Mariejois.
The Five Elders were still on their knees, expressions full of helplessness.
They had taken part in the quiz earlier—but none of them got the right answer.
That alone was humiliating enough. What stung even more was that the three who answered correctly were all enemies of theirs.
Whitebeard and Katakuri were bad enough…
But Zephyr—he had once been one of their Marines, a man they had discarded not long ago.
At the time, they'd considered Zephyr an old, crippled relic—diseased, one-armed, and no longer of any value.
So, to secure the combat power of Whitebeard Jr., they coldly chose to abandon him.
Who could have imagined that in this mysterious chatroom, the man would return to his peak?
It was like smashing their own feet with the rock they'd thrown.
Now, though, it was far too late to fix things—they could only swallow the bitter result.
While the world outside was a mix of laughter and despair, the chatroom itself remained lively as ever.
Roger: Newgate, since you're back among the living, how about telling us about your biological son, "Whitebeard Jr."?
Golden Lion: Didn't expect that from you, old man! Quiet on the outside, but secretly you went and had a kid, huh?
Whitebeard: ??? What the hell are you bastards talking about? When did I ever have a biological son!?
Whitebeard Jr.: Dad, I'm so happy you've been revived!
Garp: Hahaha! No use denying it now, Whitebeard!
Whitebeard: ??? Hold on—you're my son? Who's your mother then?
Whitebeard Jr.: Her name's Miss Bakkin—Bakkin Gum Stussy.
Golden Lion: Oh, that greedy hag? You actually got involved with her?
Roger: If I remember right, Bakkin was actually quite a beauty when she was young.
Rayleigh: Yeah, that was decades ago. Have you seen her now? My eyes still hurt.
Rocks: So that's it—you two were secretly hooking up back on my ship. Never thought you'd hidden it so well.
Whitebeard: Wait, wait, wait—I didn't! There's no way I ever did anything with that woman! Are you all out of your minds!?
Garp: Still denying it when your son's standing right there?
Vegapunk: He's a clone.
Whitebeard:Nani? You're saying this so-called Whitebeard Jr. is a clone? Don't tell me… a clone of me?
Vegapunk: That's right. From the looks of it, though, Bakkin's cloning experiment failed—he inherited your strength, but not your intelligence.
Marco: Wait—cloning can reach that level now? You're saying someone could clone even Whitebeard's power?
Vegapunk: It's possible. In fact, such cloning experiments… I've already perfected them myself.
Everyone who'd witnessed Whitebeard Jr.'s strength felt a chill run down their spine.
So the World Government's cloning technology had already reached this level—able to reproduce powerful individuals, even granting them Warlord-level strength.
And that was Bakkin's amateur work, not Vegapunk's.
If Vegapunk's real cloning technology were used… who knew what kind of monsters he could create?
Jaygarcia Saturn: Vegapunk, you're saying a bit too much. You know very well what must remain confidential.
The Elders hadn't expected that even a brief lapse in focus would let Vegapunk blurt out something so critical.
Cloning technology had to remain top secret—it was vital to the Seraphim Project and the plan to eradicate pirates entirely.
Vegapunk: Oh, I didn't say anything.
On Egghead Island, Vegapunk clicked his tongue.
Honestly, he was far more curious about the mysterious chatroom than any cloning tech.
A place capable of creating items that advanced Haki, resurrected the dead, and perfectly healed bodies—even he couldn't begin to comprehend that power.
Rocks: Well, well, what a rare sight—the Five Elders themselves joining our little chat. Quite the surprise.
Kaido: Couldn't sit still anymore, huh? Didn't win the quiz, and now you're sweating over this chatroom. I wonder when you'll finally be knocked off your thrones.
Topman Warcury: Hmph. Insolent commoners.
Though he spoke with arrogance, the Five Elders' hearts were heavy.
For a regime that prided itself on absolute control, the existence of this chatroom was a threat beyond measure—a power outside all systems, one that undermined their dominion itself.
Somewhere in the New World.
A modified Neo-Marine warship drifted over the waves.
Inside, Zephyr slowly opened his eyes.
In front of him stood Ain, Binz, and Shuzo, their faces tense with anticipation.
"I've never… felt this good before."
A genuine smile spread across Zephyr's face—one that hadn't appeared in years.
He pulled off the black glove covering his right hand.
Beneath it should have been a mechanical prosthetic built by Marine Science Division…
But instead, what they saw was a real arm—of flesh and blood.
Not only that, the new arm's muscle tone matched his left perfectly.
Whether punching, coating with Armament Haki, or even infusing it with Conqueror's Haki—it all flowed effortlessly. It was truly the arm of his prime.
And then came another surprise.
His asthma—gone. The tightness in his chest, the difficulty breathing after every exertion—all completely cured.
That miraculous potion had restored his body not just to his sixty-four-year-old state—
but better than he'd been ten years ago.
With all his hidden injuries gone, his physique rivaled what it had been at fifty—
the peak era when the Black Arm Zephyr stood as an admiral alongside Garp and Sengoku.
"Wait for me, you weak-willed Marines…"
"I'll lead the Neo-Marines to overturn this world—and bring forth true justice."
Before, Zephyr had fought with the resolve of a man already dead, simply seeking to spite the World Government.
Now, though—he had the confidence to fight them head-on.
With his current power, even a single admiral from the World Government wouldn't be enough to take him down.
A fully mobile powerhouse, operating outside the system—that was the true terror of Zephyr's rebirth.
"But this isn't enough," he thought.
"I need more rewards from that chatroom."
The mysterious viewing chatroom was far too powerful.
Just one round of quiz rewards had returned him to his prime.
If he could win a few more times… the possibilities were unimaginable.
And as Zephyr, Whitebeard, and Katakuri finished digesting their rewards—
the vast white screen in the sky began to shimmer and open once more.