Vergo led Black Arm Zephyr deep into the center of the island, far away from the coastline.
He finally came to a halt and looked at Zephyr with a mocking gaze.
"What a pity, former Admiral Zephyr. For the sake of my future, you'll have to die here today."
"What did you say?"
Zephyr frowned, a strong sense of unease rising in his chest.
Moments ago, he had clearly been suppressing his opponent—so why did this man suddenly sound so confident?
Zephyr scanned the empty surroundings and said in a low voice:
"You set an ambush here in advance?"
"Correct answer," Vergo replied calmly. "Which is why death is your only outcome today."
After a brief moment of surprise, Zephyr threw his head back and laughed.
"Ha—hahaha! Brat, do you even know who you're talking to?"
"I am Black Arm Zephyr!"
"When I ruled the seas as a Marine, you hadn't even been born yet!"
With that, Zephyr charged forward without hesitation.
A lion may be old—but its remaining might was still terrifying.
Vergo did not dare to be careless.
He coated his entire body in Armament Haki and met Zephyr head-on.
Zephyr's mechanical right arm was forged from Seastone, designed specifically to suppress Devil Fruit users. Unfortunately for him, Vergo was not a Devil Fruit user, rendering that advantage useless.
While Zephyr's Armament Haki was superior in quality, his aging body could no longer match Vergo's speed and raw strength.
For a time, the two fought to a standstill.
Wherever they clashed, massive boulders shattered and hills collapsed—the battle shook the island itself.
"Teacher Zephyr!"
At that moment, Ain, the user of the Return-Return Fruit, arrived.
She stared in disbelief as Vergo fought Zephyr evenly.
Her shock came from two directions:
First, Vergo's strength far exceeded expectations.
Second… had Teacher Zephyr's physical condition deteriorated this badly already?
"No… I have to help Teacher Zephyr."
Ain pulled out a handgun, preparing to intervene.
Whoosh—
A flash of sword light suddenly swept past her from behind.
Ain dodged instinctively and turned, glaring at the Marine woman relentlessly pursuing her.
"Don't interfere!"
Tashigi held Shigure firmly, her voice resolute.
"I can't do that. Commodore Smoker has already made his decision—he will stop you."
Ain said nothing more and fired a shot at Tashigi.
Tashigi lacked real combat experience, and her swordsmanship was far from refined. She had not expected such a sudden attack and hastily dodged.
She avoided the bullet—
—but not the pink flame that followed.
Buzz—
The moment the flame struck, Tashigi's body rapidly shrank.
In an instant, the young woman in her twenties became a small child no more than seven or eight years old.
Ain spoke calmly:
"I am the Return-Return Fruit user. Anyone struck by my power loses twelve years of growth instantly. In your current state, you no longer have the ability to fight."
Ain did not move to kill her.
Despite everything, she had once been a Marine—and still could not bring herself to act ruthlessly.
Because of her reduced size, Tashigi's glasses slipped off.
Severely nearsighted, she was effectively blind.
She crouched on the ground, groping anxiously.
"My glasses… where are my glasses…"
Her hand suddenly touched something warm—a large human hand.
Her first thought was instinctive.
"Is that you, Commodore Smoker?"
But in the next instant, her heart skipped violently.
The unfamiliar scent told her immediately—
This was not Smoker.
"Who are you?!"
Tashigi's face drained of color as she tried to retreat.
The hand gently but firmly held her smaller hand and lifted her up.
A calm voice sounded near her ear:
"My name is Roxing. A good person—who specializes in helping people in trouble."
"And here—these are your glasses."
The hand carefully put her glasses back on.
Tashigi froze completely.
Her mind erupted in shock.
Roxing.
That name—
Could it really be… the legendary Beast Pirates' prince, the mysterious Fifth Emperor, Roxing?!
She instinctively looked up at the man in front of her.
And then another memory crashed into her mind.
She had seen him before.
In Loguetown.
