"My worries are trivial. Your problem is the real issue. Since you came to my territory, I have to take good care of you."
"You've been like this since you were little."
Hearing Dante's tense words, Zephyr felt a deep pang of guilt. Even after being reassured, the boy still fussed over him.
"Just take care of yourself, brat. No need to fuss over this old man."
"Are you really okay?"
"I'm fine. Why are you so nagging today, kid?"
"Isn't it because I'm worried about you?"
Just as the two displayed their deep master-student bond, silence fell off to the side.
Vegapunk and his four clones watched the touching scene in dead silence.
"Does he really not know?" Vegapunk's . Hands behind his back, he silently connected to the Vegapunk Network. "Why do I feel like he absolutely knows?"
"From your original body's memories, our Boss obtained a great deal of classified intelligence from somewhere," Shaka, representing Justice, analyzed seriously. "Based on my calculations, it wouldn't be strange even if he knew that after eating this fruit, the user would turn pink."
"I agree with Shaka's analysis," Pythagoras, representing Wisdom, nodded. "Keep in mind that he even knows the private secrets of Hancock. Therefore, regarding this artificial fruit, it's no surprise."
"Um..." Atlas, representing Violence, hesitated before whispering, "Is it really okay for us to be gossiping about the Boss here?"
Vegapunk and the other clones ignored her. They all narrowed their eyes, watching the dramatic teacher-student bond play out, and spoke in unison within the mental network.
"Therefore, we reach the conclusion: he is absolutely acting."
"So why did you come find me, Sensei? And why come all the way to the lab? You wouldn't be deliberately lying to keep me from worrying, would you?" Dante sighed, shaking his head.
"I..." Zephyr's weathered face flushed slightly. He looked conflicted and depressed, his mouth hanging open for a long while without uttering a single word. Ultimately, seeing the piercing, worried gaze Dante kept fixed on him, he sighed in profound resignation. "You really don't need to worry. It's just... a slight problem with the color, that's all."
"Color? What problem?"
"Well... I just don't really like this color."
"Is it just that you don't like the color?" Dante frowned suspiciously. "You wouldn't be lying to me, would you? I don't remember you being the type to fuss over something so trivial."
Zephyr remained dead silent.
"Don't lie to me on purpose just so I won't worry," Dante pressed earnestly. "You're getting up there in age, how can you still be so immature? If there's a real problem, just say it. Don't let a small issue drag into a big one. We can figure out a solution together."
"There really is no problem! Why do you worry over nothing, brat?"
"This is me caring about you. Saying things like that only makes me more worried." Dante stared at him fiercely. "Unless I see it with my own eyes, I won't be at ease."
Zephyr's face reddened. "I told you it's just a problem with the color."
"Why all the secrecy? I don't recall you being the bashful type." Dante's frown deepened. "Don't tell me something actually went wrong. Damn it. I should have stopped you back there. If anything happened to you, how will I ever face Ain, Binz, and the others?"
Watching Dante spiral into theatrical guilt, Zephyr was stunned. Finally, seeing Dante's remorse grow until he began regretting his own inaction, Zephyr sighed in complete defeat.
"It really is just a matter of color. It's my fault for making a mountain out of a molehill. Fine. Since you want to see it, take a look."
He turned and strode with a stern expression toward the spacious testing grounds behind the laboratory. Dante's eyes lit up briefly, but worry quickly returned to his face as he hurried to follow. Beside them, Vegapunk and the clones tagged along.
A moment later, the group arrived. All eyes turned to Zephyr. Being stared down by so many people made the old man's mouth twitch. Yet he was not a cowardly man. He had made up his mind and refused to dwell on it any longer.
He took a deep breath.
In an instant, under everyone's watchful eyes, Zephyr's body began to rapidly transform.
*Roar.*
A massive dragon's roar echoed through the facility. In the blink of an eye, a gigantic pink dragon appeared hovering in the sky above the testing ground.
The sheer sight sent the onlookers into stunned silence.
A beat later, the commentary began.
"I told you this was a failed product," Vegapunk muttered.
"That color is truly unbecoming of Zephyr," Shaka noted flatly.
"Actually... the most important thing is the ability. Did it perfectly replicate the original power?" Pythagoras wondered aloud.
