Chapter 134 The end of the video
At this moment, Zephyr and Luffy were both heavily injured from their intense battle. When Kizaru appeared again, even a fool could guess that Zephyr's death was imminent.
Thinking this, the marines gritted their teeth, their gazes towards Kizaru filled with resentment.
Meanwhile, at Mariejois, Kizaru felt a chill run down his spine when he witnessed the scene. He looked around and realized there were no enemies nearby, so he continued watching the footage.
At this moment, people from all over the world looked at Zephyr with a sorrowful expression. They understood that this former hero was about to die, and he would die at the hands of his own disciple.
No matter how angry they were with Zephyr's absurd ideas before, witnessing him in this final moment couldn't help but evoke a sense of sadness. This world had been so unfair to him. Why did they have to be so cruel to a good person?
The more they saw the current plight of Zephyr, the angrier they became at the brainless fools in the World Government. Was it worth treating a hero who had sacrificed so much for the World Government and the Marines this way, all for the sake of a Shichibukai's power?
A pirate and a marine hero, couldn't they distinguish who was good and who was bad?
Those who already had a negative impression of the World Government now despised these brainless old men who only cared about calculating their own interests.
The World Government was not worthy of such Marines.
---
Kizaru's arrival caused a stir of panic, but Zephyr remained calm. He walked alone towards Kizaru and the marines behind him.
"In the very end, I did things the way I wanted to. I paid the price for pursuing my own dream," Zephyr said.
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have the face to meet those who went before me."
"Straw Hat Luffy, you still have your own adventures. Leave this to me, Z," he continued.
Upon hearing these words, everyone understood Zephyr's intentions. Luffy shouted for Zephyr, while Ainz ran towards him.
However, at that moment, an ice wall suddenly appeared between them and Zephyr.
Seeing this scene, everyone realized it was Aokiji, who had been watching from the sidelines, making his move.
He understood Zephyr's determination to sacrifice himself to provide an escape route for them, so he decided to assist his former teacher in the end.
A towering ice wall, hundreds of meters high, appeared out of nowhere, separating them and sealing their fate in different directions.
Seeing Ainz pounding on the wall, crying in agony as she desperately wanted to fight alongside his teacher, the marines at Marineford couldn't help but feel their eyes well up with tears.
The final battle began, just as it had started initially. Zephyr started fighting against the marines, all of whom were once his disciples.
In the footage, the marines at Marineford couldn't help but reveal sorrowful expressions.
While watching Zephyr silently in the footage, the sound of Kizaru's voice echoed in their ears.
"Farewell, Teacher Zephyr."
Kizaru's glasses reflected a glimmer, making it impossible to discern his emotions at that moment.
As soon as Kizaru finished speaking, countless laser beams rained down like a storm. In an instant, numerous lasers struck Zephyr, turning him into a sieve.
The marines present on the battlefield closed their eyes one by one, unable to bear watching any longer. Tears streamed down their faces.
Zephyr suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body covered in puncture wounds from the lasers. However, he still raised the corners of his mouth and looked at his students before him.
"Let me teach you one final lesson."
The scene froze at the moment when Zephyr threw a punch towards his former disciples.
Seeing this, not only did the marines in the footage shed tears, but the marines at Marineford also wept.
Hearing about something and seeing it with their own eyes were completely different experiences. How could they feel good when they saw Zephyr die in battle against them? How could they?
Most of the people participating in the operation to defeat Zephyr were his disciples. Many of them saw themselves in his shoes, which added to their overwhelming grief. Taking their teacher's life with their own hands was a profound sorrow.
Seeing this, they all fell into silence.
Compared to the mood of the marines at Marineford, people from various parts of the world who didn't have as much connection with Zephyr felt a sense of regret for his life and the way it ended. It was a pity that such a marine had taken such an extreme path. If he could have calmly built a Neo Marine force without resorting to such extreme actions, it would have been a great fortune for the world, rather than a disaster. Going to extremes only brought harm.
