"Zephyr, don't be disheartened..."
Crane's voice was calm but firm.
"For people like us, there's no true loss. We've already given everything to the world."
Zephyr sat in silence.
He wasn't broken — just tired.
Even after all that had happened, Crane couldn't help but try to comfort him.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the sea, Ayr's crew was overwhelmed with excitement.
Even Ayr, usually calm and reserved, had a glimmer of excitement in his eyes now.
He had made his decision — and his men stood by it without hesitation.
Among the gathered pirates, admiration for Ayr was burning on their faces like fire.
To them, he was more than a captain — he was already a legend in the making.
After a few tense minutes of deliberation, Ayr opened his eyes and pointed silently.
He had chosen.
He had evaluated talent, loyalty, and most importantly — physical compatibility.
The selected pirate stepped forward with reverence. No hesitation.
He took the Op-Op Fruit in trembling hands — and took a bite.
No screams. No resistance. Only transformation.
The others around him nodded in silent approval.
They knew what this meant.
The dream of immortality — through the Op-Op Fruit's Ageless Surgery — was about to be fulfilled.
These were men who had walked the knife's edge their whole lives.
Fear had long abandoned them.
As the pirate began to adapt to the Devil Fruit's power, Ayr gave the command.
"Let's move. Return to the territory."
Ayr's voice cut through the moment like a blade.
The preparation for the operation was complete.
This wasn't just about gaining power. This was about becoming something untouchable. Eternal.
The pirate dropped to one knee.
"My lord… I'm ready!"
Ayr stood before him — the red, heart-shaped fruit now active in his veins — and the power to change the course of the world was in reach.
With this, Ayr, the man who had already rivaled the Yonko, would transcend death itself.
"With this fruit…" he said quietly, "I will become eternal."
He handed the pirate a box — a massive treasure chest filled with gold, silver, and jewels.
"Do the operation. This is your reward."
The pirate's eyes went wide.
To be selected by Ayr...
To serve him in this way…
It was the highest honor.
Crane's words echoed in Zephyr's ears:
"Hope lies in the next generation."
"I'm not disheartened," Zephyr finally said quietly.
"Our hope is in the youth. Our time has passed. We won't be the ones to defeat Ayr."
His words weren't weak — they were resolute.
Ayr, standing above all, gave a rare smile.
"You were always loyal to the ideal... But ideals don't conquer the world."
He turned to his right-hand man, Nagli, who entered with several others.
"Bring the prepared candidates."
Soon, a group of pirates stepped forward, each one trembling with anticipation.
Only one would be chosen.
The others watched with hope and dread in equal measure.
When Ayr pointed again, the selected pirate's face lit up.
He nearly collapsed from excitement.
"Just him," Ayr said.
The chosen pirate stepped up. He knew this was the path to legend or death.
He looked at Ayr, eyes full of unwavering loyalty.
Ayr gave a nod. "Let's begin the surgery."
Nagli brought out a large box and opened it — treasure inside gleamed like starlight.
The pirate's hands shook just looking at it.
But the greatest prize was not gold or silver.
It was purpose — to bring immortality to the one man they believed in.
Even now, the pirate felt his body changing — the Devil Fruit's effects had begun.
He winced in pain, his blood and cells reconstructing, infused with the devil factor.
And yet, he gritted his teeth.
He would see this through to the end.
"I just put my hope… in the future," said Ayr, almost to himself.
This was the final piece. The Ageless Surgery.
The immortal body, the immortal will.
And when it was done — Ayr would not just be feared.
He would be eternal.
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