hotmtlnovel Chapter 255: Zephyr—”Am I a Cyborg Now?”
Chapter 255: Zephyr—”Am I a Cyborg Now?”
When Spandine heard Claudius's command, he was startled. He wanted to dissuade him but didn't dare to be too direct about it.
Fortunately, his mind worked quickly, and he immediately said, "Yes, Your Highness. We'll do everything possible to locate Edward Weevil as quickly as possible, but..."
Claudius frowned, his tone sharp as he asked, "But what?"
"But, Your Highness, this matter shouldn't be rushed. Why don't you return to Mariejois first? In the meantime, we'll liaise with Marine to smooth things over?" Spandine said, his voice hesitant but careful.
Claudius took a deep breath, reigning in his emotions. After a moment, he replied, "Something like this has happened to Zephyr, so I must visit him. But you're right, we should let Marine handle things on their end first. I'll return to Mariejois for now and wait."
Spandine let out an internal sigh of relief. It seems I still have some influence on His Highness. Good news!
"Understood, Your Highness. I will return to Mariejois and await your arrival," Spandine said quickly.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Nia noticed that Claudius was in a foul mood. Without prying, she simply reminded him to drink more hot water before leaving to instruct the Prometheus crew to return to Mariejois at full speed.
---
Zephyr's situation was both significant and delicate. While no longer active on the front lines, Zephyr had once been an Admiral, a symbol of Marine's power. Though his influence on the seas had waned over time, he still carried considerable weight within the Marine ranks, especially as the leader of the Marine Officer Training Camp.
Zephyr wasn't just a former Admiral; he was a mentor to many of Marine's current powerhouses. Virtually all of Marine's top officers had once been his students.
Now, however, the teacher had suffered a devastating setback. While leading a group of recruits on a live combat exercise, Zephyr had been ambushed and lost an arm in the attack. The incident shook Marine to its core, no one could accept such a tragedy.
"That old fool better have nothing to do with Weevil. Otherwise, I'll deal with him too," Claudius said icily.
---
Upon arriving at the Marineford hospital, Claudius found a large crowd gathered around Zephyr's ward. As it happened, Zephyr's injury had coincided with the development of a groundbreaking "reconstruction technology" by the Marine Science Division, led by Dr. Vegapunk.
This technology, a byproduct of the research conducted on Bartholomew Kuma, allowed for advanced cybernetic enhancements. A prototype robotic arm had been developed, and Vegapunk had suggested using it to replace Zephyr's lost limb. Zephyr, ever practical, agreed without hesitation, eager to test its capabilities.
Now, everyone was gathered to witness the results of Zephyr's transformation.
Inside the ward, Zephyr flexed his new robotic arm, which gleamed under the lights. "Not bad," he said with raised brows, his tone tinged with curiosity.
A scientist in a white coat stepped forward to explain. "This arm is equipped with significant upgrades. It's reinforced with seastone for durability, and its internal mechanisms greatly enhance its attack power.
However," the scientist added, "its weight is substantial, about 300 kilograms. It's only thanks to Zephyr-sensei's exceptional strength that he can wield it. For an ordinary person, lifting this would be impossible."
Zephyr nodded thoughtfully. "It's a bit heavy, but it's better than having no arm at all. I'll just need some time to adjust."
At that moment, a loud voice echoed from the corridor: "Move aside! His Highness Claudius is here, don't block the way!"
Spandine's sycophantic shout carried through the halls as Claudius entered the hospital.
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