At this very moment.
Kizaru finally understood one thing.
No wonder...
No wonder back at Enies Lobby, even though he had personally witnessed this brat lose all signs of life and sink into the ocean depths, the other party had still managed to escape death.
So he could still breathe underwater after all...
"Just... what are you?"
Forcing himself to stay conscious, he spoke with difficulty, his voice growing weaker and hoarser in the pitch-black depths of the sea:
"A Fish-man? Your appearance doesn't match. Could you be some forbidden bloodline from an extinct race? Or... perhaps some experimental subject even I don't know about?"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Xiano sneered, his black hair wildly dancing in the deep sea as his Conqueror's Haki-infused fist tore through the water pressure once more, smashing toward Kizaru!
"What's with all this 'race' or 'bloodline' crap? I'm fucking... human, of course!!!"
Boom!
The fist, wreathed in black-and-red lightning, struck Kizaru square in the abdomen!
Crack!
Amid the crisp sound of breaking ribs, Kizaru's body was sent flying like a cannonball, shattering countless reefs along the way before finally crashing deep into the trench wall with a thunderous impact!
Xiano coldly watched his opponent.
His aura had weakened further, but he could still move.
Far from his limit.
How troublesome!
These Navy Admirals were truly monstrously strong. Even when completely helpless in the deep sea, reduced to nothing more than a punching bag, they were still so damn durable!
If ordinary techniques couldn't finish him off...
"Then let's try this move, you old monkey!"
Layers of shockwaves erupted beneath Xiano's feet as his figure shot forward like an arrow, instantly tearing through the water pressure to appear right before Kizaru!
Snap!
His left hand clamped around Kizaru's throat like iron tongs, slamming him back into the rocky wall, while his right hand slowly rose—
Hum!
Black-and-red lightning abruptly coiled around his palm as nearly all the Conqueror's Haki he could muster gathered, compressed, and spun violently, ultimately forming a crimson disk!
God Split!
The chilling killing intent washed over Kizaru, causing his expression to drastically change. Finally lifting his head, he gazed at the crimson disk mere inches away, a trace of resignation flashing in his eyes.
So... he still couldn't hold out until that Old Man arrived.
In that case, it seemed he had no choice but to use that move now...
"Yata Mirror!"
Hum!
A golden beam of light suddenly pierced through from above, illuminating this section of the deep sea before rapidly converging entirely onto Kizaru.
In an instant.
Kizaru's entire body became as radiant as a divine Buddha, his form blazing with dazzling golden light.
The brilliance forced Xiano to instinctively shut his eyes, but his movements never faltered as he hurled God Split directly forward!
Shoom—!!!
The crimson disk swept forth like a scythe of death!
Blood sprayed!
An arm soared high into the water. Sensing this with his Observation Haki, Xiano frowned slightly.
Off target?
That shouldn't be possible at such close range.
But it didn't matter.
Kizaru was still under his control. Though this strike had drained most of his Haki reserves, what remained was more than enough for a finishing blow.
As the light dimmed, Xiano reopened his eyes.
Huh?
Xiano froze for a moment, tilting his head as he examined Kizaru clutched in his right hand. He looked left and right, but something felt off no matter how he scrutinized it.
Had he gotten a replacement?
This Kizaru before him—his pristine white Justice cloak, striped suit—all looked brand new. His aura was overwhelmingly powerful, as if he'd reverted to his peak condition at the start of their battle.
"So that's how it is..."
A grin spread across Xiano's face as he suddenly recalled intelligence only he knew in this world.
This Kizaru bastard possessed the ability to create avatars—clones that replicated all his powers, even perfectly mimicking his aura to the point where Observation Haki could hardly distinguish the real from the fake.
The only difference was that these clones were inferior in every aspect when it came to actual combat capability.
A clone!
With one punch, he obliterated this "Kizaru," then looked up and blasted off toward the sea's surface, explosive air currents erupting beneath his feet.
...
Meanwhile, on the ice sheet.
Kizaru reappeared where his clone had been, crashing down heavily from the air. His knees slammed into the icy surface with a dull thud.
He knelt on one knee, left hand gripping the hilt of Ama no Murakumo so tightly his knuckles turned white. The sword's tip was buried deep in the ice, barely propping up his faltering body.
—Pitiful.
Unprecedentedly pitiful.
His striped suit was in tatters, revealing a blood-soaked dress shirt beneath. His face was deathly pale, lips tinged an unnatural bluish-purple, like a terminally ill patient just wheeled out of a hospital ICU.
And the most horrifying sight...
Without a doubt.
Was his empty right shoulder.
Where his arm should have been connected, there was now only a gruesome stump—a clean cross-section of mangled flesh clearly visible.
Blood still gushed out, dripping down his ruined suit onto the ice below, quickly freezing into dark crimson crystals.
"Cough... cough..."
He hacked violently, each breath accompanied by stabbing pain in his chest—or more accurately, there wasn't a single part of his body that didn't ache.
Those eyes that always carried a lazy smile were now bloodshot, pupils trembling faintly.
The dignity of a Navy Admiral?
