"My, my, this won't do, you two great criminals!"
As the figure draped in a white cloak walked forward, limping.
The wounds on Hyena's flesh, bones, and internal organs were all compressed to a negligible size using the power of his Devil Fruit, forcibly restoring his combat ability.
But this came at a cost. The manipulated injuries would require a much longer time to recover and readjust later. If it weren't for the mission handed down by the center, Hyena wouldn't have pushed himself this hard.
He stepped past Kizaru, walked forward, and pressed his hands against the ground.
The previously open view overlooking the sea became blurred. Only countless black ruler lines entangled in the void remained.
They covered the earth, enveloped the sky, dense as spider silk, distorting everything.
"Is the world getting bigger?"
Kuina looked at the continuously expanding trees and roads around her, showing confusion.
"No, we are getting smaller." Sakura moved to block Kuina. "Is this your awakened ability, Hyena?"
"Not bad, right? It's just a bit troublesome to set up the ruler lines in advance."
Hyena chuckled, his voice very gentle. "Please proceed, Admiral Kizaru. She cannot use any spatial abilities here."
"Really knows how to order people around. She's not even my target~"
Taking his hands out of his pockets, Kizaru formed a laser sword, drawing it from his clenched right fist.
The next instant, a dazzling sword flash erupted!
Sakura raised Kumotsuna to meet Kizaru's Ama no Murakumo. Invisible ripples burst forth from where the blades met.
Boom!
A startling explosion sounded!
The ground beneath their feet shattered directly. Each withdrew from the billowing smoke.
"Long time no see, Sakura-san. I've missed you since our parting at Sunlight Island!"
Kizaru halted his momentum in mid-air, squinting as he looked down.
"Then why don't I give you a Den Den Mushi number? We can find a restaurant to eat and drink when we have time?"
Sakura used Kumotsuna to create a floating piece of Iron Cloud and sat on it, crossing her legs.
"While having dinner with a beautiful lady is indeed wonderful, Fleet Admiral Sengoku would deduct my salary if I did that~"
Kizaru circled his arms as if holding up a mirror, reflecting himself outward.
A channel composed of light particles reached in front of Sakura. His leg, shimmering with light, lifted, approaching Sakura's head.
"Speaking of which, have you ever been... kicked at the speed of light?"
Under the warning of Observation Haki, Sakura barely managed to cross her arms to block the side.
Kizaru's leg made contact with Sakura's arms, causing another violent explosion.
The speed of light combined with the explosive impact sent Sakura's entire body airborne.
Kizaru flew up into the sky, raising his hand, light gathering at his fingertips.
"Farewell, Sakura!"
A golden beam shot out, the violent light piercing through the air, striking the unavoidable Sakura.
However, the girl's head, pierced by the light, did not spill blood. Instead, it showed a scene like a soap bubble popping.
Her entire figure began to flicker, slowly dissolving into the air.
"Heat: Haze Mirage!"
Sakura's voice rang out. From the ground where hot and cold air interchanged, a large amount of mist billowed up.
Standing up within it were countless Sakuras of varying heights and builds.
"Tricks meant to fool children are useless against me!"
Kizaru seemed to turn a blind eye to the vast number of Sakuras. His hands in his pockets, his face still wore a leisurely expression.
He spread his Observation Haki. Mere illusions were easily shattered.
Then... Kizaru froze mid-air.
'What do you mean they are all real?'
"Your ability is really complicated!"
Kizaru's hands gripping the Ama no Murakumo twisted. The laser sword instantly extended dozens of meters.
Holding this several-dozen-meter-long great sword, he swung it forcefully at the numerous Sakuras below.
Boom, boom, boom...
As the blade swept through, a large number of clones exploded. The rising smoke further enveloped the entire battlefield.
On the ground, within the churning smoke, abruptly, ever-changing dark thunder roared.
A violently erupting Conqueror's Haki shook the entire battlefield, rendering all the interwoven Observation Haki on the battlefield ineffective.
A figure tore through the smoke, stepped several times consecutively in the air, and abruptly charged right in front of Kizaru.
"Being complex is good. It's always harder to counter that way!"
Sakura's hand, wrapped in Armament Haki, shot out, gripping Kizaru's arm like an iron shackle.
"Oh? And how do you plan to counter me?"
Kizaru smiled, raising his other hand, light beginning to dance between his fingers.
"There are two methods. The first is darkness, which conflicts with your attribute..."
As Sakura spoke, Leviathan, hidden in the shadows beneath her, suddenly pounced out.
It spread its wings towards Kizaru, scattering a large number of feathers.
"This is!"
Kizaru's eyes widened. The wrinkles on his forehead were now deep enough to trap flies.
'This damn bird again?'
'But the same trick wouldn't work on me a second time!'
Without a second thought, Kizaru suddenly held his breath. The surrounding light dimmed instantly.
A mirror of light condensed behind his body. The channel of light refracted four or five times in an instant.
Then, his entire body turned into light particles and darted through the channels.
Emerging from the channels again and reforming, what he saw was still the beautiful, smiling face of the pink-haired girl.
"Wha..."
"The second method is refraction, which can alter the path of light!"
Sakura's hand swept through the void. Countless mirage lenses, generated by heat currents affecting air density, revealed their forms.
Behind her, Leviathan was already poised, its bent wings straightening, shooting forth like arrows.
In Kizaru's moment of stunned disbelief, it charged into his body at the speed of spreading shadows.
Instantly, pure darkness slowly seeped inward, countless threads, intertwining with each other, forming an invisible net.
[Seal: Apocalypse!]
The active state of light was solidified by darkness, then condensed into a substance of indeterminate state between wave and particle.
Kizaru consequently fell into silence, dropping straight down from mid-air, crashing to the ground and kicking up dust.
"Success?"
Sakura looked at Leviathan, who was struggling free from the yellow and white striped suit, and smiled.
"Mhm, but it won't hold for long. He's already using Haki to expel the ability!"
"Also, external attacks will speed up the process of him stabilizing his own state."
Leviathan flapped its wings, flew up, and landed on Sakura's shoulder.
"Alright then. We'll leave him be for now. Let's hurry and deal with the CP guy, then retreat!"
The two turned their focus, charging towards the other battlefield.
In the distance, Fisher Tiger had dozens of wounds, large and small, on his body.
Kuina behind him had also been defeated early on, blood flowing from a wound on her temple as she lay unconscious on the ground.
Hyena swung his arms like a conductor leading an orchestra.
"Fisher Tiger, to be honest, I respect you and that Higanbana. Liberation and freedom, such beautiful words."
Hyena walked up to Tiger, pinched his chin with one hand, and lifted him up.
"Unfortunately, this world is ultimately realistic. Your freedom is worthless before the World Government. So, accept obediently your fate of defeat!"
Hyena raised a finger, Armament Haki coiling around it, staining the fingertip black.
Just as he was about to pierce Tiger's heart, two figures descended from the sky, crashing down in front of him.
The dust-laden shockwave blew back the girl's hair, revealing a bright face before him.
At this moment, Hyena's heart sank. Remembering Kizaru's confident assurances before the battle, his face turned alternately green and red.
'Kizaru, are you f*cking a mole? Playing me like this?'