Chapter 23 — Victory
"Arrogant brat!"
Hearing the insult hurled his way, the Evil Tusk Captain burst into a furious laugh.
"You think that one little flashy slash makes you a match for me? Hah! That's the ignorance of a child who doesn't know fear!"
Rage ignited by provocation, the towering pirate didn't hesitate. He leapt from the deck, soaring high above the waves. Sunlight gleamed across his metal piercings and the sharp white tusks that suddenly erupted from his transforming face.
In midair, his body twisted, reshaping — his head became that of a massive elephant, muscles bulging beneath thick hide.
Zoan-type Devil Fruit: Elephant-Elephant Fruit. Hybrid Form!
"Let me show you true power!" he roared. "Evil Elephant Charge!"
A monstrous aura exploded from his body, pressure rippling through the air as he plummeted toward the Marine warship like a falling mountain.
The wind howled.
The sea split.
Every Marine aboard the ship felt their lungs tighten.
But at the very front of the ship, Eiger stood unflinching — one hand resting on the axe braced over his shoulder, sunlight painting his skin gold.
The pirate captain's savage grin faltered into something resembling admiration.
"A proud man of the sea… not bad."
His tusked mouth curled into a grin.
"Fine then! I'll go easy — just enough to leave you alive so you can kneel before me later and call me captain!"
With that final boast, the enormous figure came crashing down like a meteor.
The air itself screamed.
And yet—
Eiger didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
The pirate's crushing presence pressed down upon him like an avalanche, but Eiger met it head-on, the sunlight in his eyes unwavering.
For a fleeting second, even the pirate admired him.
"What a proud swordsman…" he thought, laughing as he descended.
"Ku-ku-ku—"
But before that laugh could finish—
Before his strike could land—
Before anyone could comprehend what happened—
A sharp, commanding voice split the chaos.
"Instructor Zephyr!"
And then—
BOOM!
A black fist the size of a cannonball smashed straight into the elephant's face mid-charge, cutting his laughter short and shattering his so-called Evil Elephant Charge in an instant.
The blow echoed like thunder.
"Kid," a deep, gravelly voice rumbled, "you've got some nerve. After slapping me twice, you still dare to yell for help?"
From atop the sea-sprayed wreckage, Zephyr — the Black Arm himself — glared down at Eiger.
"When did the West Blue start producing Marines this shameless?"
"???"
It took the pirate a full heartbeat to realize what had happened.
Then his eyes widened.
He'd been set up.
That bastard had baited him!
The Marine had lured him in, drawn his charge, and called his teacher in at the last moment!
As the world seemed to slow, the captain caught one last glimpse of that infuriating face — not proud or noble now, but grinning, mocking.
And then Eiger… flipped him off.
"YOU LITTLE—"
Before the curse could finish, time snapped forward again — and Zephyr's punch sent him hurtling into the sea like a meteor, crashing through the waves with an explosion of foam.
"C–Captain!"
"Boss!"
The Evil Tusk pirates screamed in panic as their captain vanished beneath the churning ocean.
Eiger lowered his axe and calmly folded his arm, voice flat and disdainful:
"Idiot."
The Marines burst into laughter, the tension evaporating instantly.
Now wasn't the time for drawn-out duels or prideful speeches.
They had a mission — an escort, not a war.
The longer they stayed here, the greater the danger. There would always be another pirate out there.
Behind him, Zephyr landed heavily on the deck, shaking his head with a sigh.
"Unbelievable… The brat actually tricked me into helping him," he muttered, then chuckled. "You even sensed me coming with Observation Haki, didn't you? Hah. That's quite something."
He crossed his arm and threw back his head in laughter, voice booming over the sea.
"Hahahaha! Damn it all — that was one hell of a punch. Feels good to be alive!"
..
But as Zephyr's laughter echoed across the deck, his voice suddenly faltered. His eyes, a moment ago filled with vitality, turned moist once more.
He was remembering—everything that had happened that morning.
