He looked at Hancock, who was still lying on the bed, her body limp like she had no strength left.
Rolan leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips, then straightened up and walked out of the room.
The moment he stepped through the door, his figure disappeared from where he stood.
...
The waters surrounding Peach Garden were filled with dozens of NEO Marine warships drifting across the sea.
On the main ship, Ain was tightly bound by green vines, her face filled with anxiety.
"Binz, release me now. So much time has passed and Teacher Zephyr still hasn't returned. Something must have happened to him. I have to go save him."
Binz paced back and forth across the deck, his expression heavy.
"Ain, I'm not letting you go. If something really happened to Teacher, then the entire NEO Marine will only have us left to hold things together."
Ain's eyes were red, and the areas where the vines restrained her had already turned raw from her struggling. Still, she refused to stop.
"No, Binz. If anything really happens to Teacher, then I don't see a reason to keep living."
Binz grabbed his pink headscarf, frustration clear on his face.
"The NEO Marine was built by Teacher Zephyr himself. Are you planning to let everything he worked for fall apart?"
"You can lead them. I'm going to save him."
Seeing her like this, Binz's voice turned stern.
"Ain, think properly. If even Teacher ran into trouble, what do you think you can do with your strength? You'd just be throwing your life away for nothing."
Ain finally stopped struggling.
Tears streamed down her face as her voice trembled.
"I know… I know… but Teacher…"
Binz's eyes were also wet.
"Let's leave. We can't let Teacher's work collapse in our hands."
Too much time had passed without any sign of Zephyr returning. Both of them had already prepared themselves for the worst.
Ain stared at Peach Garden in the distance, her expression filled with hatred.
"When I come back, everyone in Peach Garden will pay for this."
At that moment, a voice came from above.
"Don't run your mouth like that, kid."
"Who said that?"
Both Ain and Binz immediately looked up, their expressions changing.
A massive pterodactyl was perched on top of the ship's mast.
"A dinosaur?"
Binz and Ain exchanged looks, shock written all over their faces.
"No way… don't tell me…"
The pterodactyl dropped down onto the deck, landing right in front of them. Its body began to shift, shrinking and reshaping until it became a shirtless man.
"Wyper."
"Captain of Peach Garden's guards."
The man who appeared was Wyper.
The moment Zephyr had arrived at Peach Garden earlier, Wyper had already received word from the guards.
Under normal circumstances, he handled decisions regarding who could enter or leave Peach Garden. But this time, the one who came was Zephyr, former Marine Admiral and leader of the NEO Marine, whose actions had shaken the New World.
He reported it to Kuro.
Kuro already understood why Zephyr had come, so he instructed Wyper to treat them as allies.
Wyper himself had already guessed the reason behind Zephyr's visit, which was why he came directly to the NEO Marine fleet.
The moment Wyper landed, Binz quickly released Ain and stepped forward, taking a defensive stance.
Even though Wyper was not part of the Ion Pirates, his reputation was just as great.
As the guard captain of Peach Garden, he maintained order across the entire territory. In some ways, his presence carried even more weight than official crew members.
Reports about him had spread across the seas.
An Ancient Zoan user with the Pterodactyl fruit, possessing strength comparable to a Marine Admiral, known for his speed and durability.
Now that he stood in front of them, the pressure he gave off confirmed every rumor.
Sweat formed on Binz's forehead.
Facing Wyper felt like standing in front of a beast that could kill them at any moment.
If Zephyr had truly died in Peach Garden, then Wyper's appearance here could only mean one thing.
To eliminate them.
The moment she was freed, Ain rushed forward without hesitation.
"What did you do to Teacher Zephyr?"
She launched herself toward Wyper at full speed, her hand glowing pink with her Devil Fruit ability.
Wyper crossed his arms and did not move.
Her hand passed through him.
His body faded away.
Ain's eyes widened.
"An afterimage?"
Binz's pupils shrank.
Before they could react, Wyper's voice came from the front of the ship.
"Why don't you calm down first?"
They turned and saw him standing at the bow, completely unharmed.
"So fast…"
Binz immediately activated his ability.
"Lush-Lush."
The deck burst open as countless vines surged forward, rushing toward Wyper.
At the same time, Ain charged from the air again.
Wyper scratched his forehead.
"You really don't think things through, do you?"
He still didn't attack.
He could sense it clearly. These people carried no killing intent toward Peach Garden. Their presence felt similar to Marines, even more upright than some of them.
The moment the vines were about to reach him, his figure vanished again.
The attacks slammed into empty space, smashing the bow where he had just stood.
Wood splintered as smoke filled the air.
Binz kept attacking without stopping, controlling the vines to chase Wyper across the ship.
Ain adjusted her direction midair and continued her assault.
Wyper moved like a blur, leaving afterimages everywhere he passed.
Eventually, he stopped dodging.
His arms transformed into wings, wrapping around his body.
The vines slammed into him repeatedly.
Sharp metallic sounds rang out.
Not a single mark was left on him.
Ain gritted her teeth and struck again, her hand landing on his wings.
For a moment, hope flashed across her face.
Then it disappeared.
A powerful Haki blocked her ability completely.
Her Devil Fruit had no effect.
They changed their attack methods again and again, but nothing worked.
Ain's breathing grew heavy, disbelief filling her expression.
"Is this really the strength of Peach Garden?"
Wyper shook his head slightly.
"This isn't getting anywhere."
He spread his wings and swung them forward.
A violent gust of wind turned into sharp slashes that shot toward Ain and Binz.
They tried to dodge and block, using their weapons to defend.
Clashes rang out across the deck.
But it didn't last long.
Both of them were struck and sent crashing into the cabin behind them.
The impact echoed loudly.
They coughed up blood as they hit the ground.
Facing this overwhelming strength, despair crept into their hearts.
This wasn't a gap they could overcome.
Even compared to Zephyr, Wyper might have already surpassed him.
Even so, they forced themselves back up.
Wyper rubbed his forehead, clearly annoyed.
"Your Teacher Zephyr is fine. He's doing better than you think. I came here to bring you to Peach Garden."
Ain and Binz froze.
"What?"