...
"Kuzan-san?!"
"What's… what's he doing?!"
"Is he… collecting the body for Teacher Zephyr?!"
"But… this is against the Fleet Admiral's orders…"
The Marine soldiers and Vice Admirals who were cleaning up the scene were stunned by this sudden action, exchanging glances and whispering among themselves, all looking utterly bewildered.
Of course they recognized this former Admiral and understood the purpose of that earlier ice wall.
But after "Z" had been explicitly designated as an "extreme evil criminal" who must be eradicated, collecting and burying his remains was undoubtedly extremely sensitive…
It could even be seen as some form of defiance or betrayal against Marine orders—even coming from a former Admiral.
Borsalino's figure turned into golden light once more, appearing not far ahead of Kuzan.
Kuzan's steps paused for a moment; he lifted his gaze to look at Borsalino.
Borsalino said nothing at first. He glanced at Zephyr's lifeless body slung over Kuzan's shoulder, then at Kuzan's face—covered in ice crystals, expression unreadable.
As fellow Marine Admirals who had fought side by side for many years, the two seemed to communicate wordlessly…
Several seconds of silence passed.
The corner of Borsalino's mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he merely let out a soft sigh—one that carried far too many complex emotions.
Perhaps resignation at his teacher's final fate, understanding of Kuzan's action, and yet also adherence to his own position.
"Forget it…"
Borsalino waved his hand; his voice returned to its usual slightly lazy tone, yet much lower and heavier than normal.
"Do as you like… I'll explain things to Sakazuki."
Borsalino ultimately chose to tacitly permit it!
This was both a final small measure of respect for his former mentor and perhaps a silent understanding toward this "former colleague" who had also left the Marines yet was carrying out certain things in his own way.
In any case, Zephyr was dead; the greatest threat—the Dyna Stones—had already been completely frozen and neutralized by Kuzan's cold, rendering them temporarily harmless. The main objective had been achieved.
With Borsalino's tacit approval, Kuzan did not linger or look at anyone else. Simply carrying Zephyr's body over his shoulder…
He walked with steady steps through the ranks of Marines—whose expressions were filled with complexity—toward the depths of the island.
The two figures looked profoundly lonely.
Borsalino watched him depart, then withdrew his gaze and began directing the scene in an orderly manner: "Prioritize treating the wounded! Both Marines and… the Neo Marines, include them all!
Seriously injured are to be sent to the medical ships immediately! The rest—clear the battlefield, tally the captives, detain them uniformly, and await further orders from Headquarters!"
Borsalino deliberately mentioned the "Neo Marines'" wounded—an obvious gesture of extra humanitarian consideration now that Zephyr was dead and the overall situation settled.
Or rather… out of respect for Zephyr's face, a final small leniency toward his lost disciples.
The scene switched again—to a quiet, remote small island far from shipping lanes at dawn.
The sea breeze was gentle; the waves rolled softly.
On a high slope facing the rising sun, overlooking the entire bay, a newly piled earthen grave had appeared.
There was no ornate tombstone in front of the grave—only a rough, unpolished rock with a single letter crudely carved into it using a sharp tool!
"Z"
And the main shattered portion of the Seastone mechanical arm "Destroyer"—broken by Luffy—was hung on a wooden post in front of the grave.
Isn't it pretty cool for a man to carry his beliefs through to the end in his life?
Ain and Binz knelt before the grave, shoulders shaking as they burst into tears.
Their bodies still bore the scars of battle; their expressions were utterly exhausted.
Kuzan stood to the side, holding a bottle of Zephyr's favorite strong liquor from his lifetime.
"Wipe those tears away, both of you!"
Kuzan's low, stern voice cut through the sobs and sighs.
He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Ain and Binz—not lazy now, but carrying the authority and unquestionable sternness of an "eldest senior brother."
"A man… on the path in life that he himself chose, carrying his beliefs through to the very end—right or wrong, whatever the outcome… isn't that pretty damn cool?!"
Kuzan's voice rose slightly; it sounded somewhat hoarse in the sea breeze, yet it rang with conviction: "Tears like that… are an insult to him! They deny his final choice!
Teacher Zephyr… doesn't need that kind of weakness!"
Ain and Binz trembled; they looked up at Kuzan in stunned silence, wanting to argue, to pour out their grief and reluctance.
But seeing the pain deeply hidden behind Kuzan's stern gaze, all words caught in their throats.
They bit their lips hard, desperately trying to hold back the tears, but the disobedient drops still rolled down their cheeks.
Even those battle-hardened, iron-willed Marine Vice Admirals had shed tears in that moment—how could these disciples, who had spent day and night by Zephyr's side and regarded him as both father and teacher, possibly hold back?
Kuzan watched them struggling to contain their sorrow and ultimately did not scold them further.
He silently unscrewed the bottle cap and slowly poured half the spicy liquor onto the ground in front of the grave. The liquid seeped into the soil—an unspoken offering and farewell.
Then he tilted his head back and downed the remaining half in one go; the burning liquid scorched down his throat, bringing a brief numbness.
At that moment, the light screen suddenly went black.
Immediately after, a gentle, slightly nostalgic and warm background music—completely different from the previous solemn and tragic atmosphere—slowly flowed out.
Light returned, and what appeared before everyone was no longer smoke and death, but a scene filled with sunshine, innocence, and childlike purity.
Young Zephyr!
A boy smaller than now, yet with the same determined eyes and short, purple hedgehog-like hair.
He was swinging his tender fists, beating a group of street bullies who were picking on weaker kids until they fled in panic—his face beaming with pure justice and victorious pride.
He tied a wooden post to his small arm with rope, even making "hei-ha!" sound effects with his mouth.
"Don't you dare bully people!"
"I am… a hero of justice!!"
"Z!"
Though still in a boy's voice, little Zephyr shouted it with utmost seriousness. The children behind him burst into cheerful laughter and admiring cheers.
Then, surrounded by his playmates, little Zephyr stood in place, arms spread wide in an imposing pose—
It was unmistakably a big "Z" shape formed with his entire body!
So the origin of "Z"—this codename that would later carry endless pain, hatred, and destructive will in the future—
Was actually the simplest and most sincere dream symbol from childhood: one of "hero" and "protection"!
In reality, Zephyr—watching this innocent, vibrant "self" on the light screen—
First froze in astonishment; then a rare flush of embarrassment crept across his weathered, resolute face.
He instinctively raised a hand to cover his face but stopped midway, finally just letting out a few awkward coughs.
"Pfft… hahahahaha!"
Garp was the first to lose it, pointing at the screen and clutching his stomach in laughter, tears nearly streaming from laughing so hard: "Zephyr! You were pretty playful as a kid, huh!
So that's how 'Z' came about! Hahahaha!"
Sengoku and Tsuru couldn't help but chuckle and shake their heads, their eyes warm.
The surrounding Marine soldiers erupted in good-natured laughter; the heavy gloom that had hung over them from Zephyr's future fate seemed greatly lightened by this sudden, adorably contrasting childhood memory.
Even on the pirates' side, bursts of snickering and murmurs arose.
Amid the laughter and complex emotion from the crowd, the light screen gradually faded from the childish, playful "Z" formed by little Zephyr's body.
Finally, the entire screen was dominated by a huge, rugged, powerful-looking three-dimensional letter "Z"!
This "Z" was both the imprint of a childhood dream and the emblem of future destruction—more than anything, the ultimate destination of "Black Arm" Zephyr's life, full of contradictions and tragedy.
It hovered silently for a moment, then—together with the entire light screen—slowly dimmed, shrank, and ultimately turned into a faint point of light.
It vanished completely into the sky above God Valley.
...