I feel some of you are underestimating Zeref "a lot"."Power of the dead" being able to kill him doesnt mean he doesnt still benefit from the colossal advantage immortality grants him. Besides, that "power of the dead" thing just seemed like Zeref being poetic. Natsu didnt know anything about it, yet was still confident he'd kill Zeref just because of the strength Igneel's power gave him. It's likely that the strength is the true factor, like with END, IgNatsu is just so far above Zeref that even with an immortal body he'd still die. We saw clearly that once he got some breathing room after Natsu left, Zeref was easily able to regen all injuries inflicted by "dead power". Without his immortality Zeref would've probably been killed by Natsu's first attack.
His offense is pretty mediocre too, at least so far.
First of all Zeref is not being poetic here.He is a mage of 400 years worth of knowledge and experience-he perfectly knows what can kill him and what cannot.
It has been mentioned by Zeref himself that the "power of the dead" can kill him.And also Natsu commented that these residue of power left by Igneel can kill him.So he may also know this fact.
Zeref survived an attack of this scale.
Any other person from Ishgar would have been vaporised by that single attack.
And as it was the power of dead immortality doesn't protect one from it.He survived that attack with pure durability alone.
I can't post the CR version due to forum rules but there it was said the second hit would have killed Zeref.And Zeref and Natsu both believed the second hit would have finished him.So if his immortality saved him,it would have saved him the second time also.
The power of the dead itself doesn't kill a person,it allowed the attack to bypass immortality.Otherwise any power of dead,even Makarov's can kill Zeref.But that is not the case.In order to kill you need a power of dead and M.P. of the scale of Igneel.Even then one attack wasn't strong enough to kill Zeref.We needed another.
And he only healed because he got time to do so.
The power of the dead,we have no evidence,can prevent regeneration,it was outrightly stated by Zeref it can kill.
And Zeref's offence isn't mediocre also.He injured IgNatsu and could go on several physical fights with IgNatsu.He one shotted Larcade with a single attack.His offense is pretty mediocre too, at least so far.
The fight turned into a stalemate and only when Zeref allowed Natsu entered FDKM state.Otherwise it might have continued for long.
So now Jacob can go on toe with IgNatsu in physical fightJacob did far better against base Natsu than Zeref is doing right now, physically Jacob is leaps and bounds ahead of him. Currently its looking like immortality is the only thing that makes Zeref powerful, you'd think a guy who has an entire book of magic named after him would use a few spells.
.So he is the strongest Spriggan i guess.Because in a way you are suggesting that Jacob is a better physical fighter than Zeref which is clearly not the case as seen in the above picture.Remember what Zeref said to Gray in chap 522.He is trying to unleash Natsu's inner strength.So he hasn't gone 100% yet.And also i believe Natsu's true power is coming out.Simon had also said when Natsu reaches the level of Igneel he will be able to burn every darkness.And also Zeref had foreshadowed since Tenrou Arc that Natsu will become stronger than he and defeat him.So it's clear that Natsu will become the strongest one in Ishgar.
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