That man—walking beside a breathtaking woman—standing beneath the execution platform of the Pirate King.
When Captain Smoker had tried to arrest them, he had nearly collapsed just from this man's gaze alone.
There was no doubt.
Only one person possessed such overwhelming presence.
The Fifth Emperor — Roxing.
Cold sweat soaked Tashigi's back.
Her small face turned deathly pale.
Why was Roxing here?
What was his objective?
Her thoughts descended into chaos.
She didn't even realize she was still being held.
Roxing had always appreciated rare "flowers"—but he was not someone who fixated on immaturity.
Tashigi's current appearance was merely the result of Devil Fruit effects; her true age was unchanged. There was no moral hesitation involved.
As far back as Loguetown, Roxing had already taken notice of this sharp-eyed Marine woman—but Yamato had been present then, leaving no opportunity.
Now that fate had delivered her directly into his arms, Roxing had no intention of letting the moment pass.
Holding the stunned, speechless Tashigi with one arm, he walked toward the battlefield between Vergo and Zephyr.
Ain, too, was shaken by Roxing's sudden appearance.
Seeing the direction he was heading, she shouted:
"Who are you?! What are you trying to do?!"
Pink flames erupted from her hands and surged toward Roxing.
Roxing vanished repeatedly, evading the attacks effortlessly.
As Ain prepared to press forward—
A massive figure slammed down in front of her.
"An ignorant woman dares to attack the young master?"
"Are you tired of living?"
Ain's expression changed dramatically as she stared up at the towering giant before her.
"You… you're Drought Jack of the Beasts Pirates?!"
"That's impossible—why are you here?!"
Jack snorted.
"That's none of your business."
His massive hand swung down.
Ain reacted instantly, retreating and slamming her palms against nearby magma-rock pillars.
The solid volcanic stone instantly reverted into blazing molten lava.
Her Devil Fruit did not only reverse living beings—it worked on inanimate objects as well.
But Jack ignored the falling magma entirely.
After all, he could bathe in Akainu's magma.
This was nothing.
One brutal slap sent Ain flying—landing directly in the middle of Zephyr and Vergo's battle.
"Ain!"
Zephyr roared in fury upon seeing his beloved student injured.
In his rage, he exposed an opening.
Vergo's Armament-coated fist slammed into Zephyr's abdomen.
Zephyr coughed up blood, eyes blazing.
He retaliated instantly, smashing his mechanical arm into Vergo's face and sending him flying.
Zephyr rushed to Ain's side.
Seeing that she was alive but incapacitated, he finally relaxed slightly.
Then he stood, staring darkly at the three figures advancing toward him—
Roxing.
Jack.
Vergo.
With his experience, Zephyr recognized Jack immediately—even if Roxing was unfamiliar.
His teeth clenched tightly.
"Pirates… damnable pirates again!"
"Vergo—you bastard! You were a spy for the Beasts Pirates all along?!"
Vergo calmly wiped the blood from his face and smiled.
"It is my honor to serve Lord Roxing."
Roxing.
Zephyr's pupils shrank sharply.
Having spent years at Marine Headquarters, there was no way he didn't know that name.
A man deemed more dangerous than the Yonko themselves.
A genius whose inventions had driven Sengoku and the World Government to constant headaches.
Even Dr. Vegapunk, possessing wisdom five hundred years beyond the world, had openly admitted inferiority.
The name Roxing thundered in Zephyr's ears.
He had never imagined he would meet this mysterious figure today.
Zephyr stared deeply at Roxing.
"So it was you who laid this trap… impressive indeed, a mind surpassing Vegapunk."
"I admit defeat today."
"But even if I die—"
"I'll drag you unforgivable pirates down with me!"
Madness twisted Zephyr's face.
He suddenly pulled out a glass container from his coat.
Inside it lay a chunk of purple stone—
Dyna Stone, the weapon rumored to rival the Ancient Weapons.
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