Chương 134: Chapter 133 Playing the Ape Role
Aokiji couldn't take action against Zephyr, so he approached the Straw Hat Pirates, who were seeking revenge against Zephyr, and told them about ENDPOINT, the explosive dyna stones, and Zephyr's plans. He also gave them the coordinates to the third island.
He warned them that if they fail, the New World will be destroyed, but if they succeed, they will be surrounded by the Marine's strongest forces, risking total annihilation.
However, Luffy and his crew still decided to go forward. They wanted to retrieve Shanks' hat and fulfill Luffy's promise, as well as restore their companions to their original state. The Straw Hat Pirates set sail towards the third island.
Just before the Straw Hats were about to depart, a young boy wearing a mask approached them.
At the sight of this boy, Zephyr's eyes widened in an instant. The figure of another young boy seemed to overlap with the image of this boy.
It was Zephyr himself, wearing a mask and pretending to be a hero when he was a child.
The young boy ran over, gasping for breath, and asked, "Big brothers! I want to become a hero when I grow up! Which is better, an Admiral or a Pirate King?"
"Pirates aren't heroes," Luffy said.
The young boy exclaimed in shock, "Really?"
"Are these two the same to you?" Sanji asked, somewhat puzzled.
The young boy said excitedly, "Of course they are, because they're cool!"
The boy's words drew laughter from the adults. Luffy smiled and said, " do what you like, and that will be the best."
This childlike conversation deeply impacted Zephyr. He stared at the boy's smiling face, his heart unable to calm down for a long time.
Wasn't he once like this young boy, wanting to become a hero because it was cool?
But what had he done... to eliminate these pirates, he had almost destroyed these hopeful children as well.
Pirates weren't heroes, so could he be a hero by doing what he did?
Could someone who couldn't protect these children, full of expectations for the future, be called a hero?!
Zephyr clenched his fist, but his eyes gradually cleared, his conviction crystallizing in his gaze.
Meanwhile, as the Straw Hats infiltrated the last island, they clashed with the NEO Marines in their blockade.
At this moment, Zephyr had already set up the explosive dyna stones. He sat on a boulder, holding a bottle of alcohol, seemingly awaiting the final end.
Luffy's straw hat was placed on one of the explosive dyna stones.
Just then, Luffy appeared in front of Zephyr, charging through the encirclement. Zephyr thought Luffy was there to stop him from destroying ENDPOINT, but Luffy claimed he was looking for his hat.
"What does this hat mean to you?" Zephyr asked.
"It's my symbol on the path to becoming the Pirate King," Luffy replied.
Zephyr sneered at Luffy's words, saying, "I will never allow pirates to have dreams. I will destroy the vast sea where you run rampant."
With their opposing beliefs, the battle between them began. They exchanged blows, and faced with Zephyr's mechanical arms made of seastone, Luffy's rubber punches were no longer as resilient as before, with blood flowing from his fists.
But even so, Luffy's fight continued. Seeing the indentations on the mechanical arms, witnessing Luffy's bloodied fists and his unwavering determination, Zephyr himself was shaken.
"Kid, why do you insist on fighting me so desperately? Even if you defeat me, you'll still be a pirate. No one in this world will appreciate you," Zephyr asked.
"I do things the way I want to. If I don't defeat you, I can't become the Pirate King," the kid replied.
"Is that really all there is to it?" Zephyr said mysteriously, as if he had thought of something. "You're really just like a kid."
At that moment, Zephyr's mechanical arm on his right hand exploded, revealing the prosthetic limb inside. He glanced at his right hand and muttered to himself, "Doing things the way I want to, huh? Then I'll give it a try too. I'll wager my own life and shatter your beliefs. Come at me, this is the end."
As Zephyr finished speaking, his hands and forearms were covered in a layer of black.
In the image, Sengoku remarked, "Black Arm Zephyr is back!"
These words echoed the sentiments of many marines. As they witnessed this scene, the marines widened their eyes. This was their teacher, Black Arm Zephyr.
How long had it been since they last saw this sight? Ever since Zephyr's arm was severed, he had undergone a drastic change in personality. He started relying on his mechanical arm to restrain those with abilities, no longer using his own fists to defeat enemies as he had before.
Seeing Zephyr like that saddened and grieved them. Their teacher, who had always taught them not to rely on abilities, had become dependent on external tools. From that moment on, they realized their teacher had lost his way.
Lost in hatred and pain.
Yet, they were powerless to do anything. They could only watch helplessly as Zephyr spiraled into despair. Nobody could save their teacher from the depths of his suffering.
Then, they looked at Luffy, who stood in opposition to their teacher, and a sense of gratitude welled up in their hearts. Finally, their familiar teacher had returned.
Luffy and Zephyr continued their final showdown. After a fierce battle, both of them were on the verge of exhaustion, ready to collapse at any moment.
In the end, with a furious roar from both Luffy and Zephyr, "I will become the Pirate King!" and "With me, it's Z," they exchanged their final blows.
Ultimately, Zephyr fell to the ground.
"I've grown old too. My body can't move anymore at this level," Zephyr lay on the ground, gasping for breath. "It's a pity. Joyful times are always fleeting."
Those who witnessed this scene never expected Zephyr, after being defeated, to utter such words. Joyful times?
However, Sengoku, Aokiji, and other marines could truly comprehend the meaning behind Zephyr's words. How long had it been since he enjoyed the thrill of battle? Everything before was driven by revenge, causing him to forget that the fight itself was something worth enjoying.
A man's joy lies within his fists!
Yet, Zephyr's eyes had been clouded by hatred, and he had embarked on an irreversible path.
As they saw Zephyr finally regain his clarity, Sengoku, Aokiji, and all the others who were his friends and students felt genuine happiness for him.
Zephyr had finally found liberation from his pain and rediscovered himself.
However, this also meant that his death was not far away.
"To the dream chasers, eliminate all obstacles. To those who persist in moving forward, take the hat and my life," Zephyr said to Luffy.
These words made the marines' hearts tighten.
However, Luffy turned around, walked toward the hat, picked it up, and placed it on his head. He smiled at Zephyr and said, "I don't want your life. I've already had my fill of excitement. But if you still want to fight, I'm up for it."
Zephyr stared at Luffy's smile and said, "No, I have also calmed down."
Afterwards, the members of the Straw Hat Pirates came over and embraced Luffy, while Ainz and his group approached Zephyr.
Zephyr stood up and said to them, "I have caused trouble for all of you. I apologize."
"I... I just want Z-sensei to be safe!" Ainz said through tears.
Many marines echoed the same sentiment in their hearts.
They even hoped that everything would end here. Now that their teacher, Zephyr, had found himself again, they didn't want him to engage in such madness anymore.
In the future, they wanted Zephyr to lead the NEO Marines and continue hunting pirates. Even if he didn't stay in the Marines, it didn't matter as long as he was safe.
They didn't want to see their mentor suffer any more hardships.
However, just when it seemed like a peaceful and happy ending was about to unfold, a voice reached everyone's ears.
"It seems the actors have gathered." The face of Kizaru appeared before many people.
Upon seeing him, the high-ranking officers at Marineford felt a sense of unease. Their gaze towards Kizaru was filled with dissatisfaction and disgust. Couldn't this guy have shown up later?
Couldn't he have waited until Zephyr had left?!
He didn't appear when Luffy and Zephyr started fighting. He didn't appear during the fight. But now, after the battle, he pops up and says the actors have gathered.
That monkey performer should just scram!
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