Garp swung a fist powerful enough to shatter a meteorite tens of meters wide.
"Ah!"
He roared as he struck, his massive punch wrapped in Armament Haki.
Elior had intended to kill Zephyr first, but Garp rushed in front of him at that exact moment.
Boom!
Their fists collided. Elior's strike carried a terrifying chill; the instant Garp's fist touched it, the freezing air spread rapidly across his right hand. His entire arm began to freeze at a speed visible to the naked eye.
This ice was far more vicious than Aokiji's former power — yet despite the ice crawling over his skin, Garp's monstrous physique prevented lasting damage. His arm wouldn't break, but the freezing was enough to immobilize it for a few precious seconds.
And for fighters of this level, a few seconds decide life and death.
"Garp, I'm not Roger… nor Rocks," Elior said with a cold, disdainful smile.
His power truly had surpassed Roger and Rocks — and since Garp was on their level, the outcome was inevitable.
And as for Zephyr… how long could his weakened body even hold on?
Boom!
A massive shockwave burst outward, and Garp was hurled through the air once again—completely unable to withstand Elior's overwhelming strength.
Elior was the strongest enemy Garp had ever faced.
Immediately afterward, Elior rushed toward Zephyr. At this moment, the former admiral had only just managed to stand. His entire body trembled, he coughed blood again, and his face grew even paler.
"Zephyr… any last words?"
Elior descended from above, his kick like a falling battle-axe carrying crushing force.
Crash!
"Last words? Not a chance!"
Zephyr refused to yield. He was no longer the "non-killing admiral" he once was — now he wanted to annihilate every pirate in existence.
Especially Elior.
Facing the axe-like kick, Zephyr swung his smoking mechanical arm, putting everything he had into one blow.
Boom!
Elior's right foot collided with Zephyr's massive mechanical fist.
The thunderous explosion cracked the air. In an instant, Zephyr's mechanical arm shattered before his eyes.
A searing pain tore through his real arm—so sharp it felt as if the limb had been freshly severed.
Zephyr staggered, gritting his teeth through the unimaginable agony.
"You're far behind me now, Zephyr," Elior said, contempt thick in his voice.
"After all… you're old."
Elior pressed down with his leg again. Zephyr, numb from the pain and slower than before, could not withstand the strike.
Boom!
The blast shook loose countless chunks of ice, and Zephyr was smashed deep into the frozen ground—tens of meters below the surface.
"Teacher Zephyr!"
"Damn it! Let me go!"
Not far away, Ain — pinned to the ground by Yamato — screamed in panic and terror.
"This woman needs to be captured. The captain will probably be very pleased with her," said Urouge grinning.
Ain struggled, but against Yamato she had no chance. Yamato held her firmly, forcing her down.
"Stay still," Yamato ordered.
"Master will surely like you."
She knew better than anyone that no one could resist Elior — not even with seven people attacking him at once. Fighting and beautiful women… those seemed to be the only things he cared about.
"Damn it! Let me go!"Ain's voice shook with anger and fear—fear for Zephyr, and fury at the thought of being taken to serve that villain.
Boom!
Yamato slammed Ain's head against the ice, cracking the surface.
A woman shows no mercy to another woman.
Even Urouge felt a chill. Yamato's ruthlessness reminded him she was Kaido's daughter.
Urouge pointed toward a woman with long pink hair fighting in the distance.
"What about that one? Should we capture her too?"
The woman he pointed at was Hina, one of the Marine' famed beauties.
Yamato answered without hesitation: "Of course. Capture her too."
"That'll be easy," Urouge said with a smirk. Captain Elior would clearly enjoy new… trophies.
"You bastards! May you all die horribly!" Ain spat, blood on her lips.
Yamato snorted. "Worry about yourself. Your Marine is already finished."
Far away, Tsuru and Sengoku watched Zephyr being smashed into the ice and grew increasingly desperate — but they were being restrained by other top-tier fighters and couldn't move to help him.
A thunderous crack followed as Elior dove into the ruptured ice.He plummeted straight downward, the frozen layers unable to slow him at all.
Beneath the surface, Zephyr was struggling to break free—only to have Elior's hand clamp around his throat.
Elior continued dragging him down.
They plunged into the sea. Elior didn't stop—he kept descending.
"Want to know what it's like to die in the ocean, Zephyr?"
Elior smiled.
"You… you're a Devil Fruit user…" Zephyr choked, barely able to form words as seawater choked him.
"I'm not a Devil Fruit user," Elior replied calmly. The sea had no effect on him.
A long, razor-sharp ice pick formed in Elior's other hand.
Without hesitation, he drove it straight through Zephyr's heart—piercing out through his back.
Puff—
Zephyr's eyes widened in agony and disbelief. Blood spilled from his mouth, then dispersed into the sea around him.
"Don't worry," Elior said coldly. "I'll take good care of your little disciple."
"You…!"
Rage and grief twisted what remained of Zephyr's expression — but Elior twisted the ice pick, and the admiral's life ended abruptly in unbearable pain.
He died with his eyes open.
Elior was not a good man—he was a villain through and through.
Pure evil.
And villains only do what villains do.