Chapter 361: A Lifelong Belief (7k words)

Chapter 361: A Lifelong Belief (7k words)



"You bastard!"

Zefa roared in anger, leaping up and raising the mechanical arm in his hand. The three split fingers of the arm glowed as they came together.

"Smash Blast!"

The mechanical arm in his hand unleashed a powerful blast, almost like a beam of light, shooting forward.

A year had passed, and it seemed that technological prowess had evolved, making this mechanical arm, known as 'Crusher', even more formidable.

"Thunder!"

Boom!

As Xag's voice rang out, a black-red bolt of lightning fell from the gloomy sky, striking the blast and exploding into a massive cloud of smoke.

Soon, the wind blew away the smoke, revealing Xag's figure.

"When it comes to harnessing external power, I'm far superior to you, Wind Blade!"

He let out a cruel laugh, and with a flick of his finger, he unleashed a sharp wind blade that sliced off the head of a Neo Navy soldier.

"You damn brat, Xag! What the hell are you doing?"

Zefa took a step back and leaped forward, pulling the mechanical arm back and delivering a powerful blow.

However, the forceful attack was effortlessly caught by a palm that emanated a black flame-like aura. Without even fully grasping the thick mechanical arm, the palm created a slight gap on its surface.

Xag looked up slightly, a smirk forming on his face as he spoke to Zefa, "Times have changed, old man."

Bang!

With a forceful clench of his five fingers, the interior of the mechanical arm exploded, sending parts and steel falling to the ground, revealing Zefa's prosthetic limb.

"Now, I don't even need to bother dismantling it. One move is enough!"

While he couldn't deal with the hardness of the seastone, this wasn't the first time he had encountered this mechanical arm. He had taken it apart once before, last year.

This time, he could simply infuse his Haki into the joints. All things had pressure points, and with his current strength, this brief contact was enough to dismantle the cumbersome mechanical arm!

As the mechanical arm fell apart, Xag grabbed Zefa's prosthetic limb, pulling him closer, while simultaneously delivering a powerful punch to Zefa's abdomen, causing his body to bend backward.

Zefa clenched his teeth, intending to counter, but before he could even make a fist, Xag slashed his hand-chop across Zefa's shoulder, sending a unique force through his body and causing half of his body to go numb.

Pa!

The hand-chop sliced across Zefa's shoulder and onto his neck, and despite his Haki defense, he still suffered a heavy blow, causing his bent body to arch backward.

As he tried to lift his leg, it was blocked by a knee, and Xag took the opportunity to move in closer, colliding his shoulder with Zefa's chest.

Ka-crunch!

Bang!

The crisp sound of cracking bones echoed as Zefa was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing into the ground and creating a deep pit.

Xag stood upright, his eyes showing a hint of pity. "You look like a worm now."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

In the pit, Zefa curled up like a bent worm, his hand clutching his chest as he coughed violently.

Just one year had made all the difference, and now they were worlds apart.

"Your asthma hasn't worsened; it's the same as last year. So, has your weakening will made it harder for you to suppress your illness?" Xag remarked.

"Professor Zefa!"

Eyn, who was running and attacking simultaneously, let out a startled cry. She wanted to take a step forward, but suddenly, a cold light seized the opportunity to slash at her neck.

The threat of death caused her to freeze instinctively, and her eyes began to lose focus. Everything around her seemed to slow down, including the two-finger-wide thin sword that was swiftly approaching. Even in her unfocused eyes, she could see it clearly.

Then, she saw a lot more.

Her hometown being ravaged by pirates when she was young, joining the Navy as a teenager, the training ship being overturned by a man with a crescent-shaped white beard, leaving only her and Binz as the surviving newcomers, and later, out of respect for Professor Zefa, she followed him when he left the Navy.

One by one, these memories flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern, and Eyn understood what was about to happen.

She was going to die.

"Lily, let her go."

Just as the cold light was about to reach her neck, a voice suddenly rang out in Eyn's revolving lantern world, interrupting the darkness that had been engulfing it.

The cold light abruptly changed direction, and Lily performed a sword flower with her white lightning, spinning her body and standing sideways with the sword in hand.

This also brought Eyn's world back to normal, and she quickly ran to the pit, supporting Zefa. She took out the breathing apparatus she always carried at her waist and applied it to Zefa, and after the mist was sprayed, his violent coughing subsided significantly.

"I know who you are."

