Beep!
As Kizaru slowly pulled back his right hand, a blade of golden light condensed into existence—an ethereal lightsaber forged from the power of photons.
This was one of Admiral Kizaru's signature techniques.
By gathering photon energy into his hand, he formed a dazzling sword of light: the Ama no Murakumo Sword.
In the original One Piece canon, Admiral Kizaru wielded this very blade in his high-speed duel with Silvers Rayleigh, the legendary first mate of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.
In that instant—faster than thought—the golden photon sword collided with Bai Yu's blazing Dragon Flame Tachi.
Clang!
The shriek of steel and light clashing tore through the night, a sound so sharp it seemed to pierce the eardrums of all who heard it.
Boom!
An instant later, a violent surge of force and elemental energy burst from the two weapons.
Shockwaves and surging sword auras blasted out in all directions, tearing through the atmosphere.
Even the air itself seemed to distort and rupture under the sheer pressure of their collision.
Boom!
The ground beneath them split apart, carved into trenches by the explosive aftermath of the sword clash.
When the energy finally settled, the tremors eased.
Their first exchange ended… in a deadlock.
"Armament Haki... and Observation Haki..." Kizaru muttered.
"You're just as rumored. To master both forms of Haki at such a young age..."
Kizaru's voice was uncharacteristically serious as he locked blades with Bai Yu's fiery katana.
He had quickly realized how Bai Yu had dodged his light-speed lasers with such precision—and even launched attacks that connected with his tangible body.
It was thanks to Kenbunshoku Haki guiding his movements and Busoshoku Haki empowering his strikes.
These weren't skills that could be learned through sheer effort alone.
This level of mastery demanded innate, exceptional talent.
"A man like you… if it's determined you're not on the side of the Marines—"
"Then it's best to eliminate you before it's too late."
Kizaru's tone was calm but carried chilling weight.
At last, he understood why Vice Admiral Garp had spoken so highly of Bai Yu.
Someone like Bai Yu, with time, would surely become a force to shake the world.
Perhaps… even surpass their entire generation.
But now, Kizaru sensed danger—not allegiance—from the young swordsman.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bai Yu said flatly, feigning ignorance.
Kizaru simply shook his head and gave no reply.
Clang!
Both swordsmen surged forward at once, palms pressing hard against their hilts.
Golden sparks exploded from the impact point of their blades.
Simultaneously, both Bai Yu and Kizaru leapt back.
Whoosh!
As he landed, Kizaru's body dissolved into motes of golden light—his Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit) ability fully activated.
He transformed into countless particles of light and soared upward into the night sky.
Then, the photons converged—and Kizaru's form reconstituted midair, high above the battlefield.
Beep!
Hovering above, Kizaru dismissed his blade of light.
Then he raised both hands before him, thumbs and index fingers forming an 'O'.
Beep beep beep!
Within that 'O' of light, an orb of intense radiance rapidly condensed.
"Yasakani no Magatama," he intoned.
Shu-shu-shu-shu...!
In an instant, a massive barrage of light bullets rained down from his fingertips.
Fast as light, numerous beyond count, they spread across the sky in a golden storm.
A wide section of the battlefield beneath Bai Yu was sealed off entirely.
This was the terrifying Yasakani no Magatama, a devastating long-range attack of the Glint-Glint Fruit.
Each individual light bullet carried immense destructive power—being struck by even one would result in grievous damage.
Hush—
Faced with the inescapable onslaught, Bai Yu gripped his Dragon Flame Tachi with both hands.
The jade-green flames encasing his blade grew even more vivid, pulsing with energy.
He pushed his own sword intent and spiritual pressure to the limit.
"Azure Dragon Slash!"
When the energy had fully condensed, Bai Yu swung the blade upward.
Whooom—!
A tremendous shockwave burst from his sword.
A massive slash, wrapped in turquoise fire, roared skyward—its form morphing into a soaring dragon of emerald flame.
The roaring dragon surged forth to meet the rain of light bullets head-on.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each impact between light bullet and dragon scales echoed with a furious explosion.
The night sky flared brightly with every clash of light and fire.
Bai Yu's slash carried raw destructive power.
Kizaru's barrage overwhelmed with speed and volume.
In their first exchange, neither side held the advantage.
Above the battlefield, dragon and photons collided in a storm of fire and light.
The number of light bullets Kizaru unleashed was not in the dozens, nor hundreds, but tens of thousands.
Even the stray ones that slipped past the dragon caused immense explosions upon hitting the ground.
But such intense exchanges couldn't last forever.
Boom!
At last, a final explosion shook the battlefield.
All of Kizaru's light bullets had been expended.
And the blazing dragon created by Bai Yu had also finally burned out—its energy scattered under the relentless assault.
The sky between them was left thick with smoke, blackened by repeated bursts of photon and flame.
"Geppo (Moonwalk)!"
"Soru (Shave)!"
Suddenly, Bai Yu's voice echoed from the smoke.
Whoosh!
In the next instant, his figure burst out of the dark clouds, stepping through the air with explosive force.
Turquoise flames engulfed his entire body like an armor of roaring fire.
But even that flame soon changed form—
It shrank visibly, drawing inward, until it formed a tight crystalline layer across his body.
The flames condensed into jade-like armor, glistening with spiritual energy.
"Azure Dragon – Final Form – Jade Slash!"
Bai Yu roared, blade in both hands, descending like a comet.
Shing!
The moment his slash was about to land, Kizaru's eyes widened in alarm.
He instantly summoned the Ama no Murakumo Sword again.
Acting on reflex alone, he raised his sword to block.
Clang!
The blades collided.
A shockwave of sound and force erupted from the clash, thundering across the sky.
A ripple of pressure tore outward in a circle, flattening the surrounding forest.
Boom... Boom... Boom...!
Trees were shattered at the base by the sheer force of the impact.
They fell one after another, as if sliced cleanly by a guillotine.
The smoothness of the cuts testified to the terrifying sharpness of Bai Yu's technique.
And at the center of it all, Kizaru bore the brunt of the blow.
Though he had barely managed to parry the attack, the backlash surged through his body.
He felt a numbing pain at the base of his thumb—his grip weakened.
A crushing force was pressing against him, threatening to overwhelm even his logia-enhanced body.