On the shattered battlefield, Lloyd and Zephyr exchanged one last brutal punch before both retreating to opposite sides of the field.
The area was unrecognizable. Craters overlapped one another, the ground scorched black by electricity and magma, fragments of stone scattered in every direction. The air itself felt heavy from the lingering aftermath of their clash.
Lloyd exhaled slowly, loosening his shoulders and allowing his muscles to relax slightly. Fighting Zephyr Sensei in pure physical combat was exhilarating, but the strain it placed on his body was undeniable. Zephyr was a true monster of hand to hand combat, even by Admiral standards.
Zephyr Sensei pressed his fists together, rolling his shoulders as a look of pure exhilaration spread across his face. Despite the injury to his leg, he wasted no time. His foot slammed against the ground as he charged forward once more, intent on continuing the fight.
He did not make it far.
Akainu and Kizaru intercepted him mid charge. Both had recovered enough strength to rejoin the battle, and they unleashed their abilities without restraint. Light and magma flooded the battlefield, attacks pouring down as if they cost nothing.
Zephyr Sensei dodged what he could with sharp, efficient movements. What he could not avoid, he smashed through with his fists, forcing his way forward head on like an unstoppable battering ram.
Kizaru knew all too well that he remained Zephyr's primary target. Without hesitation, he transformed into light and shot high into the sky, gathering everything he had left for one final attack.
Yasakani no Magatama.
For once, he was truly serious.
Even Zephyr looked surprised. As he deflected the rain of light bullets with his hardened fists, he laughed loudly.
"Not bad, Borsalino. This is exactly the look Sensei wants to see on your face."
Hearing praise from Zephyr Sensei, and for the first time at that, Kizaru felt a rush of excitement surge through him. His grin widened as he poured even more power into his attack, releasing larger and denser streams of light.
Akainu refused to fall behind. He fully transformed, standing at a distance like a living volcano, launching massive magma fists one after another like cannonballs aimed straight at Zephyr.
Swish.
Lloyd appeared beside Akainu in an instant. His gaze remained locked on Zephyr Sensei, who now stood bathed in searing light and molten fire. Rings of black light formed around Lloyd's right arm, pulsing with ominous energy.
He raised his arm high.
The dark halo shot straight into the sky, piercing through the clouds before vanishing completely.
Immediately after, Lloyd released a massive torrent of darkness that surged across the battlefield and swallowed Zephyr Sensei whole.
With three Logia users attacking at full power, even Zephyr Sensei was not invincible. His earlier exchange of iron fists with Lloyd had already drained a significant portion of his stamina.
Light, darkness, and magma were all elements of extreme intensity, but Lloyd's darkness was the most dangerous of all. Zephyr Sensei devoted most of his remaining strength to resisting the crushing gravitational pull.
If even part of his body were dragged too deeply into the darkness, no amount of Armament Haki would prevent injury. If too much was consumed at once, the result would be fatal.
For now, Zephyr had only one option. Endure. Wait for their stamina to run dry. Then break through and defeat them one by one.
His judgment was not wrong.
After maintaining such high output attacks for so long, Lloyd, Akainu, and Kizaru were rapidly approaching their limits. Even so, the fact that an Admiral had been forced into a battle of attrition against them was absurd in itself.
Kizaru's face had gone deathly pale. He was completely wrung dry.
Just as his strength finally gave out, Lloyd's voice rang out from below.
"That's enough. Borsalino, come down."
The moment he heard that, Kizaru's body went slack, nearly dropping from the sky. Using the last of his strength, he reflected himself down with Yata no Kagami, landing beside Lloyd and Akainu. He leaned heavily against Akainu's shoulder, gasping for breath.
Akainu was no better. His legs trembled from exhaustion, but he straightened his back anyway, allowing Kizaru to steady himself.
With their attacks stopped, the only force Zephyr Sensei still had to contend with was Lloyd's darkness. He gathered what strength remained, leapt upward, and used Moonwalk to suspend himself in midair.
Looking down at the three of them, Zephyr Sensei nodded in satisfaction. In his mind, the battle was already over. Just as he prepared to speak, the world around him suddenly dimmed.
Below, the audience stared upward in stunned silence.
Zephyr turned sharply. The moment he saw the sky, his pupils shrank.
A colossal meteorite had torn through the clouds, large enough to nearly cover the entire battlefield. Flames roared across its surface as it descended at terrifying speed.
Lloyd raised his hand once more. A dark vortex formed in his palm as he grasped at the air itself. Gravity twisted violently, dragging the meteorite down even faster.
"Tremor Star!"
Zephyr Sensei snapped out of his shock. Drawing on every last bit of strength in his body, he concentrated all of his Armament Haki into his fists and roared as he launched himself upward.
From below, he looked like nothing more than a black speck before the falling meteor.
His fists struck.
A deafening explosion split the sky. A violent shockwave erupted outward as fragments of the meteor scattered in all directions, igniting the air and creating a massive Meteor Volcano that rained destruction across the field.
The meteor Lloyd summoned was far larger than anything Fujitora had ever pulled down. In his exhausted state, Zephyr Sensei could not destroy it with a single blow. He unleashed punch after punch, shattering it piece by piece until nothing remained.
Dragging his battered body, Zephyr Sensei landed heavily on the ground. He looked up at Lloyd and let out a tired laugh.
"Lloyd, you really gave Sensei a heavyweight farewell gift."
Lloyd allowed himself a faint smile. Demon Blade Muramasa slid out from the back of his hand and circled calmly around him. Seeing this, Zephyr Sensei waved him off.
"That's enough. No more fighting. Your strength is more than enough to put Sensei at ease."
At those words, Lloyd and Akainu remained standing, but Kizaru immediately dropped to the ground, sitting flat on his backside. All he wanted now was a bed and a very long sleep.
In the past, Zephyr Sensei would have scolded him without mercy. This time, he only chuckled and shook his head.
"Borsalino, you really are…"
Kizaru propped himself up with his hands and looked up at him.
"Come on, Zephyr Sensei. I already graduated, so stop lecturing me, alright?"
Zephyr Sensei brushed the dust from his clothes and sighed.
"You're right. You've all graduated. Time really does fly. I guess I'm getting old."
"Uh, Sensei, I admit I call you an old man a lot, but I never actually thought you were old."
"Brat, you even admit to calling me old?"
"…."
Realizing his mistake, Kizaru quickly shuffled behind Lloyd and Akainu.
Lloyd turned and nodded toward Kuma. Kuma immediately appeared beside them and gently flicked a pain bubble at each of them.
Kizaru shot to his feet with an expression of pure bliss. He stretched, wiggled his hips, and let out a satisfied groan. Zephyr Sensei finally lost his patience, walking over and kicking him squarely in the backside while laughing.
"Always so unserious."
Kizaru hopped away, clutching his rear. Zephyr Sensei ignored him after that. He looked deeply at Lloyd, Akainu, and Kizaru, his voice steady and sincere.
"Alright. Sensei's final mission is complete. The future of the Navy is in your hands."