Xag looked at the woman with long blue curly hair and said, "You seem to have a nice ability to turn back time for objects. Why don't you use it to give this old man a younger body?"

Eyn pressed her lips together and warily eyed Xag but shook her head. "Professor Zefa's Haki is too strong for me."

"Ha! Then your ability isn't that well-developed." Xag laughed.

He remembered this woman's ability, which seemed to allow her to turn back time for objects that she touched by eleven or twelve years. Among the countless abilities in the vast ocean, this one was truly exceptional.

However, when it came to abilities, the choice of host was crucial.

The ability to turn back time indicated that this person had a strong desire to return to the past and often thought about doing so.

Giving it to someone else might not be the best idea.

With that in mind, he flashed and landed in the pit.

Eyn was startled and instinctively raised her gun to shoot.

"Get back."

Bang!

Without even looking, Xag kicked sideways, striking Eyn's heart, and sent her flying with a single kick. Then, he pulled Zefa up, and with a swing of his fist, he shattered the breathing apparatus.

"Just so you don't say I bullied an old man with my numbers, even though you old folks refuse to admit you're old. Watch."

Pa!

He extended two fingers and pressed them firmly against Zefa's chest, sending him flying once more.

This time, Zefa steadied himself and landed firmly on the ground. He held his chest, and just as he was about to cough, he suddenly froze.

Zefa blinked, took a deep breath, and despite the gaping wound on his chest, heaved another breath.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he exclaimed, "You little punk, Xag!"

The asthma, it was gone.

This was the illness that had plagued him for so many years!

"Under my hand, there are few illnesses that can't be cured!" Xag boasted with a triumphant laugh.

The Northern Dipper Fist was also a living man's fist.

Under Xag's cultivation, this fist could easily cure any illness except for those rare incurable diseases.

Asthma was nothing to him.

"Of course, just a single touch won't be enough for a complete cure. It requires long-term acupoint therapy. But for you, it's more than enough, because you won't live to see tomorrow."

With that, he waved his hand again, and the wind blades he summoned sliced through more of the Neo Navy soldiers, either decapitating them or carving deep gashes and even slicing them in half.

Immediately after, he brought his hand down, and thunderbolts descended, turning a group of people into charred corpses.

Zefa's astonishment at having his asthma cured instantly vanished, and he roared, "Stop, Xag!"

"Hohohoho! You, an old Navy man, actually want a pirate to stop?"

Xag laughed loudly, "I am a pirate, so how could I possibly listen to you? If you want to stop me, then show me your strength!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand again, and in an instant, the wind blades whirled and thunderbolts fell, taking out another group of Neo Navy soldiers.

"You see, if you can't stop me, it means your strength isn't enough. You're not strong enough, Zefa!"

Xag's words, almost shouted, caused Zefa to retreat even though he hadn't been attacked.

In his eyes, there was even a hint of despair.

Yes, he wasn't strong enough anymore.

After all, he was an old Navy man. Not only had Xag noticed the gap between them, but Zefa himself had also realized it during the battle.

Not only had Xag become stronger, but Zefa had also weakened.

But this was inevitable. Ever since he started having doubts and feeling lost, his decline was unavoidable.

The 'Whitebeard Jr.' who became a Warlord of the Sea made him question the Navy's sense of justice, which is why he left the Navy.

But even before that, he had already grown weak.

A long time ago...

Ever since his family was killed by an intruder with abilities, he had been gradually weakening.

What was the point of not killing?

Was it to let the pirates take revenge on him?

If he had killed them earlier, wouldn't his family still be alive?

If his heart had been harder, then even if a pirate had infiltrated the training ship, he could have taken that person out before they killed everyone on board. At the very least, he could have saved half of them and retreated.

But there were no ifs in life. Over the years, as his doubts and weakness grew, he had pinned all his hopes on the Navy.

But the Navy had betrayed him. No, the World Government had betrayed him.

It wasn't his fault, but was it the World Government's fault?

After all these years, he should have understood what they were like.

So, whose fault was it?

Zefa's pupils visibly began to lose focus, and his willpower plummeted to its lowest point.

At this moment, although he had a robust body, knotted muscles, and a tall stature, he looked no different from a dispirited, feeble old man at first glance.

He posed no threat at all.

"The sea is merciless!"

Just then, a voice like a resounding bell entered Zefa's ears, bringing a glint of spirit back into his eyes as he subconsciously looked up.

