Glancing sideways at Zephyr, Rowan slightly knit his brows.
At this moment, upon seeing "Whitebeard Jr.," Zephyr's eyes had instantly turned blood-red. His breathing was heavy, and his entire body was wound tight. Driven by overwhelming emotion, his frame had begun to tremble uncontrollably, with veins bulging across his forehead.
The mechanical "Battle Smasher" on his right arm emitted a series of ear-piercing metallic screeches as it ground open and shut, making Zephyr look less like a man and more like a feral beast in the throes of a violent rage. He was completely ruled by his feelings—there wasn't a trace left of the calm and composed Marine Admiral he once was.
After all these years, he still hasn't learned to center himself.
Rowan shook his head. He raised his pipe and took a deep drag, exhaling a long, thick stream of smoke that instantly enveloped Zephyr.
"Cough! Cough-cough!"
Caught entirely off guard, Zephyr was nearly choked by the dense cloud, breaking into a fit of uncontrollable coughing. After waving the smoke away, he looked at Rowan with bewilderment and asked, "Master Rowan... what was that for?"
Right now, Zephyr's mind held only a single thought: charge forward, slaughter that cursed bastard, and avenge the disciples who fell to his blade! He wanted vengeance for his arm! He was utterly baffled by the Old Man's interference.
Lowering his pipe, Rowan turned his gaze toward the dim-witted Edward Weevil and said flatly, "Zephyr-boy, you just finished telling me you'd fixed that little flaw of yours. Is this the reaction of someone who has fixed a problem?"
"You're already seventy years old, yet you're still so easily mastered by your emotions."
"How did I teach you back then? When facing an enemy—regardless of their identity, regardless of their strength, and no matter the situation—you must first ensure your own emotional stability. You must hold the reins of your mind with an iron grip. Only then can you bring your full power to bear under any circumstance."
"In the state you were just in, if you went up against that fellow, what do you think your chances of victory would be?"
Rowan's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Zephyr's head, dousing the raging fires of vengeance in his heart. The elder man snapped back to his senses and made a conscious effort to adjust his state. His tensed muscles began to relax, and his clenched fists slowly opened.
As his breathing steadied, Zephyr took a long, deep breath. However, a look of profound shame washed over his face. He had just boasted to his teacher about his self-improvement, only to revert to his old ways moments later. It was mortifying. More than that, it was humiliating to lose face in front of the master he respected most.
"I am sorry, Master Rowan. I... I lost my way," Zephyr said, his head bowed in shame.
"Now is not the time for apologies," Rowan replied, his eyes never leaving Edward Weevil. "The performance that follows is when you must prove yourself."
"Rest assured, Master Rowan. This time, your student will not disappoint you." A grin touched Zephyr's lips as a surge of fighting spirit ignited in his eyes. His violet pupils locked onto Weevil.
This time, there was no more blind hatred. Having been awakened by Rowan, he was no longer a vengeful old man blinded by fury; he was once again the confident Marine Admiral who shouldered the weight of Justice: "Black Arm" Zephyr!
Stretching his limbs, Zephyr said in a low voice, "Master, before I begin my performance, I ask that you step back. I wouldn't want you to be caught in the crossfire."
Though he felt a renewed sense of power after Rowan's intervention, Zephyr knew exactly how formidable the simpleton before him was. Seven years ago, he had learned the hard way. Marine Headquarters intelligence had clearly stated that this self-proclaimed Whitebeard Jr. possessed monstrous strength comparable to the legendary Whitebeard in his youth. If that weren't the case, he wouldn't have been forced to watch his disciples be slaughtered while losing his own arm.
This time, he would not let the tragedy repeat itself! Keeping a hundred-year-old master here was far too dangerous.
"Step back?" Rowan let out a hearty, boisterous laugh. "Don't worry, Zephyr-boy. The Old Man hasn't reached the point of being useless just yet!"
At that moment, a short, blonde old woman hopped out from behind Weevil.
"Mama, Mama! There are so many people here..." Seeing the woman jump down beside him, Weevil scratched his head, a bewildered expression on his snot-covered face.
"Marines? Why are there so many Marines?" Miss Bakkin, the woman Weevil called 'Mama,' looked around at the hills covered in Navy personnel, her wrinkled face twisted in confusion.
However, the moment she spotted Zephyr, she let out a cold laugh and pointed a finger at him. "Son! See that man with the purple hair? He's the one who's been stopping you from finding your father! Go! Kill him! Kill every last one of them!"
"He's the hateful guy stopping me from finding Papa?! Unforgivable!"
Edward Weevil flew into a rage, slamming his naginata into the ground.
BOOM!
The massive impact caused the entire island to shudder.
"His strength seems to have increased even more!" Zephyr's expression shifted slightly, but his gaze quickly turned cold. He murmured to himself, "Hmph! So what if you've gotten stronger? Over the years, I haven't slacked in my training for a single second!"
With those words, Zephyr leaped down from the branch, landing in front of Ain as she dragged a wounded Binz back. He spoke with icy resolve. "Ain, take Binz and Master Rowan. Order everyone to leave this area immediately!"
Zephyr began to stride toward Weevil, his silhouette looking both tragic and weathered. Watching his receding back, Ain's heart clenched. She spoke up instantly, "Master Zephyr, I'm not leaving!"
"What? You're disobeying me now? This is an order! Take Master Rowan and the others back to the warship! If I haven't returned in twenty minutes, leave this island at once!"
Leaving them with those final words, Zephyr's pace quickened, his speed building until he became a streak of violet light racing toward Weevil. On the other side, egged on by Miss Bakkin, Weevil let out a roar and charged toward Zephyr.
Seeing the clash about to begin, Ain was torn. She didn't want to leave Zephyr's side for even a moment, but his orders were absolute. There were more than just her feelings to consider—there were the recruits, the Guerilla Unit, and most importantly, the man Zephyr respected most: Master Rowan.
She couldn't afford to be selfish.
"Mr. Rowan, please follow me and leave this place. It is far too... dangerous," Ain said, wiping the tears from her eyes as she approached Rowan after handing Binz over to a medic.
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