Chapter 89 – Kizaru's Arrival
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It is a heavy night but it's not over
The moonlight danced across the ruined streets of Cleaica, illuminating debris scattered from the Silver-Hair Pirates' assault on the royal palace. Fires burned in small pockets, casting long shadows against broken banners and the toppled statues of kings long revered by fearful citizens. The city's silence was deceptive, hiding the tremors that would soon echo across the South Blue.
Arthur walked with measured steps down the palace steps, Sriyo sheathed but humming faintly with residual Haki energy. Leo followed closely, axe resting lightly on his shoulder, every fiber of his being still vibrating with the surge of Haki from his father's memory and the battle inside the palace. Hiroshi, Alex, and the remaining team members flanked them, alert and ready, though a subtle excitement lingered in the air—one that only came after victory, knowing that the storm had just begun.
"Is… is it really over?" Leo's voice cracked slightly as he surveyed the city below. The citizens had begun to peer from their homes, whispering in awe and hope. "All… all of this… we did it?"
Arthur paused, scanning the rooftops and alleyways with Observation Haki. His eyes narrowed slightly as a faint glimmer of light caught his peripheral vision—a subtle shimmer too precise to be accidental. "Not yet," he said calmly. "They're here."
Before Leo could ask, a blinding golden light erupted in the sky above the city, forming into multiple streaks that descended like falling stars. The brilliance was unnatural, almost painful to behold, illuminating every building in a pure, almost divine glow. Citizens screamed in terror, running into the streets, stumbling over each other as they tried to find cover.
Kizaru.
The Admiral's figure solidified as he descended from the sky, walking with a casual elegance that belied the deadly aura surrounding him. His movements were deliberate, slow, as if he had all the time in the world. Yet every step radiated a power that forced even the bravest Marines to stumble back instinctively.
"You… the infamous Silver-Hair Pirates," Kizaru's voice was soft, almost teasing, as he tilted his head and gave a lazy smile. "Quite the party you've thrown… but it seems the kingdom is… unfinished."
Arthur's hand instinctively went to Sriyo's hilt. "We've liberated Cleaica. Step in now, and you'll only make this worse—for your men, and for yourself."
Kizaru's gaze didn't waver, though his golden eyes glinted with amusement. "Hmph… arrogance suits you, Silver-Hair. But I am an Admiral of the Navy. And today, Cleaica is under my jurisdiction. Let's see… just how strong you truly are."
With a flash that seemed to dissolve time itself, Kizaru's body elongated into streaks of golden light. His form blurred, moving impossibly fast, and suddenly he was standing atop a crumbling bell tower, surveying the Silver-Hair Pirates with an amused tilt of his head.
"Everyone… get ready." Arthur's voice was calm but firm, carrying the weight of command. "Observation Haki. Leo, stay close. Hiroshi, cover our flanks. Alex… rooftops. We'll need every advantage. He's fast, but predictable if we work together."
Leo's hands tightened around the axe. "I'm… ready. I won't let him… take anyone!" Rage and grief flared within him, Haki surging naturally as if responding to his emotional state.
Hiroshi's eyes narrowed, fingers tightening on the hilt of his katana. "Speed, precision… he moves like light itself. But light still casts shadows. Find them, Arthur, and I'll follow your lead."
Alex flicked his wrist, loading pistol after pistol. "Got it. I'll keep rooftops clear. Civilians… we can't let them get caught in this."
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The first clash was instantaneous. Kizaru moved with blinding speed, golden beams radiating from his body as he unleashed a flurry of attacks. Each step sent shockwaves across the city, sending stone and wood flying in every direction. Even at full Observation Haki, predicting his exact trajectory was difficult—his attacks seemed almost random, yet every strike carried lethal precision.
Arthur's mind raced, calculating patterns, predicting probabilities. He moved Sriyo with surgical precision, deflecting beams and redirecting strikes with a mixture of Armament Haki and swordsmanship. Light collided against the Haki-infused blade with a resonance that sent sparks scattering across the ruins.
"You're… faster than I expected," Kizaru said lazily, a faint smile on his lips. "But not fast enough."
Arthur countered with a burst of Conqueror's Haki, subtle but forceful, pressing against Kizaru's aura. It was enough to momentarily stagger the Admiral, if only by a fraction of a second. That fraction was all Arthur needed. He lunged, Sriyo slicing through the air with Haki-imbued precision, forcing Kizaru to recoil slightly and dodge in bursts of golden light.