"I think pink looks rather nice," Atlas chimed in brightly.
Dante suppressed a massive grin and nodded solemnly. "Atlas is right. Zephyr-sensei, don't worry. That color actually suits you quite well."
The barrage of comments made Zephyr irritated , his reptilian eyes tinged with melancholy.
His late-life reputation was ruined.
Thoroughly, entirely ruined.
How was he supposed to face his former colleagues with this color? How could he look the students he'd trained for years in the eye? Even though he'd left Marine HQ, his old comrades were still alive and kicking, not to mention all those eager recruits. Right now, Zephyr could already picture Garp and Sengoku laughing their heads off when they saw this vibrant shade. The more he thought about it, the deeper his despair grew.
Reverting to his human form, Zephyr's face cycled between ashen pale and livid red. Being stared at by so many people only made his old face flush harder. He glared fiercely at Dante. "If you brat dare breathe a word of this, I, I..." His tone turned thoroughly ruthless. "I'll jump into the sea and drown myself right now."
He had firmly made up his mind. He would absolutely never use this ability in public.
"Sensei! What are you doing? It's just pink, what does it matter? The most important thing is the power." Dante pleaded earnestly. "Color serves no practical function, true strength is what matters."
"I might actually believe you if you weren't grinning from ear to ear!"
Dante immediately composed his face into a mask of solemnity.
"Vegapunk." Zephyr glared at the downcast young man, then turned to the scientist with a heavy sigh. "Is there really no other way?"
It wasn't that he genuinely cared about the aesthetic. It was just... he still had some pride to maintain. This color was even more humiliating than the time this brat had strung him up at the bow of a ship. Especially thinking of the smug smirk on Garp's face and the pitying look in Sengoku's eyes, his worry only worsened.
"If we were to manufacture a new one, we might be able to alter the color, but you have already eaten this one," Vegapunk frowned in thought before speaking again. "How about... getting a tattoo over it?"
Before the stunned Zephyr could process the suggestion, Dante chimed in.
"Pink plus a full-body tattoo?" Dante raised an eyebrow. "I really don't think that's a good idea."
These words sent Zephyr into grim silence. He imagineed tattooing something onto a massive pink dragon body, and his face reddened all over again.
"If that won't work either, I currently have no other solutions." Seeing Zephyr's expression, Vegapunk clasped his hands behind his back. "Perhaps we could modify it from the Lineage Factor, but that is merely a theory for now. The specifics would require extensive testing, and it would be a massive undertaking, perhaps even more troublesome than manufacturing a new fruit from scratch. After consuming a Devil Fruit, the Lineage Factor within the body undergoes a permanent change, and the Lineage Factor is present in every single drop of blood."
"Furthermore, it is an incredibly vital and intricate component of the human body. Recklessly modifying it could lead to catastrophic problems."
"I see." Zephyr nodded with a look of heavy resignation. "That sounds exceedingly troublesome. Forget it, if that's the case, then let it be. I apologize for taking up your time."
"While it would be troublesome, we could certainly attempt it, though the cost might be extraordinarily high."
"There's no need. There's no point in wasting more time and money on me. The brat is right, strength is what truly matters. This is not a failed Devil Fruit, it is highly successful, Dr. Vegapunk." Zephyr seemed to have finally made peace with it, offering a small smile. "I was just being too hung up on pride. Besides, that sounds like a massive project. I don't have the luxury of lying around and letting you fret over me right now."
With that, he patted Dante on the shoulder again. "I wasn't wrong, it's merely a slight issue with the color, nothing else is wrong. You don't need to worry needlessly about my affairs either. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back now. There's still a pile of matters waiting for me to handle at the Academy."
"Um... what if Vice Admiral Garp sees?" Dante asked innocently.
Could this brat not read the room? Shouldn't he be agreeing with his elder right now?
Zephyr glared hotly at Dante. "If that old geezer dares to laugh at me, I'll punch his teeth in."
Besides, unless absolutely necessary, he had already decided to never transform.
"Do you have anything else to do? If not, I'm heading back with you."
"I still have some things to take care of."
"Then I'm not waiting. I'm heading back first."
With that, without waiting for Dante to say another word, Zephyr strode away under everyone's gaze and disappeared down the corridor.
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