When the Twin Goddesses docked and Law and Fizz came aboard with their companions, they confirmed that the man before them really was Zephyr, the former Navy Admiral, and all of them stood there stunned.
"Lord Yemu, what is this?"
Law asked with wide eyes, both nervous and utterly astonished.
Yemu and Zephyr exchanged a glance, both wearing faint, odd smiles. In the end, it was Yemu who spoke with a laugh.
"What's wrong? You can't even recognize former Admiral Zephyr anymore? What exactly did they teach you at school...?"
"Well, of course we recognize him. It's just..."
Everyone looked like they had something to say, but none of them knew how to put what they were feeling into words.
Seeing that, Yemu stopped keeping them in suspense and said plainly,
"Starting today, Admiral Zephyr is a member of our Rainbow Kingdom."
The moment those words fell, everyone in front of him froze in shock, then burst into cheers.
"Whoa... As expected of Lord Yemu..."
"You even brought in Admiral Zephyr of the Navy..."
"I'm so excited my whole body's shaking..."
This was the former Navy Admiral, a man of extraordinary standing within the Navy, a close friend of the current Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Hero of the Marines, Garp, as well as the teacher of the current Three Admirals. And now, someone of that stature had actually joined their side.
That excitement, that thrill...
There were no words to describe it.
Looking at this group of young people, Zephyr suddenly felt a sense of ease rise in his heart for no particular reason.
"They really are full of energy!"
Yemu looked at Zephyr as well, then pointed to the group and began the introductions.
"Let me introduce them. This is Trafalgar D. Water Law. His father was Trafalgar D. Vatel, the finest surgeon in Flevance. Law inherited his father's medical skill, and now he's the number one surgeon in our Rainbow Kingdom, even better than his father. And this is Kelmango Fitz. His father is Erik. He inherited Erik's talent for swordsmanship, and he also learned a great deal of pharmacology from Ayala. He's the best pharmacist in our Rainbow Kingdom. The two of them are currently at sea, working together on all kinds of special field medical missions. You could say they're our field medical unit!"
Listening to Yemu's introduction, Zephyr looked at the two young men before him and sensed the presence they carried. He could not help saying in admiration,
"What outstanding young men!"
Being praised so highly by Yemu had already thrilled the two of them, and now that they had received Zephyr's praise as well, they were even more excited. The slight upward curve of their mouths said everything. Still, they answered modestly.
"Lord Yemu, you're overpraising me. I'm only relying on my Devil Fruit ability."
Law said humbly.
Beside him, Fizz scratched his head.
"If Gado and Mara heard that, they'd definitely refuse to accept it..."
Seeing the curiosity on Zephyr's face, Yemu explained,
"Gado and Mara are their younger sisters. They're two excellent little girls as well. In terms of medical skill, they aren't much worse than Law and Fizz. But their mothers don't feel at ease letting them go to sea, so they're staying in the country for now. Besides, when it comes to transplanting an arm, Law's Ope Ope no Mi is the most useful, so I called them over."
"Ope Ope no Mi!"
The moment those four words came out, Zephyr's expression shook hard. Then he stroked his Seastone arm and said with a smile,
"I see. So that fruit was eaten by this young man? In that case, there really is hope for my arm to be healed."
Joy instantly appeared on Ain and Binz's faces as they asked excitedly,
"Really, Teacher?"
"Ah..."
Zephyr's expression turned nostalgic as he looked at Yemu, then at Law.
"The Ope Ope no Mi is known as the Ultimate Devil Fruit. Its value is around five billion Belly. Ten years ago, that fruit appeared for a short time, then vanished. So you were the one who took it."
Ain and Binz were truly shocked now, but because of that, they were even happier. The more precious the fruit was, the greater the hope that Zephyr-sensei's arm could be healed.
Yemu did not hide it and said,
"I wouldn't call it taking. That Devil Fruit was personally sold to me by someone from your Navy. He asked me for three billion Belly, and I paid every last coin."
When Zephyr heard that, even though he had long since left the Navy behind, he still felt a complicated sigh rise in his heart.
Ten years ago, the Rainbow Kingdom had already infiltrated the Navy to that extent. Even something as crucial as the Ope Ope no Mi could be sold to the enemy for profit, let alone now.
Yemu naturally understood what Zephyr was thinking. In the face of profit, even dreams could sometimes prove unreliable.
That was true of the Navy, and it was also true within the Rainbow Kingdom.
That was precisely why Yemu had to bring Zephyr into the Rainbow Kingdom.
Only an idealist like Zephyr could shoulder the responsibility Yemu was about to entrust to him.
"Right, let me introduce these two to you as well. They are Admiral Zephyr's disciples, Ain and Binz. They're Admiral Zephyr's most outstanding disciples. Ain and Binz are both Devil Fruit users, and their abilities are quite interesting. You can exchange ideas with each other. You might make some unexpected discoveries..."
The two sides exchanged somewhat restrained, polite nods, and that counted as their introduction.
Only then did Yemu turn to Law and Fizz and bring up the real matter.
"How are the preparations I asked you to make?"
Law looked confidently at Yemu and Zephyr.
"Everything is ready. If Admiral Zephyr doesn't mind, I'd like to give you a full physical examination right now. That way, I can determine the best treatment plan."
"Of course. I'm actually starting to look forward to it!"
...
Since this was a task assigned by Yemu, and the patient was someone as important as Zephyr, Law and Fizz brought their companions along and, after removing Zephyr's Seastone arm, conducted an exhaustive examination of his body. Ain and Binz followed anxiously at their side the whole time.
The examination lasted the entire night, and the results did not come out until dawn the next day.
"How is it? What are the results?"
Under everyone's gaze, Law and Fizz walked out of the examination room in medical uniforms.
Both of them were holding medical charts filled with notes.
"There's good news and bad news."
Fizz spoke first. He was more skilled when it came to physical therapy.
He looked at Zephyr, who was half-reclining on the hospital bed, then at Yemu, Ain, and Binz beside him, and slowly said,
"Admiral Zephyr is already in his seventies, after all. Years of battle have left many hidden injuries in his body, and with all the strain he has put himself through, you could say he's covered in damage. Fortunately, Admiral Zephyr's body is monstrous to begin with, so none of this threatens his life. However, if he wants to return to his peak condition, that will be very difficult. This is no longer something simple recuperation can solve."
After hearing this, Zephyr did not seem to care much. He laughed heartily and asked,
"Can you cure my asthma?"
Fizz froze for a moment.
"That part isn't a problem."
"Then there's no problem. That old condition has been bothering me for a long time."
Since Zephyr had already put it that way, Fizz could only nod.
At that moment, Law spoke as well.
"As for the arm transplant, there shouldn't be any major problem on my end. However, to transplant the arm best suited for Admiral Zephyr, I recommend using Admiral Zephyr's cells to clone a new arm first, then performing the transplant."
"How long will it take?"
"The theoretical estimate is three months. It won't be as simple as just cloning one. We'll need to select the most suitable one."
"No problem. After all these years, another three months is nothing."
Zephyr was the first to answer.
"In that case, I have no objections either. And three months? That's just about perfect. It'll give you the perfect moment to make your appearance."
And so, the treatment began.
Meanwhile, as Yemu's side worked to treat Zephyr...
Out on the sea, the impact of former Navy Admiral Zephyr's betrayal of the Navy began to spread.
***
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