Sanji and the others stood there slack‑jawed, completely stunned by what they had just witnessed. Powerful beings with bounties over 100 million berries — Supernovas — had fallen in an instant. Each of them was legendary in strength among pirates, yet under the overwhelming might of a Marine Admiral, they could not withstand even a single strike.
"Is this what the world's highest combat force really is?" Renn muttered, tightening his grip on his katana, his voice a mix of shock and reluctant respect. "There's still a massive gap between me and the pinnacle of this world."
At that moment, Admiral Kizaru transformed into a streak of radiant light and materialized right in front of Luffy.
"It's over, it's over, we're going to die!" Usopp's legs shook uncontrollably, terror etched in every word. The Marines and pirates alike instinctively backed away, overwhelmed by the sheer presence of an Admiral.
Sanji and Renn stepped up, one on each side of Luffy, eyes locked on Kizaru with vigilant intensity. But Kizaru didn't glance at them; his gaze was fixed solely on Luffy, and his voice came out slow and calm.
"Monkey D. Luffy… to dare strike a World Noble, you truly are audacious," Kizaru said.
Luffy laughed, full of fire, "Haha, if those hooded bastards did that again, I'd still punch them out!"
At those words, Kizaru's expression twitched slightly. It wasn't that he was unaware of the World Government's cruelties. But as a naval Admiral, there were many compromises he had made long ago, lines he chose not to cross even if he understood the resentment beneath them.
"Forget it," Kizaru said, almost dismissively, "You'd better come with me to Impel Down."
Before Luffy could react, Kizaru appeared beside him in the blink of an eye.
"Speed is power," the Admiral said quietly, voice still gentle, "Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Even with Luffy's Observation Haki tracking Kizaru's movements, the admiral's speed was incredible — too fast for ordinary perception. Before Luffy even lifted a hand in defense, Kizaru's size forty‑four shoe left a blazing mark on his left cheek.
Boom!
The attack sent Luffy flying like a streak of light.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Each impact sent him crashing through more than a dozen wooden houses before he finally skidded to a halt.
"Luffy!" Renn called out, astonishment in his voice. It was the first time he'd seen Luffy sent flying so casually.
Gritting his teeth, Renn invoked his blade, swirling with colored aura.
"Gekko Ryugu Slash!"
A green dragon‑shaped aura wrapped his katana as he lunged at Kizaru with full force.
But Kizaru showed no sign of dodging.
The blade passed straight through him without resistance.
"Nani?!" Renn was dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Sanji took action, spinning rapidly as his right leg heated up, glowing golden and transparent with intense heat.
"Devil Wind Leg!"
He leaped upward and stomped down onto Kizaru's head.
Even then, Kizaru calmly looked upward and commented with mild surprise, "Kowai‑yo, each of you is so strong, like monsters," before Sanji's blazing limb passed through him as if he were made of mist.
The foot connected with the ground, cracking the earth beneath with its force.
"Nani!!??" Sanji looked on in stunned horror. "Is this a Logia Devil Fruit ability?"
"Sanji! Renn! Let's retreat, quickly!" Usopp trembled, shaking from pure fear.
Before anyone could move, Kizaru reached out, catching Sanji's neck instantly.
"Cough… cough…" Sanji flailed uselessly as his arms passed right through Kizaru's grasp.
"Release Mr. Sanji immediately!" Brook cried out and rushed forward, wildly swinging his cane sword.
But every strike, imbued with Armament Haki, simply passed through the Admiral — his body wasn't there.
Usopp joined in, firing his slingshot with everything he had.
But each projectile also passed through Kizaru's form.
"Why? Why? Why can't anything hit him?" Usopp wailed in despair.
As Renn and Sanji struggled, it became clear.
"It's useless," a cold voice echoed, "Stop struggling needlessly, just accept it."
Kizaru's eyes bore a look of pity — not malice, but a neutral assessment of the weak.
Then he raised his left hand, index finger glowing with a brilliant golden light.
Sanji watched helplessly, fear rising.
"Oh? Then you can just die," Kizaru remarked nonchalantly.
But just at that instant, a fist colored in swirling red and black suddenly appeared before the Admiral.
Bang!
The blow struck Kizaru hard in the face.
Sanji tumbled to the ground from the shock.
Kizaru, thrown back dozens of meters by the force, hit the dirt hard.
"Luffy!" Usopp shouted with urgency and relief.
Their spirits lit up at the sight — Luffy had returned, making a bold intervention.
But then Luffy's voice cut through their hope in a gut‑wrenching way:
"Sanji! Renn! You two go first. An Admiral is not someone we can handle right now. We need to escape, not defeat the enemy!"
Luffy's form began to stretch and expand, turning into a massive rubber colossus before everyone's eyes.
Kizaru lay on the ground, a thin trace of blood sliding from the corner of his mouth. He hadn't expected Luffy to have learned Armament Haki, and the surprise showed.
Then, with blinding speed, he condensed into a blazing streak of light and shot toward Luffy once more.
Luffy raised his arm instinctively to shield his eyes.
"Sanji! Renn! Usopp, this Admiral is not someone we can handle right now. Everyone, flee quickly!"
He closed both fists and drew them in close.
"Gomu Gomu no: Monkey King Gun!"
With a roar, Luffy released a furious flurry of rubber fists toward Kizaru.
But the Admiral anticipated the attack. He vanished from where he stood, flickering through the air in a flash of light, reappearing at Luffy's left side.
Kizaru gathered Armament Haki into his right leg and launched a kick aimed at Luffy's waist.
Luffy met it with his own leg in perfect counterbalance.
Bang!
The collision rippled with blue and white sparks, crackling like lightning.
For a few seconds, they were in deadlock.
But the force behind Kizaru's kick was overwhelming.
Luffy was flung sideways several meters.
Kizaru called out with mild admiration, "As expected of someone from the Monkey family, their talent is simply terrifying!"
Through his Observation Haki, Luffy watched Sanji and the others retreating swiftly toward the coastline, relieved that they weren't being left behind.
A faint smile spread across his face, fleeting but genuine.
Just then, a Den Den Mushi began to ring.
Buru buru~
Buru buru~
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Powerstones?? (´ε｀ )
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Patreon = _Zeph