The Great Voyage: The Props Master on the Straw Hat Ship

"I've grown so old and frail..."

His voice already revealed a hint of weariness, and a trace of resignation to life.

Or rather, it's a surrender to one's aging body.

He eventually realized that he had reached an advanced age and began to accept that he was getting old.

"Although I despise, even hate, all pirates, I have always been clear about my grudges and debts..."

Zefa braced himself on his knee with one arm and slowly stood up.

"You saved my life, you have done me a great favor, therefore..."

Zefa sighed slowly, "I don't intend to keep you as my targets for further pursuit."

The others on the Straw Hat Ship: "..."

You're repaying a debt of gratitude by not chasing us?!

Hey, sir, you know you're likely to get beaten up for saying things like that?!

Moreover, isn't your statement a bit too presumptuous?

You were already our prisoner before you even got sick!

"What kind of looks are those?!"

Zefa looked at the group of little guys who were practically his grandchildren, their eyes filled with utter disrespect, and his tone faltered slightly.

"Can you let me finish what I have to say?!"

Zefa's tone carried a slight hint of displeasure, "I have more to say!"

He adjusted his sunglasses, his expression immediately turning serious.

"As long as you don't commit any heinous crimes, I won't take any action against you!!"

"In fact, provided it doesn't violate my basic principles and bottom line, if you want my help, I can do one thing for you free of charge!"

Zefa spoke with a firm and resounding tone.

This is a promise from a former naval admiral, a powerful figure with disciples all over the world.

When he says he'll help others without expecting anything in return, he's definitely making a vow to fulfill it, even at the cost of his life.

As for Zephyr's promise...

"Whatever you say, it's up to you~"

Luffy casually picked his nose, completely ignoring what he was hearing.

Well, Zephyr's earnest statement was truly a case of throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man.

“That’s right, we don’t need to go to the open sea to seek help from the navy, even if you’re no longer in the navy…”

The other Straw Hat crew members also harbored varying degrees of distrust and wariness towards Zephyr, and didn't take his words to heart.

In their group's view, the crises they might encounter in the future would be relatively easy with Link, Luffy, and the others by their side.

But if they really encounter a problem that even they can't solve, then when they need help, Zefa probably won't be able to offer much assistance either...

This promise meant absolutely nothing to them.

Zefa: “…”

I have a feeling that I'm being rejected?!

I originally thought that by making this promise, I had already made a great guarantee.

But... from the other party's perspective, it was completely beneath their notice?!

He was slightly dazed and taken aback. When did the promise of a former admiral become so worthless and useless in other people's eyes?!

"So, sir..."

Just as Zephyr was having some existential doubts, Luffy spoke up again.

"Are you alright now?!"

Zefa nodded subconsciously in a daze.

"Since you're all set~~~"

Luffy, without any hesitation, immediately retorted, "Then you should leave too, you former Marine Admiral uncle?!"

Luffy could accept Aokiji's words, but he would rather avoid the unknown ones, especially the Marines who had been hostile to them and had launched attacks.

He may be ambitious, but that doesn't mean he's some kind of naive, saintly fool.

He wasn't exactly welcoming to the navy, who posed a danger to them.

Zefa: “…”

He truly never imagined that he would be disliked one day.

He glanced at Luffy's very serious face, his eyebrows twitching, barely suppressing the urge to slap him on the head.

Well, if I were still in the Navy, I could use Garp's name, and as an old man of his grandfather's generation, to teach this very impolite junior a lesson.

But now~~~

"I see."

Zephyr sighed, and could only turn his desolate back once again to return to the NEO Navy ship that had been following him.

On the ship, Binz and Xiuzuo lay side by side on the deck.

There was also a statue of Aion frozen in place next to it.

Well, thanks to the Straw Hat Pirates' great mercy, these three NEO Marine officers were also returned to Zephyr.

Incidentally, Xiu Zuo's heart was also returned to Zefa.

"The Straw Hat Pirates..."

On the NEO ship, Zephyr watched the pirate ship sail further and further away, gradually disappearing from his sight.

He muttered something to himself and involuntarily took a slight breath.

Regardless of whether the Straw Hat Pirates dislike him or not, what's said is said.

