"Usopp, you and Nami protect the Merry. I'll handle this Vice Admiral."
Carl stood opposite Vice Admiral Huoshaoshan, his stance calm and confident.
Usopp didn't argue—he was still stunned that he had managed to hold off a Vice Admiral for so long. But in truth, it was only thanks to his ability to fly. If he had been fighting on the ground, he would have been beaten senseless long ago.
"Oh? Another member of the Straw Hats?" Huoshaoshan muttered, eyeing Carl with intrigue. "And with this level of strength?"
He flexed his fingers, feeling the lingering numbness in his body. That last strike hadn't just knocked him back—it had sent a shock of electricity through his nerves. If not for his endurance, he might already be down for the count.
"Straw Hat Pirates, Carl. Pleased to meet you," Carl said casually before charging forward. Obsidian flashed as he swung.
Huoshaoshan met him head-on, their blades clashing in a furious exchange of blows. In mere moments, they had already traded over a dozen strikes.
And then it hit Huoshaoshan.
He's overwhelming me…?!
He prided himself on his swordsmanship, yet this young man—barely known, without a bounty—was pushing him back.
"Where did this monster come from?!"
Even as he fought, Carl had time to glance toward Zoro and Sanji. Their battle against Onigumo was a complete mess.
"Hey, Zoro! Sanji! You two still alive over there?" he called out with a grin. "If not, just lie down. I'll handle it."
"Like hell we're going down!" the two shouted in unison, gritting their teeth and forcing themselves to keep fighting.
Meanwhile, Tashigi stood frozen.
Her mind reeled.
Carl… is a pirate?
She had just been talking so amicably with him—had even admired his swords—and now she realized he was fighting alongside Roronoa Zoro.
That bastard tricked me!
Her face flushed with anger. But beneath that rage was something even worse—helplessness.
So many famous swords… all in the hands of criminals. And I… I'm not strong enough to take them back.
Her grip on her sword tightened, but her vision blurred with tears.
Zoro, glancing toward her, saw her expression and scowled, shooting Carl an annoyed glare.
Carl, however, remained unfazed, fully focused on his duel with Huoshaoshan.
Kizaru, watching from above, finally spoke.
"You should've worn a Marine coat, Straw Hat Pirates," he mused, his voice as lazy as ever. "I had a feeling Huoshaoshan and Onigumo wouldn't be enough to stop you… but I didn't expect a hidden ace with no bounty. At this rate, I really can't let you enter the Grand Line."
Carl simply smirked.
"Heh… what can I say, Kizaru?" He raised his blade.
"My crew is strong."
Luffy flashed a grin, his white teeth gleaming.
"Since Mr. Carl is here, I can go all out!" he declared. "I said I wanted to test an Admiral's strength—how could I not give it my all? Kizaru, you better be ready for my next attack!"
With that, Luffy took a deep breath, biting down on his left arm, which was wrapped in Haki, and blew hard.
"Muscle Balloon!"
His body expanded, becoming muscular and thick, his skin now covered in a deep crimson hue of Haki. His face took on an intense, unwavering expression, like an enraged statue of Fudō Myō-ō.
Duang! Duang! Duang!
Luffy bounced on the ground uncontrollably, his inflated form making it difficult to stay still. Kizaru raised an eyebrow, momentarily unsure how Luffy would attack.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Luffy launched forward.
His feet kicked against the air rapidly, propelling him like a high-speed jet.
"Rubber-Rubber... Kong Gun!"
His massive fist contracted tightly—then snapped forward with explosive force.
Kizaru barely had time to react. Before he could even shift into his Logia form, he instinctively crossed his arms to block.
BOOM!
The impact sent Kizaru hurtling backward, smashing through five buildings in a row before finally coming to a stop.
Swish!
A golden flash flickered—Kizaru reappeared.
But this time, he was disheveled. His pristine Marine coat was dirtied, his sunglasses slightly askew, and a thin trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
The battlefield fell silent.
Vice Admiral, Onigumo, Tashigi, and every Marine who had witnessed the scene were in shock.
For the first time, they had seen Admiral Kizaru—one of the Navy's strongest—spat out blood from a single blow.
Was Straw Hat Luffy truly this strong?!
"Ohh… what a blunder," Kizaru sighed, his tone still lazy but tinged with annoyance. "Didn't expect you to have a move like that."
This job is really a nightmare…
If he hit Luffy too hard, he'd have to deal with Garp hunting him down. If he held back too much, Sengoku might accuse him of slacking off. And now? He had actually taken a direct hit.
Worse yet, if he went back and reported this as a work injury, Sengoku would never let him hear the end of it.
"An old Admiral, one of the fastest men alive, got hit so hard by a seventeen-year-old rookie that he's filing for compensation? Seriously, Borsalino?"
Just imagining Sengoku's reaction made Kizaru feel bitter.
Carl, watching from the sidelines, smirked.
He understood Kizaru all too well.
This was the same man who had walked out of Marineford without so much as a scratch. And now, he was stuck in an awkward position—too deep in to slack off, too prideful to let himself be humiliated.
Now that Kizaru had been forced to take a hit, he had no choice.
For the sake of Marine's reputation, he had to fight back seriously.
Even if it meant dealing with Garp later.
Carl subconsciously shouted, "Luffy, be careful! Kizaru's about to get serious!"
Luffy was startled. Wait… does that mean Kizaru was just messing around before?!
Kizaru glanced at Carl, slightly surprised, but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he activated Yata no Kagami(Pika Pika no Mi), reflecting himself forward in a flash of light.
Bang!
In an instant, he appeared in front of Luffy, delivering a devastating light-speed kick to his waist.
Luffy's eyes widened—he barely had time to react!
But then—
"Huh?"
Kizaru frowned. His foot had landed, but instead of sending Luffy flying, it felt like he had kicked… rubber?
"Haki-covered rubber? That shouldn't be possible… What's going on?!"
Kizaru couldn't make sense of it.
Luffy grinned. "Rubber-Rubber… Python Cannon!"
His massive fist retracted into his body—then blasted forward at insane speed!
Kizaru flickered away, dodging effortlessly. But Luffy's fist didn't stop—it stretched, curved, and continued its relentless pursuit.
After a few swift evasions, Kizaru sighed. Too much trouble…
He simply let the punch hit him—then dispersed into golden light before it could land.
"Tch… That's not enough!" Luffy gritted his teeth.
The pressure was mounting. I can't hit him at all!
Kizaru was too fast. Worse, he wasn't just dodging—he was reading Luffy's intentions. Even if Luffy attacked unpredictably, Kizaru was one step ahead.
If he wanted to stand a chance, he needed to push his Observation Haki further.
Just then, Carl's voice echoed in his mind:
"Let me give you something to think about—Observation Haki can let you predict the future… even if only for a second or two!"
Luffy's eyes widened.
Predicting the future…?
Luffy wasn't the type to overthink things, but in battle, his instincts were razor-sharp. If that was the key, then—
BOOM!
Kizaru attacked again, his light-speed strikes raining down. Luffy, unable to keep up, focused entirely on defending.
As he blocked and dodged, he tried to see it—to sense the attacks before they happened.
Minutes passed.
Luffy was getting brutally beaten.
Kizaru sighed as he continued his assault. This kid… Is he seriously trying to practice with an Admiral?
Even Kizaru had to roll his eyes. You can't just farm EXP off me, you know?
But what could he do?
For now… he had no choice but to let Luffy keep going.
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