The Blood Dawn Pirates drifted steadily across the endless blue sea. It would take some time before they returned to Skypiea. Perona and Laboon were playing with Olga, while the Doctor had locked himself in the cabin, muttering about needing to study modern knowledge to "keep up with the times."
On the deck, Ritter lay lazily in a hammock spun from his own blood mist.
"So boring," he muttered, sounding as if he were about to melt.
"Captain Ritter! A navy battleship spotted ahead!" Perona's sharp voice rang out from the lookout.
Ritter narrowed his eyes and followed the direction she pointed.
Sure enough, a Marine battleship was cutting slowly across the horizon.
On its deck, a group of young recruits were practicing drills under the stern gaze of none other than former admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr.
"Well, well, if it isn't Zephyr," Ritter's lips curled into a playful grin. "Out here putting the rookies through live training, huh?"
Come to think of it, since setting sail, this was the first time Ritter had crossed paths with the last member of the so-called "ancient F4."
Might as well say hello. Ritter couldn't help but feel a spark of expectation.
At this point in time, Zephyr's family should already have been killed. Ritter had always wanted to help this gentle Marine whose life had been nothing short of tragic, but back then Ritter was still nothing more than a drifter at sea.
In One Piece, tragedies abound, each like a blade. Zephyr's was the kind of blade that cut slow and deep you only grasp its weight when you look at the span of his entire life.
Heh, what's that? You want a quick recap?
Let Ritter walk you through it.
At age 38, he rose to admiral. In the same year, he married.
At 39, his son was born. Then came the first cut: a father forced to bury his own child.
At 42, his family was murdered by pirates. He began to loathe them, even tried to resign, but failed. At this point, he still had hope in the Marines.
At 65, his training vessel was attacked by Edward Weevil. Nearly all of his beloved students were slaughtered, save for Ain and Binz. His right arm was destroyed.
That was the second cut losing the disciples he had so carefully nurtured. Oda at least spared him two. If even they had been killed, Zephyr would've been left a lone, broken hero.
At 73, he learned the pirate who severed his arm had been made a government-sanctioned Warlord. His trust in the Marines shattered. He left, founding the Neo Marines with the goal of eradicating every pirate on earth.
At 74, he crossed paths with Luffy, fought one last battle, and eventually died against the Marines.
The bitterest irony?
The order for his death was given by his student Akainu.
It was carried out by his student Kizaru.
And when it was all over, his student Aokiji laid him to rest.
The third cut: a man who died clinging to his ideals.
In One Piece, willpower is everything. Just look at Garp. Ritter always felt that after Ace's death in Marineford, Garp's strength dropped off sharply.
Even so, the fact that Zephyr later managed to form the Neo Marines meant he was still formidable at this point.
Tesoro strolled up beside Ritter, spinning a golden ring on his finger. "Captain, shall we take them out? Those recruits hardly look like they can put up a fight."
Ritter waved a hand, eyes glinting with mischief. "No rush. Let's play with them a little. They are, after all, the future of the Marines. Shame the gap in strength is so wide."
"Alright, boys!" Ritter's voice boomed across the sea. "Chase them down!"
At his command, the Nirvana shot forward, thunder rolling along its sides, hurling the ship across the waves like an arrow from a bowstring.
On the Marine battleship, Zephyr was in the middle of teaching hand-to-hand drills when a panicked recruit rushed up.
"Teacher Zephyr! A pirate ship approaching from behind it's… it's the Blood Dawn Pirates! The Brumar Jackson!"
Zephyr's brow furrowed instantly. He turned toward the sea and, sure enough, saw the dragon-headed ship.
His face hardened. "Of all times… it had to be them."
But here Zephyr revealed the responsibility of a true instructor.
"All hands, listen up!" he barked. "Turn around! Full retreat!"
The recruits were baffled. "Retreat? But Teacher Zephyr, shouldn't we fight?"
Zephyr's voice was grim. "Do as I say! Prepare a small craft. If necessary, I'll face them alone. You only need to do one thing run."
The battleship swung about, trying to put distance between them.
But the Brumar Jackson was far too fast. Powered by thunder itself, it closed the gap in moments.
Ritter stood at the prow, watching the Marines scramble. His grin widened. "Don't run, Zephyr! We just came to say hello!"
His voice, carried by a spread of blood mist, reached the recruits clearly.
"It's Ritter! That pirate worth 3.6 billion!" one exclaimed.
Zephyr clenched his fists, weighing his options. With himself and only green recruits, there was no chance in a head-on clash. Ritter was infamous across the seas nothing like Edward Weevil.
"Prepare the cannons!" Zephyr snapped. "Slow them down!"
The battleship's guns swiveled toward the Nirvana.
But before a shot could fire, a golden figure soared from the Brumar Jackson.
"Golden Divine Punishment Heaven's Descent!" Tesoro roared. Countless golden spears rained down, destroying every cannon in a storm of gleaming destruction.
Zephyr's face darkened further. Seeing the pirate ship draw ever closer, he launched himself into the sky with Moonwalk, determined to buy his students time.
"Fog God Style Heaven Splitter!"
Though Zephyr managed to block, without solid footing he was knocked back, crashing down onto the battleship.
Ritter chuckled. "What, you thought I'd just let you climb aboard? Do you know how much trouble ship repairs are? Hurts every time."
He stepped forward onto the prow, blood mist swirling around him, eyes locked on Zephyr.
"Come now, Zephyr. Leaving so soon? It's our first meeting you're breaking my heart."
Before his words faded, Ritter vanished. A moment later, he appeared on the battleship's deck. Blood mist surged like a storm, engulfing the ship.
The recruits started forward but Zephyr raised a hand to stop them.
His fists, cloaked in Armament Haki, gleamed black as steel.
"Ritter!" he growled, fury burning in his gaze. "You think I'm afraid of you?"
Ritter tilted his head, drawing the Black Tide blade. The edge scraped across the deck, leaving a crimson line in its wake.
"Afraid or not why don't we find out?"
Boom!
Zephyr struck first, fists hammering down with mountain-crushing force.
Ritter moved like a phantom, weaving between the storm of blows, blade clashing, slipping, cutting. Sword-light and fists collided in a relentless storm, the battleship lurching violently under the impact.
The recruits had already retreated to the edges, staring in wide-eyed awe.
"So this… this is a battle on the admiral's level?!"
"He's holding his own against Teacher Zephyr?!"
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