Ain't face was set with iron resolve. She had already decided: once she got the elderly Rowan safely onto the warship and saw it depart, she would immediately return to stand by Master Zephyr's side, no matter the cost.
"Dangerous?" Rowan glanced at Ain, but instead of moving, he raised his tobacco pipe. He looked at the charging Zephyr with a faint, knowing smile, took a light puff, and chuckled. "Girl, relax. With the Old Man here, that fellow won't be kicking up any lasting storms. Stay with me and witness your teacher's performance properly."
"But Mr. Rowan, the situation is—" Ain't brows knit together as she tried to explain the gravity of the threat.
Before she could finish, Luffy arrived at Rowan's side, dragging the unconscious captain of the Ogre Pirates behind him like a dead dog. He grinned widely. "Sister Ain, you should just listen to my Great-Grandpa. He's actually really, really amazing!"
Zoro followed close behind. He tossed the pirate vice-captain aside and silently sheathed his three blades, his gaze fixing on the distant Zephyr.
Whether it was Admiral Zephyr or Whitebeard Jr., Zoro didn't let the titles distract him. If Senior Rowan said the guy couldn't stir up trouble, then that was the end of it.
"You people..." Looking at their reactions, Ain was momentarily at a loss. She couldn't exactly use force against these three, could she? Setting aside Rowan's legendary status, she wasn't even certain she could handle Luffy and Zoro if they decided to resist.
"Girl, stop overthinking. The show is starting." Rowan pointed toward the clearing.
As the words fell, a massive explosion erupted from the north.
BOOM!
Ain whipped her head around. She saw Master Zephyr's mechanical Smasher collide violently with Weevil's aura-drenched naginata. The specialized cannon built into the mechanical arm detonated at the point of impact, sending flames spiraling into the sky. Against the backdrop of the inferno, Zephyr's silhouette looked like a god of war.
However, Weevil's momentum was equally staggering. The mechanical claw and the blade were locked in a stalemate in mid-air.
To the untrained eye, it looked like an even match, but those with sharp vision noticed a problem: Zephyr's mechanical arm was beginning to tremble, showing signs of failing endurance. In a breath's time, the edge of Weevil's naginata began to slowly push back, gaining the upper hand in the struggle.
"Why stop me from finding Papa?! Die! All of you die!" Weevil roared, spit flying from his lips.
Seeing the mechanical arm being forced downward, Ain completely forgot Zephyr's orders to retreat. She clenched her hands into white-knuckled fists, cheering silently in her heart. Master Zephyr, you have to win!
Not just Ain, but the recruits and instructors who were supposed to be evacuating all held their breath, their hearts in their throats.
But just as Zephyr seemed on the verge of collapsing under the pressure, the Admiral grit his teeth and let out a wild, defiant laugh. He bellowed with every ounce of his lungs:
"Don't you... dare look down on me! Because I am... a Marine Admiral! I am 'Black Arm' Zephyr!"
BOOM!
A surge of explosive power erupted from Zephyr's frame. In a sudden burst of strength, he forcibly shoved the massive naginata back. Even Weevil, despite his monstrous weight, was caught off guard and staggered back several steps.
"Master Zephyr! Yes!" "As expected of our teacher!" "Go, Master Zephyr! Take him down!"
Seeing the simpleton Weevil take a hit, the instructors and recruits broke into cheers. Even as recruits, they had heard of this 400-million-Berri monster. More importantly, knowing he was the one behind the massacre of their predecessors years ago fueled their righteous fury. They desperately wanted Zephyr to crush him and avenge the fallen.
The air was electric with vindication. Even Binz, who was gritting his teeth in agony from his wounds, managed to squeeze out a bloody smile.
"Heehee, Grandpa Zephyr looks pretty strong. Seems like that big guy isn't his match after all," Luffy said cheerfully.
"No. To my eyes, the old gentleman Zephyr isn't the one in control here," Zoro interjected from the side, his brow furrowed in a deep frown. He stared at the two combatants, his expression turning grim.
Hearing this, Ain felt a flash of irritation. If Zoro weren't Rowan's disciple, she would have lashed out. What do you know? Master Zephyr clearly just took the advantage!
Rowan, however, cast a surprised glance at Zoro. The kid's strength hadn't made a qualitative leap yet, but his combat intuition was top-tier. To be able to see through the facade already...
"Zoro, why do you say that?" Luffy asked with his usual blunt curiosity.
Zoro explained seriously, "The old gentleman forced the big guy back with that punch, but it clearly cost him a massive amount of his stamina. In a duel between equals, the one who takes the advantage should immediately pursue and strike again. Zephyr didn't move. That proves that strike was close to his absolute limit."
"Meanwhile, that simpleton took a hit because he was careless, yet he stabilized himself in just seven steps. That means the explosive power Zephyr used is still well within what the big guy can endure. More importantly, look at their breathing. Zephyr is already gasping for air, while the big guy is furious but his breathing is perfectly steady. In my estimation, within twenty moves, Zephyr's offensive will crumble, and he will be defeated."
As Zoro finished his analysis, Luffy scratched the back of his head and grinned. "When you put it that way, it actually makes a lot of sense."
Ain felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her. The joy she had felt just moments ago was washed away by the cold logic of Zoro's observations. She murmured, "What he said... he's right..."
She had been too blinded by hope to see the details. Looking closer now, Zoro had pinpointed every fatal weakness in Zephyr's current state. If this continued, would their teacher fall to that monster again?
Is history... truly about to repeat itself? The thought sent a chill straight through Ain't soul.
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