Xag pounced like a tiger among sheep, whipping up storms and thunderbolts. With a flick of his hand and a stomp of his foot, those who had followed him out of the Navy were either charred by thunderbolts or sliced to pieces by the wind blades, their deaths tragic.

Standing on the black cloud, he spread his arms wide and laughed heartily, "Only the strong can stand in this vast sea! And only the strong are worthy of a seat at the table!"

"Justice? Evil? Everyone in this sea has their reasons, and whose reason prevails is determined by a show of strength!"

Boom!

The black-red lightning that split the sky enveloped the entire island in a dark red light.

But even this loud thunder and lightning couldn't drown out Xag's boisterous voice.

"And right now, my reason is the greatest! I am the justice! My belief and will shall be resolutely realized!"

Under the flashing lightning, a figure suddenly approached Xag in the black cloud at incredible speed. The sound of their fist breaking through the air rivaled the thunder, but Xag didn't even turn his head. He simply hooked his lips and threw a casual punch.

"Ambushes don't work on me!"

Bang!

The clash of their fists sent shockwaves rippling through the air, and the figure was knocked back, spinning several times in the air before landing steadily.

The flickering black-red lightning retreated back into the cloud, leaving the island quiet once more.

Xag looked down at Zefa, who had steadied himself below, and noticed the Busoshoku Haki that had awakened on his prosthetic arm and left fist. A smirk played on his lips as he said, "Your will has recovered somewhat. You're quite fickle, aren't you?"

He sneered, "Ah, I forgot. You've suffered failure, and you couldn't uphold your belief and will, so you're in disarray. But I'm different from you; I've never once thought of changing my will."

His tone turned resolute as he continued, "I'm extremely confident that in the future, I will be able to uphold my belief to the very end!"

Failure was something everyone experienced.

Xag had failed so badly that he had almost starved, and despite his strength at the time, he could have easily survived if he had just settled down.

But he hadn't given up on his obsession with becoming a landlord.

He firmly believed that no matter how many times he failed, he would definitely achieve his dream!

Only by becoming the ruler of all landlords could his damnable, deep-seated, and utterly insatiable desire be released, finding temporary satisfaction.

"I won't be lectured by a brat like you, Xag! Shut your mouth!"

At this moment, Zefa was a completely different person compared to before.

Zefa's eyes narrowed, and his prosthetic arm and left fist shone with Busoshoku Haki.

"It's just that I don't understand what you're trying to do, Xag!"

"Hmph, you'll see soon enough." Xag sneered.

With a stomp of his foot, he unleashed a storm of wind and thunderbolts, his power even greater than the last time they had clashed in Loguetown.

"Watch now, Zefa!"

Zefa's left fist pulled back to his waist, while his right prosthetic arm shot forward like a cannonball. The air around his fist seemed to solidify, swirling with Busoshoku Haki.

"Haoshoku Koka!"

"Armament Haki, Extreme Form!"

Having gone through a period of doubt, downfall, and recovery, Zefa now displayed a glimpse of his peak prowess!

Indeed, a Navy Admiral was not to be trifled with!

The wind howled, and thunderbolts crackled as Zefa's punch collided with Xag's.

"Hundred Demons Haunting Blade!"

Xag's hand-chop pierced through Zefa's chest and out his back, the black-red lightning coursing through his body.

Xag's hair transformed into blazing white flames, and three battle scars appeared on each side of his face, extending down his body, which now crackled with black-red lightning.

"Full Transformation, Thirty Fold."

Xag's lips curled upward. "I was thinking of using the 'Fist of Sentiment' on you, but now I think it's more fitting for you to experience pain."

Zefa's mouth twitched as blood continued to flow out and drip onto the ground.

The Busoshoku Haki on his fist also vanished at this moment.

"This is quite something."

He sighed softly and curled his lips, "An incredibly powerful force. I've been meaning to tell you, that special power of yours really packs a punch."

"As it should be. You have no chance against me," Xag said.

"You never know."

Pa!

With his Busoshoku Haki dissipated, Zefa maintained his forward momentum and struck Xag's head with his fist.

Zefa blinked mischievously, his teeth bared in a grin, "I did manage to hit you."

Xag froze for a moment, then contorted his face in rage, "Stubborn old man, impressive!"

Chi!

Xag withdrew his arm, flinging away the blood on his hand.

Zefa remained standing, his gaze fixed on the vast ocean beyond the island's edge, ignoring the Neo Navy that had already boarded their ship and set sail.

