Rumble-!
Lightning flashed in the sky, erupting from the dark clouds. A series of muffled roars echoed as six massive tornadoes, connecting the sky and sea, churned across the surface.
Heavy rain poured down, splattering onto the warship's deck with a steady pitter-patter.
Inside the warship's commander's cabin, Sephiroth, clad in a white cloak of justice and a black suit, sat behind his desk. He rested his hands behind his head, gazing at the rain outside the window, feeling a bit drowsy.
The sea storm had scattered the Marine Academy fleet, with some ships separated by a kilometer or two, others by three or four.
Bururu! Bururu! Bururu~!
The den den mushi on the desk in front of him suddenly rang. Sephiroth casually picked up the receiver.
"Instructor Sephiroth, a three-masted sailing ship flying a Pirate flag has appeared about two kilometers to the southeast... Please give instructions!"
"All personnel prepare for battle, close the distance and engage!"
After speaking, Sephiroth stood up, stretched, and quickly left the cabin, heading towards the warship's deck.
The pouring rain quickly soaked his clothes. The thirty Military School Students of the Tenth Class swiftly assembled on the deck, all loading their rifles, while the snipers had already found concealed firing positions.
A red light flashed in Sephiroth's eyes, instantly activating his Observation Haki, which covered an area of eighteen kilometers around him.
Due to the storm, there was too much noise, making it difficult for him to clearly sense presences too far away.
Suddenly!
As if sensing something, Sephiroth looked towards the Pirate ship, now only a kilometer away, and drew the butcher knife from his waist, making a flourish with it in front of him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three sniper rifle bullets were fired consecutively at his head, chest, and abdomen, but he blocked them all with the blade of his knife.
Although most powerhouses in this world preferred close-quarters combat with fists, feet, and swords, rifles actually had an advantage at long range.
After all, ordinary Armament Haki practitioners couldn't block bullets; at most, they could only dodge using Observation Haki.
Under a dense barrage of bullets, even ordinary Commodores and Rear Admirals of Marineford would be worn down and killed.
If the gun user possessed both Observation Haki and Armament Haki, their danger level increased exponentially.
Therefore, firearms had always been the mainstream weapon in this world and the choice of the vast majority.
"On the other side, it seems there's a formidable sniper!"
Sephiroth murmured softly, instantly using Observation Haki to lock onto the person sniping him from a kilometer away.
Immediately after, he casually slashed diagonally at the air with the butcher knife in his hand.
Subsequently, the blade cut through the void, directly severing the neck of the unknown sniper with a single strike.
After the ships on both sides closed to a certain distance, they began firing cannons and shooting rifles. Sephiroth calmly issued commands from the deck.
This was the Military School Students' midterm exam, which concerned their future prospects after graduation. Sephiroth didn't want to interfere too much. He could only step in to eliminate a few troublesome individuals or destroy incoming rockets, leaving the rest for them to handle themselves.
"Huh!?"
Just as Sephiroth was commanding the warship and engaging in boarding combat, a ship suddenly appeared in his Observation Haki perception five kilometers away. It slammed its bow directly into the side of the First Class warship led by Zephyr.
Logically, with Zephyr commanding the First Class warship, such an obvious mistake shouldn't have happened.
Unless something unexpected had happened to Zephyr...?
This made Sephiroth suddenly recall that in the original storyline, it seemed the Military School Students of Ain's class were attacked by a Devil Fruit user during practical training, and Zephyr also had his right arm cut off as a result...
I've clearly changed so many people and events, yet Zephyr still encountered this incident?
Is this the correction force of destiny...?
So, should I help or not?
After hesitating for five seconds, Sephiroth ultimately chose to lend a hand.
Although he had always been at odds with that old man Zephyr.
But...
They had known each other for so many years. Zephyr had once taught him for a period, and before he had fully grown, it was Zephyr who helped him conceal the matter of his Conqueror's Haki.
He still owed Zephyr a favor...
Thinking of this, Sephiroth immediately looked at the Military School Students on the opposite pirate ship who were engaging the pirates.