Eiger noticed but said nothing. He simply turned away, giving the old man his silence.
A short distance away, the three others had finally caught up, rowing their lifeboat toward the warship. As soon as they got close enough, they launched themselves into the air—using Moonwalk to land neatly on deck.
Eiger took one glance at the drifting lifeboat still bobbing behind the ship and couldn't help but sigh.
So they did use Moonwalk to board.
"Damn brat!" Enchi wheezed as soon as his boots hit the deck, red-faced and panting. "I'm the captain of this warship, you hear? Me! And somehow you managed to hijack command! If my colleagues find out, they'll be laughing for weeks!"
He didn't stop talking even for a breath. When he noticed the sailors trying—and failing—to hide their snickers, his face went red, then white, then black.
"You think this is funny?! Every one of you write me an 800-word reflection when we get back!"
"No, Colonel!" came the collective groan.
While Enchi ranted, Zephyr's two surviving students stood quietly off to the side.
"Yo, Lieutenant of the West Blue." Binz was still riding the adrenaline of survival, spinning lightly on one heel, his grin irrepressible. "You've got our thanks."
Ain, on the other hand, remained as composed and icy as ever. Her lips parted once, as if she wanted to speak, but in the end, she said nothing.
There was no time for sentiment.
They might have sunk one pirate crew, but who knew how many more were lurking nearby? The sea was restless. They needed to move—now.
If word could reach the world that Instructor Zephyr had risen to his feet again, it might just strike fear into the pirates who were getting too bold.
Eiger ignored the three of them—didn't even look Zephyr's way. He turned to the assembled sailors, raised his arm, and barked,
"Set course! Keep moving!"
"Yes, Lieutenant Eiger!"
"Hey! I'm the commanding officer of the 315th Branch!" Enchi yelled from behind.
"Lieutenant, what about the Evil Tusk Pirates—?"
"Forget them," Eiger cut in flatly. "They won't be dragging their captain out of the water anytime soon."
"And the Colonel?"
"Also forget him."
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
"I said I'm the damn Colonel! You idiots!"
Despite his protests, the 315th warship pushed forward again, cutting through the foaming wake and leaving the floundering Evil Tusk Pirates behind, still trying to fish their unconscious captain from the sea.
---
Meanwhile — Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral's Office.
"I ordered every branch on the Grand Line to seal the routes and stop any pirates from entering!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku slammed his fist onto the table, his voice rising with fury.
"And yet they still slipped through?! What the hell are you all doing?"
"Hold the line! I don't care how! Reinforcements are already en route — I've sent word to that old fool Garp, and Admiral Kuzan's been dispatched as well."
"Enough excuses!" he barked into the transponder snail. "Your only priority is to protect Zephyr! That's an order!"
Click.
The call ended.
Sengoku let out a slow, weary breath, lowering himself into the massive chair that served as the command throne of the entire Navy. His temples throbbed as he massaged his forehead.
"At a time like this… another crisis is the last thing we need," he muttered.
The New World was already in chaos—rumors of emerging pirate crews, new territories being claimed, fragile alliances breaking. If something happened to Zephyr now, the balance of the seas would shatter completely.
He sighed again, closing his eyes.
"Should've known better than to grant that old bastard Garp leave. Every time things get critical, he vanishes."
He leaned back, just beginning to relax—
Brrrrr…
The transponder snail on his desk buzzed again.
Sengoku groaned, rubbing his temple. For a moment, he considered ignoring it. Then, with a deep breath, he picked it up.
"This better be good news," he said tiredly.
Whatever came through the receiver made him freeze—then light up with astonishment.
His eyes widened; his chair screeched backward as he slammed both palms on the desk and shot to his feet.
"Good news—ha! Finally some good news!" His tone was triumphant now. "Keep alert! No one lets another pirate through the blockade! Move, move, move!"
He hung up the snail, the relief still gleaming in his eyes.
"West Blue… the 315th Branch, was it?" he murmured to himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Looks like someone over there still knows how to do their damn job."