"Hey,"

He opened his mouth slightly, "As your enemy, what do you think of how I've lived my life?"

"Who cares about that!"

Xag turned and walked away, "All I know is that you're dead!"

"That's just like you."

Zefa smiled faintly, watching as Xag's body returned to its normal form. He trembled as he raised his hand to his waist and took out a cigarette, struggling to hold it between his lips.

"To be lectured by a young man like you, I really am..."

...

"Hero of Justice, Z!!!"

The child at the port, who had chased away bullies with a piece of wood tied to his right hand, raised his arm and repeated the words from his childhood.

...

"I've grown old."

The elderly man sighed deeply, standing there stiffly with the cigarette in his mouth.

"Aren't you going to chase after them?"

Lily sheathed her White Lightning, looking at Xag as he approached.

"You've already sheathed your sword, so don't ask. The old man showed his backbone at the end, and I won't be so heartless as to deny him his dignity in death. Let's go."

Xag led his crew back to the landing site, where a layer of ice had mysteriously formed.

"How long have you been here, Kuzan?"

Xag stepped onto the gangplank and turned to look at the ice, where a vagrant with his hands in his pockets, leaning against a bicycle, and accompanied by a large penguin, stood.

"I was here when Zefa first recovered, but we didn't have a chance to catch up."

Kuzan scratched his head and glanced at Binz, who was being held by Aki, "Can't we let that guy go?"

"I've already let go of many, but I have a use for this one. What, do you want to fight me for him?" Xag asked.

"Ah, never mind, it's fine."

Kuzan thought for a moment, "If we let that stubborn old man continue, he'll die at our hands within a year. Thinking about it, dying at the hands of a great pirate like you isn't so bad."

He paused and added, "At least this time, it's an honest and fair fight. Thanks, Xag."

Xag let out a cold laugh and stepped onto the Dead Star. As the last of his crew boarded, Kuzan began to walk towards the island.

"Hey, Kuzan."

At that moment, something was thrown down from the ship.

Kuzan instinctively reached out and caught a bottle.

It was a bottle of Jerez, with a label depicting water droplets and bubbles.

Kuzan turned to see Xag's figure moving away from the side of the ship. The Dead Star retracted its gangplank and the massive black ship turned swiftly, a voice carrying over the distance.

"Have a drink for me."

...

On board the Dead Star, Renitia leaned forward curiously, "Xag, what did you throw just now? I don't recall seeing you drink that before."

"Jerez Sherry, a cheap wine."

Xag laughed, then paused, sighing softly, "It's also fitting for those who are lost and burdened with responsibility."

"Zefa..."

Lily gazed at the distant island, "Aside from that terrifying final moment, he wasn't much of a threat. Is that what they call a weakening will?"

To be blunt, Lily might have felt some danger from Zefa in Roguetown, but on the island, she felt she could have killed him herself, let alone Xag.

But that final moment was scarier than anything before.

Was it liberation

or something else?

"Lily, a weakened will is indeed frightening. When a person completely loses their will, they can even become ugly."

Xag laughed heartily, "I certainly don't want to see you turn into a dried-up old hag in a few decades, waving around twigs like a sword and being sticky all over."

"I would never become like that!"

Just the thought of such a state made Lily's body tingle with discomfort.

"I'd rather die!" Lily clenched her teeth and exclaimed.

Xag shrugged and leaned against the bulwark, looking up at the sky. He chuckled as he thought of something, "Honesty and fairness? Now that's really funny."

He recalled the stubborn old man's life.

In his youth, he was backstabbed and lost his family.

In middle age, he was backstabbed again and lost his students.

Now, in his old age, he had been backstabbed once more and lost his career.

What was the point of being a Navy man if he kept getting backstabbed?

Death at Xag's hands fulfilled the old man's words, and it wasn't a disgrace for him either.

News of Zefa's demise soon spread.

Former Navy Admiral and current Navy Guerrilla Inspector, Zefa! In the New World, on Dehebace Island, he fought against the 'Calamity' Norton Xag and ultimately died while protecting his subordinates' retreat! Throughout his life, Zefa mentored many of the Navy's key figures, leading them into a golden generation.

He was renowned across the seas for his 'no-kill' policy, and his fists, which he used to traverse the oceans, earned him the moniker 'Black Arm'.

And above all, the Navy proclaimed him to be a

Hero of Justice!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end