People were not only moved but also surprised by Kizaru's performance in the final battle.
Throughout the war, Kizaru had always been known for his theatrics. However, they never expected him to be so committed in the fight against Zephyr. If it weren't for his ridiculous face and his unique Glint-Glint Fruit ability, they would have mistaken him for Akainu fighting against Zephyr with such dedication.
They wondered why he didn't show this level of commitment during the war against Whitebeard and Luffy. Why wasn't he acting like a performer back then?
People were puzzled and suspected that perhaps Zephyr and Kizaru didn't get along when Zephyr was Kizaru's mentor.
Regardless, this time they got to witness the true power of Admiral Kizaru, even though their target was their own teacher. His performance made them think he was alright.
Compared to the absolute justice of Akainu, which was terrifying to behold, Zephyr, who had gone to extremes, could be considered an angry version of Akainu.
Akainu didn't need to go to extremes, as he could become terrifying just by getting angry.
On the other hand, Aokiji was too soft-hearted. Although he saved many people in this war, gaining some favorable impressions, he still couldn't bring himself to confront Zephyr, who wanted to destroy the New World. It should be noted that this involved the lives of countless people in the New World. Once again, Aokiji passed the responsibility to someone else to handle, just like the Enies Lobby incident.
During critical moments, Aokiji always passed the responsibility to others to handle while he hid away due to his soft-heartedness. This kind of admiral truly disappointed them.
In comparison, Kizaru was more reliable. Although he usually acted like a performer and even during battles, he still acted like a performer, but when it mattered, he could deliver. He didn't hesitate even when facing his own teacher.
In a compromise, Kizaru became their ideal candidate for the position of Fleet Admiral among the Three Admirals.
---
With the disappearance of Zephyr's image, a new grave appeared on the screen.
Aokiji stood before Zephyr's grave, holding a bottle of alcohol. They had promised to drink together once everything was over, but it was no longer possible.
Seeing this scene, everyone couldn't hold back their emotions any longer. They covered their faces and wept. The sound of sobbing could be heard throughout Marineford and the warships.
In front of Aokiji, Ainz and others looked at Zephyr's grave, biting their lips, unable to cry out loud. Tears kept accumulating in their eyes.
Aokiji looked at their figures and spoke to the grave, "Isn't it cool for a man to uphold his beliefs throughout his life?"
The scene shifted to a town.
A masked teenager with purple hair punched away a group of bullies who were picking on others.
"Come at me anytime. I am the heroic Z of justice." The teenager struck a Z pose with his hand, and the footage ended.
After watching this final image, many people were overwhelmed with emotions and didn't know what to say.
Zephyr himself was speechless as he looked at his younger self.
In the end, he took a deep breath, turning his feelings into a long exhale.
After watching this footage, he had a sense of being transported to another world.
This was the reality that would have occurred if the QnA live broadcast hadn't happened.
Zephyr smiled bitterly, realizing that his stubbornness had brought great disaster to the world.
If this live broadcast hadn't happened to inform him of everything, he might have immediately turned it all into reality.
But now, he was much calmer.
He turned to Ainz, and others, and apologized, "Ainz, and all of you, I have caused you trouble."
He noticed the lingering worry and sadness on Ainz's faces in the footage, realizing that he had neglected them all these years.
As a teacher, he had been a failure, constantly making his students worry about him without even realizing it. His eyes had been clouded by hatred.
Ainz and others looked at him, realizing how much pain he must have been in, deeply embedded in hatred. However, they didn't know how to pull him out of it, so they had been by his side all along.
Meanwhile, he had been focused on revenge, completely oblivious to the pain in their hearts.
Ainz shook his head. "No, you didn't."
Zephyr looked at them with a smile, thinking about their tearful expressions in front of his grave. He made up his mind not to let such things happen again. He wanted to walk until the end without any regrets, at the very least.