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"Smoker, stop spacing out. It's ti to go," Kizaru said.
"Don't let your stubbornness get you killed."
Sensing Smoker's reluctance to leave, Kizaru added the warning, and his words seed to hit their mark.
There was nothing Smoker could do by staying. He'd only be a liability, or worse, get himself killed. His earlier defiance toward Shin had been bold, to say the least.
Aokiji had already stepped in to protect him, so Kizaru couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
In the end, Smoker left. Shin glanced in the direction he had fled. Just as Aokiji tensed, expecting an attack, Shin did nothing.
'He didn't attack...' Aokiji thought, a little confused by Shin's restraint.
"I don't get angry over the provocations of an ant," Shin said nonchalantly, as if reading Aokiji's mind.
Aokiji fell silent. He certainly wasn't going to make the first move against Shin. He knew his own limits, and his main goal was to stop Kizaru from going after his old teacher, Zephyr.
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"Zephyr-sensei, you should leave too," Aokiji urged.
"Zephyr can't leave." Kizaru glanced at Aokiji, then moved to block Zephyr's path.
In truth, Zephyr had no intention of running. He had never even considered it.
From the very beginning, Zephyr had been prepared to fight to the end. But he didn't want his students, who had followed him so loyally, to get hurt.
"Ain, all of you, leave," Zephyr said, his voice carrying the weight of a man who had accepted his fate.
The Dyna Stones were gone. His plan was in ruins. There was no path forward for him now.
The Marines would never let him go. Only his death would ensure the safety of his students. If he lived, the Marines would never stop hunting Ain and the others.
"But—"
"If you still see as your teacher, then go," Zephyr said, his voice heavy.
Seeing the unyielding resolve in his eyes, Ain and the others finally left. Kizaru didn't stop them, nor did he order the Marines to. There was no need for a fight to the death.
"Now, sensei, you can face your end, can't you?" Kizaru said, his gaze fixed on Zephyr.
"Aokiji, stay out of this. This is between and Kizaru now," Zephyr said gravely to Aokiji.
Aokiji understood what his forr teacher ant. As long as Zephyr lived, this conflict would never end... Zephyr had made his choice. Aokiji felt he had no right to interfere with his teacher's decision.
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"Captain," Hina said, looking at Shin.
"He's made his choice. There's no need to save him. We should respect it," Shin said, glancing at Hina.
After a mont of internal struggle, Hina didn't ask Shin to save Zephyr.
She could see it too. Her teacher didn't want to be saved. Even if they intervened, it would be pointless. A futile effort.
Once Zephyr was dead, the leaderless NEO Marines would pose no real threat and wouldn't be targeted. This was the best possible outco. Besides, Zephyr himself had no desire to die of old age. Rather than a slow, sad decline, he preferred to die in battle.
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"Co, Borsalino. Let your old teacher give you one last lesson." Zephyr stared at Kizaru, his body exuding a formidable aura.
Zephyr didn't have Conqueror's Haki, nor did he have a killer's instinct.
Known as the Admiral who never killed, his hands were free of blood. This was the aura of a true powerhouse. Even in his old age, Zephyr was not to be underestimated. Especially now, as he prepared to go all out.
Zephyr took out a small vial of dicine and downed it all. He now had to rely on drugs to maintain his fighting strength. Of course, taking too much of this dicine would have serious side effects.
But Zephyr didn't care anymore. This was the final battle of his life. The side effects were irrelevant.
Black Armant Haki coated his hands, including his weapon, the Smasher. If Zephyr was known for one thing, it was his Armant Haki.
After all, one of his titles was Black Arm Zephyr.
He stomped the ground, generating an unimaginable burst of speed, and appeared before Kizaru in an instant, as if he had teleported. He threw a punch—
Even while dragging the massive Smasher, he could move that fast. It was clear Zephyr was giving it everything he had.
Just as the Smasher was about to hit Kizaru, Kizaru's body vanished. Zephyr's powerful strike hit nothing but air.
"You've still got so fight in you, sensei," Kizaru's voice ca from behind Zephyr.
"Why don't you find out for yourself?"
Zephyr spun around and threw another punch.
"What a terrifying punch. A pity it's a bit too slow for ."
Kizaru once again phased through Zephyr's attack. Kizaru was the perfect counter for Zephyr. The Marines hadn't sent him here without reason.
Zephyr's power was imnse, but his greatest weakness was his speed. Due to his body's deterioration, Zephyr could no longer reach the terrifying speeds of his youth.
Against Kizaru, Zephyr might be able to hold his own, but he could never win. If the fight dragged on, Zephyr's defeat was inevitable.
After Kizaru dodged another attack, Zephyr stopped. He wasn't a fool. He knew his greatest weakness against Kizaru wasn't speed, but stamina. If this beca a battle of attrition, he would be the one to fall.
Zephyr stopped attacking and took a defensive stance, waiting for Kizaru's move.
"You're old, sensei. You don't even have a tenth of the strength you had in your pri."
If he were facing the Zephyr of the past, Kizaru wouldn't dare be so careless. But the current Zephyr? Kizaru felt he could easily defeat him with minimal effort.
He no longer saw Zephyr as a threat, his eyes filled with condescension.
Faced with Kizaru's dismissive gaze, Zephyr remained composed. He understood that anger would accomplish nothing—it would only place him at a greater disadvantage. Kizaru's strength was undeniable. Regardless of his flaws, they paled in comparison to Zephyr's aging body.
"Sensei, did you ever imagine this day would co?" Kizaru asked.
"Borsalino, you shouldn't be so arrogant."
Zephyr's face showed a hint of displeasure. 'Even if I can't beat you, that doesn't give you the right to humiliate like this.'
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