The fat man in the red bellyband, Sentomaru, had a reputation for being the most tight-lipped man on the sea. Yet, time and again, he would spill the very secrets he swore to protect.
Kizaru and the other Marines were already used to this habit, but they still felt a little embarrassed by the Straw Hat crew's teasing. Kizaru didn't know what to do with the man.
"You're making fun of me!" Sentomaru finally realized he had given away too much information. "Since you already know the secret, prepare to die!"
He commanded the three Pacifistas to attack. Lasers brewed in the palms and mouths of the robots, an incredibly cool sight that made Luffy and Chopper's eyes shine.
"You're the one who told us!" Zoro and Sanji roared, baring their teeth. The nerve of this guy! He reveals a secret, and now he wants to kill them to keep them quiet, acting as if it were their fault.
They couldn't dwell on it now. They were enemies of the Marines, deep in enemy territory. The Marines didn't need an excuse to kill them.
"Zoro, Sanji, Torao, everybody, get out of here!" Luffy ordered, activating his Second Gear.
He had already used Fourth Gear to save Ace and was wary of using it again due to the high energy consumption. But facing Kizaru, he knew he had to hold back. Luckily, he didn't need to win, just keep Kizaru busy.
"Gomu Gomu no Jet Gatling!"
Luffy launched a flurry of pinkish-red fists that appeared as a blur. But Kizaru was too familiar with the attack. He simply turned into light particles, reappearing above Luffy's head. He kicked down with a glowing, elongated leg.
Luffy predicted the attack, pulled back his arm, and punched upward.
BANG!
A thunderous sound erupted from the collision of their fist and leg. The ground beneath Luffy shattered as the immense force bent him backward.
Kizaru's power is growing! Luffy was confused. Kizaru had been holding back before, so why was he suddenly so much stronger?
Kizaru saw the doubt in Luffy's eyes. He felt a little helpless. He had been "fishing" for too long. With Fire Fist Ace rescued, Fleet Admiral Sengoku would be furious if he continued to go easy on them. He had to be more serious and, at the very least, take down the Straw Hats. As for offending Garp? As long as Luffy survived, he figured it wouldn't be a problem.
While Luffy and Kizaru fought, the others picked their own opponents.
Vice Admiral Mole stepped up to face Zoro. After the humiliation of Vice Admirals Dauberman and Dalmatian being defeated, he, as a leader of the Buster Call, had to defeat Roronoa Zoro.
Vice Admiral Onigumo took on Sanji. Both he and Mole knew Onigumo might not be a good match for Zoro, so Mole took the fight personally.
"Oh? Another Vice Admiral who's a master swordsman? It seems I'm very lucky to be in this battle!"
Zoro grinned. He bit down on his Wado Ichimonji and held Shusui and Sandai Kitetsu in his hands, brimming with excitement. Fighting so many powerful swordsmen was the perfect training for him. The stronger his opponents, the faster he would improve. One day, he would defeat Hawkeye, become the world's greatest swordsman, and fulfill the promise he made to Kuina.
"Santoryu... Tora Gari!"
Zoro rushed forward like a tiger. Mole raised his saber, expertly blocking the attack. At the same time, he kicked Zoro in the calf, causing him to stumble. Mole then twisted his blade, slicing Zoro's shoulder.
Blood spurted from the wound, but Zoro didn't even flinch. He quickly regained his balance, his respect for Mole growing.
"You're Mole, right? Your swordsmanship is even better than Doberman's. You saw my weakness so easily. This is getting exciting!"
Zoro was thrilled. His previous fight with Dauberman had been exhausting, but not satisfying. He wanted to fight stronger opponents, like Mole, who was putting a tremendous amount of pressure on him.
Defeating Mole would push his sword skills to the next level. This was his chance to get stronger, and he couldn't be more excited.
Meanwhile, Sanji was about to clash with Onigumo, but Law pulled out his sword, Kikoku, and stepped in front of him.
"Black Leg-ya, this Onigumo is a master swordsman. Leave him to me. You go deal with the guy in the red bellyband and then head to the Merry to give them a hand."
Sanji saw that Law had it under control. He also worried about Tashigi and the others, so he didn't argue. As usual, he completely forgot that Usopp and Chopper were also on the ship.
Onigumo was irritated at being passed around, but he didn't refuse to fight Law. This was the man who had let Fire Fist Ace escape, and he wanted to bring him to justice himself.
With a furious snarl, Onigumo unsheathed eight blades, using his hair as an extra set of arms. "Trafalgar Law! Prepare to die!"
"Eight-Sword Style? How troublesome!" Law said, a smile on his face. He was just as excited as Zoro.
Law's long blade, Kikoku, gave him an advantage. He used it to block all eight of Onigumo's blades. Onigumo, not as physically strong as Law, pulled back his swords and attacked again.
His eight blades danced, seemingly chaotic but precisely controlled. Each strike was aimed at a weak point. After dozens of attacks, Law was already bleeding from numerous small cuts. Onigumo's swordsmanship was clearly superior. Law found himself wondering how Zoro and Sanji had survived their previous encounter with Onigumo in Loguetown.
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