NOVEL NEXT Chapter 312: Zephyr, Seriously Ill!?
New World.
A remote island.
A figure shot through the sea of clouds like a jet, plunging into the ground at breakneck speed. Just before landing, Daren sharply decelerated, landing firmly on solid ground as cold wind swept outward from the impact.
"This should be the place."
He slowly put away the Eternal Pose in his hand and looked up at the tropical island before him.
Beyond the beach stretched an endless rainforest. The air was thick with humidity, and towering plants, some tens of meters tall, blanketed most of the island. From deep within, the distant roars of wild beasts echoed faintly.
"As expected of Zephyr-sensei. Even after being away from the front lines for so long, his strategic insight is still razor-sharp."
Daren scanned the island quickly, unable to stop a murmur of admiration from escaping his lips.
Evacuating from Marineford had been a last resort. In such a tense situation, finding a safe, temporary place to take refuge was a true test of leadership and foresight.
While Zephyr hadn't openly defied the World Government, the moment he stepped in to stop CP0 from attacking Amatsuki Toki, he'd already positioned himself against them. The same went for the Marine officers who chose to follow him at that crucial moment.
Adding to the risk, the wife of the world's most wanted criminal, Rogers Daren, was under Zephyr's protection. Naturally, that put him in grave danger.
And this island—it was the perfect place to hide.
The chaotic sea currents surrounding it formed a natural barrier. Without the power to fly or float, reaching the island through normal sailing was nearly impossible.
The tropical rainforest climate made it far more livable than winter or desert islands. The abundant flora and fauna meant a stable supply of food and fresh water.
On top of that, the vast rainforest offered perfect cover, concealing any traces of human presence and making it harder for the World Government's intelligence network to detect them.
Truly, a seasoned veteran like Zephyr could be relied on.
That was why Daren felt at ease entrusting Toki to his protection. If Garp had taken on the task, she'd have run off ages ago.
Smiling at the thought, Daren was just about to expand his Observation Haki to scan the island...
But in the next moment, his head suddenly dropped without warning.
Sssht!
A gleaming golden slash streaked just above his scalp, slicing off several strands of hair before piercing the sea in the distance, carving a massive, hundred-meter-long trench into the surface.
"...That's quite the greeting."
Daren shrank his head, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and forced a bitter smile as he looked toward the tall figure slowly emerging from the thick rainforest.
From within the jungle, Gion stepped out, clad in a dirt-smeared military uniform. Mud clung to her boots, and her golden Meito sword hung at her side, her weary face unable to mask her fatigue.
Daren fell silent.
Gion's eyes were red as she stared coldly at him.
"Could you have come any later?"
Daren froze.
He activated his Observation Haki, and the auras he sensed made his expression darken. In an instant, his body turned into a streak of black light and shot deep into the island.
A minute later...
He stopped in front of a cleared-out open space.
In the distance stood a uniquely styled Japanese mansion, completely out of place amid the dense jungle.
As if alerted by the sudden movement, figures leapt cautiously out of the courtyard. But when they saw it was Daren, their eyes lit up and cheers broke out.
"It's Daren!"
"He finally made it!"
"Thank goodness, you're here!"
"..."
Yamakaji, Shuzo, Dalmatian, and the others were covered in dust and visibly exhausted, but their faces lit up with joy and relief.
That joy quickly dimmed. Their eyes grew red with emotion.
"Daren..."
Daren stood frozen, as if he hadn't noticed them at all. His voice was hoarse.
"How's Zephyr-sensei?"
With his Observation Haki, he sensed two familiar auras inside the Japanese-style mansion.
One was Toki's. Though faint, it was stable and not alarming.
The other belonged to Zephyr.
Once a presence as fierce as fire and as vast as the ocean, his aura now flickered weakly, like a dying flame in the wind.
"Zephyr-sensei's injuries are severe. He already had asthma to begin with, and over the past few days, he's been pushing through his wounds to keep the mansion airborne for our safety... He's completely worn himself out."
Gion's hoarse voice came from behind.
Daren stiffened, then snapped back to his senses and hurried into the mansion.
He finally saw that stubborn, purple-haired old man in one of the guest rooms.
Compared to when they last met at Marineford just days ago, Zephyr had grown visibly thinner. The wound on his severed arm had been bandaged, but blood still seeped through.
He lay on the bed, purple hair disheveled, breath labored. A flushed, sickly red hue stained his pale face—
The fever was clearly taking its toll.
"He's had a high fever for two days now. His consciousness is fading... And there's no medicine anywhere on this island."
Yamakaji followed Daren inside, eyes rimmed red.
Daren gritted his teeth.
"Why didn't you go out and find a doctor—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
The second the words left his mouth, he realized how absurd they were.
They had no flight capabilities, no ships—how could they possibly venture out to sea?
"We tried building a raft, but Zephyr-sensei woke up once and forbade us from setting sail. He didn't want to risk exposing our location."
Dalmatian sat on the floor, clutching his head, his voice low and bitter.
Damn it!
Daren cursed under his breath.
He rushed over and quickly examined Zephyr. His heart sank.
The fever hadn't broken. Worse, something else lingered in the muscles and tissues around the severed arm—some strange substance that continued to corrode his body.
The injuries were grave, and the toll from overexertion had left his immune system in ruins. His body simply couldn't fight off the invading toxin.
Daren wasn't a trained doctor,
But he was no stranger to infection, poison, or fatal wounds.
And he quickly came to one conclusion—
Zephyr-sensei's condition wasn't something an ordinary doctor could handle.
Only the top medical experts on the seas might be able to save him!