"Such a hassle!"
As the words left his mouth, the butcher knife in his hand repeatedly cut through the void, bringing forth streaks of eerie scarlet light. Under the astonished gazes of the Military School Students, he severed the throats of the pirates one by one.
In less than a minute, all seventy-plus pirates on the ship had their throats slit and were killed, their bodies falling limply onto the deck.
Seeing this situation, one of the Military School Students couldn't help but weakly say:
"Um... Sephiroth Instructor... You suddenly joined the battle and dealt with all the enemies. Doesn't that mean we won't get any battle achievements this time!?"
"I'm not in the mood to watch you play house anymore. Clean up the battlefield quickly.
I will report this, and you will all be credited with achievements..."
Saying this, Sephiroth opened a spatial door and stepped inside.
......
Beneath the dark sky, thunder roared continuously, and the sea surface churned with furious waves.
A three-masted sailing ship, its wolf's head figurehead flying a Pirate flag, concealed its entire hull using the Clear-Clear Fruit's ability, stealthily approaching a warship in the distance.
On the deck of the Pirate ship, sixteen people of various appearances stood.
Among them were Dr. Beck the Death Doctor, Banks the Strongman, Kuroobi the Transparent Man, and Edward Weevil the Great Saber. These four were recently famous Pirate Super Rookies. The others were also Pirates with bounties over eighty million Berries, possessing considerable strength.
"Gentlemen, you are all very capable Pirates. I believe that if we join forces, we can definitely accomplish this.
At that time, I will certainly present two billion Berries with both hands!"
The speaker was a middle-aged man wearing a white coat and round glasses, with graying temples and a full beard. His name was Beck, and he was known as the Death Doctor due to his Sick-Sick Fruit ability.
Miss Bakkin held up an umbrella with one hand to shield herself from the rain and leaned on a cane with the other. She looked puzzled and said, "What kind of grudge do you have with Zephyr that you're willing to spend two billion to put a bounty on him?"
"Fourteen years ago, that guy captured my wife and brother and put them in Impel Down...
Since then, I've held a grudge against him and constantly thought of getting revenge!" Beck said through gritted teeth.
For fourteen years, he had secretly collected information on Admiral Zephyr, searching for a way to deal with his former enemy.
Through his various secret investigations, he discovered that Zephyr the Unkilling Admiral, famous throughout the Marines, actually suffered from asthma...?
His Sick-Sick Fruit ability could create various special viruses...
Therefore, when Beck learned of Zephyr's weakness, he began to create a special virus that could rapidly induce asthma and worsen its symptoms.
He knew that with the powerful Armament Haki of a Marine Admiral, they could certainly be immune to most Devil Fruit abilities.
But...
His Devil Fruit ability was merely a trigger that could induce Zephyr's pre-existing asthma.
Even if Zephyr used Haki to dispel his virus after realizing what was happening, the asthma would have already been triggered, and as it was a pre-existing condition, it could not be immunized against with Haki.
As a doctor, Beck knew very well that during an asthma attack, patients are essentially unable to engage in strenuous activity due to difficulty breathing fresh air...
This condition is extremely fatal for a martial arts expert!
Therefore, Zephyr's asthma became Beck's biggest opportunity!
Thus, after organizing Zephyr's activities over the past few years, he spent all his family's wealth and formulated an extremely crazy and bold revenge plan... attacking the Marine Academy training ship!
Beck pointed first at a bald, muscular man three meters tall...
"In a moment, Banks the Strongman and Edward Weevil the Great Saber, you two will lead the charge. You have the strongest frontal combat capabilities, so you'll attract Zephyr's attention..."
Beck immediately began giving instructions to the group of pirates around him, one by one.
He was the one funding the bounty this time. Even though the pirates present were annoyed by his commanding tone, they temporarily suppressed their complaints and listened carefully to his arrangements.
Soon, the invisible pirate ship successfully approached the vicinity of the warship.
Boom!
The wolf's head figurehead crashed violently into the side of the warship with a loud bang.
Beck shouted, "Attack!"