Chapter 136 - CHAPTER 136:The Battle Between Ayr and Zephyr

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At the heart of the battlefield.

Rocks D. Xebec roared, unleashing a monstrous wave of Haki as he blasted Brownie back with a thunderous strike. Dust and rubble exploded outward from the shockwave of their clash.

Panting slightly, he cast a sidelong glance at Ayr, who now stood beside him.

"...Tch. You really saved my life, Ayr."

To be honest, Rocks had already braced himself for Zephyr's punch to land. That brief instant—when no one moved—made it clear: none of the other commanders intended to protect him.

But Ayr had acted.

Rocks didn't miss that.

"If you're going to thank me," Ayr said coolly, brushing off his shoulder, "then let's skip the sentiment. What are you planning now, Captain Rocks? Planning to run?"

Ayr's gaze pierced through Rocks.

"You should know by now what the other commanders are thinking."

He didn't need to say it aloud—the truth hung heavy in the air. When Zephyr made his move, the others watched. No one flinched. No one intervened. They had hoped Rocks would fall.

Ayr had always known the others harbored ambitions. But now, Rocks knew it too.

None of them came to the Valley of the Gods to protect their so-called captain.

They came to watch him die.

"Run?" Rocks barked out a harsh laugh, but the fire in his eyes dimmed slightly—tinged with bitterness.

He wasn't a fool. He could see it clearly now. The men he once thought of as elite—Kaido, Linlin, Shiki, John, Ochoku, Silver Axe—had turned into vultures, circling his carcass before he had even fallen.

In the entire crew, only Ayr had moved to protect him.

Only Ayr had remembered what it meant to be part of the Rocks Pirates.

"…Even if it's just the two of us," Rocks growled, straightening his posture, "we'll fight."

"Fight for me, Ayr. Either we kill every last enemy and take the world—or we die here!"

Rocks' eyes burned with a wild, almost maddened resolve.

In the back of his mind, he had once thought to kill Ayr when the time came. He was too dangerous, too talented—a potential usurper.

But now? Now, if Ayr wanted to take the throne after the battle, so be it.

If they could survive this—if they could dominate the world together—Rocks would accept it.

And if not?

Then they would leave their corpses in the Valley of the Gods.

"…Understood." Ayr nodded, eyes calm as ever.

This was the Rocks he knew: arrogant, violent, and mad with ambition—but never a coward.

So be it.

If this was the end of the Rocks Pirates, then Ayr would fight at his side until the final breath.

Rocks gave Ayr a deep look—almost like a passing of the torch.

Then he lunged back toward Brownie, launching another clash with the creature of mythical chaos.

Meanwhile—

A boom echoed as a figure landed in front of Ayr.

Vice Admiral Garp.

The legendary fists of Marine Headquarters. And now—thanks to Ayr's interference in the worldline—a warrior far stronger than he had been at this point in the original timeline.

Garp threw his cloak of justice to the side. His fists clenched, the ground beneath him cracked slightly from the sheer pressure of his will.

"Ayr!"

Garp's voice was a roar of challenge. His spirit exploded like a hurricane.

Though only a Vice Admiral, Garp had grown exponentially stronger in this altered timeline. The butterfly effects of Ayr's appearance had forced Garp to push his training to its limits. He was now a force bordering Admiral-level strength.

Ayr narrowed his eyes.

"Garp."

"Let me take you on," Garp said with conviction, stepping forward.

"Then come," Ayr replied, drawing his blade—the massive blackened katana known as Demon Slayer, its edge humming with latent Haki.

Even Ayr wouldn't dare take Garp lightly. The man's sheer raw power made him a threat—even to someone like Ayr.

Just as the battle was about to erupt—

Another figure landed between them.

Zephyr.

His cloak torn, his jaw slightly bruised from Ayr's previous kick. But the fire in his eyes was unmistakable.

He rested a hand on Garp's shoulder, voice firm.

"Leave this one to me, Garp."

"…Zephyr?"

Garp blinked in surprise.

"You sure? Your injury—"

"It's just a kick. I've taken worse." Zephyr smirked, shaking out his arm.

His body was still strong. The earlier blow hadn't done lasting damage. And now?

Now he wanted payback.

"This one's mine," he said with steel in his voice. "Ayr humiliated me. I'll settle the score."

Garp hesitated. He knew Ayr was dangerous. But he also knew Zephyr's pride had been wounded. For Zephyr to walk away now would be a deeper wound than the one on his body.

"…Alright." Garp gave a single nod. "He's yours."

He turned and leapt toward another part of the battlefield.

Zephyr removed his damaged Justice cloak and rolled his shoulders, smirking at Ayr.

"That was one hell of a kick earlier. Even with my Armament Haki, it rattled my bones."

"You're not my opponent," Ayr said simply.

His voice wasn't taunting. Just honest.

Though Garp and Zephyr were both monsters in their own right—both members of the Navy's Four Stars—there was still a gap. Garp was clearly the stronger.

Zephyr grinned anyway.

"You really think you're untouchable, huh?"

Black lightning began to crackle around Zephyr's fists as he activated Advanced Armament Haki, channeling every ounce of strength into his knuckles.

He lacked Conqueror's Haki—but his Armament mastery had earned him the nickname "Black Arm Zephyr." In raw hardness and durability, there were few in the world who could rival his punches.

He launched himself forward, feet tearing into the stone, moving like a missile.

"Hmph," Ayr muttered.

He swung Demon Slayer up, coating the entire blade in a thick layer of blackened Haki. The weapon vibrated with power, its aura menacing and cold.

BOOM!!

Fist met blade.

The clash sent a shockwave that shattered nearby stone pillars and sent Marines and pirates flying.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Fist and sword collided again and again. Sparks exploded. The ground beneath them crumbled from the intensity.

Zephyr's fists moved in a blur, his blows precise, hammering like pistons.

Ayr countered each one with lightning reflexes, parrying, deflecting, slashing upward and downward.

The speed of their movements increased with every second.

Each blow sent waves of force that pushed back both pirate and Marine alike. The battlefield near them had become a storm of raw power.

"Is that all you've got, Ayr?" Zephyr grinned, pushing against the pressure of Ayr's blade.

Despite the disadvantage, he was enjoying the fight.

"I thought the legendary monster of the Rocks Pirates would have more to show."

Ayr didn't reply.

He suddenly pushed off with his legs, flipping backward.

His blade shimmered, dark Haki swirling violently along its length.

He gripped it with both hands, breathing slowly.

"You want to see more?"

The air twisted around Ayr's blade. It wasn't just Armament anymore—it was something deeper. A fusion of advanced Haki and his Fairy Eyes.

Ayr poured more of his essence into the weapon. It pulsed once—then began to glow faintly with a reddish-black edge.

Demon Slayer had entered a new state.

And Zephyr felt it.

"…What the hell is that?" he muttered, eyes narrowing.

"You wanted serious," Ayr said calmly. "Now try not to die."

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