A terrifying slash that crossed the sea appeared beside the slender warship on the horizon.
Everything that had unfolded before the Marines greatly boosted their morale. On the Dog-head Warship, Zephyr led the few remaining Marines aboard to the neighboring warship.
Most of Garp's subordinates were among the Marines' elite. When Garp boarded a small boat and charged toward Risky Red Island, these Marines had followed after him one by one.
Only a scattered few Marines remained in the bridge. With so few people, withdrawing would be quite fast.
And shortly after Zephyr, Bogard, and the others evacuated, the Dog-head Warship's cabins filled with seawater, and the ship slowly sank beneath the waves.
Under the gaze of the Marines, the Dawn swiftly approached, soon slipping into the Marine fleet. It slowed near the stretch of sea where the Dog-head Warship had briefly stopped and came to a halt.
On the warship's deck, Zephyr stood with his hands behind his back and looked toward the Dawn's deck. When he saw that familiar figure, a smile appeared on his face. He then called out loudly to Tsugikuni Yoriichi at the bow.
"Yoriichi, you're a little late!"
"And you've caused quite a commotion."
On the Dawn, Yoriichi held the railing with one hand and gripped his long sword with the other, resting the back of the blade diagonally against his shoulder. Hearing Zephyr's words, he could not help but smile.
"Teacher Zephyr, you can't blame me for that, can you?"
Yoriichi's answer carried a deeper meaning. Hearing him, the smile on Zephyr's face faded, and he let out a soft sigh. During his battle with King earlier, he had lost focus after learning the man's identity.
He was getting old, and his heart had grown softer.
Without continuing the subject, Zephyr waved to