High above the Going Merry, two beams of light—one golden, one purple—spiraled around each other as they collided and separated again. From afar, the scene almost looked beautiful, like a celestial dance. Up close, however, it was terror incarnate.
"Wuwuwuwu… someone save me! This is too scary!"
Usopp trembled on the deck, barely avoiding collapsing. If not for the countless terrifying adventures he had already survived, he might have truly fainted on the spot.
Clang!
Admiral Kizaru, his form elongated into a streak of yellow-red light, caught Shirogai's incoming blow with his Totsuka-no-Tsurugi. He spoke in his usual slow, drawn-out voice:
"Eeey… Shirogai San, isn't this a bit too violent? I thought we actually had a good relationship."
Shirogai gave him a relaxed smile, though his fists showed no mercy as he once again tightened his Armament Haki and launched a blindingly fast punch enhanced by the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit.
The strike hammered the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi so hard that the blade bent and dimmed, nearly shattering.
Kizaru winced.
"What a scary punch. I'm just a simple employee, Shirogai San, why are you treating me like this?"
Despite the words, he didn't hesitate to retaliate.
"Light Speed Kick!"
His leg exploded into a streak of golden light, slamming into Shirogai's torso. Kizaru already knew such an attack wouldn't truly harm him, but it should at least send him flying.
Instead…
Shirogai's body burst open into bluish-green flames. The damaged area burned and then regenerated instantly, returning to flawless condition.
"…Hm?"
Kizaru paused in genuine surprise.
"Shirogai San… that flame just now… that wouldn't happen to be…"
"The Mythical Zoan Phoenix, right?"
Shirogai smiled calmly in mid-air.
"You guessed correctly."
Kizaru inhaled sharply.
"How terrifying. Shirogai San, when did you join forces with the Whitebeard Pirates? The Marines never heard anything about this."
"That's none of your concern."
Shirogai raised his hand, fingers forming a precise gesture.
"Slow–Slow Beam."
Instantly, Kizaru's Observation Haki screamed in warning.
In a burst of reddish-yellow light, he vanished, narrowly avoiding the spreading beam. The ray struck the sea below, and the violent waves instantly slowed to an unnatural crawl, moving forward like sluggish syrup.
"What a pity, Kizaru. A part of me really wanted to know what happens when the fastest man alive gets hit by a speed-erasing beam."
Kizaru stared at the still-frozen wave, clicking his tongue.
"A Devil Fruit ability that slows anything down… it really does counter me. Shirogai San, every time I fight you, I feel uneasy. I never know what strange abilities you have hidden."
Shirogai casually lifted three fingers.
"Relax. This clone can only use three Devil Fruit abilities."
"Only three…?"
Kizaru narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses.
"To tell me that so directly… feels a little suspicious."
Shirogai laughed softly.
"Kizaru, scheming… that's something the Marines and the World Government excel at."
"That's a harsh statement."
Kizaru raised his hands lazily.
"We're righteous, after all. It's pirates who love tricks, isn't it?"
Shirogai smirked.
"Then guess what trick this evil pirate, the one you call the Fifth Emperor, is planning?"
Kizaru froze for a brief moment… then chuckled.
"So you aren't joking, the Shirogai San in front of me is just a clone."
He blurred into golden light—
Swish!
And reappeared in front of Shirogai.
Bang!
The Totsuka-no-Tsurugi struck Shirogai's crossed, Haki-coated arms, sending him flying.
"You aren't using the Phoenix flames this time. Is this attack different from before?"
Kizaru vanished again.
Swish.
Swish.
Swish.
Burst after burst of golden light chased Shirogai across the sky.
Shirogai calmly defended, Armament Haki shimmering against each impact.
"Your perception really is sharp, Kizaru."
"Well… as a clone, your Observation Haki and Armament Haki are definitely weaker."
Kizaru's slow voice echoed around him.
"But that Haoshoku of yours is absurdly strong."
Shirogai shrugged mid-air, blocking another blow.
"A clone is naturally inferior to the main body."
"And that's why you want me to stay on the defensive," Kizaru continued.
"Because your other Devil Fruit abilities take a second or so to prepare, don't they? You can't instantly switch between them like your real self."
Shirogai sighed theatrically.
"So you figured it out after all."
Kizaru pressed forward, relentless now, his blade flashing again and again.
"That means, Shirogai San… even as a clone… you're fighting three Marine Admirals by yourself."
He paused, admiring the young, calm face before him.
"…You really are terrifyingly strong."
___
Milestone
100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus chapter.
I've been getting little to no Powerstones, don't be greedy with them 😪