Leo joined from the side, axe swinging in wide arcs that sent shockwaves through debris-strewn streets. Each strike was amplified by the Haki coursing through him, creating blasts of force that forced Kizaru to adjust his movements. Though Kizaru was fast, he began to recognize patterns—the natural rhythm of human attacks, combined with Haki-enhanced intuition, made predicting his light-speed maneuvers possible.
"You've grown," Kizaru said softly, almost admiringly, as he sidestepped a swing from Leo. "Fifteen years ago… you wouldn't have been able to muster even this much."
Leo's mind flashed to that memory—the day his father had been executed fifteen years ago, the final gaze of defiance in his father's eyes, the words that had burned into his soul: "Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the determination to act when fear is all you feel."
"I fight for him," Leo whispered, almost to himself. "For every child, every innocent, every person who suffered… I'll fight!"
The surge of emotional Haki was tangible, radiating outward and making even nearby citizens pause in awe. The ground trembled beneath the sheer weight of his will.
Arthur noted it immediately. Leo's ready. Focus, coordinate, end this fast.
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The city became a battlefield. Kizaru's golden beams sliced through the streets, demolishing buildings with light-speed precision. Hiroshi moved fluidly, using Conqueror's Haki to knock back swarms of Marine reinforcements, while Alex's sharpshooting covered any gaps in their defensive formation. Leo swung his axe with a ferocity born from grief and purpose, cutting through elite soldiers with precision strikes amplified by Haki.
Arthur advanced steadily toward Kizaru, Sriyo's edge gleaming in the moonlight. The Admiral's light-speed kicks and Yasakani no Magatama attacks threatened to tear the city apart, but Arthur's predictive Haki allowed him to intercept, counter, and deflect, slowly narrowing the distance between them.
"You fight well," Kizaru said, voice calm even amidst chaos. "Foresight, Haki, coordination… impressive. But can you withstand the full power of an Admiral?"
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "I'll find out."
Their clash escalated to the city's central square, where remnants of royal banners flapped in the wind. The ground itself cracked under the force of light and steel colliding. Beams met sword, shockwaves shattered walls, and citizens watched from afar, eyes wide with fear and awe.
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The turning point came when Leo, fully channeling his grief and father's memory, unleashed a coordinated Haki surge with Arthur. The combined Conqueror's Haki pressed against Kizaru, forcing him to adjust mid-flight, creating an opening.
Arthur's Sriyo struck, a precise, Haki-imbued slash cutting through Kizaru's light form momentarily. Though not lethal, it staggered the Admiral, leaving him blinking in surprise.
"You… can touch light," Kizaru murmured, disbelief lacing his tone. "Not many in this world… can do that."
Arthur smiled faintly, eyes calm and unwavering. "We are not bound by fear. We are not bound by law. We are bound by the will to protect, to liberate, and to live free."
The clash continued, a ballet of destruction across the city streets. Sparks flew, buildings crumbled, and civilians fled in awe. Yet amidst the chaos, a truth became clear: the Silver-Hair Pirates were not merely survivors—they were revolution incarnate, a force that could challenge even the gods of the sea.
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After what felt like hours, though it had only been minutes in real time, Kizaru's attacks began to falter. Arthur's calculated foresight, the combined Haki of his crew, and Leo's emotional surge had begun to force cracks in the Admiral's seemingly invincible form.
Finally, with a decisive move, Arthur struck with Conqueror's Haki-infused Sriyo, forcing Kizaru to retreat. The light-speed Admiral staggered, bruised, and bleeding, his composure the only thing keeping him upright.
"Orders or not… today is not the day," Kizaru murmured, before dissolving into streaks of golden light, retreating from the city and leaving the Silver-Hair Pirates standing amidst the ruins, victorious but wary.
Leo fell to his knees, breathing heavily, tears streaking his face. "Father… we did it… we did it together."
Arthur placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "You did it, Leo. You channeled everything… grief, rage, courage. That is true strength."
The city, still trembling, slowly began to cheer as citizens emerged, realizing that the impossible had happened. Cleaica was free—not because of law, not because of kings or dragons, but because of courage, will, and the power to defy the impossible.
Hiroshi sheathed his katana with a soft click. "We've won… but this will bring attention. The World Government will not ignore Cleaica's liberation."
Alex adjusted his pistols, scanning the horizon. "And I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of Kizaru."
Arthur looked toward the horizon, silver hair catching the moonlight. "Then let them come. This sea is waking, and so are we."
Leo lifted his axe, a silent vow to his fallen father and every oppressed soul. "Let them come. I'm ready."