Alucard's sword and Zephyr's fist remained locked in a stalemate. Suddenly, Alucard broke into a grotesque, savage grin, the corners of his mouth twitching upward beneath his beard.
BOOM!!!
A bolt of crimson lightning erupted from the dark clouds, roaring like a dragon as it lunged toward Zephyr below.
"Kuukk!!"
Zephyr poured every ounce of his strength into shoving Alucard back, but he was too late to dodge. He was forced to cross his arms in an "X" above his head, using them as a makeshift shield.
BOOM!!!
The red lightning completely engulfed Zephyr. Bolts continued to rain down from the swirling vortex above for over ten seconds without pause, as if determined to strike him dead.
Zephyr's knees buckled under the onslaught. He was clearly weakening, his body struggling to endure the massive kinetic force and electrical discharge.
"Graaaghh—!!"
A guttural roar tore from Zephyr's throat as he suddenly slammed both fists into the ground.
The sheer power caused the earth to collapse. Stone slabs flipped upward from the counter-force, acting as a temporary barricade that absorbed a portion of the lightning's fury.
"HAAAAHHHH!"
Drenched in blood, Zephyr charged at Alucard with renewed ferocity.
At that moment, a light breeze caught Alucard's greatcoat, causing it to billow outward. Alucard retreated rapidly, and for a fleeting second, the swaying fabric obscured Zephyr's vision.
Suddenly, the silver-white barrel of Casull poked through the folds of the coat.
Bang! Bang!
Caught off guard, Zephyr took two bullets. Fortunately, his body was coated in high-level Armament Haki; the rounds only bit shallowly into his flesh rather than piercing through.
Zephyr managed to dodge the subsequent volleys as the distance between the two combatants rapidly closed.
Whoosh!
Abruptly, Alucard's left hand emerged from behind the cloak. He thrust the barrel forward, firing directly at Zephyr.
Zephyr had just adjusted to the firing rate of the silver gun, but he was unprepared for the black gun—Jackal. It was faster and significantly more powerful. His Observation Haki allowed him to react a split second ahead of time, but his movement wasn't as perfect as before. The bullet grazed his lower back, tearing away a strip of flesh.
In a lifetime of battle, such a wound shouldn't have been critical. Zephyr should have been able to fight on.
However, after taking that hit, Zephyr's legs began to tremble violently. He fought to stand and launch another attack, but his body refused to obey. His knees hit the ground with a heavy thud, leaving him in a kneeling position.
BANG! BANG!
Alucard fired twice more in rapid succession. The shots struck Zephyr's right shoulder and left waist, completely obliterating the flesh in those areas.
In an instant, Zephyr lost even the strength to remain kneeling. He collapsed entirely.
As his greatcoat settled, Alucard's face was revealed, restored to its usual appearance. His crimson eyes glowed as he said coldly, "My apologies. These are large-caliber explosive rounds, specially designed for Devil Fruit users."
Alucard walked slowly toward Zephyr, tilting his gun so the dying man could see it. "No ability user can stand back up after taking a hit from this thing."
Zephyr was already severely wounded from deactivating his Titan form; now, having taken three Seastone-laced bullets, the battle was decided. In truth, Zephyr was beyond saving.
Above, the dark clouds began to dissipate. Sunlight broke through, bathing the land. Zephyr slowly raised his left hand, shielding his eyes from the glare. "It feels so good... this light."
There was no fear of death in his eyes, only a profound sense of relief.
Zephyr's life had been a series of tumultuous ups and downs, especially in his later years.
Betrayal. Utilization. Betrayal. Utilization.
His life could be summarized by the constant repetition of those two concepts.
In the end, he had failed to realize his dream of subverting the World Government and upholding his own brand of justice. He was about to die, yet he felt a sense of deliverance.
By now, members of the Immortal Pirates had arrived on the scene. When Stragus saw the dying Zephyr lying on the ground, he whispered in disbelief, "Alucard-sama... actually killed Z?"
He had assumed that since Alucard was willing to employ a past traitor like Beckman, he wouldn't deal a killing blow to someone like Zephyr, whose "betrayal" was only partial. It seemed he was wrong.
Could it be said that Alucard hadn't changed at all? Whether as a lone wolf or now as a Yonko and captain, Alucard was still Alucard.
"Sensei! Sensei! Sensei!"
Suddenly, Ain burst through the gathered pirates and ran to Zephyr's side. Seeing his wretched state, she fell to her knees, clutching her mouth with one hand while tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
Behind her, Binz and the rest of the Trash Disposal Unit, Zephyr's subordinates and students, arrived one after another. They wailed in grief, kneeling on the ground in a chorus of agony.
Alucard sheathed his guns beneath his coat and turned toward the castle. The surrounding pirates hastily moved aside to clear a path for him.
Stragus glanced at the weeping Ain and Binz before stepping forward to ask Alucard for instructions. "Captain, what about the survivors...?"
Alucard paused, glancing back at the mourning crowd. He said flatly, "Let them do as they please."
"Don't cry..."
Zephyr managed to speak. His voice and expression seemed to have aged decades in a matter of minutes. He rested a hand on Ain's head and turned his gaze toward all his weeping students. "I'm sorry, Ain... Binz... and you children... for dragging you all into this..."
"I... I did it for you, Sensei..." Ain choked out, her shoulders heaving as she struggled to form words through her sobs.
"Go on and do what you want to do. Don't let your thoughts be swayed by me anymore. You aren't children anymore..."
Zephyr looked back up at the sky, squinting his eyes as he savored the warmth. "I... am finally free."
With those final words, Zephyr's hand went limp and slid from Ain's grasp to the ground. His eyes slowly closed, never to open again.
Ain stared blankly at Zephyr, her face streaked with tears and snot. She called out in disbelief, "Sen... Sensei? Sensei?"
After several calls with no response, Ain finally broke down, collapsing over Zephyr's body. "AAAAAHHHH! SENSEI! SENSEI! SENSEI!"