Zephyr had already arrived from Navy Headquarters.
The battle was still raging on.
Standing at the bow of the ship, Zephyr stared in shock at the battlefield, watching Kuke being surrounded by Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru.
Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru were all his students—his proudest, strongest pupils in his entire teaching career.
Yet the fight had dragged on for so long without a clear winner. "How can this be possible?" Zephyr's face darkened as he watched Kuke.
Kuke had once been part of the recruit training camp, but he was always at the bottom of the class. So how had his strength skyrocketed so much after leaving the camp?
From deep within, Zephyr loathed Kuke. It felt like an insult to his own teaching abilities.
"Good thing he's going to die today," Zephyr thought, allowing a faint smile to appear on his face.
Turning around, Zephyr looked at his current batch of students—those in the training camp now.
Among them were graduates like Smoker and Tashigi. Kuke had once been their classmate.
They were set to graduate next month and officially join the Navy.
Zephyr's gaze then shifted to another group of younger recruits, among whom was Ain. These newcomers were supposed to officially start training next month, but today, Zephyr had brought them along. "Today, I will give you your first lesson," he declared.
The soon-to-be graduates and fresh recruits all wore the same expression—shock, as they watched the battlefield in the distance where the earth and sky were shifting. Lava shot hundreds of meters into the air, like a volcanic eruption. Laser beams rained down like a torrential storm.
In their eyes, the massive expanse of ice seemed to vanish in an instant. But as soon as the ice disappeared, it reformed just as quickly, turning several islands into towering glaciers.
The graduates, who were already strong Navy soldiers, stood frozen in awe.
The new recruits, like Ain, stood with their mouths agape, utterly dumbfounded.
"This is the power of an admiral. It's terrifying," one of them muttered.
"Will we ever become as strong as them? Will we ever be admirals?" the rookies asked, their eyes filled with admiration as they watched the three admirals unleash their power.
Becoming an admiral had now become their ultimate dream.
"With hard work and training, you can. Those three men were once my students, just like you," Zephyr's proud voice rang out, filling his students with hope.
The rookies, including Ain, gazed at Zephyr with reverence.
"Teacher, wasn't Kuke also your student?" Tashigi asked, reminding Zephyr of the truth.
Zephyr's expression darkened instantly.
He never acknowledged Kuke as his student. Kuke hadn't learned anything from him and had betrayed the Navy. Zephyr refused to accept him.
"What?" Ain and the others quickly shifted their focus to the battlefield, where Kuke fought against the three admirals.
"Hmph, today, I will personally remove the stain on the recruit camp. Watch closely and remember your sense of justice. Never stray from it," Zephyr said, leaping into the air.
Using Moonwalk, he sprinted through the sky, heading straight for the battlefield.
"Justice?" Smoker furrowed his brow. "Kuke may have betrayed the Navy, but is killing him really justice?"
He glanced at Tashigi, who stood beside him.
"Tashigi, you were close with Kuke during training camp. Do you think he really betrayed the Navy?" Smoker asked.
"Kuke didn't betray anyone," Tashigi replied, her gaze distant as she watched the battle. "He never took anything from the Navy. He paid his way through the training camp, even paid for his meals. He never took a single penny from the Navy."
"Oh..." Smoker's eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Kuke. He sighed deeply. "What a shame. He's going to die."
Tashigi bit her lip lightly.
...
On the battlefield.
"Move aside, boys. Leave this to me," Zephyr's domineering voice echoed through the battlefield.
Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru immediately halted their attacks and retreated, though they maintained their positions, still surrounding Kuke.
"Is this a joke? Three admirals are already here, and the Navy still sends an admiral from the previous era, Zephyr, to join the fight? Is that necessary?" someone in the distant crowd muttered.
"This kind of lineup... where else have we ever seen this? They're not giving him any chance."
"The Navy's being ruthless."
A large crowd had gathered to watch the battle from afar. Many held binoculars, staring wide-eyed at the scene before them as Zephyr arrived.
Another legendary figure had entered the fray.
This marked the fourth admiral to appear.
"The Navy is dead set on wiping out Kuke. They might as well announce to the world that Kuke is dead," said a reporter, both excited and saddened.
They knew this news would shock the entire world.
But with Kuke gone, fewer people of his caliber would emerge, and the news would become much less interesting.
"Regardless, for someone to be hunted by four admirals, Kuke can die knowing his life was worth something," murmured a rising pirate, his eyes burning with admiration for Kuke, even if the man was moments away from death.
...
On the battlefield.
Kuke was covered in blood, using his sword to steady his trembling legs. He continued to smile with excitement.
Zephyr stared at Kuke, unable to suppress a shiver of fear.
To think he had made it this far and was still smiling. As much as Zephyr disliked him, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of shock.
Zephyr's gaze then shifted to Akainu, his brow furrowing at the sight. Akainu looked terrible.
One ear was missing, his face marred with a large X-shaped scar. His chest and body bore dozens of wounds, and most of the skin on his right arm had been stripped off.
Zephyr glanced at Kizaru and Aokiji.
Kizaru only had a shallow cut on his face, and his clothes were still intact.
Aokiji had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his clothes were also unharmed.
They were all admirals, fighting together, so how had Akainu ended up in such a miserable state? Zephyr couldn't understand.
Stopping his attack, Akainu's lips twitched in frustration. He was also confused—during the fight, Kuke had only focused on him. Why?
"The battle is mine now. Let me finish off my student with my own hands," Zephyr said as his fists were coated in advanced Armament Haki.
Kuke chuckled, "You're not fit to be my teacher."
Zephyr's face darkened. "As long as you've been part of the recruit camp, you're always my student. It's a shame you've taken the wrong path, but that's my fault. As your teacher, it's my duty to capture you."
"How ridiculous. I never attended a single one of your lessons at the camp. You never taught me anything. What gives you the right to call yourself my teacher?"
Kuke sneered, "Oh, I see. Now that I've become stronger, you want to use the title of 'teacher' to elevate yourself, huh?"
Perhaps Kuke's words had struck a nerve, because Zephyr's expression grew even darker.
"Fine. Then I will judge you as a Navy officer judging a criminal," Zephyr said coldly.
Aokiji frowned. "Zephyr-sensei, this is our fight. You don't need to get involved."
At this point, there was no need for Zephyr to participate.
"Zephyr-sensei, just focus on training your students. Kuke's a monster—you don't want to get hurt. If something happens to you, it'll be tough to explain to Sengoku," Kizaru chimed in, subtly mocking Zephyr.
Zephyr snorted, "What's this? Now that you're admirals, you think you're too good for your teacher? Don't forget, I was once an admiral too. I haven't gotten so weak that I can't handle someone like Kuke."
Zephyr was brimming with confidence.
He glanced at Kuke.
Kuke was clearly at his limit. After holding out against three admirals for so long, he could barely stand, leaning on his sword for support.
Zephyr was convinced he could take Kuke down with ease.
Aokiji and Kizaru shrugged helplessly. After all, Zephyr had once been their teacher, so they didn't say much.
"Is this funeral grand enough for you?" Akainu asked Kuke, knowing this would be his last chance to face him in battle.
"Goodbye," Akainu added, his tone final.