East Blue
A colossal fleet from Navy Headquarters surged toward Prosius Island.
Big Beard, upon departing, had used the ship's Den Den Mushi to contact Headquarters.
Upon receiving the news, Headquarters dispatched Admiral Kizaru's warship, which crossed the Calm Belt at breakneck speed toward East Blue.
Garp was in the New World, Kuzan was absent, and Akainu stayed to guard Headquarters, ready for Mariejois' call.
Only Kizaru, from the Science Division, was free to head to East Blue.
His fleet, the fastest, included Kizaru's flagship, one Vice Admiral, and five Rear Admirals.
Seven massive warships, aligned in a row, plowed through giant waves caused by the falling islands.
They could now see the silhouettes of two massive islands ahead. Prosius Island itself had vanished into the sea.
At the bow of the largest warship stood a tall, lanky figure in a yellow-white striped suit, purple tie, moss-green shirt, white shoes, and a Navy Justice coat. Hands in pockets, he gazed forward.
This was Admiral Borsalino, codename "Kizaru," one of the Navy's highest combat powers.
With his curly black hair, stubbled face, tea-colored sunglasses, and aged look, Science Division folks called him "Gramps."
To us anime fans, he's the Yellow Pikachu, the SpongeBob Admiral.
His sleazy speech suggests he munched a Sleaze-Sleaze Fruit, the Glinting Man.
As waves crashed ahead, Kizaru drawled his catchphrase, "How scary~"
Beside him stood a man in a towering hat, long black beard, indigo suit, and Justice coat, staring gravely at the islands. "Looks like the battle's over."
This was Vice Admiral Strawberry, under Kizaru's command.
"Yup," Kizaru mused slowly. "And it ended with Shiki's defeat. How terrifying, Silver-Haired Sora~"
Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from the island.
Strawberry gaped, "It's not over? Are those two still fighting?"
Kizaru turned to Strawberry and his five Rear-Admirals. "I'll scout ahead. You lot, hurry up."
His body shimmered gold, dissolving into photons as he shot toward the island.
As a Logia Glint-Glint Fruit user, the so-called Glinting Man, he could turn any body part into light, moving and attacking at light-speed. He could deliver heavy blows, blind foes with flashes, and boasted one of One Piece's top-five coolest, strongest fruits.
Sora and Indigo, fresh from the palace, collided head-on with Kizaru.
Hovering mid-air, Sora glared at the yellow figure on the rooftop, cursing his luck.
Should've skipped that meal.
But after two days of fighting, surviving on rum, he was starving. After slashing the treasury, he'd had Indigo whip up a quick meal in the galley.
Those few minutes landed him face-to-face with the Navy's worst possible foe.
Even Garp would've been better than this yellow monkey.
Sora spat to the side. "Talkin' rotten luck."
He didn't want to fight this guy.
Glancing at Indigo, he sighed. Teleporting with him was tricky, and flying, he couldn't outrun Kizaru. A fight it was—to show chasing him was pointless.
Resolved, he eyed Kizaru's mocking, taunting smirk on the roof.
Mimicking his drawl, Sora sneered, "How scary~! Ain't this Admiral Yellow Pikachu?"
"Whoops, my bad, habit," he said, waving dismissively, resetting his expression.
"Yo, Admiral Kizaru! How scary~"
Kizaru, baffled by the performance, felt insulted by "Pikachu" but lacked proof.
Annoying.
Shaking it off, he scanned Sora with Observation Haki, finding no other strong presences.
Shiki was either dead or gone.
His eyes narrowed, but his face stayed smugly nonchalant. Leaning forward, lips pursed, he taunted, "How scary~ Silver-Haired Sora, beating Shiki? What a monster~"
Sora retracted his domain, setting the door panel down.
Looking up at Kizaru, he teleported, appearing inches away, parroting, "Speed is weight. Ever been kicked at light-speed?"
His right leg, coated in Armament Haki, whipped toward Kizaru's head like a soccer ball.
Kizaru's pupils shrank. "What the—?"
Not speed—he'd sense that.
Hearing his own catchphrase, Kizaru's sleazy grin nearly cracked, his mouth twitching.
This guy's mimicking my lines and moves?
As the kick came, he elementalized his head, dodging effortlessly.
Then, fully elementalizing, he reformed above Sora, right leg aglow. "So, tasted a Glinting Kick yet?"
He aimed at Sora's head, still mid-kick.
The kick passed through—hitting a laser that pierced the roof, triggering an explosion below.
It was an afterimage.
Sora had teleported above Kizaru the instant the kick came.
Same move, same Haki-coated leg, same headshot kick.
It hit air.
Kizaru's photon-scattered form reformed a meter away.
Dropping his lazy, mocking expression, he turned serious—rare for him.
If it was just speed, he'd outpace Sora.
But teleportation? That was trouble.
Sora couldn't hit him, but he couldn't hit Sora either.
Fixing Sora with a grave look, he said, "Silver-Haired Sora, everyone underestimated you."
His gaze flicked to Sora's sword. "Not just a great swordsman, but a space-type Devil Fruit user? How scary~"
Sora didn't correct him. Unhooking his wine gourd, he took a swig.
Lowering it, he smirked at Kizaru. "You Navy folks, ignoring the island's leftover pirates to fight a law-abiding guy like me? What's that about?"
Pointing at giant beasts charging toward the explosion's sound, he added, "Those things need catching. Left in East Blue, they're a disaster!"
"Pirate, know your place," Kizaru said flatly. "The Navy doesn't need you meddling."
He knew the beasts' threat—worse than the pirates.
Sora shrugged, negotiating, "Look, Pikachu Uncle, let's pretend we never met. You can't catch me anyway, right?"
Pausing, he added, "Besides, your paycheck doesn't cover risking your life for me."
Kizaru nodded, musing. He's got a point. My wage doesn't justify this.
His mission wasn't to arrest Sora anyway.
Then, he punted a sneaking beast. Wait, this guy almost suckered me! I'm not here for the pay!
Glaring at Sora, he snapped, "Stop with the nicknames! I'm Kizaru, not Pikachu!"
"Got it, Pikachu Uncle," Sora said, kicking away a beast, unfazed.
Ignoring Kizaru, he teleported to Indigo, patting his shoulder. "We're out."
"Right!" Indigo nodded.
He'd recognized Kizaru instantly. Any pirate reading the news knew the Navy's three Admirals—their public face, their strongest trio.
He'd worried for Sora. Beating a weakened Shiki didn't mean he could tangle with an Admiral.
But Sora's teleportation eased his fears.
No wonder he beat Shiki. Flight, teleportation, and more?
This captain was the real deal, holding his own against an Admiral.
Sora glanced at Kizaru, now half-heartedly fighting beasts, clearly slacking.
Unfurling his spatial domain, he lifted the door panel skyward.
He and Kizaru had tacitly agreed to part ways when the beasts arrived.
Neither could touch the other, and Kizaru's heart wasn't in the chase, letting Sora slip away.
On the ground, Kizaru punted another beast, glancing at the rising door panel. "The Navy and World Government are in for a headache."
Not his problem. He was just a low-paid Navy old-timer.
Reverting to his usual vibe, he kicked beasts, muttering, "Kowai~ (How scary~)"
(End of Chapter)