Weevil's bloody remains lay scattered in the deep crater, his naginata broken. The surrounding earth was scorched, and the air was thick with the hot stench of blood. With one punch, the monster known as the "Son of Whitebeard" had been ended.
Bakkin stood frozen, her stooped body trembling violently. Her shattered sunglasses lay at her feet, revealing bloodshot, unfocused eyes. "Weevil... is dead?" she muttered, before her face twisted into a grotesque mask. "Whitebeard's treasure... my plans... it's all ruined!!"
"Aaaaaah—!!!" She let out a hysterical scream and pulled a black smoke bomb from her tattered leopard-print coat.
POP!!
A thick, suffocating smoke instantly engulfed the battlefield, carrying the acrid smell of chemical powder.
"On guard!!" Zoro yelled, and he, Ain, and Binz immediately formed a back-to-back defensive triangle.
"That old hag isn't just going to run away!" Ain said, her eyes alert, her blade pointed into the smoke.
"She's planning a surprise attack!" Binz whispered, his vines writhing around them, trying to sense the enemy.
Within the smoke, Bakkin had not fled. She had descended into madness. In her hand was a strange pistol, its body wrapped in metallic, tentacle-like red patterns, its muzzle glowing with an eerie purple light.
"Weevil is dead... and you won't get away either!!!"
"Die, you Marine brats!!!" She aimed the pistol at the unconscious Luffy and pulled the trigger.
BANG!!
A bullet tore through the smoke, a ghostly purple gleam closing in on its target, streaking through the air straight for Luffy's heart.
"Luffy!!" Ace's eyes were bloodshot, but he was too weak to move.
"Dammit!! Stop!!" Zephyr roared from a distance, his voice powerful enough to tear the sky as he rushed over.
It seemed no one could stop it.
Just as the bullet was about to hit Luffy's heart—
Zing!
The air seemed to freeze. The purple bullet stopped bizarrely in mid-air, then vanished without a sound.
"Wh-what?!" Bakkin's pupils contracted violently, her finger trembling.
BANG!!
In the next instant, the same strange bullet reappeared in front of Bakkin's forehead and blasted through her skull. Blood and brain matter exploded into the air. Her body stiffened, swayed, and then fell backward. She was dead before she could understand what had happened.
Thud— Her sunglasses lay shattered, her garish red lipstick twisted into a demonic curse, frozen on her face in death. The woman who had schemed to steal "Whitebeard's fortune" was ultimately killed by her own bullet.
"ROOM!"
A blue light flashed. Law's figure appeared in the smoke, a scalpel spinning between his fingers. He was already by Luffy's side, his eyes as calm as ice.
"Operation: Emergency Treatment!" A gentle blue light glowed from his palm, precisely covering Luffy's chest and abdomen. Under his control, the broken bones quickly reset, and the bleeding was stopped.
On the other side, a dark figure teleported in.
"Well done, Ace." Roy clapped Ace on the shoulder, his voice calm but full of approval.
Ace managed to look up at him. The tension in his body finally released, and a wave of exhaustion and pain washed over him. "Captain Roy... I... I protected him..." He gave a relieved smile before collapsing, caught by a strong arm as he fell into unconsciousness.
The moment Zephyr saw Roy appear, his own taut nerves finally relaxed. He hurried over to Ace and Luffy, carefully checking their injuries. He placed a heavy hand on Ace's shoulder, then felt for Luffy's chest, relieved to find a weak but steady heartbeat. His furrowed brow finally smoothed out.
"These two kids... they really know how to cause trouble," he muttered, his tone filled with undeniable concern. He stood up and looked at the calm young man standing nearby.
"You brat," Zephyr grunted. "You were here all along, weren't you?"
Roy's lips curved into a familiar smile. "You know me best, Teacher." There was no explanation, only a shared understanding.
As the battle ended, Zoro, Ain, and Binz walked over, their faces showing a mix of post-battle excitement and fatigue. They expected Zephyr to reprimand them for disobeying orders, but instead—
Zephyr looked at them, raised an eyebrow, and gave a rare smile.
"The three of you did well."
They were stunned for a moment, then their eyes lit up.
"Remember this!" Zephyr stood straight, his voice low and powerful. "No order is more important than the life of a comrade! Rules are rigid, but people are not!"
His words struck a chord in each of their young hearts. Zoro grinned and gripped the hilt of his sword. A new determination shone in Ain's eyes. Binz scratched his head and gave a rare, shy smile.
Roy stood by, nodding slightly. "This is what it means to be a true Marine..."
Law was now kneeling by the unconscious Ace, a gentle blue light from his palm moving over his chest. "Exhaustion and muscle strain, but nothing major. He'll recover after a few days of rest." He glanced at Luffy and added, "Luffy's injuries are stabilized. His ribs just need to rest. As long as he doesn't move around too much, he'll be back to his energetic self soon."
Roy gently patted Zephyr's shoulder. "Don't worry, Teacher. They're both fine."
"If anything had really happened to them..." Zephyr's eyes showed a complex mix of emotions, his voice low. "I really don't know how I would have explained it to Garp..." He took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and looked around at the devastated jungle.
"We should head back..."
"Right." Roy nodded and waved his hand.
Swoosh— Space distorted slightly, and a soft wave of light passed over them. In the next instant, they were transported from the scorched earth of the jungle to the beach.
On the beach, the other intern cadets were waiting anxiously, shaken by the earth-shattering battle they had witnessed from afar.
"Teacher Zephyr!!"
"They're back—!!"
"Ace! Luffy! They're okay!!"
The cadets rushed forward, their excited shouts almost shaking the entire beach.
"Thank goodness... I thought..."
"That tremor earlier... it was terrifying..."
"Even Vice Admiral Roy is here. We're completely safe now!"
Zephyr looked at the group of vibrant, clear-eyed kids, and a long-forgotten warmth spread through his heart. He raised a hand for silence, his voice booming like a bell. "The internship mission is over!"
"All hands, board the ship! Prepare to return to Marineford!!"
"SIR!!!" the youths roared in unison, their voices like a crashing wave.
Aboard the Warship, on the Return Voyage
The sea breeze blew, and the setting sun painted the sea red. Ace and Luffy were in the infirmary, with Zoro, Ain, and Binz standing guard, unwilling to leave their side.
As the warship slowly pulled away from the island, Roy stood at the stern, gazing at the receding island, his eyes as deep as the night sea.
Footsteps approached. Zephyr came to stand beside him and asked gravely, "You knew it would be dangerous here, didn't you?"
Roy shook his head gently. "Just a gut feeling. The winds have been changing these past few years... The storm in the New World may have already reached the West Blue."
Zephyr was silent for a moment before grunting, "No matter who it is, if they dare to touch my students..." His fist slowly clenched. "They will pay the price."
Roy's lips curved upwards. "Now that's 'Black Arm' Zephyr."
They looked at each other and smiled. The sea breeze picked up, rustling through their purple and black hair. The last rays of the setting sun illuminated this battle of youths, this conviction of master and student.
The conviction of true Marines.
-------
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