He might truly be at his limit, but he wouldn't die in vain. He would buy his students every last second he could!
That was what Zefa thought in his heart.
His head pressed against the ground, blood seeping relentlessly from his body.
With only one leg left, Zefa forced himself to stand once more before Weevil.
Miss Bakin watched the scene with disdain, curling her lips.
"Weevil, finish him off. Honestly, I don't understand why he insists on clinging to life like this."
"Yes, Mother."
At Miss Bakin's command, Weevil lumbered forward with his massive frame, each step like the tolling of a death knell in Zefa's ears.
Slowly raising his head, his signature sunglasses—now cracked in half—dangled precariously from his nose, mirroring Zefa's own crumbling state.
"Die!"
Weevil wasted no words, swinging his massive blade down with crushing force.
In Zefa's current condition, a direct hit would mean certain death!
Yet even so, if he could buy his students even a few more seconds, wasn't that worth it?
"Armament Haki!"
Zefa channeled every last ounce of his Haki into his forehead.
With his remaining leg, he bent slightly—then lunged straight at Weevil…
——
Meanwhile, Roya's expression darkened as he gazed at the distant island.
He could already see the Marine trainees stationed near the shore.
Each of them bore injuries, big and small.
The worst among them had already lost consciousness.
"Hundredfold Phantom!"
As Roya spoke, a hundred spectral clones materialized behind him.
Each Phantom carried medical supplies, stepping swiftly through the air with Moon Walk to reach the island and administer emergency aid to the wounded Marines!
With his unparalleled medical skills, Roya was confident he could save them.
"Kalifa, once first aid is complete, have them rest on the battleship."
"Yes, Vice Admiral White Pigeon."
Even Kalifa was unusually serious under these circumstances.
Among the trainees, the Phantoms worked with precision, checking wounds and stabilizing the injured.
"Where's Instructor Zefa? Did he not come with you?!"
Roya scanned the area but found no sign of Zefa. The ominous feeling in his heart grew heavier.
At this moment, Ain arrived before Roya and spoke urgently, "White Dove Admiral, Instructor Zefa went to confront Weevil to protect us. Please dispel your Phantoms and go assist him at full strength, I beg you!"
As Ain's voice faded, all the conscious trainees bowed deeply toward Roya. Yet, paired with the current scene, it looked rather tragic.
"So things have escalated to this point. But making choices for others is incredibly rude. Besides, only children make choices—adults take everything!"
Without waiting for them to process his words, Roya shot forward like an arrow released from its bow.
Six Powers Mastery—Shave!
In an instant, Roya's figure vanished. His form flickered rapidly through the jungle, speeding toward the direction Ain had indicated.
Everyone froze in place. They were stunned both by Roya's blinding speed and the fact that his hundred Phantoms still hadn't dissipated.
"Admiral White Dove... is he multitasking?"
"That's just too strong!"
"Is this the power of an Admiral?"
"No, White Dove must be the strongest Admiral!"
Listening to the murmurs of the Marine trainees, Ain felt hope surge—Instructor Zefa could still be saved.
"If White Dove can make it in time, surely—"
BOOM!!!
Before Ain could finish, an earth-shaking explosion erupted from the island's center. Her face paled as a terrible premonition gripped her.
——
At the heart of the island, devastation reigned.
Jungle trees lay uprooted and shattered. A massive crater dominated the landscape, where Zefa lay grievously wounded. His sunglasses were shattered, and blood stained his Mexican-style purple hair crimson. He teetered on the brink of death.
Cough—
More blood, now nearly black, spilled from Zefa's lips. His injuries were so severe that even keeping his eyes open was a struggle.
"Weevil, crush Zefa into paste already! Ugh, it's just one man—why are you dragging this out?!" Miss Bakin nagged impatiently from the sidelines.
Weevil scratched his head. Hadn't his mother warned him earlier not to endanger her? That's why he'd been holding back. But if she insisted...
His aura surged violently, his towering seven-meter frame now radiating pure menace.
Zefa lay in the pit, gazing up at the storm-choked sky.
"If only I could see the blue sky one last time before I die..."
CRACK!
Thunder roared. Torrential rain poured down.
Zefa slowly closed his eyes. So even that final wish is beyond reach. Still... buying that much time for the others should be enough.
Weevil loomed over the crater. He raised his massive blade high, aiming to split Zefa's skull with one brutal strike.
"Seems I arrived just in time!"Roya's lips curled slightly upward.
"Phantom Shift!"
He summoned another phantom.
The phantom appeared beside Zefa, lifting him out of the crater while swiftly carrying him toward the warship.
Zefa strained to open his eyes.
All he saw was himself being carried over Roya's shoulder.
Meanwhile, another Roya had already appeared before Weevil, his arms clad in Armament Haki, catching the massive blade barehanded!
A thunderous crash echoed.
The crater beneath Roya's feet deepened further, the ground riddled with cracks.
Yet Roya's hands remained completely unharmed.
Seeing this, Zefa knew the White Dove had arrived.
As the phantom carried Zefa, it whispered softly, "Teacher Zefa, you really went all out, huh? But don't worry, leave the rest to me."
Hearing this, Zefa finally relaxed completely, his eyes slowly closing once more.
——
Inside the crater.
Roya stared at Weevil before him, his eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit.
"Whitebeard Jr., let me see just how powerful you really are!"