Zefa would never break his promise.

Even the Straw Hat Pirates didn't ask for his help, but if they really got into big trouble...

Zephyr would definitely not stand idly by in the face of this.

"They're really a strange bunch."

He stared at his (nomadic) shredder right arm, his gaze slightly complicated.

In his mind, the words that Link, the vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, had said to him before he left also vaguely surfaced.

"While it's unlikely that an arm can regenerate, it might be possible with the help of a Devil Fruit."

"Among the dwarfs in Dressrosa, their princess is a user of the Healing Fruit."

"It may cure your ailments, restore your right arm, and even completely eradicate your asthma."

"If you have time, you could go and take a look there."

As he spoke, Link also briefly weighed the explosive rock in his hand.

"As payment for revealing this information, all of your explosive rocks are mine."

"Or rather, these are all my spoils of war~~~ Nephew."

Zephyr stole so much explosive rock in order to destroy the New World.

But now it seems...

It seems that his crazy, extreme, and biased ideas and plans are coming to an end.

It might not even be possible to implement it in the future.

Episode 542: A changed fate, Luffy's straightforward question: Why did you lose and quit?!

The explosive rock can completely destroy three outposts in the New World; only the explosive rock has such power.

Zefa had already located the three strongholds beforehand.

They are located on the islands of Fas and Seken.

However, after losing the explosive rock, all these so-called arrangements and plans came to naught.

"After repaying my debt of gratitude, let's destroy the new world~~~"

He gave himself this reason.

"Otherwise, I will never have peace of mind for the rest of my life..."

As he spoke, he also composed himself and determined the next voyage route.

"Now that we've lost the explosive rock, let's focus on improving our own strength first."

"The healing fruit ability of Dressrosa? That's something worth a try!"

"If our strength could truly be improved, or even restored..."

A cold glint suddenly flashed in his eyes, "That so-called Seven Warlords of the Sea!!!"

As for Zephyr, the elite naval officer who attacked and killed a ship full of his outstanding disciples, the pirate who cut off his own arm, is now the Whitebeard Jr., one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Edward Weebull—this was his eternal pain and his eternal hatred.

Zephyr is worthy of the title "Black Arm," and his domineering presence and strength are certainly not lacking.

However, due to the illness and the huge mental blow caused by the deaths of his wife and son, his strength declined rapidly.

It's been weakened to the point where even Luffy in Gear Second can't beat it!

Zephyr himself was aware of his declining strength, otherwise he wouldn't have been so easily defeated by Weevil, causing him to commit an act that he found utterly shameful in his professional career.

However, Zephyr 940 was also helpless in the face of his declining strength.

After all, people grow old and decline; this is a natural law of nature and a normal part of the cycle of birth, aging, illness, and death.

Zephyr himself could not resist the passage of time.

Unless he possesses an extraordinary item, such as the Water of Time that the [Item Master] gave Whitebeard to drink, his strength will only continue to decline rapidly without any improvement.

However~

The so-called "healing fruit" ability did give him a glimmer of hope.

"Not too much, just enough to restore your original strength, no, seventy or eighty percent, even sixty or seventy percent..."

Zefa's intact hand clenched tightly. "I can avenge those disciples!!!"

Destroying Weevil has become another obsession for Zeffa.

His insistence on destroying the New World may have been a desperate act of overturning the table, as he clearly knew he was no match for Weevil and that revenge was virtually hopeless.

But as things stand now...

He saw new possibilities.

"Crew members, turn the rudder!!"

Zefa's command echoed across the blue sky (cfbg).

"Heading towards Dressrosa, onward!!!"

This newly formed NEO Navy team thus embarked on a path completely different from the original.

On the other side~

"No, I still feel like this guy doesn't quite fit in with us."

Nami, Usopp, and Chopper, the cowardly trio, huddled together, watching from different corners and directions as Aokiji was carefully observed in an area specially designated as a breeding ground.

Well, this guy doesn't have any demands regarding food, clothing, or lodging on the ship.

The only condition they proposed was the establishment of a breeding farm.

Link readily agreed to his only request.

There are two areas inside the ship's aquaculture farm.