That unflappable composure?
All gone without a trace.
Replaced by something even he found unfamiliar—
Fear.
The terror of having brushed shoulders with death itself, of nearly dying for real!
"Cough..."
He'd been careless.
Kizaru struggled to stand. He knew the details of Sengoku's strategy and understood that unless they fought for days on end, there was no way he could defeat Xiano.
Conversely, the same applied—Xiano couldn't defeat him within a few days either.
His role was simply to stall Xiano as per Fleet Admiral Sengoku's original plan, waiting until Gion could free herself to assist.
Even if Gion failed, there was still that ultimate backup named Garp.
Yet...
He'd gotten too arrogant!
Never anticipated his opponent's mastery of Conqueror's Haki Infusion had reached such heights—capable of completely sealing off his Elemental Transformation escape routes in an instant.
Resulting in him being forcibly dragged into the ocean and grievously wounded!
If not for playing it safe by leaving a clone behind on the warship...
He might have truly died in those crushing depths today!
After all, in the deep sea, his true self couldn't use his Devil Fruit abilities.
Which was why this time, only his clone could make the first move.
This technique called "Amaterasu Displacement" allows him to instantly swap positions with his clone regardless of distance, as long as light connects to his main body serving as the linking medium.
It could be considered his ultimate life-saving move, rarely used.
Because the cost is also immense...
This technique drains most of his stamina and sends excruciating, needle-like pain throughout his body.
Yet compared to what Xiano had left him with—or rather, taken from him—it seemed insignificant.
He finally straightened up, his face dark as he glanced at his empty right shoulder.
With his right arm severed, massive blood loss, and the side effects of "Amaterasu Displacement," his condition had hit rock bottom.
He was in no state to continue fighting Xiano head-on—retreat was his only option!
Retreat?
He could withdraw anytime, even in this weakened state. By transforming into light, even Xiano couldn't stop him...
But damn it... there were still so many comrades and subordinates he couldn't simply abandon!
Kizaru tightened his grip on Ama no Murakumo, his gaze sweeping over the marines still locked in desperate combat on the icy plain.
Peach Rabbit and Kuina's sword duel raged on, evenly matched for now, but the other battlefields had already been decided.
Doberman and Dalmatian had teamed up against Jack but were still overpowered, lying battered on the ground, vomiting blood and barely conscious;
The other officers were strewn across the ice, their fates unknown;
As for the Warlord of the Sea, Enel, whom he'd brought along...
He suddenly froze, staring in shock at the lifeless corpse with a twisted neck lying not far from him.
Enel... dead?
How?!
The guy was an annoying braggart, sure, but his lightning transformation ability was something even Kizaru envied—he should've been able to escape no matter what...
Narrowing his eyes, Kizaru turned to the massive, expressionless figure approaching him step by step.
The Tyrant, Bartholomew Kuma.
This guy was truly a monster through and through, his displayed strength far exceeding the bounty the headquarters had assigned him.
BOOM!
The sound of shattering ice erupted behind him, followed by a terrifying presence locking onto his back. Kizaru didn't even need to turn around to know.
Xiano had caught up from the depths of the sea...
Pincered from both sides.
Surrounded, then?
Not that it mattered anymore.
—This battle had been a complete mess anyway. Defeat was inevitable.
Yet even so, he couldn't flee alone!
Saving everyone was impossible, but he had to buy time for those comrades still capable of fighting to retreat!
"That's why... I hate bringing deadweight along on missions..."
Kizaru muttered darkly, steadying himself to keep fighting, when suddenly—
BOOOOM!!!
A violent shockwave crashed down from the sky, shattering the ice plain and sending seawater surging upward!
This presence...!
Xiano's pupils contracted as he snapped his gaze upward.
A massive figure descended from the heavens like a meteorite!
Short white hair, rugged features, and arms coiled with ominous black-red lightning—
The Hero of the Marines, Monkey D. Garp!
"Hey, you brat! Long time no see, but we can catch up later. I can't just sit back and watch you wipe out the Navy's elite here!"
Garp grinned wildly, the black-and-red glow on his right fist growing increasingly blinding, almost illuminating the entire night sky!
"Galaxy—IMPACT!!!"
The roar shook the heavens. Even before the iron fist infused with Conqueror's Haki made contact, its terrifying pressure had already caused the ice within a kilometer radius to crack and splinter!
CRACK!
The air twisted and collapsed with a mournful wail, black-and-red lightning dancing like frenzied dragons. A massive ring-shaped shockwave expanded continuously, casting the entire sea in an apocalyptic glow!
"Garp?!"
Xiano's eyes lit up, his fighting spirit erupting like a volcano as his blood instantly boiled.
Clenching his right fist tightly, he channeled every last drop of his remaining Conqueror's Haki, compressing and concentrating it all into his knuckles.
Black-and-red lightning coiled around his arm, forming an equally dazzling cross-shaped crimson glow at the tip of his fist!
"I know this move too, you old bastard!"
Laughing maniacally, he shattered the ice beneath his feet and shot upward like a cannonball!
"Galaxy—IMPACT!!!"
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