novelAlta Chapter 825: The Struggle – Zephyr’s First Deployment
Chapter 825: The Struggle – Zephyr’s First Deployment
The CP0 agent glanced at Olga, then shifted his gaze back to Zephyr, thinking to himself: The biological technology of the Chris Pirates is unexpectedly powerful. To actually regenerate limbs... if the Government possessed such tech, we wouldn’t have disabled agents, and our overall strength would skyrocket!
Beside him, a black-suited agent asked with a heavy expression, "Akachi-sama, what should we do?" [1]
The agent known as Akachi was caught in a dilemma. Myskina Olga was the key to finding the Pure Gold, a substance the Celestial Dragons, the ’World Nobles,’ had strictly ordered to be retrieved. To give up now would be to defy a direct order, and his superiors would surely exact a severe punishment.
However, if they tried to take her by force, they stood absolutely no chance against a former Marine Admiral.
"Zephyr-sama, the Pure Gold is something specifically requested by the esteemed Celestial Dragons!" Akachi said threateningly. "If you persist in this theft and provoke the wrath of the World Government, the consequences will be more than you can handle!"
He paused, then continued, "However, Zephyr-sama, if you hand over Myskina Olga and help us locate the Pure Gold to present to the Celestial Dragons, they would undoubtedly be willing to rescind your bounty and allow you to rejoin the World Government!"
"Save your breath. The Pure Gold is also something my Captain specifically demanded. There’s no way I’m letting that trash in Mariejois get their hands on it!" Zephyr replied with a sneer, completely unmoved.
Rejoin the World Government? What a joke. He would never draw his sword for that filth again.
"Watch your tone! Those are the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons! The descendants of the Creators!" Akachi barked sharply.
"Is that so? And here I thought they were the Creators," Zephyr retorted with a nonchalant, mocking cold laugh. "A bunch of garbage clinging to the glory of their ancestors is still garbage!"
Having already joined the Chris Pirates and become a pirate, Zephyr naturally saw no reason to be polite to the Celestial Dragons anymore. After enduring them for so many years, he had no intention of holding back.
"You bastard! Shigan: Great Ball!!!"
Infuriated, Akachi struck. His right fist blurred beneath his white robe, thrusting straight forward with silent, lethal intent. With his subordinates watching, he couldn’t simply stand by while the Celestial Dragons were slandered so brazenly.
Seeing the enemy move, Ain reached for the short sword at her waist to intercept him.
"I’ve got this!"
Zephyr held out a hand to stop her. Stepping forward, he met the attack head-on, fist against fist.
BAM—!
As the two fists collided, a ring of pressurized air exploded outward.
"So hard!"
Akachi felt as if he had punched a block of reinforced steel. His knuckles felt like they were shattering, the pain nearly unbearable. His entire body shuddered from the impact, and he was forced back, his heels carving several inch-deep gouges into the earth as he skidded to a halt.
"You should have just started with that instead of all the useless chatter. Ain, take the men and finish them off!" Zephyr waved a hand dismissively before adding, "Binz, I’m leaving this little girl in your custody!"
"Yes, Zephyr-sensei!"
"Leave it to me, Zephyr-sensei!"
Ain and Binz replied solemnly. Immediately, Ain drew her twin short swords and led dozens of subordinates in a charge.
"Secure Myskina Olga!" Akachi commanded, gesturing for his men to move.
The CP agents exchanged looks but dared not disobey. Gritting their teeth, they rushed forward to meet the charge. One side consisted of elite warriors enhanced by SS and XT Serums, seasoned by countless battles; the other side was a group of CP agents specialized in assassination and the Rokushiki styles. The moment they clashed, the forest descended into a chaotic melee.
"Zephyr, the World Government will never let you go if you enrage the Celestial Dragons!" Akachi roared, pointing at him.
"I’m a pirate now. If you can deal with ’Golden Ring’ Aeridar, then come back and talk to me," Zephyr said, dismissing Akachi’s threats. He was a pirate; what did he care for the World Government? Especially with a monster like Aeridar as his captain; if the World Government could have handled that monster, Zephyr probably wouldn’t be alive today.
"You—!" Akachi was livid but found himself speechless.
Zephyr himself was a former Admiral, a monster in terms of strength, and now he had the protection of the Chris Pirates. What could the World Government do even in their fury? Send an Admiral to the Chris Pirates’ territory to kill him?
Ridiculous. Even if the three current Admirals gathered, success wouldn’t be guaranteed.
"Enough. The girl is staying with me," Zephyr’s lips curled into a cold, sharp arc. "As for you... you can die here!"
BOOM—!
In the next instant, Zephyr stomped the ground, launching himself forward like a bolt from a ballista. He left behind a deep crater and a web of cracks radiating through the earth.
Akachi gritted his teeth, his anger boiling over. "Old man, let’s see how much strength you actually have left!"
He kicked off, striking the ground over a dozen times in 0.36 seconds, vanishing from the spot using Soru.
CRASH—!
A fist gleaming with a metallic luster slammed into the earth. The sheer force caused the ground to cave in instantly, forming a massive crater nearly ten meters in diameter as a thick cloud of dust billowed up...
Seeing his punch miss, Zephyr looked up and scanned his surroundings. "Soru, huh... not bad. As expected of an intelligence agent specializing in Rokushiki."
As he spoke, a sharp gust of wind came from behind him.
THUD—!
A whip-like kick slammed into Zephyr’s back, emitting a muffled boom. Zephyr’s body didn’t budge, though a powerful shockwave rippled out from the point of impact.
"The power... is a bit lacking," Zephyr evaluated leisurely. His back was pitch black, shimmering with a metallic sheen. He completely ignored Red Bee, who had just kicked him.
"Dammit, how is this possible?!" Akachi gasped, recoiling several steps. "How does this old man still have this kind of power?!"
"I was an Admiral, after all. My peers are the current ’Strongest Shield of the Celestial Dragons’ in your CP0!" Zephyr turned around, a hint of disdain on his face.
WHOOSH—!
The moment the words left his mouth, Zephyr vanished.
Almost simultaneously, Zephyr appeared behind Akachi. He swung a whip-kick of his own, the leg snapping out like a lash to strike the agent squarely in the back.
KABOOM—!
With a dull roar, Akachi was sent flying before he could even react. He turned into a black blur, hurtling through the air and snapping over a dozen massive trees in a row, kicking up a colossal screen of dust.
Zephyr didn’t wait. He moved like a gale, charging straight into the settling dust.
Through the haze, Zephyr could vaguely make out a figure slowly crawling up from the ground.
"The gap... is this large?!" Blood dripped from beneath Akachi’s mask as he spotted Zephyr charging toward him at high speed.
"Rankyaku: Ten Wind Blades!!!"
Akachi kicked out frantically with both legs, sending out a barrage of vacuum blades. The resulting wind gusts momentarily cleared the surrounding dust.
SWISH—!
Zephyr watched the vacuum blades closing in and, with a single step, vanished as if teleporting.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...
The sharp vacuum blades tore through the ground where he had stood, instantly clearing a massive area.
"Where is he?! Where?! WHERE?!" Akachi spun around frantically, muttering to himself.
"Right in front of you!"
Zephyr appeared abruptly before Akachi’s face and threw a punch. The terrifying force was so great it seemed to displace the very air in front of him.
"AH—!"
Akachi shrieked in terror, his hands flying up in a desperate, instinctive attempt to block.
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[1] Akachi came from the Japanese word Akai = Red and Hachi = Bee.
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