"Haaah... haaah... haaah..."
Sakazuki was on his knees, panting heavily. He had already ordered the other Marines to report the situation to headquarters, but it was a nightmare trying to hold off this terrifying version of Zephyr.
When he first joined the Marines, Zephyr had already retired as an Admiral and was serving as an instructor, with Sakazuki being part of his first class of students.
So Sakazuki had no idea how strong Zephyr's full potential was back when he was an Admiral. But surely, he couldn't have been stronger than he was now.
Not only had his strength and speed reached an unbelievable level, but he also had regenerative abilities, and Seastone had no effect on him. He was a complete monster.
If Zephyr's greatest weakness now was his lack of a mind, then Sakazuki, with the help of Kuzan and Borsalino, might have been able to subdue him with strategy. But the problem was, there was no one on his level present to coordinate with.
"Vice Admiral... Sakazuki..."
The other Marines felt the situation was hopeless. Even if they notified Vice Admiral Kuzan, the closest one to their location, his reply was that he could freeze the ocean and then rush over at top speed, but that would still take at least six hours.
Six hours?! The battle had been going on for less than twenty minutes, and they were already on their last legs. Six hours meant they would all be dead by the time he got there.
The rampaging Zephyr stood over a barely conscious Sakazuki, raising his fist to deliver the final blow. The other Marines wanted to intervene, but they were powerless to help.
Sakazuki looked up at Zephyr, blood gushing from his nose and mouth, his eyes wide with rage. He wasn't afraid to die, but dying at the hands of his own comrade was too humiliating!
"Nooo! Zephyr-sensei!!" "Stop it! Stop him now!"
Mid-swing, Zephyr's fist suddenly stopped. He clutched his hands, blood plasma seeping from his body as he groaned.
"No... no, damn it!"
This was the first time Sakazuki and the others had heard a word from Zephyr in his current state. It was as if Zephyr were caught in a fierce struggle between two personalities, with two consciousnesses fighting for control of his body.
"Can he do it? How exciting..." Alucard watched from his spot. He had already finished absorbing the lives of everyone else in Arderay, so he could now leisurely enjoy the show.
Still, Sakazuki couldn't die here. After all, watching something valuable slip through his fingers would be unpleasant.
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, run!"
The Marines didn't know what was happening to Zephyr, but this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity.
Sakazuki struggled to his feet, but before he could stand completely, his right foot gave out, and he fell back down.
"Damn it!"
He cursed under his breath. The injuries were too severe!
A Commander saw the severity of Sakazuki's wounds and, with a bandaged hand, gave a new order: "Hurry! Get Vice Admiral Sakazuki and help him up! Everyone, prepare to retreat!"
Two Marines rushed to Sakazuki's side at the command, each grabbing one of his arms and helping him toward the coast.
In his current state, even a gentle touch sent a jolt of pain through Sakazuki's body, but there was no time to care about that now. The plan was to retreat, regroup with enough forces, and then come back to deal with Zephyr.
As for Alucard... was there even time to worry about him?
Taking advantage of Zephyr's confusion, the remaining hundreds of Marines quickly began to retreat.
But the question was, would Alucard let them?
Just as Sakazuki and his escorts were stepping out of the city gate, they saw Alucard standing in the middle of the main road outside, grinning as he looked down. "What's the rush?"
"Alucard!!" a Marine helping Sakazuki screamed.
"You bastard!" Sakazuki's fury burned. "You did this to Admiral Zephyr, didn't you?!"
At Sakazuki's words, the rest of the Marines were filled with righteous anger. If this had been done by a pirate, they wouldn't have been so enraged. But this was Zephyr, the Marine they all respected most, forced to become an enemy of the Marines. The resulting morale hit and psychological trauma were unimaginable.
"I did," Alucard said with a mocking smile. "It's an incredible power, isn't it? Even among my former test subjects, the results he's shown are second to none."
"You... bastard...!!"
Sakazuki's teeth ground together. This feeling of being played like a puppet was humiliating! Too humiliating!
"Still, this trip has been very rewarding. Hand over the Magma-Magma Fruit. It seems Zephyr's willpower is quite strong, and while I never intended to let you live anyway, it looks like it doesn't matter now."
Alucard walked toward Sakazuki, who was still being supported by the two soldiers. His words were a bit confusing, but "hand over the Magma-Magma Fruit" made his intentions perfectly clear: he was here for Sakazuki!
"Protect the Vice Admiral!" a Major shouted. The remaining Marines immediately formed a shield in front of Sakazuki, many of them still wrapped in bandages or with casts on their arms.
"Even in this state, you'll protect Sakazuki? The importance of an Admiral candidate is indeed extraordinary," Alucard said, a smirk on his face.
"You two, cover Vice Admiral Sakazuki's retreat," the Major ordered.
"No, I'm not that weak." In a fit of rage, Sakazuki shoved the two Marines who were helping him away.
"Oh, really?"
Alucard vanished. A blur of motion later, he reappeared at Sakazuki's side, and his fist connected with Sakazuki's right shoulder.
BOOM!
Sakazuki was sent flying to the side of the road, smashing through several trees. His legs flailed for a moment, and he tried to get back up, but he was powerless.
"To think you, an Admiral candidate, would be taken down by a single punch from me. It seems 'Blacklight' Zephyr gave you quite a lot of damage."
As Alucard walked, a pool of blood appeared on the ground. The black hound, Baskerville, materialized to block the other Marines, and Alucard stood over Sakazuki. "In any case, hand over the Magma-Magma Fruit."