, neck, and temples. "If I stay here any longer, where will the souls of my murdered students rest?!"
"So?" Alucard spoke as if they were discussing what to have for dinner, devoid of any seriousness.
"I am no longer worthy, nor do I care, to call myself a Marine. We will resolve this according to the rules of the pirate world." Zephyr declared resolutely, "My students and I are leaving the Immortal Pirates. The responsibility falls on me, their Captain."
Alucard straightened his slumped body on the throne. "Then what are you waiting for? I'm getting impatient."
Compared to the Big Mom Pirates, where leaving the crew required the roulette game, and the Whitebeard Pirates, where leaving was relatively easy, leaving Alucard's crew was even simpler: you just fought your way out.
Of course, Zephyr could have chosen to simply leave and never return.
But he couldn't do anything so dishonorable. It wasn't because his body needed Dr. Indigo's medical examination; it was because of his conviction. The Government he was determined to overthrow was dishonorable precisely because of its lack of conviction, and thus Zephyr was resolute in opposing them.
Zephyr's eyes focused with violent fighting intent. He instantly lunged at Alucard and smashed him through the side wall with a left hook.
Boom!!!
Alucard's body crashed through layers of thick walls. Outside, the Trash Disposal Unit waiting for Zephyr and the Immortal Pirates waiting for Alucard's command were startled by the sudden tremor, shivering involuntarily.
About a mile away, a rocky mountain peak seemed to have been struck by something, and the entire mountaintop collapsed.
"What happened?"
The returning Keith Fallon looked up toward the source of the sound, only seeing thick smoke rising from the left wall of the castle.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, a figure burst out of the smoke. This time, everyone clearly saw what it was.
Zephyr!
Zephyr was seen leaping from the ten-meter-plus height into the forest, followed immediately by a tremor in the earth. Ain and the others, having witnessed this ability multiple times, instantly understood what was happening.
Ain turned around, waving her hands and shouting, "Everyone retreat! Retreat!"
Half a minute later, a giant Titan, covered entirely in trees, rose from the forest. Its facial outline vaguely showed Zephyr's features.
The ground that had been a forest had turned into barren mud.
This was the power of the Devil Fruit named after the earth-body "Titan." The ability would absorb the power of the environment where the Titan transformation was performed. In a forest, it becomes a Forest Giant; in ice, an Ice Giant; in a volcano, a Lava Giant; in a city, a Rock Giant. It was an invincible ability when standing on land. The sea was its weakness, as a Devil Fruit user couldn't touch the seawater, preventing him from becoming a Sea Giant.
"That guy Z seems to be using his power more skillfully. Hard to believe he was once a Marine who utterly detested Devil Fruit users," Ivalis commented, leading his men to retreat.
"He probably proposed the topic of leaving the Immortals and decided to settle it according to the rules of the sea," Beckman guessed correctly.
"Too bad. I don't dislike that guy."
Ivalis's Golden Hair Pirates, in the process of retreating, coincidentally moved in the same direction as Ain's Trash Disposal Unit. They stood on a peak, gazing at the battle in the distance.
"But, Zephyr will die," Ivalis stated with certainty.
"How dare a mere pirate like you say that?" Even though Ivalis was stronger than her, Ain couldn't help but retort, hearing him "curse" her Sensei.
You're also a wanted pirate now, little girl... Ivalis thought to himself, but didn't answer Ain's question. He just shook his head. "The result will prove everything."
Alucard's body fell with the collapsing mountaintop, landing on the ground. However, the ground beneath him was no longer the forest but mud, as all the trees had merged into Zephyr's body.
"Such a huge target. Is it begging to be instantly killed by my gun?" Alucard raised his black gun, Casull.
A 13mm Seastone explosive shell, the ultimate bane of Devil Fruit users!