For these new recruits, Zephyr could only offer an apology. If he didn't deal with the enormous threat that was Edward Weevil, everyone would still face certain death. Weevil was the root of the problem.
Furthermore, Zephyr already had a plan to hunt down Edward Weevil.
"Cage's power is enough to pose a significant threat to Edward Weevil. If I can just tie him down and give Cage a stable sniping target, I can heavily wound that guy."
Zephyr made his decision, shouting, "Soru!"
He never imagined that one day he would have to rely on the strength of a new recruit to defeat an enemy.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Zephyr appeared before Edward Weevil instantly, and the large man, seemingly anticipating him, had already swung out a fist like a steel barrel.
Boom boom boom!!
Zephyr's and Edward Weevil's fists collided. After a dull explosion, Zephyr was once again pushed back several steps, his face contorted in pain.
He wanted to throw another punch, but his arm was spasming, as if it wouldn't obey him; he couldn't even lift it.
"I will avenge Momma! Don't get in my way, you hateful old man!!!"
Edward Weevil, raging with ferocity, brought his fist down again, targeting Zephyr's head. With his weapon destroyed, his fists were his only tools for combat.
His face was distorted with rage, and veins bulged on his arm. It looked like he was using every ounce of strength he had.
If that punch truly landed on Zephyr, the outcome would likely be grim.
BANG!!!
However, at that moment, Cage made his move. The enraged Edward Weevil had focused his attention on Zephyr, momentarily forgetting the presence of the sniper.
SPLAT!
The bullet pierced Edward Weevil's right arm, tearing through flesh and bone. A wound the size of a bowl's rim ripped through his entire arm, as if a wild beast had savaged it. Even some of his bones were shattered. Even Armament Haki defense proved futile.
"Mommaaa!!!"
Edward Weevil screamed, his voice echoing through the dark night. The brat was quite simple-minded; in his moment of greatest pain, he thought of his mother, Miss Buckin. If Cage hadn't witnessed Weevil's brutality, he might have actually held back.
"Gulp!"
Seeing Edward Weevil instantly lose an arm, even Zephyr swallowed hard, wide-eyed.
"It's over, kid!"
Zephyr flashed forward again, reappearing before Edward Weevil. His thumb straightened, wrapped in Haki. "Shigan!!!"
SPLAT!
Zephyr's Shigan, delivered by a former Admiral, was naturally extraordinary. It instantly pierced Edward Weevil's chest, his entire finger embedding itself in Edward Weevil's flesh. The large man wailed in agony once more.
"I'LL KILL YOU ALLLLL!!!"
Blinded by fury, Edward Weevil's killing intent exploded to another degree. His right arm was ruined, so he swung his remaining left arm at Zephyr.
But...
BANG!!!
Before his fist could even reach Zephyr, Cage, hidden, fired again.
SPLAT!
This shot was even more ferocious and powerful than the last. The moment the bullet pierced Edward Weevil's left arm, his arm and shoulder tore apart along the bullet hole, as if severed by a chainsaw. His left arm snapped off instantly, falling to the ground.
"Ugh, waaahhh..."
Although Edward Weevil was not young, mentally he was still a child.
What does a child do when they feel pain? That's right, they cry!
Thus, Edward Weevil cried torrents of tears, eventually unable to bear the pain any longer, and promptly passed out.
Zephyr had no time to spare for Edward Weevil. He immediately rushed to support the other new Marine recruits.
In the past... when Zephyr was an Admiral, he was known as "No-Kill Admiral," meaning he never killed a single pirate, only defeating them and throwing them into Impel Down. But ever since his family was killed by pirates, Zephyr developed a deep hatred for them.
And now, with his students being massacred by pirates, the enraged Zephyr could no longer hold back. He began to slaughter, eradicating every pirate he encountered.
Bang bang bang bang!!
Cage, too, continued firing relentlessly. His fate mirrored Zephyr's; he harbored deep enmity towards pirates. Each shot was either a headshot or a direct hit to the heart, blasting a hole through their bodies.
In short, very few bodies of pirates sniped by Cage remained intact.
About half an hour later, the night's slaughter finally ended, concluding with a Marine victory.
However, after the battle, only a handful of Marines remained.
Cage, Zephyr, the half-dead Momonga, and also Binz and Ain. These two were Devil Fruit users and also the second and third strongest recruits, respectively. Their strength significantly surpassed that of the other recruits, which saved their lives, though both were injured.
Among those present, only Cage was completely unharmed. Forget injuries; his body hadn't even a speck of dirt on it.
"Cage, let me try your gun!"
Upon seeing Cage, Binz immediately snatched Cage's rifle. Cage didn't object; it was just a regular gun, nothing special.
Bang bang bang!
Binz fired a few shots, but the bullets simply bounced off a distant rock. He looked puzzled. "Shouldn't things explode when they're hit?"
"Damn it... This kid, he can't possibly think it's the gun's ability, can he?"
Cage was quite speechless. He then looked at Zephyr, who was silently bowed in grief, and slowly walked over.
Shaking off his disappointment, Binz's gaze also fell on Zephyr, and he was instantly consumed by sorrow.
With only Cage and two other students remaining, Zephyr was immersed in great sorrow.