Chapter 255: Zephyr—"Am I a Cyborg Now?"
When Spandine heard Claudius's command, he was startled. He wanted to dissuade him but didn't dare to be too direct about it.
Fortunately, his mind worked quickly, and he immediately said, "Yes, Your Highness. We'll do everything possible to locate Edward Weevil as quickly as possible, but…"
Claudius frowned, his tone sharp as he asked, "But what?"
"But, Your Highness, this matter shouldn't be rushed. Why don't you return to Mariejois first? In the meantime, we'll liaise with Marine to smooth things over?" Spandine said, his voice hesitant but careful.
Claudius took a deep breath, reigning in his emotions. After a moment, he replied, "Something like this has happened to Zephyr, so I must visit him. But you're right, we should let Marine handle things on their end first. I'll return to Mariejois for now and wait."
Spandine let out an internal sigh of relief. It seems I still have some influence on His Highness. Good news!
"Understood, Your Highness. I will return to Mariejois and await your arrival," Spandine said quickly.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Nia noticed that Claudius was in a foul mood. Without prying, she simply reminded him to drink more hot water before leaving to instruct the Prometheus crew to return to Mariejois at full speed.
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Zephyr's situation was both significant and delicate. While no longer active on the front lines, Zephyr had once been an Admiral, a symbol of Marine's power. Though his influence on the seas had waned over time, he still carried considerable weight within the Marine ranks, especially as the leader of the Marine Officer Training Camp.
Zephyr wasn't just a former Admiral; he was a mentor to many of Marine's current powerhouses. Virtually all of Marine's top officers had once been his students.
Now, however, the teacher had suffered a devastating setback. While leading a group of recruits on a live combat exercise, Zephyr had been ambushed and lost an arm in the attack. The incident shook Marine to its core, no one could accept such a tragedy.
The situation highlighted Zephyr's declining strength. Years of being away from the front lines had dulled his combat instincts, and his body wasn't what it used to be. He suffered from asthma, which limited his ability to endure prolonged battles.
Despite these setbacks, Zephyr had been a formidable fighter. According to Spandine's report, he had managed to hold his ground against Edward Weevil, also known as Whitebeard Jr., using his experience and skill. However, his strict "no-kill" philosophy had allowed Weevil to exploit an opening, resulting in Zephyr's arm being severed during a sneak attack.
If Garp hadn't arrived in time, the outcome could have been even worse.
Edward Weevil was a monster of a man, physically powerful but mentally lacking. Claudius had once considered recruiting him as an enforcer due to his incredible strength, but ultimately decided against it. Weevil's parentage, as the supposed son of Edward Newgate, made things too complicated. If Claudius were a pirate, it wouldn't have mattered. But as a Celestial Dragon allied with the World Government, associating with someone like Weevil risked inviting Whitebeard's wrath.
Besides, Weevil was a wanderer with no fixed location. Even if Claudius wanted to recruit him, the sheer difficulty of tracking him down across the vast seas made it impractical.
Still, the fact that Weevil had now targeted Zephyr enraged Claudius.
---
The Prometheus wasn't far from Mariejois when Claudius received the news. He ordered the ship to speed up, and within days, they arrived. Without pausing, Claudius picked up Spandine and immediately set course for Marine Headquarters—Marineford.
"Spandine, tell that birdman Morgans that if he dares publish anything that tarnishes Zephyr's reputation, I'll pluck every feather off him and roast him into a chicken!" Claudius said coldly.
Spandine, well aware of Claudius's respect for Zephyr, quickly replied, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Morgans wouldn't dare. I've already warned him, and our infiltration of the World Economy News Paper is solid. If anything happens, CP-X will know immediately."
"Good," Claudius said with a curt nod.
Spandine hesitated before adding, "Your Highness, we still don't know if Edward Weevil has any real connection to Whitebeard. Many claim he's Whitebeard's illegitimate son. If we act against him, we should be cautious of provoking the Whitebeard Pirates."
This was part of the reason Spandine had tried to dissuade Claudius earlier.
"That old fool better have nothing to do with Weevil. Otherwise, I'll deal with him too," Claudius said icily.
---
Upon arriving at the Marineford hospital, Claudius found a large crowd gathered around Zephyr's ward. As it happened, Zephyr's injury had coincided with the development of a groundbreaking "reconstruction technology" by the Marine Science Division, led by Dr. Vegapunk.
This technology, a byproduct of the research conducted on Bartholomew Kuma, allowed for advanced cybernetic enhancements. A prototype robotic arm had been developed, and Vegapunk had suggested using it to replace Zephyr's lost limb. Zephyr, ever practical, agreed without hesitation, eager to test its capabilities.
Now, everyone was gathered to witness the results of Zephyr's transformation.
Inside the ward, Zephyr flexed his new robotic arm, which gleamed under the lights. "Not bad," he said with raised brows, his tone tinged with curiosity.
A scientist in a white coat stepped forward to explain. "This arm is equipped with significant upgrades. It's reinforced with seastone for durability, and its internal mechanisms greatly enhance its attack power.
However," the scientist added, "its weight is substantial, about 300 kilograms. It's only thanks to Zephyr-sensei's exceptional strength that he can wield it. For an ordinary person, lifting this would be impossible."
Zephyr nodded thoughtfully. "It's a bit heavy, but it's better than having no arm at all. I'll just need some time to adjust."
At that moment, a loud voice echoed from the corridor: "Move aside! His Highness Claudius is here, don't block the way!"
Spandine's sycophantic shout carried through the halls as Claudius entered the hospital.
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